Latino Leadership Circle

ACTS 2012 is Now Open- ACTS Goes Multi-Site!

2012-01-03T21:35:45-05:00

The Latino Leadership Circle in partnership with Street 2 Street, God Belongs in My City, Urban Kingdom Youth Ministries, and American Bible Society is conducting this dynamic program designed to equip youth leaders, ministers and volunteers. For the first time ACTS will be in multiple sites including: Jacksonville, Florida, Sayerville, NJ and NYC!

The program provides cutting edge training for those involved on the front lines of Urban Ministry. Sessions will be conducted by professionally trained and experienced ministers, Social Workers and Marketplace Leaders. Topics include :

A Theology of Urban Ministry

Strategic Planning

Developing Leaders on Your Team

Knowing Your Leadership Style

Conducting a Community Assessment

Project Management

Developing a Holistic Urban Youth Program

Leaders Round Table with Tri-State Youth Leaders

Sites:

Jacksonville, Florida at Potter's House Intl. Ministries -5119 Normandy Blvd., FL 32205

Thursday Evenings 6-9pm

Dates: January 26- April 26

Sayerville, New Jersey at Faith Fellowship Ministries 2707 Main Street Extension, 08872

Tuesday Evenings , 6-9pm

February 28 - May 28

New York, New York at Union Theological Seminary 3041 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Tuesday Evenings , 6-9pm

March 6- June 5th

Cost: $100

Space is limited.

Click Here to Register

New Evangelicals Book Launch

2011-11-16T21:17:48-05:00

Religion is daily in the news, often associated with theocracy and terrorism. Marcia Pally rebuts this superficial view, offering the first in-depth look at “new evangelicals”—those who have left the right for a broadened focus on economic justice, environmental care, and democracy. Pally makes us reconside religious stereotypes and refine our political thinking.

Panelists: Michael Cromartie, Vice President at the Ethics and Public Policy Center,senior advisor to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, advisory editor of Christianity Today. From 2004-2010, he served as chair and vice chair of the U.S.Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Jose Humphreys, pastor of Metro Hope Church, a multi-ethnic community in East Harlem. He has organized faith leaders in the metro area around matters of faith and justice and is part of the Latino Leadership Circle, a cohort of ministers who facilitate continuing dialog with emerging evangelical generations on matters of faith, church and culture.

Alexie Torres-Fleming is founder of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, which, through spiritual formation and community organizing, prepares young people to become prophetic voices for peace and justice. She is a nationally sought after speaker and Executive Director of the Sister Fund, a private foundation that funds the intersections of faith, feminism and social change.

What people are sayin about The New Evangelicals:

I like everything about it -- Harvey Cox, The Future of Faith

Wonderful, exciting… highly recommended -- Conor Cunningham, Darwin’s Pious Idea

A groundbreaking study -- Nadine Strossen, New York Law School; former President, ACLU

An insightful and sympathetic window --José Casanova, Georgetown University

Marcia Pally teaches at New York University and has published several books on religionand politics. She has lectured widely in the US and Europe, and her writing appears regularly in the print and electronic media in the US and abroad.

Tuesday, Nov., 29, 7:30pm

Riverside Church, Room 9T

9^th floor, Tower Building

91 Clarement Ave. (120^th St)

Hosted by Dr. Peter Heltzel, New York Theological Seminary

God Belongs in My City 3rd Annual Prayer Walk

2011-10-24T11:06:17-04:00

In October of 2009. A Latin@ youth group passionate for God in New York City saw an Atheist advertising campaign in their subway system which stated, "A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You? In less than 2 weeks more than 1,500 youth made history in the city. God Belongs In My City is our declaration of Faith. Twenty-five (25) additional cities also have taken to their streets to proclaim the name that is above all names, Jesus Christ.

Saturday, October 29th marks a very important day in New York City. While many individuals will be preparing tor Halloween activities, the Body of Christ will be uniting to host the 3rd Annual God Belongs In My City prayer Walk! Beginning at 9:00AM youth from around the 5 boroughs wearing the same simple T-shirt, will prayer walk from the North and the South of Manhattan, joining together at Times Square and Grand Central Station.

