Soong-Chan: The consumer society and church wanting easy answers. This causes us to jump to multi-ethnic ministry without dealing with racial reconciliation. It becomes a fad; and everyone wants to do it, but not everyone wants to do it right.

YWJ: How can we help young people value and celebrate cultural differences?

Mark: Help them get comfortable with being uncomfortable around others unlike them. Model a love for all people beyond the distinctions of this world that so often divide. Teach them Christ’s heart for the nations across the street and around the world. Please do not say, “I don’t see color.” You need to see color just as God does! He didn’t just create one fish in the sea or a single flower in the garden. The multi-ethnic vision involves men and women from every nation, tribe, people and tongue worshipping Him with a single voice (Rev. 7:9, 10).

Phil: Really it’s about doing life with each other. No program ever can accomplish what will be achieved when we intentionally come together a couple of times of week with people not like us.

YWJ: The world is growing more multi-cultural. What does that mean for ministry in the future?

Mark: In an increasingly diverse and cynical society, people no longer will find credible the message that God loves all people as preached from segregated pulpits and pews. In other words, the homogeneous church unintentionally undermines the very message we espouse! The reformative nature of the multi-ethnic church movement will lead local congregations to pursue diverse others with passion and purpose and to an increasing diversity within the congregation and its leadership. Upon this rests the very hope of the gospel in the 21st century.

Soong-Chan: If we don’t adapt, if we are not aware, if we do not become more multi-cultural—these ministries will die. This is already happening. Churches that are not working to become more multi-cultural or adapting to a changing demographic are dying out.

YWJ: How do you see urban ministry evolving in the years to come?

Ryan: Urban ministries are going to have the same challenges. As cities begin to change, urban ministries are going to have to become more diverse.

Soong-Chan: What happens in the city reaches all parts of society. Recognize the cultural shaping power of the city. Also, recognize that urban/suburban dynamics are changing and acknowledge the role of immigration patterns in impacting that change. For example, immigration does not only come through the city; it is coming through the suburbs and rural communities. How does that change outreach to immigrant communities?

YWJ: Anything else we should know?

Mark: The emerging multi-ethnic church movement is currently in a pioneer stage. One hundred years from now, I have no doubt it will be viewed as the most significant movement of God concerning the local church and leading to the advance of the gospel in the 21st century.