Intercultural Ministries

No one is left unchanged in the intercultural process. Some examine their own culture more deeply, some are changed through their interactions with others; many learn more about what it means to be in community together. But how do we move from this transformative vision of community into practical first steps to becoming an intercultural church? The resources below offer helpful, practical starting places.

Visuals

• Welcome Collage [PDF: 1 p/170 KB]
  Download, print, and post this visual that shares words of "welcome" in many different languages.
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  Video: God's Intercultural Calling
  What is the biblical basis for becoming an intercultural Christian community? Explore this question and what intercultural ministries means for The United Church of Canada in this segment from Our Common Vision.
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  Video: Intercultural: A definition
  A short video that describes the talks about the differences between multicultural, cross-cultural and intercultural.

Articles

• Conducting Interviews with Intercultural Awareness [PDF: 4 pp/38 KB]
  When the majority of an interviewing panel belongs to one ethno-cultural group and the person being interviewed belongs to another, complex dynamics come into play.
• Defining Multicultural, Cross-cultural, and Intercultural [PDF: 2 pp/66 KB]
  What's the difference between multicultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural communities?
• Power Analysis Worksheet [PDF: 2 pp/33 KB]
  This chart helps individuals name both their personal and systemic power.
• Stewardship in Ethnic Congregations
  Ethnic United Church congregations have distinctive stewardship practices that the rest of the church can learn from.
• What Is the Intercultural Church? [PDF: 8 pp/84 KB]
  This plain language document describes the intercultural church in a simple, straightforward way, avoiding jargon. It defines interculturalism, gives biblical background, and shares practical examples of what church communities can do.
• Why Skin Colour Is Not Free Information [PDF: 2 pp/26 KB]
  The colour of a person's skin is a very shaky foundation upon which to build a conversation. This article suggests some new ways of making connections.

Worship Resources

• Intercultural worship
• Black History Month, February
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21
• Asian Heritage Month, May
• National Day of Healing and Reconciliation, May 26
• Aboriginal Day of Prayer, June 21
• Canadian Multiculturalism Day, June 27
• Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20

For Further Reading

• Readings for the Intercultural Church [PDF: 20 pp/1.0 MB]
  This catalogue suggests readings for congregations, worship leaders, and others exploring the transformation that mutually respectful diversity can bring in different contexts.

Intercultural National Gatherings

• Behold! An Intercultural Conference
• Journeys of Black Peoples Gatherings
• Sounding the Bamboo