TheColorOfChurchRodney M. Woo

Chapter 1The Beginning, the End, and

Everything in Between

The Beginning

• My Beginning– Biblical Studies

– Personal Experience

– Family Heritage

– Heart for Evangelism

• God’s Beginning (Gen. 1)– Made in His Image

– Diversity and Unity within the Trinity

• Your Beginning

The End-The Heavenly TribeRev. 7:9-10

• One Voice– Definition of a Multiracial Church-The multiracial

congregation is composed of racially diverse believers united by their faith in Christ, who makes disciples of all the nations in anticipation of the ultimate racial reunion around the throne.

The End-The Heavenly TribeRev. 7:9-10

• Ready or Not (Rev. 19:7-9; Eph. 5:25-27)– Worship services are choir rehearsals in

preparation for the ultimate racial reunion around the throne.

• A Little Slice of Heaven– No majority group

– 44 different nations

And Everything in Between(Eph. 2:13-14)

• Sin Separates Us– Isa. 59:1-2

• Christ Unites Us– The Blood of Christ

• Peace Defines Us– Christ is our Peace

• Let the Walls Fall Down– Eph. 2:14b; Matt. 27:51

• No Fear– Freedom is Near

Chapter 2Dare to Dream in Color

Small Beginnings

Matt. 13:31-33Prov. 29:18

The Call to Wilcrest

The Interviews

• The Initial Interview

• The Church-wide Interview

• The Voice of One– Esther 4:14

• Conflict with the Name “Woo”

Formation of the Mission Statement

• Personal Relationship with Christ– Common Denominator

• Intentionally Multiracial– Internal and External Forces

• Transforming Unbelievers to Missionaries– Missionary Sending Base

Spreading the VisionJohn 4:42

Practical Application

• Patiently Learn God’s Vision for the Church– Abraham (Gen. 22:1)

– Samuel (1 Sam. 3:4)

– Isaiah (Isa. 6:8)

– All Respond with “Here I Am.”

• Act on God’s Vision as Revealed in His Word– God speaks, we respond

• Gen. 22:3• Esther 4:14

Chapter 3The Belief behind the Behavior: a Theology of Multiracial Churches

The Need for Theology

• Key Question– Is the multiracial model a biblical model?

• Key Truth– Your beliefs determine your behavior and your

behavior reflects your beliefs.

The Theology of Unity

• Eph. 4:1-7– 7 times “one” appears

• Deut. 6:4• John 17:22

The Theologyof Diversity

Eph. 4:1-2

Putting Theology into Practice

• Humility– Phil. 2:5

• Gentleness– Conscious exercise of self-control

• Patience– Suffering long without giving up

• Forbearance– Permission to be different

A Divine Calling to Wilcrest

Theology of Discomfort(2 Cor. 12:7-10)

• Biblical Examples– Jesus (Heb. 5:8)

– Moses after 40 years in the wilderness (Num 12:3)

• 75% Principle– Place of Contrast

Images of Multiracial Congregations

• One Church– Ekklesia - “Called out ones”

• The Body of Christ– 1 Cor. 12:12-27

• Example of Biracial marriages

Images of Multiracial Congregations

• One Family– 1 Pet. 3:17; Gal 6:10; Eph. 2:19-22

• New household of reconciliation

• Fellowship – “Common”

– Table Fellowship • Luke 14:15-24

Chapter 4The Biblical Model of Repentance

from Racism

Racially Separated

Racism and Prejudice

Homogeneous Unit Principle (HUP)

The Road to Repentance(2 Cor. 7:8-10)

• Worldly Sorrow vs. Godly Sorrow– Judas vs. King David

• Repentance with Regret vs. Repentancewithout Regret– King Saul vs. Peter

• The Atmosphere of Repentance– Judgment

The Seven Marks of Repentance(2 Cor. 7:11)

• Earnestness– Taking every detail of sin seriously

• Vindication– Defense of repentance by not being charged with

same sin

• Indignation– Profound disgust with sin

• Fear – Phobia– Primarily with God

The Seven Marks of Repentance(2 Cor. 7:11)

