UILX2020TEAM

$149.99 CAD

Team Based
Use the Buy Now button below to register as a TEAM for this program. If you want to come as an Individual, click the "Register as an Individual" button in the Course Description
This item includes:
9 Live hours
9 On-your-own hours
6 Live sessions

Wait -- Is this Racist?

Co-creating Anti-Racist Communities of Faith: A Learning Journey

English ‎(en)‎
Team Based
UILX2020TEAM

$149.99 CAD

Team Based
Use the Buy Now button below to register as a TEAM for this program. If you want to come as an Individual, click the "Register as an Individual" button in the Course Description
This item includes:
9 Live hours
9 On-your-own hours
6 Live sessions

Six online sessions between April 2024 and May 2025


Join a community of people from across the church who are exploring anti-racist practices! Together, we’ll be drawing from some of the themes of the book Wait—Is This Racist? A Guide to Becoming an Anti-Racist Church to explore very practical ways of co-creating anti-racist congregations. Even though we will be basing some of the conversation on Wait—Is This Racist? this will not be a book study! Reading the book and using the provided assessments will be useful, but it is the shared experiences of learning and implementation that are what will change our communities.

This six-session series is offered between April 2024 and May 2025. The online sessions are designed for congregational teams (ideally three‒four people from each congregation) whose communities of faith have already started the journey to becoming an anti-racist church. It will be helpful, if possible, to ensure that there is some racial diversity in your team.

As part of these sessions, gather with other congregations to deepen anti-racist awareness together. Engage in self-examination, explore practical ways to deepen your anti-racist work, and accompany one another on your journeys of learning and change. Communities of faith are invited to commit people, time, and resources to co-create change in their midst.

Come prepared to work! There will be lots of support along the way.


Why a team?

Sometimes, it can be hard to make change alone. Members of a small group, however, can work to bring about change together.

When your community of faith brings a team of people to "Wait -- Is this Racist?" you will learn together how to have hard conversations and use solid assessments of your ministries to create change together. You will create places of support and accountability for work to happen as a group, in your community of faith.

Part of our work will use Wait is the Racist? A Guide to Becoming an Anti-Racist Church. “This book will help you engage in some of the deep paradigm shifts that are necessary for your church to become an organization that doesn’t just do anti-racism, but actually is anti-racist – from the inside out.” (P. 3)

Who should be on the team?

  • Key leaders in your community of faith, such as the ministry personnel, board chair, additional members of your church council, or members of your social justice or anti-racism committees
  • People who can name the changes needed to create and implement specific plans for focused change that will alter who you are as a community of faith – not about simply casting a vision
  • Racial diversity is welcomed, but not necessary
  • People who have engaged with the United Church’s introductory racial justice training. It’s ideal if you have done both the Introductory course and also What Now: Action Plans to Dismantle Systemic Racism.  If you have not done the full training, please still sign up for "Wait--Is this Racist?" .  We suggest that you also engage with one of our introductory racial justice courses over the course of our time together. There will also be background resources available, so everyone is starting with roughly the same understanding.


“All of this raises the question – do we want to be anti-racist because that’s what the current market demands? Or because we long for the true shalom of God and know it can’t exist without real racial justice?” (P.2)


Tuition Fee

$149.99 for teams of 3 or more -- includes 2 copies of the book
$49.99 for individual participants

When you register as a team, your email receipt will include a link that you can send to each of your team members. If they click that link, they will be enrolled in the course without the need to pay again. You'll also be given a promo code that will allow you to order two copies of the book for free.

Do you prefer to attend on your own?

Click Here to Register as an Individual



Please note that this is not a basic introduction to what racism is. It will be important to have had some background to anti-racist engagement, such as through The United Church’s racial justice education sessions. If members of your team have not had a chance to complete these, some background resources will be made available, so everyone is starting with roughly the same understandings.

The sessions will be led by General Council Office staff Beth Baskin and Adele Halliday. As part of the first session, Kerry Connelly, the author of the book Wait—Is this Racist? will join us.


Schedule

(click each date to see the start times in each of Canada's time zones)

"Wait, Is This Racist?"
Monday, April 22, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
Kerry Connelly, the author of Wait—Is This Racist? A Guide to Becoming an Anti-Racist Church will join us for part of this session.

"Ministry beyond the adults in our spaces"
Tuesday, May 21, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm, ET OR Thursday, May 23, 1:00 pm–2:30 pm, ET
How do our buildings; grounds; and ministry with children, youth, and people beyond our doors reflect our relationship to this racist society?

"Ministry within our communities of faith"
Tuesday, June 11, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm ET OR Thursday, June 13, 1:00 pm–2:30 pm ET
Explore co-creating anti-racist communities in relation to worship, preaching, and pastoral care.

"Living into our anti-racism action plans"
Tuesday, October 8, 7:00 pm–8:30 ET
During this session, we’ll take some time to write up our own church’s anti-racism action plans—or to revise already existing plans!

"Communities of practice: Co-creating anti-racist churches"
Thursday November 28, 7:00‒8:30 pm ET
Delve more deeply into what an ongoing community of practice might be, what it might look like, and continued practical ways of co-creating anti-racist church

"Continuing our church’s anti-racism journeys"
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 7:00–8:30 pm ET
How have you been living into your action plans? What challenges have you encountered? What successes and results are you celebrating?




Frequently Asked Questions about Wait—Is This Racist?


What if the price of this course is too high for my church?

Please talk to us! We can make arrangements for a course discount. Don’t let cost be a barrier to participating. This course is for all communities committed to making change regarding racism. You can contact us through email at anti-racism@united-church.ca.

What if I can’t come to one of the sessions?

That’s OK! The presentation part of each session will be recorded, and these recordings will be available for a limited time for registered participants. You’ll also be able to catch up on the content with other members of your congregational team or by reading the relevant chapters of the book.

Can I come on my own, or do I need to be part of a team?

You can register as an individual. We will create small groups for those who come on your own. You will still have a team to learn with but will need to seek allies in your home church to implement plans.

I am not an expert in anti-racism. Can I still come?

There are no experts! We are all on a learning journey together. If you have a basic understanding of racism or have participated in some of the United Church’s racial justice education sessions, you will be able to continue to learn and explore with the group.

What if I have not read the book Wait—Is This Racist? Will I be able to participate?

The content of the book will be shared in a general way in the sessions. This is where a team is valuable. If someone in the team has read the book and you all access the assessments, you will have a good overview of the tasks at hand.

We are not very far in our anti-racism journey in my church. Is that OK?

We are all at different parts of our journeys. That’s part of the strength of this online community—we can learn from one another! And, since we’ll be creating anti-racism action plans later, that will be another way to further your journey. We can all learn and grow together.