Our commitment to pursuing racial justice
In early 2022, a task force at LifePath Church was formed to help identify opportunities to grow into a church that that expresses racial justice as a core element of our community identity, founded in Jesus. After interviews and conversations both within the LifePath congregation and in our broader region, recommendations were then presented to the congregation and the Vision Team. The leadership at LifePath accepted, affirmed, and committed to these recommendations in April of 2022. This page will serve as an overview of those priorities and a regularly updated list of specific action steps that we are taking together. We commit to walk in the love and compassion of Jesus in a world where racial inequity and inequality continues to affect lives. Our specific work will revolve around 3 primary commitments:
- LifePath will concertedly foster, encourage, and maintain conversations on race.
- LifePath will directly address statements that may be a hindrance to cultivating productive and meaningful conversations on race within the church.
- LifePath will be intentional and creative about incorporating racial equity and justice into its leadership, operations, community, and work.
- LifePath will concertedly foster, encourage, and maintain conversations on race.
- LifePath will directly address statements that may be a hindrance to cultivating productive and meaningful conversations on race within the church.
- LifePath will be intentional and creative about incorporating racial equity and justice into its leadership, operations, community, and work.
Commitment #1: LifePath will concertedly foster, encourage, and maintain conversations on race.
To do this, we will hold, declare, and protect our conversational space as open, safe, and sacred.
We will simultaneously acknowledge and confront discomfort.
We will come from a place of humility and learning, particularly around worldviews that could affect our views on race.
To do this, we will hold, declare, and protect our conversational space as open, safe, and sacred.
We will simultaneously acknowledge and confront discomfort.
We will come from a place of humility and learning, particularly around worldviews that could affect our views on race.
Commitment #2: LifePath will directly address statements that may be a hindrance to cultivating productive and meaningful conversations on race within the church.
There are many statements that can halt conversations about race or minimize a person's voice. There are phrases that are unhelpful or hurtful, and there are attitudes that move us toward avoiding discomfort or casting blame. Our commitment is to name these moments as they emerge, so that understanding and growth can occur in an environment that is safe and brave.
There are many statements that can halt conversations about race or minimize a person's voice. There are phrases that are unhelpful or hurtful, and there are attitudes that move us toward avoiding discomfort or casting blame. Our commitment is to name these moments as they emerge, so that understanding and growth can occur in an environment that is safe and brave.
Commitment #3: LifePath will be intentional and creative about incorporating racial equity and justice into its leadership, operations, community, and work.
We will do a better job at understanding the demographics and needs of our broader community, so that we can engage in projects that are reflective of the community and its needs.
We will make racial equity a priority in our church leadership and church decision-making. This includes a full buy-in from leadership, diverse voices in decision-making, church communication, and culture creation, and accountability measures, both internal and external.
We will build relationships, and share in ministry, with churches outside of LifePath, particularly churches whose community makeup and leadership are not predominantly white.
We will engage our LifePath community more in service and relational connections to Las Americas ASPIRA Academy.
We will be creative and consistent in integrating more diverse voices, perspectives, and postures of worship into our Sunday Gatherings and churchwide communications. The Pastoral Team will initiate these movements.
We will explore issues of cultural diversity, racial equity, and racial justice both inside and outside of the "formal" church environment. This may include compassion teams, book studies, new service and partnership opportunities, public lament, and informal cultural learning experiences.
We will do a better job at understanding the demographics and needs of our broader community, so that we can engage in projects that are reflective of the community and its needs.
We will make racial equity a priority in our church leadership and church decision-making. This includes a full buy-in from leadership, diverse voices in decision-making, church communication, and culture creation, and accountability measures, both internal and external.
We will build relationships, and share in ministry, with churches outside of LifePath, particularly churches whose community makeup and leadership are not predominantly white.
We will engage our LifePath community more in service and relational connections to Las Americas ASPIRA Academy.
We will be creative and consistent in integrating more diverse voices, perspectives, and postures of worship into our Sunday Gatherings and churchwide communications. The Pastoral Team will initiate these movements.
We will explore issues of cultural diversity, racial equity, and racial justice both inside and outside of the "formal" church environment. This may include compassion teams, book studies, new service and partnership opportunities, public lament, and informal cultural learning experiences.
| Lifepath 2023 Racial Justice Action Plan.pdf |
| Click here for the Full Task Force Recommendation Document |
Current Action steps
2023 Q1 (Jan-Mar)
2022 Q4 (Oct-Dec)
2022 Q3 (July-Sept)
2022 Q2 (April-June)
2022 Q1 (Jan-March)
- Vision Team formalization of a 2023 Action Plan on racial justice, shared publicly and with the LifePath community.
- LifePath community invited to attend the UD Ida B. Wells Lecture on “Black Mothers and Police Violence” (March 7), with initiated post-lecture conversations among attendees to process the lecture through the lens of Jesus.
- Start of a new Monthly Prayer of Solidarity rhythm at Sunday Gatherings to grow awareness of and compassion for issues of race.
- Integration of considerations related to racism and racial justice into the Sunday Lenten message series on healing.
2022 Q4 (Oct-Dec)
- Build the Advent season message series around convictions, history, and context conveyed in spirituals of Black slaves in America.
- Partnership with Life Community Church and the UD Gospel Choir to host a winter concert and worship night, and intentional incorporation of the church community in helping run the event.
- Vision Team commitment to outlining a Racial Justice Action Plan at a Vision Team retreat in Q1 2023.
- Vision Team commitment to a LifePath community assessment in calendar year 2023.
2022 Q3 (July-Sept)
- Partnership with Yvonne Bradley to host a multi-week book study on Latasha Morrison’s book, “Be the Bridge,” open to everyone who calls LifePath home.
- Post-book study Sunday message dedicated to reflecting on the book study participants’ learnings, experiences, and convictions.
- Addition of lament to Common Prayer; encouragement of the church to practice a posture of lament in prayer (building off learnings from “Be the Bridge”).
- Pastoral Team commitment to seeking out ways to integrate more diverse voices and perspectives into Sunday morning messages.
2022 Q2 (April-June)
- Racial Justice webpage established for information, accountability, and feedback
- Racial Justice update and check in was added as a standing Agenda item for every monthly Vision Team Meeting
- Commitment to monthly Sunday morning updates about current action steps (also given via print/email)
2022 Q1 (Jan-March)
- LifePath Task Force on Racial Justice submitted recommendations to the LifePath Pastoral Team, Vision Team, and church community for how to commit to racial justice as a church (March 15, 2022).