Churches throughout the country are changing dramatically, forcing pastors to take a good, hard look at what they offer their congregation. As a way to better serve their church, these pastors have begun to educate themselves in terms of racial, economic and social diversity. This would allow them to better meet the needs of everyone attending church, not just a select few.  

When ‘diversity’ is mentioned, what tends to come to mind is race. When this happens, many pastors feel that they don’t have to expand themselves because their church is small, and tends to be from the same racial background. But that’s not necessarily true.

“We should account for class, age, country of origin, economic situations, and so on. Really, we should look for any way that humanity distinguishes or divides itself and desire to see unity rather than division in each of them. Not every community is racially diverse, but I’d wager that every community is in some ways diverse, even if less visibly,” said Tim Challies, pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, in a recent blog post.

Pastors find themselves facing an age divide in their church, with seniors and young families struggling to find themselves. Single parents blend with college students, both needing unique care at their very different stages in life. Even within the same family, migrant parents may battle with significantly different issues than their first generation children.  Church diversity is everywhere.

“[Church diversity] allows us the opportunity to see the gospel doing what only the gospel can do, which is bring true unity through, despite, and across diversity,” said Challies. “You may say your community has no diversity, and it’s possible, but it’s more likely it is there but you are overlooking or failing to observe it. A community can be made up of one race but many cultures, backgrounds, cultures, ages, and classes.”

Many pastors try to equip themselves by having a representative of each group on the leadership team. But for many, this isn’t possible or practical. However, that doesn’t mean these individuals are ignoring their members. They just don’t have the tools to serve. However, there are steps pastors can take in order to serve their community better. The following are some key ideas to help pastors see if they are meeting the needs of their church.

1. Identify the needs of your community
   Your church should be a reflection of your community. With that in mind, a pastor can figure out what concerns need to be addressed by their church. “Many churches are now also serving and working with people with mental health issues and physical disabilities that were previously ignored,” said Melissa Quintanilla, Assistant Dean of Hispanic Programs at Harbor Genesis Christian College.
   
   
2. Don’t be afraid to change the way needs are met
   Many pastors are finding that church facilities should not just be used for worship services, especially if they want to reach their community. Some churches are offering Bible studies on college campuses, while others are opening their doors to homeless outreach programs during the week. Others have teamed up with non-profit organizations in their community to educate parents about parenting and health. One church in Fallbrook, California, offers its facilities to low income families for funeral services, free of charge. While there is an expense made on the church’s behalf, the pastoral team sees it as an investment into the community.
   
   
3. Education is not an enemy when addressing diversity
   There is no shame when a pastor admits that he is not sure with how to handle church diversity. By reaching out to others, he may find additional support to address the issue. He may also need to take online college courses as a way to better understand how to address needs. However, this should not be something to fear.

“Jesus talked about going the extra mile, and educating ourselves to better love and serve is going that extra mile. We can’t be complacent anymore,” said Quintanilla. “God calls us to invest our time in kingdom works, and to love our neighbor. At HGCC we dive into how to love and serve in a profound way.”