Purchase your own shirt, and join with us in prayer for the city's education system, government leaders, the media, global issues and leaders, and unity within the church. T-shirt and hooded sweatshirt details are provided below, or visit our website: www.GodBelongsInMyCity.com .

As Christ came and changed the world, we as Christians ought to impact our city NOW. There is a call to fearlessly rise up as ONE, not collapse under the waves of this world. We are commissioned to carry forth the Gospel of Salvation!

9/11 prayer decision a sign of the times

2011-09-08T10:45:01-04:00

by Rev. Gabriel Salguero

I remember September 11, 2001 well. Like most people the sounds, images, and sense of loss are deeply marked in my memory. I also recall the days immediately following 9/11. The thousands of volunteers streaming in from all over the country to bring support, comfort, relief, and a simple, “We are with you.” All of this was a tribute to the nation’s ability to pull together after a tragedy. The deaths of those in the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, Stonycreek, PA, and the hijacked flights still cause me to weep and pray. As we near a decade since this tragedy many of us continually ask, “What is the best way to mourn, remember, reflect, and be a healing presence?”

I bear in mind the early days after 9/11 and the abundant calls for unity independent of race, class, ethnicity, political ideology, and religious or non-religious affiliation. The call, however well-intentioned, was short-lived. In recent days, I’ve been asked to give my reflection as a Christian pastor in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to exclude any faith representation at the 9/11 memorial in New York City. Frankly, I think his decision is reflective of much of the either/or thinking that this nation has devolved into after the early days of the 9/11 tragedy. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “In American life there is today a real crisis…” While King was speaking particularly about race relations I think this diagnosis can be broadened to all spheres of human relationships in this country.

We have a crisis of communication that hurts our ability to become what Dr. King called “The Beloved Community.” I think Mayor Bloomberg’s decision reflects trepidation of how the participation of faith leaders will be interpreted by the larger public. Admittedly, some faith leaders have not done well to assuage the skepticism concerning religious leadership. Regrettably, many faith leaders have become in King’s words, “the tail light and not the head light” in matters of the common good. Still, there are enough faith leaders with good discernment and love for mercy and justice that the folly of a few should not disqualify the whole. Clergy were a healing presence for thousands during 9/11 and remain a healing presence in times of grief and remembrance.

The exclusion of faith leaders (rabbis, priests, pastors, imams, chaplains) is symptomatic of our inability to navigate difference in our national conversations and life. A fundamental query remains, “Will we go the way of echo chambers and silos or can we find a way to become the Beloved Community?” Echo chambers don’t broaden or deepen us. This will require work on all parts. Faith leaders will have to find ways to dialogue respectfully with atheists, agnostics, secularists and vice-versa. Civility is in high demand and low supply. Our common life and future generations demand better. In addition, political leaders from all over the spectrum need to model honest, tough, but civil discourse. Convictions are not the enemies of civility. Dr. King argued, Andrew Wilkes reminds us, that disagreement and varied points of view should not be feared but rather entered into with a sharp mind and a loving heart. I can and should love people I disagree with and I should demonstrate that love in word and deed.

Some years ago Harvard professor Samuel Huntington wrote The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Huntington’s analysis of potential global conflicts centered on conflicting worldviews is an ominous warning. As for me, I still hold to The Dream of a young Black Baptist minister proclaimed 48 years ago from our nation’s capital, “We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” A praise-worthy memorial would try to include the great diversity, both religious and secular, of this nation for the sake of lamenting and healing together.

Originally posted on Washington Post - On Faith

Leaders Speak:Lisa Sharon Harper

2011-07-14T20:58:52-04:00

Lisa Sharon Harper, ACTS Urban Youth Leadership Training Faculty Member and long time LLC Ministry Partner was interviewed by Faith Street.

