Converge Church Network

"Converge Church Network" is established to empower, educate and resource the local church to become a "Converge" or a "Multi-Ethic" church.  A church that is ethnically and cultural diverse converging together in unity and purpose, fulfilling the command of Christ to make disciples of all peoples.  

In the United States we have seen people from various counties converge to make the US their place of residence. No longer are communities predominantly homogeneous.  Communities have become multi-ethnic.  This demographic change has created many challenges.  Many churches have struggled to embrace this change while others have welcomed this change.  The churches that have struggled to embrace changes, have dwindled in attendance and many have closed their doors.  

"Converge Church Network" is a web resource for new churches, church plants, established churches, denominations, church leaders and laymen who seek to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the diverse community that surrounds them.  It is a resource to help equip the church to effectively reach their neighbors with the Gospel.   

The Term "Converge"

The term converge is described:

1. To arrive at same destination or point while coming from different directions
2. To gradually become less different while developing similar characteristics.  

So we can say that a Multi-Ethnic Church is a convergence of various ethic groups coming together to form one Church, unified in purpose to Glorify God.

Some people are identifying this "convergence" to a "Mosaic".  A mosaic describes a type of art that is made from a variety of components consisting of a number of things that are unique and distinct one from another.  The uniqueness may vary in color, style, form and or design enabling the artist to create a scene or picture. 

A "Converge" Church is like this mosaic which is made up from many different colors of tile with varying shapes.  It is a "Multi-Ethnic" Church which is a composite of believers that is ethnically, culturally and economically diverse.  Together they become a witness to the community and to the world of our God.  

Why "Converge"?

In Galatians the Apostle Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”  (Gal 3:28). God is the God of all people.  He does not view us as separate, but one body in Christ.  In the books of Acts, Dr. Luke writes about the founding and growth of the church.  The beginning of the church, began as a multi-ethnic church.  The disciples multiplied and the church grew because of its diversity and unity.  There was intentionality among the disciples and the church to reach beyond their own culture and ethnicity. 

Christ commissions us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19) of all "ethnos" all peoples.  Then in the book of Acts we are once again commissioned and given a promise that that we “will be my (His) witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  We will be His witness to our “next-door-neighbors”, our “near-neighbors”, and our “distant-neighbors” without regard to the color of ones skin or their ethnicity.  In the USA we are a multi-ethnic nation.  It seems that God’s plan is that His church is to be made of up people from all ethnicities and cultures coming together as one body.  Diversity in unity.