Committee on Representation "You can't make room at the table for anyone else if you haven't done some work on yourself" - Kikanza Nuri Robins, 2006 Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering. Read her five suggestions... Multi-Cultural Resources Living the Vision: Becoming a Multicultural Church - This booklet explores the biblical and theological foundation of diversity. This booklet was distributed to each church at the Sept 2006 Presbytery meeting, it can be ordered FREE from PDS #7234104001, call (800) 524-2612 or visit www.pcusa.org/marketplace. Borrow the companion DVD (320.1200-01 ) or Video (320.1200-02 ) from our Presbytery Office!
Evangelism & Racial/Cultural Diversity, www.pcusa.org/diversity/what.htm Disability Resources How accessible is your church? Take this survey from the Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities, www.ccpd.org
Journey of a Congregation - A self-assessment tool that not only addresses architectural and building amenities, it also addresses attitudinal barriers
"You can't make room at the table for anyone else if you haven't done some work on yourself" - Kikanza Nuri Robins, 2006 Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering. She shared five concrete suggestions: 1. Assess spirituality in your environment. Become aware of the spiritual diversity around you - Know your own beliefs and practices
- Be willing to question and challenge yourself
- Ask people about their spiritual beliefs and practices
2. Value diverse spiritualities. This one may be hard for some people, because it requires that you accept that someone else's path is as valid for them as yours is for you. - Be willing to be stretched and challenged
- Share your practices and beliefs with others
- Take advantage of opportunities to learn about others' practices and beliefs
- Assume that God did not reveal all that there is to reveal to Christians
- Remember that you can only see what is behind your eyes
3. Manage the dynamics of difference in religious beliefs and spiritual practices - Hold conflicting thoughts, without requiring resolution
- Seek common ground, accept when there is none; learn from both
- Be willing to see the failings in your own traditions and practices
- Christianity is not neat. It does not answer all questions
4. Adapt to spiritual differences - Make space at your table for other paths, not just as interesting and curious, but as plausible and wise
- Acknowledge them as good for those who hold them
5. Internalize what you learn - Start simply. Read other spiritual books. Use prayers from other traditions
- Integrate the learning and practice of other traditions with yours
- Publicly acknowledge that there are many plausible paths, and that yours is one of them. Others are not wrong, just different.
- Leave your boundaries strong and grounded. You don’t have to deny your spiritual path
- Leader you boundaries flexible and permeable so you can continue learning and growing.
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Committee on Representation