FaithStreet sat down with Lisa Sharon Harper, founding member and Executive Director of New York Faith & Justice. We discussed how social justice work is in the evangelical Christian's DNA, how Lisa has seen the church in NYC become more united in the last 5 years and why interfaith work is the work of the Gospel.
Can you tell us a little bit about how New York Faith & Justice got its start?

New York Faith & Justice (NYFJ) began 5 years ago this week. It was started by four strangers who met in Charles Rangel's D.C. office. We were, all from uptown Manhattan, and we were all doing social justice work in one area of the Kingdom of God or another. We had no overlap, until this Sojourners conference, where we found ourselves in the Congressman's office. It was "Lobby Day", and we were trained on how to talk to your senator. The training was so good I can still remember it.

We talked to Rangel's budget director about our goals. He said, "You're not lobbyists, why're you here?" We talked to him about Matthew 25. He said, "Wow. Charles Rangel quotes that to his staff all the time. What do you think Matthew 25 means?"

I said, "I think it means that if I call myself a follower of Jesus then I also have to identify with the poor, so the way we’re doing that is that we’re here to tell you about how your policies affect the poor people in the neighborhoods you govern." So we talked about the impacts of those policies on gentrification of Harlem, distribution of resources, police-community relations in Harlem, the need to raise the minimum wage because many workers are having to work 3-4 jobs.

After our conversation with Rangel's budget director, the four of us were really struck by how well we worked together, even though we'd never met before the conference. So, over lunch, Peter Heltzel had the audicity to say, "We should do this back in New York." He's a big, white guy from Mississippi, with a heart of gold, and he's deeply invested in racial reconciliation. We decided "Yeah! Let's meet one month from now and bring some friends." We did, and then we met over the course of 6 months and asked God, "Who might you be calling us to become, and what might you be calling us to do?"

So what was the next step?

We agreed if we don't have a mission statement in the next 6 months, we're out and if we do, we're in like Flynn. So met once a month over the next six months and in December 2006 six months later we had a mission retreat that birthed a mission statement: Following Christ, Uniting Church the Church and ending poverty in New York, through spiritual formation, education and direct advocacy. I would add one more piece today, community organizing, but the community we organize is the church.

These last 5 years developed organically based on relationships. Sean Bell was shot one month before we had our mission statement retreat. Derrick Boykin marched on 5th Avenue with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. He was shaking and incensed and said, "Why are there only black people here? There have to be some faithful white people, Asian people and Latinos in this city?"

I was going to the River Vineyard Church, a mostly white and Asian church, at that time. There was a sense of paralysis there, because the white evangelical church and the Asian evangelical church rarely overlap with the historical black church. They're in their own silos. So the folks in my church, the River Church, had no way of entering in. They weren't invited in. And the folks in the black church were like, "Why aren't the white evangelicals folks here?" Neither group had an real sense of idea of how thick the walls were that separated them. New Yorkers tend to think of themselves as post-racial. This situation pulled the curtain back to reveal the thick racial divide.

So, Derrick and I thought, we can help build that bridge. On January 17, 2007 NYFJ engaged its first two actions, simultaneously: 1. We convened a prayer vigil at All Angels church that brought together white and Asian evangelicals to pray against violence in our city, 2. We convened a public forum about violence at Walker Memorial Baptist Churchin the South Bronx. Each event brought out about 100 people. We had some Walker Memorial Baptist folks come to All Angels church to speak at the prayer vigil about what its like to live in the South Bronx, a neighborhood where violence is normative and the relationship with the police is broken. People were deeply moved.

One of NY Faith & Justice's 3 main goals is to unite the church. How have you seen that unity happen in your 5+ years with NY Faith & Justice?

Our strategy has changed over the last few years. We asked, what of what we're doing is not working, what is? Poverty is the mother of invention. So the downturn blessed us in that we had to streamline our efforts. We initially saw our mission statement in silos. We saw each arm as different and we had different activities for each arm. What we realized with the downturn is we didn't have the capacity to do all three. So we decided to focus on ending poverty in a way that follows Christ and unites the Church. We realized one the most effective ways to unite disparate groups is through common work on common interests.

