Racial Justice & Reconciliation (RJR) Ministry Team

Vision

Pursuing Unity, Racial Justice, and Reconciliation through the Way of Jesus.

Mission

To AWAKEN to the reality of racial injustice, LEARN the important histories that have led to this reality, and ENGAGE our hands and hearts to spread the true Gospel that promotes unity and biblical justice inside and outside the church.

Philosophy

Diversity, Unity, and Reconciliation are the heart of God.

“I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” [Revelation 7:9]

Through God’s prompting and leading, we believe we are called to partner with Him to catalyze and persistently elevate a thoughtful, comprehensive understanding and application of biblical unity, racial justice, and reconciliation.

As we follow God’s leadership, the RJR Ministry is committed to the following areas of Diversity and Unity:

• By reflecting on our own thoughts, words, actions, and relationships, we awaken our minds to God’s original design and intent for diversity and unity.
• As we lean into God’s heart, we overcome racial and ethnic stereotypes and biases to build relationships of mutual respect with all people.
• Through the pursuit of biblical justice and reconciliation, we cultivate a deeper commitment to both diversity and unity within the body of Christ.

Together, with God’s leading, we can be and love like Jesus across every nation, tribe, people, and language.

Resources

We believe the process of understanding and pursuing biblical justice is ongoing and cyclical in nature. As we awaken to new understandings of racial injustice in our world, we learn about what has led to the present realities. As we learn, we engage in action to change these realities. As we engage, we are once again awakened to new realities and the cycle continues as part of our individual and collective discipleship journey.

Whether you like to read, listen, watch, or explore, there is something here for you. We encourage you to approach these resources with an open mind, a heart for learning, and allow yourself space to process, reflect, and pray. We encourage you to explore content outside of this list as well and if there are any questions about the content here or elsewhere, please feel free to contact the RJR team leads.

As you start exploring, keep in mind that while we believe these resources contain wisdom, we also acknowledge that they do not represent all the wisdom available on these topics. Westwood Community Church also does not necessarily endorse all the views in these resources, but we do believe there is value in exploring a diverse set of viewpoints and experiences.

Questions?

Contact the RJR Ministry Team at outreach@westwoodcc.org.