Multicultural

EPISODE 51

EPISODE 51

“Building A Community of Multicultural Worship” w/ Josh Davis and Jaewoo Kim

“The beauty of God is not limited to our culture. Are we willing to create space?” - Jaewoo Kim

Josh Davis and Jaewoo Kim from Proskuneo Ministries and their families moved to Clarkston, Georgia, one of the most diverse square miles in the entire United States. On their street, they live, work, homeschool their kids together, and co-lead a vibrant multicultural worshipping community.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast featuring co-host McKenzie Abbott, Josh and Jaewoo share:
• How to cultivate a worshipping community vs simply creating worship experiences
• The cultural challenges immigrants face in American churches
• What John’s visions in Revelation can teach us about multicultural worship

EPISODE 29

EPISODE 29

“Financial Fraud And The Future Of Global Christianity” w/ Gina Zurlo

“People trust pastors to handle their money and assume that everything is okay. It’s not.” Gina Zurlo

By the year 2025, as much as $100 Billion per year in Christian-donated dollars will be lost due to embezzlement, estimates Gordon-Conwell’s Center for the Study of Global Christianity. The Center’s co-director is Gina Zurlo, who, along with co-authoring The World Christian Encyclopedia, was named among BBC’s 100 most influential and inspiring women of 2019.

In this paradigm-shifting episode, hear Gina share about:
• The Pros And Cons of Entrepreneurial Christianity
• Practical Ideas For Relationship Across Faith Backgrounds
• The Biggest Trends Shaping The Future Of Christianity

EPISODE 28

EPISODE 28

“The Myth Of ‘Organic’ Diversity” w/ Patrick Chappell

“People want diversity to happen organically, but sometimes you have to be intentional on the way to organic.” Patrick Chappell

Growing up Black in the South, Patrick Chappell attended both predominantly Black and White churches and often felt like an outsider in each. But his pain led him to his purpose: creating grace-filled spaces for diverse relationships and intentional conversations.

Learn from Patrick’s story and expertise on the following topics:
• How he survived a childhood of physical abuse and deep-seated racism
• Why leaders must proactively pursue those on the fringes
• How intentional, encouraging words can overcome fear and division

EPISODE 27

EPISODE 27

“Rethinking Urban Church Planting” w/ NYC’s Ricky Ortiz

“If you want to change a society then you have to tell an alternative story.”

NYC-native Ricky Ortiz had a heart to reach his city, but knew that traditional church planting financial models would prove difficult in the high-cost Big Apple. A few years later, Ricky’s thriving Meta Church serves as inspiration for church planters across the US. In this episode, hear Ricky share the strategic steps he’s taken to develop socioeconomic diversity and financial sustainability in an urban context.

Hear Ricky’s wisdom on topics like:

• Inspiring A Shared Vision In Your Local Church

• Why He’s Okay With Members Missing Sunday Morning

• Tips For Reducing Your Church’s Tithe Dependency

EPISODE 26

EPISODE 26

“Data And Diversity: A Call To Dig Deeper” w/ Barna Group’s Brooke Hempell

“Averages only tell the average story. They don’t tell a minority’s story.” Brooke Hempell

As the Senior Vice President of Research at Barna Group, Brooke Hempell and her team have interviewed thousands of leaders across America about issues of faith and culture. Yet some of her most meaningful insights have come from pursuing racial reconciliation and church planting in her hometown of Atlanta.

In this episode, hear Brooke share trusted insight including:
• Common Misperceptions About Economic And Racial Realities
• How Millennial and Gen-Z Voices Are Challenging The Status Quo 
• Surprising Data About The Power Of Diverse Worship Music

EPISODE 25

EPISODE 25

“The New Frontiers Of Multicultural Theology” w/ Angie Kay Hong

“Believing that the way that I know God is the way that everybody should know God is called religiously-powered ethnocentrism.” Angie Kay Hong

Angie Kay Hong is a convener, a sought-after voice on issues of church and culture, and a worship leader with experience on staff everywhere from church plants to megachurch Willow Creek Community Church. Fresh off the heels of a summit of multicultural worship academics and practitioners, Angie and Robby speculate about the future of church music.

Listen now to hear Angie speak to:
• Evolving Strategies for Multicultural Worship
• The Christian Populism Of Martin Luther
• How Leaders Can Share Power In Healthy Ways

EPISODE 24

EPISODE 24

“Can We Trust Kanye West?” w/ KJ Scriven

“The church was here before Kanye West, and the church will be here after Kanye West.” KJ Scriven

As well as being the Creative Arts Pastor at Charlotte-area’s Transformation Church, KJ Scriven collaborates as a songwriter and artist with diverse voices outside the local church. Hear KJ’s thoughts on Kanye West, Kirk Franklin at the Dove Awards, and other issues shaping Christian creativity.

Listen now to hear KJ and Robby chat through:
• Scriptural Perspective On The Christian Kanye West
• How Black Musicians Have Shaped The Sound Of American Music
• Creating Music With Those Who Don’t Share Your Faith

EPISODE 23

EPISODE 23

“Rediscovering The Biblical Vision Of Diversity” w/ KJ Scriven

“Proximity breeds relationship, relationship breeds understanding, and understanding breeds compassion.” KJ Scriven

Multiethnic worship pastor and songwriter KJ Scriven has a passion to see the church become the diverse family Jesus envisioned. 

Dive right in to hear KJ and Robby discuss:
• How Slavery Shaped The African-American Worship Experience
• Robby’s Story Of Confronting A Distracting Tambourine Player In Church
• How The Early Church Gave Voice To Underrepresented Minorities

EPISODE 22

EPISODE 22

“Cultural Competency, Shame, And Generosity” w/ DJ Chuang

“The American church is beginning to listen to the Spirit of God working through the global church.” DJ Chuang

As the author of the books “MultiAsian.Church” and “Erasing Shame”, DJ Chuang is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the Asian-American church, mental health, and radical generosity.

Hear DJ and Robby discuss the following:
• The Asian-American-Led Multiethnic Church Movement
• Facilitating Conversations About Shame And Mental Health
• Overcoming Church Consumerism Through Generous Giving