Mark DeYmaz's Blog, page 7

Missional ... It's Who We Are!

The following
excerpt is from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church
(Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007), p. 121-123, and speaks to the
very nature and mindset of a healthy multi-ethnic church.  For a quick take on the subtle, but
significant difference between building bridges to the community and being the community, skip now to the final paragraph. 

Essentially I am saying that for a healthy multi-ethnic church, being "missional" is not programmatic, something the...

When Was It First Observed ...

I was recently contacted by a univeristy professor looking to document the source and timing of the oft quoted statement, "Eleven o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week."

Most attribute this statement to Dr. Martin Luther King; however, Dr. Billy Graham can be quoted as having said it before Dr. King.

But did you know, the observation was made far earlier in American history, in fact even before the turn of the 20th century?

I have summarized my own research on...

Whites to Lose Majority Status in U.S. by 2042

"Whites will comprise less than half of the U.S. population by 2042, about eight years earlier than previously thought, according to a report to be released by the Census Bureau.

The transition, long predicted by demographers, will spell big changes for the nation's schools and work force. 

Over the next four decades the non-Hispanic white population will get older, eventually going into decline between 2030 and 2040. Minorities will become a majority of the population aged zero to 17...

Latest Stats Confirm the Growing Movement!

The following quote is from the forward to Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church, a new book on the subject of multi-ethnic churches by Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li scheduled for release by Zondervan/Leadership Network in April 2010.
"In 1998, a national study of
American congregations found that just 5% of Protestant churches were racially
diverse (no one racial group is 80% or more of the congregation).  No differences existed between large
churches (1000 or more...

25 FAQs re. the Multi-ethnic Church

As a special bonus for those of you tuned into The Nines today, here are 25 questions I am frequently asked to address by those who hear me speak in a live audience setting. In addressing them here, I hope to provide you with a quick reference guide for your own benefit or the benefit of others you are helping to understand such issues.

1. "What exactly do you mean by
the term, 'multi-ethnic'?"

In short, I intend it as
general and inclusive of ethnic, economic, educational and...