For our congregation in the Chicago suburbs, multiethnic ministry seems like it just happened.

For years our community was predominantly Caucasian. But then, about eight years ago, things began to shift. A neighboring Spanish-speaking congregation had to leave their building and asked if they could share ours. We said yes. After two years we joined our ministries and became one church. At the same time we had an influx of diverse people who started coming to the church—African-Americans, Filipinos, Indians, a lot of first-generation immigrants. We did not necessarily go out of our way to reach them; God just brought them to the church, partly through our growing commitment to community involvement and holistic ministry.

I'm biracial, so I understand the joys and tensions of spanning multiple cultures. My dad was Asian, my mom was Caucasian. I'm a blend of cultures and genetics. Growing up, I saw racial reconciliation in the home, as the different ethnic groups in our ...