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Join the Resistance: Step into the Good Work of Kingdom Justice
An awakening has been happening across our society. People increasingly recognize how long-standing, systemic issues have prevented many from flourishing. But often Christians are not sure how best to engage. Does it help to march and hold signs? What can we do to contribute and not further complicate things? Faith-rooted justice advocate and activist Michelle Ferrigno Warren equips Christians to join Christ's restorative work in the world. In nearly three decades of experience, she left much of her privilege to work alongside the poor and marginalized in the restoration of individuals and communities, collaborating with community leaders, marching in streets, and meeting with and speaking truth to power. She says, "How you show up is just as important as showing up." From the grassroots to the grass tops, Warren invites us to understand our place in this moment and learn from those who have gone the poets and prophets who call us to resist oppression and injustice. Biblical, historical, and contemporary examples give us ways to walk in God's righteousness, truth, and peace. We can better understand our shared solidarity, persevere in the midst of struggle, bring people along, and remain rooted in joy as we continue the good work of kingdom justice.
- GenresNonfictionSocial Justice
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 4, 2022
2 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Ferrigno Warren
3 books6 followersMichelle Ferrigno Warren is the advocacy and strategic engagement director for the Christian Community Development Association. She is an immigration, education, and human service policy specialist and is an adjunct faculty member at Denver Seminary.
With over twenty years’ experience working in Christian community development, Michelle is a part of the national Evangelical Immigration Table and helps consult for the National Immigration Forum. She is a founding staff member of Open Door Ministries, a large community development corporation. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree from Cedarville University and later earned her master’s in public administration from the University of Colorado.
Michelle, her husband, David, and their three children live in an immigrant neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.
With over twenty years’ experience working in Christian community development, Michelle is a part of the national Evangelical Immigration Table and helps consult for the National Immigration Forum. She is a founding staff member of Open Door Ministries, a large community development corporation. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree from Cedarville University and later earned her master’s in public administration from the University of Colorado.
Michelle, her husband, David, and their three children live in an immigrant neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 20, 2023
Join the Resistance is a humble transparent invitation from Michelle Ferrigno Warren to join Jesus in doing justice. Michelle is a friend, and she lives what she writes. We are both recovering pharisees who have been taught by wonderful brothers and sisters of different backgrounds how to enter into the good work of Kingdom justice. As Michelle writes, “How you show up is just as important as showing up.”
While Michelle guides you through lessons of humility, vulnerability, shared lament, and perseverance, her greatest encouragement is to “begin where you are and lean in without shame.” She encourages us to serve the movement of God’s justice, stay at the table, and help our people.
Michelle invites us to begin with an understanding it is “not OK if my family and I were good and my neighbor wasn’t.”
Recognizing this her invitation is “that this book will help ignite a remnant of people to show up in the streets in the movement and learn how to become connected, not only for one day but for the whole movement of justice.” She later states, “We must be willing to sit and serve for the long haul. Not as a stranger for a season, but as a neighbor and way of life.”
Michelle guides you in how to develop that way of life. The path is not easy, and it is messy. But use what you have to serve the greater movement of the Kingdom. Michelle acknowledges that for her that is bringing her privilege as a middle-class white woman to the table. The work of justice is for everyone but as she states, “I am there to follow the leadership and join the work; I am there to serve the movement.”
I am a person of privilege and power: a white lawyer. God taught me the lessons Michelle shares as he called me to serve those who cannot access lawyers through the ministry of Administer Justice. In order to serve justice challenged neighbors, I had to learn the lessons Michelle shares by setting aside privilege and power to serve. I am grateful for the invitation to sit at the table with those who understand injustice better than I do and learn from them. As they lead, I seek to be helpful. And I can be helpful. So can you. I can speak in the halls of power in ways others cannot. We need co-conspirators in the work of justice.
