Do you find yourself struggling with the current climate around race and racism? Are you wondering about how to discuss racism with the youth in your ministry?
Perhaps you’ve tried and realized that, before we talk about anti-racism with you, the work needs to start somewhere else: within ourselves.
This course, along with “Dismantling Racism,” is our office’s attempt to address the challenging topic of racism. In many ways, “Racism and the Inner Self” is part one. We bring our whole selves into the work of youth ministry, and self-reflection on this topic is crucial before we can lead youth into this conversation.
This is designed such that each section may be completed in one gathering. If every section were to be completed, with the group meeting weekly, this course would take five weeks to complete. It is also possible to complete the course in a shorter period of time by combining sections based on your team’s availability. Similarly, it could be expanded, and the focal Scripture passages—merely used here as a discussion starter, and a backdrop for the youth ministry topics— could be used as a jumping off point for a whole Bible study for each gathering. We are hopeful that the person leading this effort will feel free to adapt what is provided to their particular community’s needs.