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Inclusive Worship

The multi-ethnic church seeks to bring diverse people together in a countercultural way. In order to establish such a work, church planters and reformers must be willing to put aside their own personal biases and preferences in order to lead others together as one before the Lord. Like the coaches in the film, we, too, must promote a spirit of inclusion in order to experience the power and pleasure of unity within the local church. To the degree we are willing to do so, “the manifold wisdom of God will be made known through the church” and expressed before an unbelieving world (Ephesians 3:10). This will result in the salvation of souls and, progressively, the sanctification of the church.

To build a healthy multi-ethnic church, then, it is in worship that leaders must begin to promote a spirit of inclusion. For example, if the worship format in style and leadership is the same from week to week, it
will appeal only to a certain segment of the population; thus a barrier (though perhaps unintended) is erected. Yet by diversifying its worship format—the songs that are sung, the way that they are done, and by whom—a church will demonstrate its (God’s) heart for all people. Beyond this, leaders might also incorporate the prayers of fi rst-generation internationals (prayers spoken in languages other than English) within the context of worship. In so doing, a church will expand its perspective and, in the process, experience a bit of heaven on earth, as diverse people learn to worship God together as one.

Excerpt from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church by Mark DeYmaz (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007).

Survey Says ...

Recently, I came across new findings that confirm what many in multi-ethnic churches already realize from first-hand experience. In a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, results of the
Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership’s (CCSP) Faith Communities Today 2005 survey werereleased and determined that “while most congregations in America are composed of a single racial/ethnic group, those that are multi-racial are most likely to have experienced strong growth in worship attendance.” David A. Roozen, director of the CCSP and professor of religion and society at Hartford Seminary said, [The report] tests the continuing salience of long, “taken for granted” principles of [church] growth . . . as well as [those] more recently proposed. Most importantly, it suggests several newly emergent dynamics to consider [including] the potential for growth in downtown areas and within multi-racial/ethnic congregations (emphasis mine). In other words, the multi-ethnic church is favorably positioned for growth in the twenty-first century.

Excerpt from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church by Mark DeYmaz (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007).