Michelle and I have similar evangelical friends for whom this is not intuitive. That is why I love the story of Michelle’s mom who had never been to a justice rally, and apparently has not returned. But she did attend one because people she cared about at a not for profit she volunteered with were there.
Invite your community to join you. While Michelle’s mother is not a marcher, she now speaks up. She speaks more personally to her friends and expands and challenges their assumptions. Begin where God has placed you with what God has given you. Joining the resistance begins with small steps.
As we lean into the long work of justice, we recognize we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. We draw from the important and difficult work they tilled. We may only be planting what others will harvest, but we do so to build roots of justice that will soak up waters of joy. Michelle helps the reader find this joy through stories of vulnerability, humility, and a gentle passion to join her in the resistance.
I highly recommend her book. Whether just beginning or having labored long, there is challenge and refreshment for you in this book. As she concludes, “Together we must join to work toward the collective good. Those of us who benefit from the status quo must not only cross over and serve the movement, stay at the table, and help our people. We must, as instruments of peace, do so rooted in joy.”
I’m ready. How about you?
While Michelle guides you through lessons of humility, vulnerability, shared lament, and perseverance, her greatest encouragement is to “begin where you are and lean in without shame.” She encourages us to serve the movement of God’s justice, stay at the table, and help our people.
Michelle invites us to begin with an understanding it is “not OK if my family and I were good and my neighbor wasn’t.”
Recognizing this her invitation is “that this book will help ignite a remnant of people to show up in the streets in the movement and learn how to become connected, not only for one day but for the whole movement of justice.” She later states, “We must be willing to sit and serve for the long haul. Not as a stranger for a season, but as a neighbor and way of life.”
Michelle guides you in how to develop that way of life. The path is not easy, and it is messy. But use what you have to serve the greater movement of the Kingdom. Michelle acknowledges that for her that is bringing her privilege as a middle-class white woman to the table. The work of justice is for everyone but as she states, “I am there to follow the leadership and join the work; I am there to serve the movement.”
I am a person of privilege and power: a white lawyer. God taught me the lessons Michelle shares as he called me to serve those who cannot access lawyers through the ministry of Administer Justice. In order to serve justice challenged neighbors, I had to learn the lessons Michelle shares by setting aside privilege and power to serve. I am grateful for the invitation to sit at the table with those who understand injustice better than I do and learn from them. As they lead, I seek to be helpful. And I can be helpful. So can you. I can speak in the halls of power in ways others cannot. We need co-conspirators in the work of justice.
Michelle and I have similar evangelical friends for whom this is not intuitive. That is why I love the story of Michelle’s mom who had never been to a justice rally, and apparently has not returned. But she did attend one because people she cared about at a not for profit she volunteered with were there.
Invite your community to join you. While Michelle’s mother is not a marcher, she now speaks up. She speaks more personally to her friends and expands and challenges their assumptions. Begin where God has placed you with what God has given you. Joining the resistance begins with small steps.
As we lean into the long work of justice, we recognize we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. We draw from the important and difficult work they tilled. We may only be planting what others will harvest, but we do so to build roots of justice that will soak up waters of joy. Michelle helps the reader find this joy through stories of vulnerability, humility, and a gentle passion to join her in the resistance.
I highly recommend her book. Whether just beginning or having labored long, there is challenge and refreshment for you in this book. As she concludes, “Together we must join to work toward the collective good. Those of us who benefit from the status quo must not only cross over and serve the movement, stay at the table, and help our people. We must, as instruments of peace, do so rooted in joy.”
I’m ready. How about you?
February 16, 2023
This book was captivating, moving & humbling. I was grateful for the authors witness and transparency. I felt a lot of pushes and pulls within myself and my own think, perception and action when it comes to Kingdom Justice.
Definitely taking things from this work with me as I begin to pursue working in Justice seeking spaces!
Definitely taking things from this work with me as I begin to pursue working in Justice seeking spaces!
November 15, 2022
Again, such an important book for all those white folks who’ve woken up and now ask, “what do I do?”