So we formed steering committees around different interests and invited different parts of the church to different steering committees. So we formed a steering committee to launch Jim Wallis's book "Rediscovering Values." In the same room we had folks like Rev. Gary Wiley from Trinity Grace Church and then Rev. Bob Coleman from Riverside church and organizations like Bread for the World and an organization like CEJ (Coalition for Educational Justice). Through finding a common interest that people can gather around and moving forward, that's what unites the Church.

Also, another example, at the Fair Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit we had Metro Hope Church, Catholic representation, Trinity Grace, Judson Memorial Church and the Riverside Church and churches from New Jersey and Queens and Brooklyn and representatives from Department of Health and Hunter College and various other advocacy agencies. We had a diverse group working together toward the common goals of people having the right to access to healthy food in their neighborhoods. So our strategy for uniting the church is really wrapped up in our work for to ending poverty.

That said, we're moving into a new phase of focusing on training. We recognize that there are a few arms of the Church that have deep understanding and history of the kind of advocacy we're doing. Those being the Catholic church, the historic black church and the mainline church.

Then, there are other arms of the church that had that history but it ended with the turn of the 20th century. The evangelical church, the Pentecostal church, the Charismatic church. So our greatest challenge is in translating the values and practices of the social justice, systemic justice and racial justice movements rooted in Catholic, the mainline and historically black church history into practices that evangelicals can understand. After all, our roots sprang from the soil of justice—the abolitionist movement and other social justice movements of the 19th century. Our challenge is to offer evangelicals a way to live up to our DNA.

What do you mean by "our DNA"?

Because evangelical Christianity is an activist faith, our faith has to be shown in our lives, so we know that evangelicals have been reawakened to the value of justice in the past 5-7 years. But there are very few, if any, avenues in the City that are designed intently to help evangelicals enter into the work that the 3 groups I mentioned have been doing for a century, the work of the Gospel.

What are the possibilities and limitations of interfaith work?

I came from a deeply evangelical parachurch organization, and I was very skeptical of interfaith organizations when I started out in New York.

But one of my big mentors in life has been Michael Mata and he said something to me that really shaped my understanding of interfaith engagement. I asked him, "How do you go into a space where people don’t know Jesus and not water down your faith?" He said, "Lisa, you bring all of who you are to the table and you encourage all of who they are to be brought to the table."

On a bus trip through Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, I asked Miroslav Volf, the author of Exclusion & Embrace, "How do you do interfaith work?" He said "I have an interfaith group of theologians and we get together every year and study each others’ sacred texts. If you don't respect the other and the reality that they have a mind, that they've made a decision as thinking people and that their thoughts and feelings are worth listening to, then how are they going to listen to you, how are they going to respect what you have to say?"

I think that ultimately it’s about the Beloved Community and being a beloved community - if our community is characterized by fear of the other than we will seek to exclude them in the work that we do, but if our community is characterized by love then we won't exclude. Just look at the life of Jesus, he didn't exclude ...not the pharisees, not the tax collectors, not the Samaritan woman or the Roman centurion...Christ was hanging out on the fringes.

So how does that relate to your Christian faith?

So what does that say about my evangelical faith? What do I think about my non-christian friends relationship with Jesus? I think they would do well to have a relationship with Jesus. But I think they may have a relationship that started in part because of their relationship with me. One of my Muslim friends recently had a book launch and he said he "sounded like me", like an evangelical, right in front of all of his Muslim friends. Maybe it’s a matter of just loving people.

When you think of people being made in the image of God it blows some of our fundamentalist categories out of the water. The Hebrew word for “image” in Genesis 1:26 is Tselem. It means Representative figure. According to the text, my Muslim friend, my Buddhist friend, my Mainline Liberal friend, they are all representatives figures of God just as much as my evangelical friend is. We can and should be able to respect the personhood of and learn from everybody because everybody is made in the image of God. The idea of the Imago Dei has had this effect that we're talking about on evangelicals’ worldview. And where it hasn't, it should.

What's discouraging about working in the City?

