Joy Byers

Joy Byers

It’s time we started having those uncomfortable conversations around race as the Church, isn’t it? Be prepared because episode seven of The Change Makers Podcast is a really honest conversation where Ellen and Joy Byers, the Discipleship Pastor at The Peoples Church in Toronto, discuss race and the need to break down old ways of thinking, especially around diversity, so that we can find new unity. They also discuss the benefits of technology and systems as tools for discipleship and our need for diversity in the Church and in our lives.

Joy is Discipleship Pastor at The Peoples Church in Toronto and is passionate about equipping the body to handle the Word of God. Joy loves using words and sounds to create and produce music and to encourage others.Listen and access the show notes here or search for The Change Maker’s Podcast on your favorite listening app (for free).

3 Insights From Joy

1. Racism isn't a Canadian issue? False.

When confronting the topic of race, we often point fingers at our Southern neighbours. Canada is known as a welcoming diverse country – but if we’re honest, sometimes that’s not the case. In Canada, racism is hidden by polite idiosyncrasies. In order to get better, we need to admit that there is racism in the north, as well.

2. The church should be reflective of The Church as a whole – not just one segment of it.

“If my circle of friends all look like me or are all Christians, I have a problem. The tapestry of God’s kingdom is not a single gender, is not a single ethnicity, is not a single age.” – Joy ByersTake time to examine the diversity of your friendships, your ministry and your church. Without even knowing it, you might be closing out potential relationships with people who are different than you.

3. Be the generation that dispels the difference.

Joy says it best: “Kids, when they are young, have friends from all over the place. There comes a moment in their upbringing when they learn that they are different. At that moment, an ugly seed gets planted. As older generations, it’s our responsibility to dispel that difference.”We are human – which fundamentally means we’re all different. That’s the thing we share in common. Let’s lead younger generation by being an example and focusing on our humanity, not our difference.Intrigued?

Click here to hear Joy talk about these points in more detail.