So, here’s something that’s really cool about Charlotte: The city itself gives great value to recognizing diversity. And above that, LifePointe has the belief that the Church should reflect the diversity of the community. Both of these points attracted me to LifePointe. For this to be a value ingrained in them means a lot to me because as I look in the Word, I see all the times Paul talks about equality in Christ. That once we choose to follow Christ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).”
This is what I hope to uphold in my own life. Sometimes it is so hard for us to live this out. For some it is racial issues; for others it is economic issues; for some it political ties; for others allegiances different than their own; for some it is doctrinal stances. Sometimes its cultural differences that we just do not understand, musical tastes that seem outlandish, social habits that are completely foreign to us (whether the people themselves are “foreign” or not). When we get down to it, I think this is a struggle for all of us one way or another even when diversity does not just mean race. So in my effort to step outside of myself and see the universal nature of Christ’s call to ALL people, I am excited about entering a culture that is very intentional about diversity.
Here’s a PDF Matt McGue (the lead Pastor at LifePointe) sent me from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that I thought was just so need. It explains some of the great diversity in Charlotte and the School district’s efforts to celebrate it:
