Resources for Christian Education

Why would the church talk about race?

Race can feel like a “four-letter word” in our families—particularly our white families. There’s often guilt, shame, or stigma around how we might say the wrong thing or generalize in unhelpful ways. But in spite of the discomfort, our families need to discuss race. We need to discuss issues of privilege. We need to discuss institutionalized prejudices. Why? Because these are exactly the issues the gospel of Jesus Christ speaks about.

In the early church, while they didn’t have the history of racism the United States has, they wrestled with questions of privilege. In Acts 6:1-6, the early church was confronted with inequity in their ranks. The Greek-speaking Christian widows weren’t getting the same level of care as the Hebrew-speaking Christian widows. Instead of saying, “All widows matter!” the early church immediately formed a task force (which we now call Deacons) to ensure the Greek-speaking widows were provided for.

Paul writes about the importance of Christ having “broken down the dividing wall” between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), and in that same spirit, we yearn to break down the wall of racism—both in the public square and in our own hearts. But before we can address the issue, we need to learn about the issue. We need to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19) as we learn from the voices of people of color, people who have experienced being considered outsiders and “thugs.”

Children’s Resources

They’re Not Too Young to Talk about Race
How to Talk About Race with Your Kids
Raising Racially Conscious Kids
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk about Race

A collection of resources, including some linked above
https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man

Emmanuel Acho, “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man”

https://youtu.be/h8jUA7JBkF4

Youth Resources

Lecrae TED Talk

Lecrae TED Talk on hip hop and racism
https://youtu.be/BFas9cd8ZZ8

Heather C. McGhee TED Talk

Heather C. McGhee TED Talk on racism and the economy
https://www.ted.com/talks/heather_c_mcghee_racism_has_a_cost_for_everyone

Baratunde Thurston TED Talk

Baratunde Thurston TED Talk on living while black
CONTENT WARNING: Lewd joke—”TV-14″
https://www.ted.com/talks/baratunde_thurston_how_to_deconstruct_racism_one_headline_at_a_time

Fuller Youth Institute

From Fuller Youth Institute
A primer on processing racial violence, with a ton of good practices and information:
https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/racialized-violence

Institute for Youth Ministry

Other Resources

Justice in June

A guide for reading, watching, and acting in order to become a better ally to the black community:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H-Vxs6jEUByXylMS2BjGH1kQ7mEuZnHpPSs1Bpaqmw0

Anti-Racism Resource Guide

With resources of every shape and size for people of every shape and size, this guide is a comprehensive partner to anyone who wants to learn:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hpub-jkm9cLzJWqZSsETqbE6tZ13Q0UbQz–vQ2avEc

What resources should I use?

 

Well, it depends on what you’re interested in learning about. We’ve separated resources by age (children, youth, and anyone), and we’d love to hear what’s helpful to you.

PLEASE NOTE: These resources linked below are not full-throated endorsements of the websites or pages of these resources. Our Christian Education Commission found several of these specific resources helpful, which is why we’re sharing them.

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