I'm a hard person to discourage just by nature, but what's most challenging - for NYFJ - is that many funders don't have a category for what we're doing. We're not direct service so we're not giving out bowls of soup or sandwiches or clothing. And we're not a direct advocacy agency, like Bread for the World. There are more funders to give to those kind of organizations. We're not a church so we're not church planting. We're not a mission agency, so we're not converting folks in the traditional sense. What we are is a bridge. So we're bringing people together so they can do work. So the biggest challenge we have is communicating that to funders - and we have communicated that and received funding from many individuals, institutions and governments. So some get it, but some is not enough to fund a movement.

And a side challenge that it feeds into is that because we're such an unknown entity and New York is a place where jockeying for funding is real, I think people were very protective of their funding streams. That has been our biggest challenge, and we are in the process of beginning to articulate the unique contribution we make for a new brand of donor, a new stream of donors that want to give to this kind of work that strengthens the capacity of faith communities to utilize the strength of their faith in the world of organizing and advocacy.

What gives you hope for the City?

The biggest joy has been the people - so you know in the Fellowship of the Ring where they flash the pictures of the people in the credits, when I saw it I wept because what you see is the Beloved Community - with each picture you see a person, but also a journey, a struggle a character, the Tselem of God. When I think about what I'm going to miss the most...It’s that community.

It's people like Gary Wiley - I will never forget him getting arrested for the first time, lifelong Republican, who stood on the line and got arrested in solidarity with immigrants crushed by our broken immigration system.

Like Orlando Crespo (Intervarsity’s National Director of Latino Ministries) who got on the line and got arrested. He took a chance.

It's Derrick Boykin after being at that Sean Bell march and only seeing black people and saying that wasn't right.

Its Onleilove Alston who managed a lot of our house meetings in the early years.

Peter Heltzel, Annie Rawlings, Sarah Said, who is a dear partner with me in almost everything NYFJ has done.

Charles Calloway, and his beret, he's my co-chair and a deacon at his church in Harlem and an Environmental Justice leader.

That's what I'm gonna miss, it's the Beloved Community here.

So now my job is to help others do likewise all through the nation. To equip beloved communities in 50 states, 50 cities over the next 5 years. That's my goal.

Original post can be found on

http://faithstreet.com/

The Tree of Life: Review

2011-07-02T09:31:48-04:00

By David Ramos I saw the Tree of Life recently, while it was difficult to follow, Director Terrence Malick tackles some rather profound themes--creation, the fallen nature of humanity, God, the after life, the unversality of suffering, the power and impact of human relationships, etc, while providing us some redemptive hope. Some recommendations: 1) If you are an action film junkie stay clear from this film; 2) don't catch the last show. If you are a film genre buff, this film is a visual symphony! This is unlike anything I've seen--2001 Space Oddessy on an environmental kick. I'm a fan of Thin Red Line so I had to see it. Malick once again employs a multiplicity of voices as stream of consciousness to pose the philosophical and theological questions while positing the universal struggle of humanity. Definitely not for most, yet a cinematic paradigm buster as Malick refuses to be fetterred by the categories and/or expectations of the market, as such, it is a courageous film.

Leaders Speak: Jose and Mayra Humphreys of Metro Hope Community Church

2011-06-17T12:40:53-04:00

Rev. Jose and Dr. Mayra Humphreys members of Latino Leadership Circle and Pastors of Metro Hope Church in Harlem were interviewed on FaithStreet.

Faith Street sat down with with Jose and Mayra Humphreys, pastors at Metro Hope Church. We had a stirring discussion about Metro Hope, how Jose and Mayra challenge people to develop roots in New York City and why a relationship with Christ is a foundational part of doing social justice work.

By The FaithStreet Team

What could a newcomer expect on a Sunday morning at Metro Hope Church?

Jose: Metro Hope is an Evangelical Covenant Church. We meet in a historic theater in East Harlem, so the space communicates elements of history, creativity and culture. On a Sunday morning folks can expect a deep experience of hospitality. At Metro, when we say, “we're a welcoming church”, we are serious about the words, "come as you are." While this is often a slogan seen on websites, we attempt our best to create a space that embodies welcome. We also encourage folks to come with their questions about faith, skepticism, and doubt--the questions they might fear asking out loud.

After a typical worship experience, people leave feeling a sense of peace and grounding in Christ. One thing we have done well is to cultivate a space where people can engage the love of Christ in a way that's practical and relevant.

Mayra: At Metro Hope, it's very important for us not just to "do to", but to "do with." That's an important piece for us: to do ministry horizontally, because everything we do is undergirded by relationship. We continually work to create a space where we're actually listening to folks--deeply listening-- honoring moments where people can feel affirmed in their identity, and even their questions about faith. At Metro Hope we do a lot of border crossing, and a lot of transacting. When we began, we observed there were very few places where true multicultural dialog was happening, where people could openly discuss issues of race, gender, and class. So we engage folks from all walks of life. Our task at Metro is to be curators. Many enter our doors with diverse gifts and aspirations, how do we put those on display for God’s kingdom? Our job is really to walk with people as they seek Christ. We try to ask ourselves, "What is God doing in people and how can we participate in that?"

How did you two decide to become a husband and wife pastoral team?

Jose: Early on in our marriage we received a wonderful encouragement from a friend. He said, "You and Mayra have a wonderful opportunity to be co-creators with God and one other, in creating a union that is healing and redemptive for you and the world." This is a quote I now use when I officiate wedding ceremonies. Early on we saw marriage as more than just “getting hitched”. We saw marriage as mission - something that could provide health, healing and meaning to us and to others. We cultivated something in our relationship that today has thankfully flowed into our church.

Mayra: There's a deep respect and understanding we have about what each of us brings to the table. If I were not at Metro Hope I wouldn't be a pastor. I am very committed to what we do here. I deeply believe in what Jose is leading us into. We both respect the different gifts brought to the table. I do pieces of multiculturalism and advocacy well, and he supports that. Jose is wonderful at discipleship and leadership. And we really understand why we need each other and why we're both here.

Jose: It's like jazz.

So what's different about Metro Hope?

Mayra: We believe we need a full spectrum of churches. There are churches in Harlem already doing great work. So we’ve asked, “What kind of church would God want us to be, among a community of churches?” So when we thought about starting a church we wanted to come from a different disposition. We observed a group of folks who felt caught betwixt and between. In particular, people of color who felt the church wasn't relevant to their intellectual identity, but who felt significant ties to their cultural and historical roots. It seemed like there were many churches where their narrative was not represented. Some churches were more about the head, others about the heart. We resonated with that deeply. We wanted to merge the differences and think about both Spirit as well as intellect.

We also knew people would say, "Oh, it's just another church." But we were more interested in how our church could partner with others for God’s kingdom in Harlem. We try our best to take on the posture of collaboration with churches and institutions in our neighborhood.

So why another church in New York City when there are so many churches?

Jose: If you look at East Harlem there is no shortage of churches. Per square foot Harlem is saturated. The joke at Metro Hope is, “If it doesn't work out here, there's another church just across the hall!” All in all, Metro Hope is finding its place in East Harlem and NYC. The gospel is a grand story with great news. At times certain parts of that narrative may be underrepresented in this community. So we began to imagine starting a church that could grow with the changes happening in Harlem. Our church on a Sunday is now becoming more and more representative of the changing landscape of Harlem. It’s nice to have singles and families that represent different cultures and ethnicities, worshipping together on a Sunday morning.

The second thing I would say is people should be able to bring their whole selves to church. White, black, Asian or Latino, people are not expected to lose themselves. This is really about addressing the idols we all have about culture, putting them in their rightful place in light of Christ. I'm an intellectual being, with a body, a soul and emotions. So we try to integrate that into how we teach, how we facilitate discussions on Sundays. It's important that people not dichotomize themselves, or “divorce” a part of self when they come to church. If you're really made in the image of God then your culture matters, your history matters, where you live counts.

