An “Abundant Life” Dealer

Celebrating Black History Month (or any month that recognizes a historically marginalized population) within your church isn’t just about telling stories or sharing history. Honoring the past and celebrating a group of people should be more than just a showcase of what’s been done and sharing the culture. Yes, “history” is within the name of how some of these months have been identified. But it seems that Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Indigenous People’s Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and all the other months have just been an opportunity to highlight little-known facts about people within the demographic. 

As a woman of African descent and a granddaughter of a scientist who received very little recognition for his contributions to the field, I understand the importance of highlighting those stories. Our voices have been silenced, credit has not been given, our names have been removed, and we have not been recognized for our countless contributions to many things within America. Even still, in 2024, certain states are banning books from being read in school and forbidding our true history to be taught, all with the hopes of continuing to devalue one population and elevate another. So yes, sharing this history is essential; it finally rewrites the names of those who have been erased. It also ensures that an accurate history, not a revisionist history, is handed down to younger generations. 

The challenge I raise is when we solely highlight the past without providing those we lead with any resources, skills, and tools to propel them into the future. So the question becomes: how can we highlight history while still ensuring we’re working to close some of the disparity gaps the past has caused? 

When I think of our duty as ministry leaders, I often think of how we have a unique opportunity to help actualize that “abundant life” Jesus promised in John 10:10. This “abundance” is not solely restricted to the spiritual aspects of life. But it also applies to the emotional, mental, physical, social, financial, and even professional.

As ministry leaders, we have a unique vantage point into the lives of those within our churches and communities, and with this vantage point comes great responsibility.

If we look closely, we’ll see firsthand the way racial trauma has become generational trauma. We’ll also see the effects of poverty, food insecurity, housing insecurity, wealth gaps, student loan debt, and underfunded schools and communities.

We’ll see business owners within our churches struggling to stay afloat.

We’ll see middle-class families struggling to send their children to college.

We’ll see children, youth, young adults, and families being caught up in systems that haven’t been designed to make the possibility of success equitable.

The challenge of upward mobility and advancement in our community is one way that racial trauma has become generational trauma. Whether they are within our churches or just within the community the church resides, we have a responsibility to love our neighbor.

I encourage each of you to raise these questions: 

• What work do we need to do within our ministries to ensure the children, youth, young adults, and families are not stagnant in the ramifications of the past? 

• What essential skills are not taught in school and how can we help students learn them? Cursive writing, reading an analog clock, true American History, or just Black History, substance abuse education, career & technical education, Driver’s Ed, typing

• What can we do to help a young adult make a seamless transition into adulthood?

• What challenges are parents experiencing, and how can we partner with another church or organization to support them?

Whatever the need within your community, we’re providing you with a few Black Organizations doing work in some of these fields. So while you’re planning your Black History Month Program, consider starting a new trend of hosting a workshop, partnering with another church/organization, or raising an offering to support a Black-Owned organization.

We have a responsibility not just to be “Hope Dealers” - where we share the possibility of what can be. But to be “Abundant Life Dealers.” Doing our earthly part to provide resources and opportunities that will help actualize the abundant life Jesus says he came to offer. When each of us does this within our parts of the world, we’ve collectively equipped an entire generation with something that will propel them into the future!