Practical Pathways to Cultural Competency
Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2026
Location: Church of the Good Shepherd, 1500 Quentin RD, Lebanon PA
Cost: $35
Registration required by 4/11/26
** This enables homework instructions regarding the local church member interviews to be completed prior to class.**
Schedule of the Day:
7:30-7:50am - Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:00am-12noon - Session One
12-1pm - Lunch and Fellowship
1:00-5:00 pm Session Two
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Our neighborhoods and communities are more diverse than ever. Because of this, our churches need to be open, friendly, and welcoming so they can embrace the benefits and challenges that come with this diversity. A culturally aware congregation creates a strong foundation for this kind of growth.
This course is designed to help us grow our understanding of cross-cultural awareness and how we can make relationships work better. Its goal is to give an overview of how to use increased cultural awareness to gain more successful relationships so you can live effectively and peacefully with all kinds of people. The course includes definitions, examples, and activities that introduce topics like diversity, culture, implicit bias, stereotypes, prejudice, and micro- and macro-aggressions.
By the end of the class, participants will have both knowledge and some practice in working effectively with people from different backgrounds. They will also be prepared to share important vocabulary, ideas, and tools with members of their congregations. These tools can help others learn how to be more welcoming and how to grow as followers of Jesus Christ within their church communities.
THIS CLASS IS CROSS-LISTED AND FULFILLS REQUIREMENTS FOR:
AN ADVANDED CSM CLASS AND AN ADVANCED DISMANTLING RACISM CLASS (for both clergy and laity)
2-HOURS OUT-OF-CLASS Required An Instructor will assign homework equivalent to 2-Hours of instruction to be completed and returned to Beverly Andrews BEFORE the class for full course credit. pastorbevta@gmail.com
Instructors: Dennis Fisher, Beverly Andrews, Shawn Mack, Alicia Julia Stanley, Stacey Jones-Anderson, and David Piltz