Mosaics: The New Multicultural Conspirators (by Tom Sine)
Last week I shared a snapshot of the new monastics. This week I will look at the mosaics. God is doing something new through a new generation of multicultural church planters.
Efrem Smith, who coauthored The Hip-Hop Church, will be keynoting our conference on the theme of Dr. Martin King's vision of "The Beloved Community." By 2060 the United States will become the first Western country in which Europeans will no longer be the dominant demographic group. We will become a richly multicultural society, and Smith will explain how the church can help us welcome this future.
Smith has planted Sanctuary Covenant Church, compelling evidence that God is doing something new through young people from different races and cultures. They are experiencing something of the richness of God's kingdom not only in their worship but in their life together across race and class.
The emerging church movement tends to be very white and male. But Tommy Kyllonen, a multicultural church planter in Florida, states in Un.orthodox: Church. Hip-Hop. Culture that the emerging church is also the young black male in the hood. It is the second-generation Mexican in L.A. and the child of the Chinese immigrant in Houston. The emerging church is the Puerto Rican female on Wall Street.
Smith tells me that urban hip-hop culture isn't just postmodern but also post-institutional, post-soul, and post-civil rights too. I find that multicultural churches, like the best of emerging and missional churches, tend to be more outwardly focused in mission. For example, Smith's church invests more than 50% of their giving in local and global mission.
As we race into an increasingly multicultural future, all of our largely monocultural churches are going to need to build bridges to the growing numbers of multicultural immigrant and ethnic congregations sharing life and mission. Read more at www.thenewconspirators.com
Tom Sine founded Mustard Seed Associates in 1989. He has worked as a consultant in futures research and planning for numerous nonprofit organizations and speaks at gatherings all over the world with his wife, Christine. His newest book, The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time, comes out next month. Discover what God is doing through a new generation of risk takers, innovators, and prophets February 28-March 1 in Seattle. Visit: www.thenewconspirators.wordpress.com
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Comments
I know about this congregation and have a lot of respect for E. Smith and the work that he is doing. I went to a couple of the formation meetings that they had at the begining to show support for them and to financially back them to get them started. (a few people have just hit the floor or now know that God works in wonderous ways) When my college kid get home for break we are going to try to see if we can catch a 'hip-hop' Sunday. Now - just for the record - I am more traditional and love a pipe organ and a 40 voice choir. But I love how we as believers can express ourselve in worship in vastly different ways and the Almighty is Praised. I can be blessed in worship with the 'bells and smells' with robes and chimes as well as guitar and keyboard and people clapping their hands. (I am normally not a clapper - just me) I would like to add 'hip-hop' to my experience so that I have a first hand understanding.
I wish I could see the looks on some of your faces -
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | February 8, 2008 3:51 PM
That would have been a stretch for me at first as well, since I grew up Presbyterian, but my present church does blended worship and today I wouldn't have it any other way. On MLK Sunday we had hip-hop dancers wearing camo -- the idea was that we were at war -- during the offertory and, while it's not my thing, I figured if this could be done reverently with a focus on the LORD, well, have at it.
Posted by: Rick Nowlin | February 8, 2008 4:34 PM
I'm just wondering how scantilly clad girls shaking thier sexually attractive bits in our faces is worshipping God?
Or is there some other mental image I'm supposed to have at the mention of "hip-hop"?
Christ went to the home of Zacheus, the most despised guy in town - considered crooked and a collaborator with a corrupt conquering nation.
Seems to me that we are to reach out to everyone, but it hardly seems to me that anything that dilutes the message of Christ and Him Crucified is justified in any way.
Posted by: mark | February 8, 2008 8:15 PM
I'm just wondering how scantilly clad girls shaking thier sexually attractive bits in our faces is worshipping God?
Or is there some other mental image I'm supposed to have at the mention of "hip-hop"?
That's just it -- a mental image courtesy of MTV. No way would our church allow dancers to wear sexy outfits during worship.
Posted by: Rick Nowlin | February 8, 2008 11:22 PM
Rick...but why dance?
The whole point of hip-hop is to turn off the intellectual part of the mind and get stuck on the physical gratification.
Mind you, my church at worship may seem pretty dull compared to that, but we have struggled over the last few decades to stop allowing ritual and form substitute for worship that's real and personal.
If I have to have a type of hypnotic music and motion to get someone to come to worship and remain, I think my worship lacks power and conviction.
Over the last 4 or 5 years, we have observed what we refer to as "celebration" churches, often mega-churches with thousands of members continue to take our young. The problem is, they take our young from thier home church, who stay for a while, lose interest, and then leave, not to return to thier home church, either.
Statistically, this is true, don't let anyone fool you. I've seen the studies and the numbers.
The percentage that leave is almost exactly the same, as for a dull, lifeless church. The departure is merely delayed, and those that leave have no sense of loss.
Thus, began our quest to reinvent our worship. After some years, we have come full circle. For me, the awakening was our speaker at our annual leadership retreat. His name was Gary L Hopkins. He has consulted with governments and institutions world wide on public health and at risk youth.
He brought it all around full circle. It's not about whether we sing Fanny Crosby hymns and have old fashioned reverence, or put a band up front with a whole production staff and entertain like world class production. What matters and what works, is that our young people have no purpose in thier lives and we need to give it to them, by mentoring them by doing service to others side by side together with them.
Does that sound like the life of Christ or what? He went around with his disciples doing good for ordinary people.
Establish a relationship with individual youth, mentor them, and go out in the community and do good side by side, shoulder to shoulder. There ARE other factors, but this is the single most effective thing ever tried - and it works in our churches, it works with NO church and NO evangelism, even.