October 3, 2022
In Join the Resistance, Michelle Ferrigno Warren offers a picture of what it looks like to do just that. The title serves as a call to those willing to pursue the work of faithful resistance, especially to those from majority or privileged backgrounds. While some may see a call as a demand, Warren presents a call here as an invitation: Join the Resistance. Show up. Listen. Learn. Engage. This message builds upon Warren’s previous book, The Power of Proximity: the only way to join is to get close, to learn from those who are already in the work and who will be there when we’re gone.
Warren also demonstrates the work necessary to uphold the answer to this call. Drawing on her own experiences, as well as those she has walked alongside, and others throughout history from around the world who have committed to resistance work, we see that the call is to an ongoing commitment. The call is to humility. The call is to follow. The call is to faithfulness. Answering the call and participating in the work is neither quick nor easy. It requires action; it requires discomfort; it requires time. Through all this, Warren provides the reader an understanding of posture and practice as they answer the call to join the resistance.
Above all, Warren acknowledges the biblical nature of this call, the demonstration of God’s care for those who experience the consequences of injustice, and the call to fight those injustices. This work is kingdom work, a reality which ties directly into the posture and practice of anyone who wishes to answer the call and join the resistance.
Warren also demonstrates the work necessary to uphold the answer to this call. Drawing on her own experiences, as well as those she has walked alongside, and others throughout history from around the world who have committed to resistance work, we see that the call is to an ongoing commitment. The call is to humility. The call is to follow. The call is to faithfulness. Answering the call and participating in the work is neither quick nor easy. It requires action; it requires discomfort; it requires time. Through all this, Warren provides the reader an understanding of posture and practice as they answer the call to join the resistance.
Above all, Warren acknowledges the biblical nature of this call, the demonstration of God’s care for those who experience the consequences of injustice, and the call to fight those injustices. This work is kingdom work, a reality which ties directly into the posture and practice of anyone who wishes to answer the call and join the resistance.
September 14, 2023
As Christians, we are called to join Christ in the restorative work of the Gospel, which, to quote the author, “gives birth to and compels us toward honest action that resists oppression & injustice at every level, especially the oppression of the vulnerable”. 👏👏👏👏👏
Seriously an EXCEPTIONAL book !!! feel immensely convicted, challenged, pushed forward, & encouraged in the pursuit of Justice work, as a collective “call” for ALL Christians. super sick to get to learn from the author as a professor too!
Overall, genuinely appreciated the biblical roots (in both NT & OT) in her argument that justice-centered work is truly required of & called for from all believers of Christ - simply by virtue of the Gospel, which in its nature, is a restorative work that has God’s heart for justice at its center.
Seriously an EXCEPTIONAL book !!! feel immensely convicted, challenged, pushed forward, & encouraged in the pursuit of Justice work, as a collective “call” for ALL Christians. super sick to get to learn from the author as a professor too!
Overall, genuinely appreciated the biblical roots (in both NT & OT) in her argument that justice-centered work is truly required of & called for from all believers of Christ - simply by virtue of the Gospel, which in its nature, is a restorative work that has God’s heart for justice at its center.
Want to read
October 7, 2022Densem author recommended by Kelsey
November 10, 2023
This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to get involved in social justice efforts and make it for the long haul!
October 24, 2023
If you want to join the resistance
If you want to join the resistance, read this book. If you interested in the resistance, read this book. If you don't understand the resistance, read this book. If you want to know what is meant by "Kingdom Justice," read this book.
This book met me right where I was and helped me move forward in my thinking and actions about justice. I thank Michelle Ferrigno Warren for writing this book for me.
If you want to join the resistance, read this book. If you interested in the resistance, read this book. If you don't understand the resistance, read this book. If you want to know what is meant by "Kingdom Justice," read this book.
This book met me right where I was and helped me move forward in my thinking and actions about justice. I thank Michelle Ferrigno Warren for writing this book for me.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews