Dr. Bryan Carter (Concord Church) challenged a group of well over 100 diverse pastors to take these and other productive steps towards racial reconciliation at a packed meeting yesterday. Unite encourages all Christians in Greater Dallas to do likewise and is here to support your efforts to:
Cultivate relationships. Watch for opportunities to get to know diverse Christians and others who care about this city. This list is updated daily. Also, see if there's a group of churches building relationships in your community.
Facilitate courageous community dialog about race. Tell us about such forums open to the community. Unite is working with American Bible Society to curate Bible resources to support you. Follow us on Twitter andFacebook.
Practice racial sensitivity. Let us know if you come across good tools we can share with everyone.
Support law enforcement.
Help make our communities more equitable and safe by working together to address mental illness, addiction, homelessness, poverty, human trafficking, and receiving formerly incarcerated neighbors back into the community. Check out some of the current work on our website, and watch for updated collaborative plans coming soon.
Help us ensure that every child has access to a quality education. In conjunction with some of the strongest education experts in Dallas, work is underway to document our plan to mobilize even more of the Church to come alongside public schools in 2016-17. To see the work that's been done over the last few years, click HERE. Updates coming soon.
Watch the video of Friday's joint prayer service held at Concord Church.
Upcoming opportunities to build unity and to equip your church's leaders and members to make a difference:
It still feels surreal. How did we get here? The brokenness of sin continues to wreak havoc in our society, and we are reminded more and more of the great need for the gospel and the work of the Church.
Thanks so much for your support and prayers as we gathered for the noon prayer gathering and on last evening for a time of prayer and reflection. We are so thankful to have such a diverse group of clergy and community members gather together for this dark time in our city. We are grateful to our program participants that each did a great job shaping our focus in this season.
Praying for each of your services this week,
Bryan Carter, Concord Church | Jeff Warren, Park Cities Baptist Church
Upcoming Prayer Gatherings for the City open to the community:
Awaken organized by Watermark Church (the Porch) Klyde Warren Park downtown Saturday, July 9, 7-9 pm.
Unified Collin County Gathering organized by multiple diverse Collin County churches Tuesday, July 12, 7:00-8:30 pm One Community Church (121 and Custer)
7:14 organized by the INITIATIVE Network Thursday, July 14, 7- 8:30am Lake Cliff Park in Dallas, 75203
Please reply to this email if you have an upcoming event planned in your community you would like to share with others.
Friends: Thank you to those who have been checking on us here in Dallas. It's very sweet, but I want you to know that God is already doing mighty things through this circumstance that man meant for evil. The Church is rising up in unity to love and support both the police and our African American community at the same time. It's truly beautiful. For a glimpse, check out this video of a full 2 1/2 hour service from Friday night: https://vimeo.com/174129835. Every minute is precious, but feel free to skip around. You'll recognize some very prominent leaders who all came together in a special way.
If you're not already, please follow us on social media:
We're beginning a campaign tomorrow to use scripture to encourage and guide our local brothers and sisters in Dallas, but we know it will be meaningful to those across the nation and all over the world during this difficult time of racial discord and other global situations causing fear and uncertainty. Our only response can be love.
May [we] experience such perfect unity that the whole world will know that [God sent Jesus] and that [He loves them as much as He loves His Son].John 17:23
Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas or if you want to offer help in any way. Love you all!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on Dallas - on the police, on the African American community, on those who might be caught in the middle. Empower your church to be agents of reconciliation and peacemakers, and so to bring honor to your name.
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Thanks so much for your support and prayers as we gathered for the noon prayer gathering and on last evening for a time of prayer and reflection. We are so thankful to have such a diverse group of clergy and community members gather together for this dark time in our city. We are grateful to our program participants that each did a great job shaping our focus in this season.
Praying for each of your services this week,
Awaken organized by Watermark Church (the Porch)
Klyde Warren Park downtown
Saturday, July 9, 7-9 pm.
Unified Collin County Gathering
organized by multiple diverse Collin County churches
Tuesday, July 12, 7:00-8:30 pm
One Community Church (121 and Custer)
7:14 organized by the INITIATIVE Network
Thursday, July 14, 7- 8:30am
Lake Cliff Park in Dallas, 75203
Please reply to this email if you have an upcoming event planned in your community you would like to share with others.
FROM Rebecca Walls in Dallas - -
Friends: Thank you to those who have been checking on us here in Dallas. It's very sweet, but I want you to know that God is already doing mighty things through this circumstance that man meant for evil. The Church is rising up in unity to love and support both the police and our African American community at the same time. It's truly beautiful. For a glimpse, check out this video of a full 2 1/2 hour service from Friday night: https://vimeo.com/174129835. Every minute is precious, but feel free to skip around. You'll recognize some very prominent leaders who all came together in a special way.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on Dallas - on the police, on the African American community, on those who might be caught in the middle. Empower your church to be agents of reconciliation and peacemakers, and so to bring honor to your name.