Becoming a Reconciling Community

Churches and Christian leaders are often overwhelmed because they feel ill-equipped to engage effectively in the ministry of reconciliation in a diverse and divided society. In this workshop, we focused on what it looks like for a church to be committed to racial reconciliation for the long haul. We offered five foundational practices for becoming a reconciling community. These practices, born out of the diverse and gentrifying neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, where Elena and David minister, shape the way a community pursues diversity and reconciliation. They also paint a vision for collaborative ministry work that is only possible with sustained cross-cultural engagement.