Two-Day Interactive Event Aspires to Unite the Church and Nation
DUMFRIES, Va., April 18, 2023 – To address key racial issues and foster harmony within churches and communities across America, Let’s Talk has established National Unity Weekend, with the inaugural observance to take place June 10-11, 2023, in cities nationwide.
Designed to occur annually during the second weekend in June, National Unity Weekend is an opportunity for believers to demonstrate God’s love and oneness in Christ through community service, and for church leaders to synchronously share the Bible’s transformative message of unity from the pulpit.
“Over the last decade, America has experienced extreme social, political, racial and ethnic polarization,” notes Bishop Derek Grier, Grace Church pastor and visionary behind the Let’s Talk initiative. “Our country is in desperate need of healing. National Unity Weekend is a calling on the Church to lead the charge in restoring our nation and inspiring change through intentional conversations and action focused on unification of hearts.”
How it works:
With the help of notable theologians and Christian leaders, churches and organizations who register for the event will receive updates, a planning guide and promotional materials to help them effectively execute National Unity Weekend locally. Groups helping to lead the effort include the National Association of Evangelicals, The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Association, Love Our Cities, CBN and Operation Blessing.
The 2023 weekend includes the following events:
Prayer Kickoff - May 6: pastors, church leaders and organizations will unite in prayer and worship and intercede on behalf of our nation and National Unity Weekend (in-person and online);
Community Action Day - June 10: volunteers will unite to simultaneously serve underserved communities across the U.S. as a practical demonstration of love in action. In addition, Operation Blessing will provide food for distribution to serve targeted neighborhoods in Virginia, Texas, Maryland and Washington, D.C.;
Church Unity Day - June 11: churches and ministries across the U.S. will simultaneously focus on teaching and preaching an inspirational message on Galatians 3:28 as the foundational text.
Additionally, pastors and ministry leaders will be invited to attend optional Let’s Talk quarterly Zoom calls to help them grow their theological perspective on key racial issues and be better positioned to address sensitive racial and cultural topics beyond the two-day event.
“The fact we can’t do everything all at once, does not mean we should do nothing. We must start where we are with the resources we have at our disposal and let God do the rest,” Grier said. “The superpower of the church has always been the power of its preaching and corresponding action. From Jesus’ impact on His 12 disciples, John Newton’s impact on Wilberforce, Frederick Douglass’s impact on Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King’s impact on the civil rights movement, the spoken word has been the catalyst to the greatest transformations in history. Imagine the fire that could be started if pulpits across the country were set ablaze with a biblical message of racial healing.”
Other pastors already committed to be involved express similar sentiments: "In light of the extreme polarization in our nation, the church must find the courage to demonstrate the love of Jesus – a love that embraces every person without discrimination," said Dr. Courtney McBath, Pastor of Calvary Revival Church in Norfolk, Va.
“It is vital that all of us as members of the Body of Christ show our unity through our love for one another and for those in need, which is exactly what National Unity Weekend is all about,” said Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition. “We will serve as one and then we will speak as one, giving testimony to the unifying power of the Holy Spirit and inviting others to join us in seeking healing for the divisions in our nation.”
Gordon Robertson, president and CEO of Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), adds "I believe in Unity Weekend because I believe it helps answer the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper. If we unite, the world will finally know that Jesus was sent by the Father. Let our prayer be 'Father, may we be One'."
National Unity Weekend builds on the momentum of the Let’s Talk movement, started in the Fall of 2021 with the D.C. Talks kick-off banquet at Museum of the Bible, attended by several hundred church leaders from around the nation committed to engaging in dialogue on these issues. Leaders have continued to convene regularly via zoom, and growing numbers of individuals are registering their commitments to the movement’s Statement of Change each week.
For more information on how to Register Your Church and sign the Statement Of Change for this inaugural National Unity Weekend, visit unityweekend.com or view the official brochure.
About Let’s Talk
Let's Talk is a movement of diverse Christian leaders from across the nation joining together for real dialogue, full participation and creative approaches to address the issues dividing our nation. Its participants believe many of the critical issues facing the Church today could be resolved by talking to one another directly, honestly, simply, and caringly about what matters most. These leaders have signed a Statement of Change acknowledging there is a problem and indicating a commitment to help the Church lead the way in finding solutions. They then regularly engage in dialogue about their pain, disappointments, and triumphs, as it relates to race relations in America, as well as come up with practical solutions to the crisis. See more at www.letstalklive.org.