At the Multiethnic Staff Conference, God revealed kernels of truth during our time in prayer, conversation, and speakers' teaching and Bible studies over Acts 2, 6, 8, 15, and 20. Here are some of the questions I’m grappling with:
What got us here will not get us there, so what do we do now?
Is God’s fire consecrating us to share the gospel in others’ heart languages?
Taking care of widows led to priests, a hard, unreached community, joining the early church. Who are the “widows” on campus?
As we do cross-cultural mission, will we allow our theological convictions to be challenged? Will we lead wisely and prophetically, asking all (my people too) to give up cultural particulars to live attractively so students can hear the gospel?
Is the gospel I share good news to non-Christians? To my students? To me!?! How have I used a one-size-fits-all gospel that may actually be bad news to some?
God will meet me when I stay in dissonance. Am I running away?
What unpopular controversies do we need to engage in? We missed out on the civil rights movement, and now we have little trust built with black churches.
Are we transforming students into IV staff workers or witnesses?
Will we find a new way forward in a changing world that is no longer tied to resource-dependent, financially-driven, business-oriented ways of thinking?
Will I count how many blind people see, how many poor we proclaimed the gospel to, how many oppressed we released, not just conversions and demographics?
How do I help students see the Biblical basis for multiethnicity? Can I help students of every ethnicity (including white!) see their culture's beauty and besetting sins? Will they love those different from them, and not assume we’re all the same?
Who isn’t at the table in my chapter? Why?
Will I engage the sin of racism? I need to pray, take my own journey to healing, develop cross-cultural friendships, expose the invisible, and share my power. I need physical, emotional, and spiritual wholeness to do this for the long haul.
Pretty intense four days, huh? It was a blessing to be there; I’m grateful senior staff recommended me as one of our region's attendees. I feel responsible to bring back what God gave me to bless other staff and students; I’m praying I do.
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