• Fear – Phobia– Primarily with God

• Longing– Yearning to restore intimacy with God

• Zeal– Burning fervor to maintain purity in relationship with

God

• Restitution– Making right the wrong

Chapter 5The Great Divide

Current Reality of Racial Division

The Initial DivideThe Tower of Babel

Gen. 1:1-9

The Initial Racial Reunion

PentecostActs 2:1-11

Let the Walls Fall Down

Jesus Reaches Across the Samaritan Wall

• The Divine Mandate – John 4:4 – “must”

• Six Appeals to the Samaritan Woman –John 4:7-26– Appeal to Kindness

– Appeal to Curiosity

– Appeal to Desire

– Appeal to Personal Interest

– Appeal to Conscience

– Appeal to Commitment

The Early Church Reaches Across the Gentile Wall

• Two Divine Visions– Acts 10 – Peter and Cornelius

• Divine Intersection– Acts 10:34-35

• Neither Jew nor Greek– Gal 3:28

The Great Divide in the U.S.Black and White

Crossing the Great Divide

• Crossing Racial Barriers Leads to Crossing Other Barriers

• Strategies to Bridge Divide

• Sense of Urgency

• Bridging the Racial Leadership Divide

• Bridging the Racial Divide Within

• Country Club vs. Emergency Room

ApplicationDo You See Yourself as a

Missionary?

Chapter 6To Cross or Not to Cross

The Crossing of the Red Sea

Freedom

The Crossing of the Jordan

Blessing

Early Implementationof the Vision

• Restructuring of the Staff

• The Calling of the 1st African American to Leadership

• The 20/20 March through Alief– Acts 20:20

• Penetration into the Surrounding Community

• Youth Choir Mission Tours

Risk and Rewards of CrossingLuke 14:25-35

Rewards

• Celebration of Diversity

• Strong Sense of Acceptance

• Development of a global Christian perspective

• Knowledge in Navigating the American social, economic, and educational system

• Passing on the Multiracial Vision to the Next generation

Risks

• Relinquish Control of Leadership and the Ability to Make decisions

• Worship—Styles, Format, language, length

• Family

• Leaving their Comfort Zone

• Prejudices towards Other Races

Chapter 7Giants in the Land

Giants in the Land

• 1 Cor. 16:9

• Acts 20:29

• Num. 13:17-33

Obstacles from Without

• An Encouraging Word

• Divine Delay– John 14:29

Obstacles from Within

• Decrease in Attendance

• Decrease in Giving

• Initial Passive Resistance Within

• First Test of Trust

Spiritual Momentum through Unified Leadership

• Fluctuating Staff

• Shortage of Lay Leadership

The Giant of the TemporaryStop-n-Go Church

The Giant of Spiritual Fatigue

Facing the Giants-A Biblical Model-David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17)

• God often calls the most unlikely and uniquely gifted individuals to lead the charge

• The Battle requires that we release all human resources as we place our absolute faith in the God who will crush Satan under His feet

• Each battle that is fought and won on the racial battlefront will announce to the world the greatness and glory of God

Chapter 8Count the Cost

Forms of Greeting

• Greetings from the Apostle Paul

• Greetings in Wilcrest

The Hand Model

• Advocates of Prejudice – Jewish zealots and racial purists

• Homogeneous Advocates – Pharisees and “separate but equal” proponents

• Seekers – God-fearers and interracial marriages

• Fully Integrated Believers – Barnabus/Timothy and the 6th American

• Missionaries – Jesus/Paul

Chapter 9Rules of Engagement

The Necessity of Battles and

Rules of Engagement

The 5 ROE (Rules of Engagement) for MRC

• Making Scripture the Sole Authority in Determining the Common Ground– The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)—Dealing with a

Religious and Cultural Crisis

– Change in Preaching Format

The 5 ROE (Rules of Engagement) for MRC

• Make the Necessary Adjustments when the Needs of the Congregation Change– General Joab—Be Ready and Flexible War

Strategy (2 Sam. 10)

– The Addition of a 2nd Morning Worship Service

The 5 ROE (Rules of Engagement) for MRC

• Empower Representatives of Each Racial Group to be Integral Voices in the Decision-Making Process– The Faithful 7—Delegating Racial Representation

in Leadership (Acts 6:1-7)

– The Calling of an African-American to Leadership

The 5 ROE (Rules of Engagement) for MRC

• Do not be afraid to Take Risks that Contain Learning Benefits to Accomplish the Mission– The Apostle Paul—The Faithful Risk-taker (2 Cor.

