If you've been with us for any length of time, you know that we are passionate about God's Kingdom coming here on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus gave his people a heavenly vision for renewal, and we desire to see that reality break out into our current time and place. This includes His Kingdom breaking out into areas of injustice, inequality, and racism in all of its forms. 

As we navigate the future of what this will look like, we have created this page as a starting point for our community. We have put together resources for you as individuals, families, and groups. We hope that your hearts would be stirred to action in response to all forms of oppression and injustices in our world today.

This list is not meant to be a complete list, but rather a jumping-off point to learn more about race, racism, injustice, and inequity. It is important to see how these constructs were created, play out in our current times, and how we can actively move against them. We are in this for the long haul, and we must pace ourselves as we lean in and stay engaged.

History of Racism in Long Beach

It is important that we know and educate ourselves in the painful past of our city and the generational affects racism has had on many who call Long Beach home. We recognize that we live off of the history of those who come before us. Just as our heroes of the faith reflected on the past of their fellow Israelites and mourned injustice, we do the same with the city that God has us in. This is for us to acknowledge the voices of our Black and Brown brothers and sisters in order to learn from our past and know how to better confront racism, in all its forms.

Helpful Guides

Additional Recommended Resources

Below are some additional resources that we have collected. While we have provided this list of recommended resources, they are not here to signify the Garden’s endorsement or alignment to every idea presented within them.

Books

Films

Podcasts

On Friday, September 25th, 2020, Garden Church gathered with a number of other local churches to publicly engage in repentance and confession for the ways the church has been complicit in its inaction against racism in all its forms.

The Beyond Words Movement recognizes that the historical church reaction to facing a racial crisis has been ineffective in producing any real and lasting change. Often, the church’s response has been mostly words, whether through position papers, sermons or pulpit exchanges with leaders of color. What is needed now is to mobilize our faith communities to take action and to address the root causes and effects of racism.

Garden Church has committed to a year long initiative where we will engage with a dedication towards taking action in 5 key areas. These areas include action in relationships, finances, education, anti-racism work, and mobilizing our community.

You can learn more about Beyond Words here:

The following organizations have real traction with furthering the cause of ending racism in all of its forms. You can learn more about each organization below and ways to support their work.