We just got back from a youth rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was a great weekend! As we led worship at the churc on sunday, us guys noticed two men in booths in the balcony. we asked later about what those guys were doing there (the sound and video was in a booth on the main floor). The church said that have two translators for their worship gatherings: one for Spanish and one for Chinese! Members whose first language isn't English can pick up a headset and hear what is being said and/or sung via these translators. In my opinion, this is a HUGE step in reaching out and becoming a church that knows no borders. It goes beyond language and race and states that the good news of the kingdom is for everyone!
As I was thinking about this today, I stumbled upon this article on Yahoo. Now, you can deride megachurches all you want, but new research shows that they're more racially diverse, finally beginning to overturn the assertion that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week. In one-third of megachurches minorities make up 20% or more of the congregation. It's a small start, but a welcome one.
To read more, click here.
or just copy and paste it: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_re_us/megachurches_race
4 comments:
Chris--check out www.relevantmagazine.com. Aaron has an article published on the front page called "The Commercial Church." Hope you're doing well!
Thanks for the shout-out! You guys did an awesome job this weekend.
The emphasis our church in Baton Rouge puts on reaching all races and cultures was a major reason I wanted to come work here. It's particularly significant as you begin to see how much segregation takes place in Louisiana and how much "bad blood" exists between races even today.
So if I put a comment on here does that mean you'll post a new blog? ;o)
My wife and I were part of a church outside of Memphis that had a huge mix. How did that happen? We did a lot of door knocking - you never know who is going to answer or what they are going to look like but they are all welcome at church. We did a lot of personal invitation. We had a place that didn't make people feel uncomfortable for being/seeming different.
I think great things are coming in this area in the next few years.
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