Mission and Vision

As BTSF has gained readership, it has become more important to establish some guiding principles of this forum. For this reason, I am taking this week to lay out the mission and vision statements for BTSF.

Much of the concepts stated here have been fleshed out in previous posts. These statements will be included among the tabs at the top of the page to help orient new visitors. Though not all contributors to this blog need adhere to these principles, they serve as a central template with which to conduct our discussions.

Guiding Principles:

• Racism is a real and pervasive force dividing God's Kingdom.
• A divided body of Christ hurts our witness to the world, hampers our personal relationship with God, and perpetuates our global sinful brokenness. 
• Rich diversity is important to God and is part of his vision of a redeemed Kingdom. 
• The Church has made egregious errors in our racial history, the consequences of which we continue to bear. 
• The Church also has incredible potential to usher radical racial reconciliation through the model of Jesus Christ. 
• It is especially important for those traditionally in positions of power and privilege to educate themselves and to take action to redeem broken relationships and systematic injustice.  
• By God's grace, we have the opportunity to not only right our own wrongs, but to drastically advance racial healing, and to enter into a powerful relationships to reshape the world's understanding of who God is and His desires for us as a community.

Mission 

             At BTSF, our mission is to facilitate understanding across racial divides by offering essays, resources, and forums for discussion, in a manner that is accessible and respectful to all involved. In particular, we strive to be a safe space for white folk (and others traditionally in roles of privilege) to ask tough questions, learn our racial history, gain an understanding of systematic injustice, and to become empowered agents for change, both within ourselves and for our communities. 

             By approaching racial reconciliation from a Christ-minded perspective, we access the model of reconciliation,  justice, and grace that Jesus sets forth, and gain an understanding of the greater impact for the Kingdom that is at stake. We recognize that racial brokenness hinders our witness to the world, and is counter to God's will for His people. Therefore, we hope in God's promises for a redeemed and reconciled world and are grateful for the opportunity to play a role in their fruition. 

Vision

The ideal of heaven:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9)

Being lived out on earth:

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Mathew 6:10)

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