Posted by: mark | February 9, 2008 2:50 AM
Posted by: mark | February 9, 2008 2:50 AM
Hip Hop Worship does not mean the idea of 'Club' dance and showmanship. I believe that when Paul talked about becoming all things to all men it included the idea of being able to communicate to them. I envision is as more like Billy Sunday to Rap Music not Ice Cube with the Sex Pistols as backup.
My understanding is that it happens about once a month at the most.
Blessings -
.
Posted by: moderatelad | February 9, 2008 8:31 AM
"No way would our church allow dancers to wear sexy outfits during worship." Rick Nowlin
Damn, man! I'm not goin' there then! LOL
"I wish I could see the looks on some of your faces - Blessings" -Posted by: Moderatelad
Surprise...yes...satisfactions...defintitely. But you never cease to amaze me. I don't think that you or I will ever come remotely close to agreeing on politics but I am happy to learn these tidbits about you Modlad. It puts a human face on things. Have a great weekend.
Peace,
Jim
Posted by: JamesMartin | February 9, 2008 9:05 AM
Mark,
Worship style has often been a hot topic in the denomination I serve. More often then not it is about generational preferences. As a pastor (and currently the worship leader) of a church I am careful to never let music or any other expression of worship be manipulative.
Whatever we do to express our worship to God should be genuine and sincere. Any style can be use to manipulate. We also can find ourselves going through the motions with any style.
Sometimes I am so filled with joy that I just need to dance. Our I'm so awed by the majesty of God that I need to raise my hands. Or so excited that I need to clap my hands. Or so humbled that I need to kneel in His presence. These our my expressions of worship, each one legit as long as they are sincere and not disruptive. The same acts of worship done to make a show (draw everyones attention) or turn into ritual is inappropriate.
Hip Hop, Fanny Crosby Hymns, Old Gaither Choruses, Third Day Worship Songs, Charles Wesley Hymns, each generation and culture has a unique way of expressing worship to God.
"Though my mother is dead, my father is dead, after all we've been we still have joy."
Liberian Worship Song "We Still Have Joy"
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff | February 9, 2008 11:45 AM
Correction:
Should say,
"Though my mother is dead, my father is dead, after all we've been through we still have joy."
Liberian Worship Song
Worship that rings hollow if sung by me (an American) but full of meaning when sung by a West African who has gone through war.
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff | February 9, 2008 12:24 PM
Wow, did I kill the conversation on this thread?
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff | February 9, 2008 5:11 PM
Jeff,
You did not kill this thread but I do have to talk about this issue of dancing in church.
Mark said:
"Rick...but why dance?
The whole point of hip-hop is to turn off the intellectual part of the mind and get stuck on the physical gratification."
You don't know anything about hip-hop. Your comment is ignorant about what hip hop is and the dancing that comes along w/ it. Hip-Hop dancing has many facets. On the west coast it has more to do w/ crunking, break dancing, popping, locking...
There is a really great film you should watch that will open your eyes to the struggle and how dance can be used to heal the spirit. It's called Rize, watch it. You will see that there are some very healthy elements to dancing and some very troubling ones.
I agree that so many young women are overly sexualized because of what they see in hip-hop videos. But there is a lot of stuff out there. You just need to look. I recommend listing to Common, Psalm One, Bahamdia, Blackalicious, Sage Francis, Cage, Murs and a few others. They are artists that don't mirror mainstream hip hop but speak from the heart and actually say something.
Breakdancing for Jesus is a beautiful thing. I have seen it heal many people. I know I dance a lot for my church and the healing it brings to people leads them closer to worshiping Jesus w/ all aspects of their humanity. I think we should all strive for that freedom. Don't you?
p
Posted by: Payshun | February 9, 2008 7:47 PM
"Rick...but why dance?"
I think a better question would be why not dance? th Psalmist's (?) describe the people of God praising with dance and the crashing of cymbals. Was this the sedate dancing we can visualize or was it celebratory and spontaneous.
Our God is mighty and awesome. He is exciting and thrilling. And His children should worship Him with every fiber of their being, whether through ballet as BalletMagnificat does down in Mississippi, or through hip-hop dance as Sanctuary Covenant Church practices. As Jeff said our worship should be genuine and sincere, but that does not mean it has to be staid and sedate. I, unfortunately, can not dance well enough to call it praise, (or perhaps fortunately for others in the worship service), but I can see the beauty of our Lord through the movement of others who have that gift, and it helps me connect my praise and focus more fully on Christ.
Posted by: DocGreg | February 11, 2008 10:44 PM
"Rick...but why dance?"
Why not dance? If the dance is a 'performance' for us - no. But if it is an expression of worship - fine. Even rehearsed - as long as it is about GOD and not us - fine. Now - I do not dance, in church that is. It is not who I am. Besides, there would be seismic activity in MN if I got going. David dance naked before the Lord - not a picture that I want of me. I have seen dance done in worship that added to the beauty of the song or music and inspired thoughts of the devine - thats cool. (or as my kids say 'tight')
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | February 12, 2008 10:16 AM
Why not dance? If the dance is a 'performance' for us - no. But if it is an expression of worship - fine.
Grinding on Jesus?
The Spirit shakes the rump?
Posted by: aaron | February 12, 2008 12:44 PM
Posted by: aaron | February 12, 2008 12:44 PM
I am more the ballet type of person. I am looking at dance that would communicate a story. Not just out there shaking you Booty for the Big Guy. Something that is actually choreographed. Not that there can't be freedom of expression and dance that is unscripted.
Just my take on it and I a 'traditional' kinda guy.
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | February 13, 2008 10:11 AM
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