Cultural Diversity

Karoline Lewis on the Power of Women in Ministry

Women navigating life in ministry face unique challenges. Naming these realities is the first step to helping women and men recognize them and respond proactively.

July 18, 2018 | 7 min read
Racial Injury and Trauma: Redeeming the Christian Story and the Democratic Experiment

A conversation between Danjuma Gibson, associate professor of pastoral care at Calvin Theological Seminary, and Christina Edmondson, dean of intercultural student development at Calvin College.

July 16, 2018 | 1 min video
The Challenge of Preaching in Bilingual Communities

Preaching to peers in a homiletics cohort opened Antonio Almonte’s eyes to the differences in how listeners perceive his preaching in English versus Spanish. As a result, he adjusted his English-language preaching style.

July 11, 2018 | 4 min read

Seven Challenges in Multicultural, Multi-congregational Worship

Worshiping regularly with a congregation culturally dissimilar from yours is challenging but worth it. Understanding these challenges can also help you change worship to better include different cultural groups within your church.

July 6, 2018 | 7 min read
Multicultural Congregations Meet for Combined Worship Services

Three church groups started out as separate congregations sharing one building. Now regularly-scheduled joint worship helps them see themselves as members of one body in Christ.

July 6, 2018 | 7 min read
Christina Edmondson on Church Multicultural Accessibility Committees

John 17 records Jesus’ prayer for unity “so that the world may know that you have sent me and loved them.” It is a powerful witness when churches model unity within diversity. This witness requires intention and prayer.

July 2, 2018 | 6 min read

Matthew D. Kim on Preaching with Cultural Intelligence

Preachers who interpret scripture without paying attention to cultural, ethnic, and other differences in their congregation miss out on opportunities to build bridges to their listeners’ lives.

June 29, 2018 | 6 min read
Anne Emile Zaki on Preaching and Teaching in Today’s Egypt

After becoming a seminary professor in Egypt in 2013, Anne Zaki discovered two things about preaching that she hadn’t learned in the North American context.

June 15, 2018 | 7 min read