Apologies; the initial version of this email had an incorrect start date for the 21 Day Challenge down in the body of the email. It has been corrected from July 22 to June 22!

See what love God has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.

1 John 3:1

As children of God, we are constantly being prodded and asked to think about the ways in which the kingdom is being built up around us. This requires us to think about inclusion and exclusion, especially in the light of current racial inequality -- but also in the light of the long history our country has with racism. As thinking Christians, it’s our responsibility to study, reflect, and grow in the ways we practice inclusion and the recognition of ways that we practice exclusion -- either inadvertently or by choice. This is an opportunity for all of Wake Forest Presbyterian Church to begin the work of understanding racial inequality that is part of the continuing journey of racial justice. 

 

21-Day Challenge : June 22-July 13 (zoom reflections July 14 and 15)

Friends at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC have come up with a 21-Day Racial Equity Study that comes from Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., a PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies. 

Participants are invited to pick a different resource to engage with every day for 21 days. Resources range from TED Talks and curated online videos, books, podcasts, and more. Diversify your understanding by doing some of each. There is a tracking tool provided in the link above for you to journal about the experience. 

 

You will be exposed to voices and perspectives different from your own. At the end of these 21 days, we’ll come together on Zoom on July 14 ^th and July 15 ^th to reflect on the experience. 

21-Day Race Equity Challenge: 21-Day Challenge

21-Day Tracking Tool: Tracking Tool

Be The Bridge : Monday evenings, July 20-August 10, 7:00-8:00

In this four-week study we will analyze ethnicity, implicit bias, prejudice, and racism, all with the goal of increasing our self-awareness and self-reflection when it comes to race and how we engage with these issues as thinking Christians. More information to follow.

I strongly encourage you to prayerfully consider participating in these studies over the next two months. As a body of believers at Wake Forest Presbyterian, we are called to strive to unity, not uniformity. This study will help expand our Christian call to see the roles we play in how we embrace all as God's children.

In peace,

Rev. John Fawcett

P.S. - Katherine Peiper and Janet Briley are in the planning process for a children's-based and a youth-based study on racial equity as well - stay tuned!