Chrissy, SP staff in Johannesburg, South Africa, shares about Journey to Diversity, a group run by their church which provides a space for members who desire to see a vibrant multi-ethnic church become a reality.
It has been a gift to watch the impact that the Journey to Diversity group has had. We created JTD for those in Following Jesus, our church plant, who longed to see a Multiethnic Church become a reality but also needed a safe place to share the very real challenges of this journey.
For me, I came in after the group had already been meeting for a while. It was a refreshing and yet difficult experience. This space created a place where many shared the pains and challenges of being a person of color in our congregation and to relate to the stories of others. The beauty for me is that when we share vulnerably we make space for others to do the same, who have often felt like they are the only one and alone in the struggle. Then together we can look out for each other and stand with each other for the purpose of change. I'm so grateful for the lives of the folks in this group and to be able to journey with them.
This space gives me life!