Developing the Resource

Background on Talking Together as Christians Cross-Culturally

History

Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally: A Field Guide was developed by multicultural teams in consultation with congregations from a variety of cultures with two generous churchwide grants made possible by gifts from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

These multicultural teams included ELCA staff members from churchwide units including Church in Society, Multicultural Ministries, and Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission, along with staff from the former units of the Commission for Women, Congregational Ministries, Higher Education and Schools, Outreach, and Women of the ELCA.

In addition to developing two editions of this resource, the project teams held two training events for 21 synod leadership teams in Miami (2004) and Orlando (2008). The training faculties of these events included ELCA staff from the project teams as well as lay and clergy leaders from the Florida-Bahamas Synod, the Greater Milwaukee Synod, and the Metropolitan New York Synod.

Contacts

Congregations, synods and others interested in cross-cultural conversation and deliberation about ministry and justice issues, and possibilities for training in the use of these resources, are invited to contact:

The Rev. Sherman Hicks, Executive Director, Multicultural Ministries

Everett Flanigan, Director for African American / Black Outreach and Leadership, Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission

The Rev. Hector Carrasquillo, Director for Latino Ministries, Multicultural Ministries

Kholoud Khoury, Consultant on Arab and Middle Eastern Ministries, Multicultural Ministries

The Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, Director for Asian and Pacific Islander Ministries, Multicultural Ministries

The Rev. Albert Starr, Director for African Descent Ministries, Multicultural Ministries

The Rev. Gordon Straw, Director for American Indian and Alaska Native Ministries, Multicultural Ministries