Shepherd of the Valley UMC
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    • HISTORY
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    • WHAT WE DO >
      • Educational Opportunities
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      • Worship Opportunities
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Welcome to the 21 Day R.A.C.E. Challenge
​as developed by DSWC

Calling all Shepherd of the Valley Members and Friends!
The 21 Day Race Challenge begins October 1st.
     I’m going to make myself vulnerable here and admit that I have spent the last several years of my life believing that racism is no longer a big deal, “It’s a thing of the past, or it only exists in other parts of the country,” I thought, “And we as a society (at least in this area) can pat ourselves on the back and say we did it. We overcame racism.” Recent events have made it clear that is simply not true. Though we’ve come a long way, we still have far to go. 
     In my 28 years in the classroom, I have seen young people of multiple ethnic backgrounds get along extremely well. Every once in a while, the subject of race came up. I would talk through it with the students involved, and we’d move on. Either our young people have learned early on to be more accepting of each other than previous generations, or I was somehow not seeing the deeper issues. The third and most likely possibility is that there is an element of truth in both of those statements.
     I strive to be an anti-racist, but I’m realizing I still have much to learn, and I have some work to do to overcome unconscious (or conscious) biases. That is why I am looking forward to the 21-Day Race Challenge. This is such important work! Won’t you please join me on this journey?
     This is an individual challenge with opportunities for self-reflection. In addition, we will have weekly opportunities to discuss what we have seen and heard. 
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How to Participate:
  1. Each day follow the links embedded in the bellow “Assignments” document and watch, listen or read.
  2. Reflect on the material or act on the challenges and use the tracking document to jot some notes down or use a journal.
  3. Join the Zoom meetings so we as a body of Christ can learn and grow together.
 
The Zoom meetings will take place on the following Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm:
10/7, 10/14 and 10/28 (note: no meeting on 10/21)
 
Remember that we are called to “Love one and other.” Let’s explore how we can truly love our brothers and sisters of color.
 
Grace and Peace,
     Pastor Janet 
21dc_-_21dc_assignment_list.pdf
File Size: 495 kb
File Type: pdf
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21dc_-_tracking_document.pdf
File Size: 4879 kb
File Type: pdf
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​Phoenix, AZ 85029