Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training
We, the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, value faith formation for all ages, stages, and walks of life. As we continue to learn and grow as baptized people, we acknowledge a lack of diversity in our organization. As followers of Jesus Christ, we admit we fall short in acting upon what we hear, not listening to all voices at the table. We acknowledge that our actions, both implicit and explicit, have stifled these voices long silenced. Jesus calls us to inclusiveness, which we seek to embody as we wrestle with how to achieve diversity, equity, and justice.
- We define diversity as creating and preserving a place at the table for all of God’s children regardless of color and its racialization, gender and/or sexual identity, ability, denomination, economic circumstance, culture, nationality, or other barriers to participation.
- We define equity as the good fruits of God’s intention, striving to bring special attention to those who have traditionally been treated unequally and unjustly.
- We define justice as giving support and comfort to the “least of these” – the outsiders, the powerless, and the voiceless.
This series of webinars from Crossroads Anti-Racism was created for APCE and Presbyterian Youth Workers Association (PYWA) members through a partnership with the Office of Christian Formation of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
You are invited to engage in these webinars for your own personal learning and growth as a church leader in dismantling of structural racism. We hope that you will then feel led to facilitate conversations using these webinars as a tool in your congregations and faith communities. APCE will soon be offering a series of zoom discussions to equip you to use these webinars in your context. If you have questions about how to use these webinars or any of the content please contact the Diversity Task Force moderator, Susan Young Thornton smythornton@mac.com
*Please Note; These webinars are strictly for the use by PYWA and APCE members through a contractual agreement with Crossroads. Distributing them for use by anyone else is prohibited.
*You must have an active membership for APCE to access the any webinar. You will be prompted to login.
WEBINAR SERIES
Each webinar will be followed by a Q & A that will feature pre-selected questions provided by APCE leaders. The Q & A will last up to 30-minutes.
Webinar 1: What is systemic racism?
Webinar 2: What is white supremacy? AND What are its values?
The objective of the first two webinars is to offer APCE members a foundational framework which will equip them to more effectively talk about systemic racism and white supremacy in their ministry context.
Webinar 3: How does Christian education uphold white dominant values and stifle racial justice work?
Webinar 4: Why must Christians be equipped to speak against white supremacy?
The objective of webinars three and four is to demonstrate to APCE members how they can apply a race equity lens to their ministry as a way of revealing the ways white dominant ideas are embedded in Christian Education and to make the case for why Christian Education must equip Christians to speak against white supremacy.
Webinar 5: What is antiracism and what does it require of Christian?
Webinar 6: Why must Christian Educators invest in the cultivation of values that challenge white supremacy?
The objective of webinars five and six is to help APCE members understand what antiracism is, how it is related to the ministry of reconciliation to which Christians are called, and their powerful role they play in challenging white supremacy.
Webinar 7: How to talk to Children and Youth about systemic racism?
Webinar 8: How might the frame and goals of Anti-Bias Antiracism Education strengthen faith formation?
The objective of webinars seven and eight is to help APCE members gain skills to talk with children and youth about systemic racism as well as introducing them to the goals of Anti-Bias Antiracism Education as a way to frame faith formation.