Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other, and the Spirit of Transformation

by Stephanie Spellers

Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other, and the Spirit of Transformation is a practical theological guide for congregations that want to move beyond mere inclusivity toward becoming a place where welcoming "the other" is taken seriously and engaging God's mission becomes more than just a catch-phrase.

The book is based on two years of work and over 200 interviews with people in urban, suburban, and rural congregations around the United States. Each chapter introduces specific congregations and their challenges, and lays out the theological underpinnings of tackling fears head-on and embracing change as a welcome part of community life.

Contents include: The Radical Welcome Journey; Mapping the Way; God of Welcome, God of Grace; With Hearts Wide Open; Getting Real; Facing Our Fears and Embracing the Dream, The Joy in the Struggle.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity

180 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

STEPHANIE SPELLERS serves as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation. The author of The Church Cracked Open, and The Episcopal Way (with Eric Law), she has directed mission and evangelism work at General Theological Seminary and in the Diocese of Long Island. A native of Kentucky and a graduate of both Episcopal Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School, she lives in Harlem, New York.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Church Council is working through this book together this year. It is a good fit for us: leaders appreciate her approach, teaching, examples and encouragement, grounded in scripture and prayer.

[Lyndy Dower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I'm not a Christian. I go to a progressive UU church. We are already an inclusive congregation and have many LGBTQIA beloved members. We had a fundraiser to raise money for an elevator. We do a lot of work for social justice causes including going to the state Capitol and lobbying.

It is definitely food for thought as far as who are considered outsiders (I got to the point where I cringed when I kept reading that word) and how can we truly welcome them - for me, it was imagining a homeless person coming through the door. I'm pretty sure we would welcome them to the church service, but would we welcome them as part of the community, involve them in leadership... I'm glad I read this book, but for me there was a lot of stuff I already knew and embraced and it was shocking that so many congregations didn't. At first anyway.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important read for those in Christian ministry, especially those looking to find a way to shake themselves out of ruts. The idea of hospitality and welcome as the primary mission of the church, the foundation of everything else we do... that's good stuff. Spellers uses personal stories and scriptural and theological arguments to prove that what the church is missing is a "radical" embracing of those around us, specifically focusing on those who are different from us.

I wish there'd been a bit more of the practical stuff she includes in the "companion" links at the end, keeping it from the five star territory, but still heavily recommended. Four stars.

[Aldon Hynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was on a list of recommended books back when I started seminary. It expressed, better than I could, some of my hopes for the church. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in faith, Christianity, or the future of the church. I often make references to it in discussions today.

[Steven Busch · Rating 5 out of 5]

New

A very challenging and insightful book on becoming an inclusive church community, I spent over 20 years as a change management consultant and agree with her challenges and processes for this kind of radical change. It is not easy and it takes planning and commitment as detailed in this book.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellers lays out multiple paths for a congregation to move towards an attitude of Radical Welcome. The book is interspersed with examples from different congregations that explain how they implement welcome in their parish.

[Barbara Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and thought provoking book about how to "radically welcome" people to church. The author asks the reader to think about who is marginalized inside the church and outside the church in the community. She describes ways to welcome them and become more inclusive.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not assigned for my seminary classes, but dovetails nicely with some of my classes and is a favorite topic. Radical inclusion is something I am passionate about, and it was helpful to learn from congregations that had undertaken efforts to be more open.

[Andrew Laudel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rev. Spellers is a powerful thinker and writer, and this book is a great help in thinking about how all communities, not just churches, move from "diversity and inclusion" to places where persons historically marginalized and oppressed feel like they belong.

[Lydia Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 2013 United Methodist Women's Reading Program book. It was an okay book.

[Charlotte Toyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting with lots of great examples of church efforts and an analysis of them. We'll organized and thought out

[Charlie De kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, challenging book for any church that claims a gift of welcome/hospitality - Spellers invites us to take it to a Gospel level. Inspiring and instructive. 5 stars.

[Diana Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoo-boy... I'm still learning. I keep this book out and I keep going back to it. The book is written to inspire a new model of "evangelism"...well, not really... new "relationships" between the church and the physical community around the building. How do we "be" together? Spellers says it is not enough to INVITE "the other" to "join" us.... we must be willing to "be" together, to give up power for sharing, to allow ourselves and our present corporate body to be changed by the assimilation of "the other."

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book outline some significant aspects that allow people to feel a part of the collective.

[Raquel Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite challenging, both in content and I writing style. The topic is difficult and was not made easier to understand by Speller' s somewhat pedantic language. I was assigned this book to read and report on to the Vestry, and I did find it useful as we discussed and tried to decide how to shape our approach to and dialog with our Mexican congregation in San Miguel de Allende.

[Leroy Seat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book challenging churches to welcome the Other, "the people systemically cast out of or marginalized within a church, a denomination and/or society" (p. 6). Quite convincingly written, but, unfortunately, I'm afraid most churches are going to be hard to convince.

[NiaDwyn— · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suggested reading for fellow Quakers!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic introduction to facing fears with firm compassion and doing the important work to build the kingdom of God.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas learned from welcoming churches