KMC #110- Bridging the Racial Divide- Mahogany Dudley-Finley & Pastor Eric Hamp

I want to welcome to this episode Mahogany Dudley-Finley,  who serves with the International Network of Children's Ministry and Pastor Eric Hamp, Senior Pastor at Faith Family Christian Center Church. 

 

I am grateful for both of you joining me on short notice but I have followed both of you on social media and felt that you’d be the right ones to reach out to as I was praying how I could help respond to our country's crisis right now.  I would love to have a conversation focused on a couple of things:

What do we as white leaders need to understand about racism?

What can we as ministry leaders do to help bring change?

What can we do to serve our brothers and sisters who are grieving so deeply right now?

Where does the church and specifically kidmin go from here? What can we do to make real change happen?

Let’s hit some of the questions that I mentioned at the top of this episode:

 

What do we as white leaders need to understand about racism?

• Inform yourself- As leaders, we need to do the hard work and get the right info.
• Call it what it is, SIN. Racism is SIN, period.
• Do we as leaders believe it is sinful to think one is superior over the other?
• Make sure we as leaders are not passing on stereotypes or ideas that encourage this type of thinking.

What can we as ministry leaders do to help bring change?

We need to get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations. We need to embrace them.

Allow the Holy Spirit to step in and finish the sentences we are unable to finish.

What can we do to serve our brothers and sisters who are grieving so deeply right now?

Ask the questions but don’t put the burden of education on the person of color. We must seek to understand and listen carefully. 

Be fully present for our brothers and sisters. 

Dig In! - Do the hard work

Do the next right thing

Follow the Spirit’s lead.

Where do the church and specifically kidmin go from here? What can we do to make real change happen?

1. Examine ourselves first.
   1. Take a heart inventory
   2. Ask, “what are we convinced of?”
      1. Do we see people as image-bearers?
2. Go on a Journey of Learning
   1. Embrace the uncomfortable questions
   2. Engage in learning and listening.
3. Figure out how to speak truth
   1. What conversations need to happen? 
   2. Hard change will not happen if you and I aren’t willing to change.
4. Be willing to step out and take a risk.
5. Be intentional about serving.
6. Make sure everyone is represented. Help make other races visible even if your group isn’t diverse naturally. 

What resources could you point leaders to?

Check out Be the Bridge  https://bethebridge.com

International Network of Children's Ministry https://incm.org