COMMITTEE ON ANTI-RACISM & EQUITY (CARE)
COMMITTEE ON ANTI-RACISM & EQUITY (CARE)
We’re so glad you’re here! We are a Matthew 25 church, which means we are committed to dismantling structural racism. This is complex and crucial peacemaking work, and we invite you to engage!
The Committee on Anti-Racism & Equity (CARE) strives to provide opportunities for members of our congregation and wider community to learn and grow in their understanding of anti-racism; establish and grow deeper partnerships that foster racial reconciliation with accountability to people of color, and communicate about this work both within our congregation and in the wider world.
WHAT'S NEW?
BELOVED COMMUNITY NEWS
We hope you will enjoy these newsletters and share with other people in your life who may be interested in uprooting racism and growing Beloved Community!
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Love Every Neighbor CARE Conversation
Exploring Filipino-American Perspectives
Sunday, October 22, 2023 from 5:30-7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
Join us for the return of this popular event, where we will consider the perspectives of our Filipino-American neighbors—their histories, voices, culture and contributions to our community and in Lake County today. We will hear stories from members of our own congregation who have family roots in the Philippines. We begin with pizza/salad and fellowship from 5:30-6 p.m. and enjoy program and conversation from 6-7 p.m. This program is best for ages 10-110, and both a children’s program and childcare are provided. RSVP is encouraged for food planning purposes, but not required—drop in if you can.
Coffee & Conversation with Pastors George & Regina Moore,
Legacy Reentry Foundation
Sunday, October 29, 2023 after worship (11:15 a.m.) Fellowship Hall
Join us after worship to learn more about the vibrant, life-affirming ministry of these two pastors from Waukegan. Together they founded the Legacy Reentry Foundation, a not-for-profit that helps reintegrate formerly incarcerated people back into the community. The organization also works on community development, gun violence prevention, and more. Join us to welcome them and learn more! Registration is encouraged but not required—drop in if you can.
Traces of the Trade: A Story of the Deep North – Documentary Screening
Sunday, November 12, 2023, after worship (11:15 a.m.) Fellowship Hall
This film and the Sacred Ground study it inspired has been called life-changing by some of our First Pres members, so we’re offering another lunchtime screening. RSVP so we can plan food and join us for this powerful 90-minute documentary that was selected for inclusion in the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Visit for a trailer
First-time filmmaker Katrina Browne made a troubling discovery as an adult —her New England Ancestors were the largest-slave trading family in U.S. history. She and nine fellow descendants set off to retrace the Triangle Trade: from their old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana to sugar plantation ruins in Cuba. Traces of the Trade offers powerful new perspectives on race, hope and paths to healing.
Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith
Kicks off January 21, 2024 and small groups meet every other week until June 2024
Past First Pres participants have been deeply moved by this 11-part study, being offered in partnership with the Annunciation of Our Lady Episcopal Church in Gurnee and North Suburban Mennonite Church in Libertyville. This study is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on black, indigenous, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history on race and racism while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. Participants will have the option of both in-person virtual/zoom groups. The series kicks off with a screening of Traces of the Trade on November 12 (see above) and the study groups will meet every other week from January through June. Find out more about the study here.
• Biblical grounding for Black Lives Matter
• Reviews & Recommendations by First Pres Members
• Be the Bridge - A nonprofit organization equipping people to serve as ambassadors of racial reconciliation