Racism in America is a tragic reality. It is part of our history and tragically it is still evident in today’s world. As faithful Christians, we are called to fight institutionalized racism. One way to do this is to grow in our own knowledge and understanding of those with different experiences than our own. We each bring our own gifts and voices, but we are stronger together when we support and live into the body of Christ. We invite you to listen to a new voice on a podcast, read a book written by someone of a different race, and watch a movie telling the story of a person on the margins. Invite someone else to listen, read, or watch the same thing and discuss it together. To help get you started, check out these resources:
Our friends at the Center for Student Missions have compiled a robust list of Books, Documentaries + Movies, Podcasts, Ted Talks, and Articles on racism and justice.
For a list of movies and documentaries that explore systemic racism specifically, check out this list from Elite Daily.
From Springtime Research Institute, headquartered in a suburb just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, here’s a list of books and other resources responding to racism from their Research Advisory Board.
A couple of specific books we’d like to recommend are:
We also want to highlight a children’s book that one of our CYMT alumni, Dwight Johnson (Youth Director at Preston Taylor Ministries in Nashville), wrote called Black Boy Soar. This book highlights and celebrates the amazing things in which young black boys are capable. The book highlights the importance of dreaming and while realizing the difficulty we sometimes face in dreaming, God has an amazing plan!
**If you plan to use any of these resources with a younger audience, please do due diligence in researching appropriateness, e.g., some contain graphic images and adult language.
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CYMT is excited about its newest endeavor, Theology Together. Theology Together educates both teenagers and youth workers as they engage in theological reflection, spiritual practice, vital service, and vocational discernment. The Theology Together process produces reflective action that is embedded in the fabric of youth ministry in all of its contexts. We believe strongly that youth are theologians and belong at the center of tough, life-changing dialogue around faith, relationships, and life. We place teenagers in the driver seat alongside their youth pastors and leaders, equipping each individual to think differently about youth ministry, to provoke a sense of awe and wonder: a WOW moment.
Youth theology is theology built upon the simple doctrinal principle of the priesthood of all believers, and takes that principle right down to its natural conclusion: that all believers, including youth, teens, adolescents, etc. are theologians. It is theology that values all youth as theologians. Here we will share with you how to engage with youth theology in your own ministry.
A few weeks ago, we shared the launch of Theology Together 2.0. Today, Dwight (the director of Theology Together) will be sharing with us one experience […]