What's the difference between compassion ministries and social justice advocacy? And why is it important for Metro Hope to be involved in social justice work?

Jose: Compassion is the posture that we approach justice with. For us there's no separation between the two. Some folks talk about picketing with signs, or shaping policy versus handouts and alms to the poor. Jesus was all about seeing people and being present with them, whether they were Jewish or Canaanite or Samaritan. With each person Jesus embodied a posture of compassion. When he saw the 5000 plus he had compassion for them because, “they were like sheep with out a shepherd." God works on our sight first, before we put our hands to the plow so-to-speak.

Without compassion justice becomes pity. Feeling sorry for someone will dehumanize them. When you dehumanize someone they become less. But when you have compassion for someone, you realize they are created in the image of God Almighty, and they possess beauty - they have worth and you can learn from them.

Mayra: It comes from our evangelical roots. It's having an understanding that our personal relationship with Christ is foundational - and our work is built on that. When I have a relationship with God and I realize how deep his love for me, how deeply he loves humanity, I in turn start to love humanity in the same manner. And when I see people suffer, it breaks my heart because it breaks God’s heart. It is key that ministry not just come from the perspective of humanism. When I do things, I get to participate in what God is doing. I say, “Here's my pebble. Here's what I can do.” You can't do relationship and restorative work with people, without a relationship with God. It's a lot easier to serve people when you aren't in relationship with them. It's another thing to say, “we are a community and your pain is also my pain.” Community then comes with a lot of wonderful complexities!

But in this, the gospel repairs a lot of deep chasms caused by sin, racism, sexism, and classism. Our church provides the landscapes to work through fears, biases, and even neutrality. In NYC certain “isms” aren’t always obvious. When it comes to race in NYC, we tend to be more passive-aggressive. At Metro we’re trying to get beyond the surface toward deeper questions like, “Who am I ignoring? What am I afraid of? Where am I not loving as deeply? And how can God enter that space?”

How do you encourage people to invest in New York City?

Jose: We encourage people to move into or stay in the city. Most of our leadership lives in East Harlem, and some have even moved in together to form an intentional community called Hope House. Seeing people actually take root in the city is important. It is then that people begin to really care about what happens here. For example, Harlem has many food deserts – the proportions of fast food to healthy food options are disparate here. So we’ve started a ministry that deals with urban agriculture. We’re here to cultivate and this is a different rhythm for living in community.

Tim Keller once said, “we need to get beyond pillaging the city”, and start investing back. So we encourage others to become a part of the rhythm and the fabric of the city. Live here. Shop here. Get to know local business owners and restaurateurs. Where you invest your money is a spiritual matter!

What discourages you about the City?

Jose: The transient nature of the city. Folks are busy and have many competing priorities. The cost of living in the city is also an ongoing challenge.

The fact is NYC is still a place where you can raise a family. Imagine allowing your children to be exposed to many different cultures and experiences. What kind of person would they become? People that would be engaged with all of God's creation - the city after all can be a snapshot of what heaven is like. Thankfully we are seeing a diversity of single people and young families take root in our church and NYC. This is always an encouraging sign of health and growth.

Mayra: It can sometimes be a challenge to be pastors of color leading a multicultural church. There aren't many models in the city for this. It's a challenge in the world we live in; it has to do with how people define leadership and authority, and what their often most comfortable with. Jose and I have to walk through some unique places. It's in many ways a pioneering kind of work.

What gives you hope for the City?

Mayra: We love the City! It breaks my heart when I hear native New Yorkers say, "I just can't wait to get out." But I understand, the pace is brutal. If you don't find ways to set your own pace, you're going to get swept by the waves. But we love the city. It's the story of the gospel--it starts in the garden and ends in the city. It’s the place where the gospel propagates. It’s where God works and does miracles as in the the book of Acts. It's the fertile ground God uses--where commerce leads, where diversity comes. The city is a wonderful catapult for voices of people living out the Gospel.

