Churches, Cultures & Leadership

 

Multiethnic Congregation

Haah Video: Leader as Learner

In the midst of intercultural life, Pastor Kevin Haah admits that he, like anyone, has ethnocentric tendencies that are potentially hurtful to others.  He discusses that through a posture of humility and attentiveness, a leader can learn from mistakes and … Read the Post

Posted in: Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , ,


Fong Video: Latino Neighbor Becomes Key Staff Person

As the church became willing to engage with the neighborhood and crosscultural experiments, Fong explains that Steve, a Latino neighbor, visited and left then returned and left…. Today, Steve is a crucial part of the church and its mission. Fong … Read the Post

Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Carson Video: Friendships

Pastor Carson’s church is currently doing the work of building intercultural friendships, even with the challenges of a bi-lingual context. To do this, he stresses the importance of hospitality, time spent together, and the practice of sharing meals.  → On … Read the Post

Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Fong Video: Transition Beyond Asian American

After participating in the vision of an Asian American church for an extended period of time, Ken Fong sensed the Spirit calling him in a new direction. The senior pastor noted that they voiced two different directions – so they … Read the Post

Posted in: Introduction, Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , ,


Carson Video: Prophecies, the Economy, and from Commuter to Local

Pastor Carson’s story shows how transformation is not a straight line. Turbulent economic times forced many commuters at Carson’s congregation to stop coming to church in an effort to save money on gas. This difficult loss led the church to … Read the Post

Posted in: Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Carson Video: Learning Spanish and Connecting with Neighbors

Pastor Elwood Carson, of New Life in Christ Church (Los Angeles), shares about how evolving neighborhood demographics prompted him to learn Spanish. Over time, as church members engaged their neighbors, a series of events and experiences led this predominantly African … Read the Post

Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Doi Video: Power Distance Ratios

Pastor Doi discusses Geert and Gert Jan Hofstede’s work on power distance ratios (see Cultures and Organizations) and how Epic Church has benefited from this framework. → In chapter 5, on page 122, Martínez writes about language and power. → On p … Read the Post

Posted in: Books, Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Doi Video: Preaching, Feelings, Connections

Pastor Doi discusses the role of preaching and relational connections in a diverse context, including the role of emotions in worship. → On p 198 Branson writes about the varied ways cultures deal with emotions. Compare Doi’s comments about emotions … Read the Post

Posted in: Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , ,


Doi Video: Inclusion, Exclusion, Power

Pastor Doi connects how Epic church cares about inclusion, rooted in Jesus stories. The church attends to how matters of power and inclusion affect church conversation patterns, meals, and worship. → On p 140, Martínez writes about the importance of … Read the Post

Posted in: Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Doi Video: Location, Diversity, and Meals

Pastor Kevin Doi talks about Epic Church’s pilgrimage from being planted by a Japanese American church to recent years as they settled into a location in Fullerton, California and became engaged in the diversity of that context. This also raised … Read the Post

Posted in: Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: , , , , , ,


Site Overview

Introduction

By engaging ethnic histories and hearing personal autobiographies we are participating in God's creative work of shaping and reshaping church life and mission.

Return to Top

Part I: Theology and Context

Using the frameworks of practical theology and missional ecclesiology, we provide an introduction to the work of leadership and to social theory, including matters of social contexts, cultural variables, and ethnic identity.

Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives

Cultural anthropology provides insights into social power and human dynamics that vary among cultures. Topics include worldviews, relationships, identity, language, and perception and thinking.

Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change

We need to develop the skills and capacities for communication and leadership in intercultural settings in order to engage the challenges of church life and mission in multicultural contexts.

Resources

We are assembling resources for pastors, professors, and students -- websites, cinema, documentaries, group exercises, books, and Bible studies.