1-15-22)

– The MRC plant

– The Indonesians are Coming

The 5 ROE (Rules of Engagement) for MRC

• Deal with any Racial or Cultural Division that Threatens Church Unity– Paul vs. Peter—Showdown at the Table

(Gal. 2:11-14)

– Deacon Defection

Chapter 10The Role of Worship in the MRC

Defining Worship

• The Audience of One

• The Isaiah 6 Model

• The John 4:24 Model

• Observation of WBC Worship in 2002

Aspects of CorporateMultiracial Worship

• Music

• Preaching

• Use of Greeters

• The Time Factor

• Expressive Worship vs. Quiet Behavior in Worship

• Use of Different Languages

Models of How to Lead a Multiracial Service

• Assimilation Model

• Using Music that is New to All Cultures

• Culturally Conscious Worship Model

Key Breakthroughs inMultiracial Worship

• The Vision of Hasan Khan

• Being Slain in the Spirit

Different Approaches to Bridge the Gap

Conclusion—A Little of

Heaven on Earth

Chapter 11Leadership in a MRC

The Need for Leaders

We Need a Few Good Leaders

What Does the Bible Say

• 1 Tim. 3:1-12

• Tit. 3:1-10

Character Sketch of a Multiracial Leader

• Exposure and Experience with Multiple Races—John 1:14, 18, 1 Cor. 9:19-23

• A Strong Biblical Base

• An Evangelistic Heart—Matt. 28:19-20

• A Global Vision—Acts 1:8

• A Teachable Spirit—1 Cor. 11:1

Character Sketch of a Multiracial Leader

• A Forbearing Spirit—Phil. 4:5

• Advocate of Shared Diverse Leadership—Acts 13:1-3

• Seasoned Facilitator in Conflict Resolution

• Person of Passionate Prayer—1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 18:1; Acts 2:42

Practical Application

• Making Personal Preparation—Ps. 78:72

• Creating Urgency—God’s Vision vs. Current Reality

• Establishing a Vision Community

• Discerning the Vision and Determining Its Path

Practical Application

• Communicating the Vision—1 Cor. 11:26

• Empowering the Vision Community—Matt. 10 and Matt. 28:19-20

• Implementing Changes in Congregational Life—Acts 15; 2 Thess. 3:11-15; Eph. 2

• Reinforcing Momentum and Direction of Transformation—John 13:34; 1 John 4:7

Chapter 12The Call to the Nations

The Biblical Call to Missions

• The Covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)

• The Covenant with Moses (Exod. 19:4-6)

• The Covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:9-11)

• Covenant with the NT Church

• My Personal Covenant

The MRC of Missions

• Where Do We Start

• Jonah: A Missionary to All Nations—Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-2

• Missionary Trip to Mexico under James Darby

• Mission Trip to Kenya

The MRC of Missions

• Mission Misfire

• Generational Missionaries– 1st Generational Missionary—We want to help you

– 2nd Generational Missionary—We will work together

– 3rd Generational Missionary—We will learn from you

The MRC of Missions

• Going on Missions vs. Being a Missionary

• Pursuit of the Dream—American Dream vs. God’s Dream

The MRC of Missions

• Go Home and Tell– Gerasene Demoniac (Mk. 5:1-20)

– Pentecost and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 2:1-11; 8:26-40)

• The Wilcrest Expression of Missions

• Mission Trip to Nigeria

Chapter 13Multiplying the Vision

Questioning the Vision

Projection of the Vision 15 Years from Now

• Race Does Not Matter– Wilcrest will serve as a training center for exposure– Wilcrest will serve as a training center for

engagement

• Race Still Matters

Biblical Reminder

John 4:22Acts 1:8

Mission Impossible—Exceptions

• Churches located in area with only one race

• Lack of Common Language

• Unique Circumstances of 1st Generation Immigration Groups

• Unhealthy church that would cause more destruction—go plant a MRC

Practical Steps in Moving Toward a MRC

• Exposure

• Education

• Endurance

TheColorOfChurchRodney M. Woo