Table of Contents

Section I Worship Together [Because we want to… because he said so]

Chapter 1 Who Are We? 3

Stories are important. Where people come from is important. History affects the present and the future. Get to know us.

Chapter 2 Why Multicultural Worship? 11

Multicultural worship is not our idea, but God's, it is firmly rooted in God's heart. And we believe that if worship is not diverse, it is dangerous.

Section II Color Outside Your Lines [Life within diverse worshipping communities]

Chapter 3 Worshipping Communities or Worship Experiences? 27

Are we to be about more than simply structuring worship experiences? We are designed for relationships. We are called to belong in worshipping communities.

Chapter 4 Integrate Yourself 43

You are not just a leader. You are a whole person. You are an important part of something much bigger than yourself. Treat yourself like it.

Chapter 5 Know Yourself 53

Your story and your culture affect the way you perceive art, situations, and people. The first step toward relating to others is understanding yourself.

Chapter 6 Navigate Culture 65

Culture is always at work when there are people gathered for any reason. Take a look at some common cultural dynamics and how they relate to worship at your church.

Chapter 7 Culture Coaches 79

What is a culture coach? Why should you have one? Why should you be one?

Section III Hamstrings, American Idol, and Didgeridoos [Leading change for the greater good]

Chapter 8 Stretch Yourself 91

The calling of a multiethnic worship leader, among other things, is the call to be a lifelong learner. Before you can stretch others, you must be willing to stretch yourself.

Chapter 9 Processing Change 101

The only thing constant is change, In a multicultural congregation, this is even more obvious. So, as a leader, what are you going to do about it?

Chapter 10 Making Room for Diversity 111

Your ministry team must be diverse, This does not happen naturally, however. Make sure you are structuring and restructuring for diversity.

Chapter 11 Don't Let the Radio (or iTunes) Define Worship for Your Church 121

Your church is unique. You should sound like it. Mainstream doesn't always work in multicultural worship, and that's okay.

Section IV Grab Your Wrench! [The nuts and bolts of multicultural worship leading]

Chapter 12 Who and What Do You Have? 137

Rather than focusing on what you don't have, take stock of the people, talents, languages, and cultural resources that are already in your congregation.

Chapter 13 Beyond the Songs 147

Multicultural worship is more than simply singing songs in different languages. Every element in the service is an opportunity to speak someone's language and connect with someone's heart.

Chapter 14 Worship in Different Languages 153

Don't underestimate the power of language. Here's a step-by-step process introducing multiple languages in worship.

Section V On Earth as It Is in Heaven [It's not always easy. But, it's always worth it!]

Chapter 15 Models of Multicultural Worship 171

Here are four basic models of multiethnic worship and the benefits and challenges for each. Which one might be helpful for you?

Chapter 16 Surviving the Hard Times 183

Here are some practical tips for when things get rough, and they will.

Chapter 17 Stories of Encouragement 191

We are each surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. Multicultural worship is happening successfully all around this globe. Take a look!