Church hosts ESL classes for students in South Korea
Students in South Korea partnered with members of St. Andrews in Carol Stream to attend an English as a Second Language class via Zoom. The class was held once a week to im…
Location: Multiple locations and dates. See dates and locations below.
Becoming the Beloved Community:
Begin, Re-energize, Re-focus your church’s journey
Special Youth Leaders Presentation
Becoming the Beloved Community:
How to Talk About Race in America
Begin, Re-energize, Re-focus your church’s journey
toward racial justice and equity
Becoming the Beloved Community is a four-hour workshop that conveys not only facts and essential knowledge about race and racism but also seeks to help us experience some of the harm and hurt racial prejudice has caused.
2023 Workshops and Registration
Registration is $20 per person or as you are able to pay
Community UMC in Naperville
October 14
20 N Center St, Naperville, IL
First UMC in Glen Ellyn
October 28
424 Forest, Glen Ellyn, IL
Hinsdale UMC
Times and Dates to be Determined
945 S Garfield Ave, Hinsdale, IL
Trinity UMC in Mt. Prospect
Postponed until 2024
Special Youth Leaders Presentation
Discipling Anti-Racism Youth (DAY)
Postponed until a later date
Are you interested in hosting a workshop at your church, in your cluster, or in your district?
For more information, contact Dr. Richard Guzman at rrguzman@comcast.net.
The Anti-racism Task Force’s Becoming the Beloved Community workshop was created by a team of Champion Team members led by Dr. Richard Guzman. This 4-hour workshop conveys facts and essential knowledge about race and racism and seeks to help participants experience some of the harm and hurt racial prejudice has caused.
- The workshop emphasizes engagement, not confrontation
To make progress on race, we have to stay engaged, even with people we disagree with. - Small groups meet after each presentation session
Trained facilitators lead in story sharing, helping people connect personally with the presentations. - It re-balances our view of the personal vs. the systemic
Though we talk about the harm personal racism causes, we also have to become “systemically aware.” - Relationships are paramount
The workshop seeks to lay the groundwork for friendships and alliances that will fight racism together. - The workshop is media-rich and remains respectful while confronting hard issues.
The pilot workshop was held on Sat., Sept. 11, 2021, at Friendship United Methodist Church in Bolingbrook. Since then, three other churches held a workshop at Glencoe: North Shore UMC, Elmhurst: First UMC, and Elgin: First UMC in the Spring of 2022.
About The Facilitator
Dr. Richard R. Guzman
Dr. Richard R. Guzman, facilitator, is professor emeritus at North Central College where he taught writing, literature, race/ethnicity, and social change and is active in his family’s foundation, Emmanuel House. He serves as a consultant on anti-racism initiatives for the Northern Illinois Conferenceof the United Methodist Church and headed the committee that produced the Becoming the Beloved Community workshop.
The BBC Planning Team is Dr. Richard Guzman (Bolingbrook: Friendship), Tom Butler (Evanston: First UMC), Lennox Iton (Hinsdale UMC), Rev. Tennille Power (Chicago: Hazel Crest Community UMC), Donna Sagami (Chicago: Ravenswood Fellowship), and Buzz Wheeler (Sycamore UMC).