Is Your Church As Diverse As You Would Like It To Be?

I was asked recently how things are going with leading a cross-cultural church. My answer was that the church that I lead in a diverse, urban environment in Pittsburgh has made tremendous progress toward becoming a church community that is reflective of the communities around us. We also have a long way to go in order to become a more diverse group of followers of Jesus Christ.

Our leadership at North Way East End is committed to developing and leading a diverse church. On any given Sunday morning, you will find people from all different walks of life. We have business leaders, homeless men and women, entrepreneurs, single moms, doctors, lawyers, contractors, university students, young families and young professionals, empty nesters, high school drop outs, PhDs, small business owners, people getting by on public aid, and many other types of people. We have members from all over the world, such as Haiti, England, Switzerland, Africa, Korea, and China. We are becoming more diverse racially, as our African-America, Asian-American, and Caucasian members continue to attend our church in search of a truly cross-cultural community that is committed to living out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In spite of our progress, we still have much room to grow. We have intentionally established diverse leadership at the church, and we explore many different expressions of worshiping God together. Still, relationships are what are most important when it comes to church diversity. Real, authentic relationships that transcend our differences are the key to long term success when it comes to reflecting the beloved, diverse community that we read about in the Scriptures. These types of authentic relationships take time and trust in order to be build effectively.

Planning and implementation only go so far when it comes to cross-cultural ministry. The biggest foundation that we must continue to build at North Way East End is prayer. God leads all of us into diverse community through the reconciling power of the Holy Spirit which unites us to one another. I am thankful for the increasingly diverse urban church community at North Way East End, and I am encouraged that God is going to continue to do a mighty, reconciling work in our midst.