Watch the video above and talk about it with your group or mentor. Learn more.

The church in heaven will be multi-ethnic. How can we begin to experience that in our churches here and now?

There is great diversity in America, but also great division. The church is called to be a reconciling agent to bring people together. If the local church can’t be a reflection of heaven, where will society see what heaven will look like?

2 Corinthians 5:20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors…

We are called to be agents of reconciliation. The church should be a place where people are reconciled God, but to one another as well.

Here are some basic steps to begin pursuing a multi-ethnic identity in your church.

State It

To be a multi-ethnic church, you must have the end goal in mind as defined in the Bible.

Revelation 7:9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.

The ultimate vision of what heaven will look like is all different people gathering together. Yet most churches in America are pretty homogenous. We tend to cling to people who are like us. But the gospel calls us to break the barriers that separate people. That vision has to be stated clearly and stated over and over again.

Stage It

Demonstrate visibly in the ministries of the church what heaven will look like. Show what the vision is by including diversity on the platform, with ushers, greeters, and more. Having diversity on all levels gives a strong, visible model of the vision. It then starts to become normal. It becomes part of the culture.

Staff It

Even when a church wants to be multi-ethnic, that reality is not always reflected in the leadership. Staffing tends to be homogenous. Your leadership will reflect what your church will eventually become. So if the leadership is not diverse, the church will not become diverse. Diversity for a given church is defined by the surrounding community. Who are the people we need to reach in this community? Once that is defined, intentionally staff leaders who are representative of the people you want to reach.

Read more
Read less

Key Points:

  • State it.
  • Stage it.
  • Staff it.

Quote This:

Revelation 7:9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.

See Also: Church Growth, Diversity

Talk About It
  1. What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
  2. How would you describe the ethnic makeup of your church? Do you think it needs to change, and if so, in what ways?
  3. Read Revelation 7:9. In what ways do you think the church has a special role to pay in “reflecting” our future in heaven?
  4. How can you “stage” diversity in your church? Give some specific examples.
  5. Why is staffing such a crucial part of the diversifying process? What might it look like in your church?
  6. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.