Jose: Someone once said that hope is, “unknown possibility”. The gospel of Christ brings so many possibilities to the city. We keep in step with the Spirit. Re-imagining how church can be done here. We imagine a church that lives the gospel together in diversity. A church that can be in tension with questions and doubts, but secure in the grace of God, caring about our neighbors, going beyond compassion into social justice. My joy is distilling this truth, and other folks participating with us. We all get to join with God, and we get to witness great art, great beauty and great jazz.

Original post can be found on http://blog.faithstreet.com/

What is a Leader?

2011-06-15T15:04:34-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending a good friend’s ordination last Sunday, Rev. Rafael Reyes III. I later had the opportunity of asking his father Rev. Rafael Reyes II, Superintendent of the Spanish District of the Assemblies of God, what was his definition of a leader.

-Luis

US Interventions in Latin America

2011-04-06T23:03:10-04:00

Division of Church and Society, the Latin@ Caucus, Students for Peace & Justice

Presents

US Interventions in Latin America

- What is the relationship between the vilification of unions and worker movements in the US, the democratic social movements in North African and the Middle East, and the historic and ongoing US
interventions in Latin America?

- How can the faith community and the “at-large” activist community strengthen partnerships to contribute to global activism?

Join Democracy Now! co-host and Daily News columnist, Juan Gonzalez and UTS professor Dr. Samuel Cruz for a public discussion on these and other critical questions for our times.

Tuesday, April 12, 7pm

Union Theological Seminary

Social Hall

This event is open to the public.

Juan Gonzalez is the recipient of the 2010 George Polk Award for Investigative Journalism for his series on corruption in the Bloomberg Administration's privatizing practices. He also received the 2010 Justice Action Award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Juan Gonzalez is author of Harvest of Empire.

ACTS - Urban Youth Leadership Training Registration is now Open!

2011-03-04T09:50:27-05:00

The Latino Leadership Circle in partnership with Street 2 Street, God Belongs in My City, Urban Kingdom Youth Ministries, BattelCry and American Bible Society is conducting this dynamic program designed to equip youth leaders, ministers and volunteers. The program provides cutting edge training for those involved on the front lines of Urban Ministry. Sessions will be conducted by professionally trained and experienced ministers, social workers and marketplace leaders.

Topics include :

A Theology of Urban Ministry

Strategic Planning

Developing Leaders on Your Team

Knowing Your Leadership Style

Conducting a Community Assessment

Project Management

Developing a Holistic Urban Youth Program

Social Justice and Advocacy in Urban Ministry

The Speakers Include:

Rev. Jeremy Del Rio, Esq.,Vision Caster 20/20 Vision Schools

Rev. Ralph Castillo, Associate Pastor of Christ Tabernacle

Rev. Adam Durso, D.D., Executive Pastor of Christ Tabernacle

Rev. Jose Humphreys, MSW, M.Div. Candidate, Pastor of Metro Hope Church

Lisa Sharon Harper, MA, MFA, Author, Co-Founder and Executive Director NY Faith and Justice.

Rev. Juan Carlos Morales, PhD. Candidate, Adjunct Professor Spanish Eastern School of Theology

Rev. Maribel Morales, MS.Ed., Latino Pasoral Action Center

Belinda Passafaro, MS.Ed., M.Div. Candidate, Professional Consultant and Market Place Leader

Rev. John Acevedo, MAR, Pastor Open Door Fellowship

Rev. Orlando Crespo, D.Min. Candidate, Author, National Director of InterVarsity La FE Ministry

Rev. Luis Alvarez, D.Min. Candidate, Adjunct Professor Spanish Eastern School of Theology, Lead Pastor Park Slope Christian Tabernacle

Rev. David Ramos, M.Div, MSW, Chancellor of Faith International Training School & the Director of Covenant Ministries International

Rev. Raymond Rivera, D.D., CEO Latino Pastoral Action Center

Meets:
Tuesday Evenings , 6-9pm
March 29- June 21, 2011

Location:

Union Theological Seminary

3041 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Cost:
$65

Space is limited please register at http://latinoleadershipcircle.org/acts