KEY CONCEPTS
- The church is made up of a family of people who have differences.
- Each congregation throughout the world belongs to the body of Christ and needs each other.
- The Holy Spirit helps us accept diversity and unity.
SCRIPTURES
Our understanding of Unity in Diversity will grow through the study of these scriptures.
Ephesians 4:1–6
Paul calls disciples to lead lives worthy of Christ’s calling, with humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Matthew 28:18–20
Jesus calls his followers to “make disciples of all nations.”
John 17:20–23
Jesus prays about his disciples: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one...so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
1 Corinthians 12:4–12
There are many gifts but the same spirit.
Matthew 18:15–20
How to settle disagreements. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Doctrine and Covenants 151:9
God calls the church to be in the forefront of organizations and movements that recognize the worth of persons.
Doctrine and Covenants 164:5
“…when you are truly baptized into Christ you become part of a new creation. By taking on the life and mind of Christ, you increasingly view yourselves and others from a changed perspective. Former ways of defining people by economic status, social class, sex, gender, or ethnicity no longer are primary. Through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a visible sign of the coming reign of God.”
IV Nephi 1:17–20
The people of Nephi experience a long period of blessed community without contention, envying, and strife.
Unless otherwise noted, Bible passages are quoted or adapted from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
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Scripture and Theological Study Study scripture and Community of Christ beliefs. |
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Pair up with another person, sitting back-to-back. (If there is a large group, pair up members of the group.) Have an identical set of supplies for each person in the pair: same number and shape of blocks, marshmallows and raw spaghetti strands, identical number of paper clips and pipe cleaners or a combination. One member of the pair builds something with their supplies (take two to three minutes), then describes to the other what they built. The goal is for the second person to make the identical structure without looking (take five to six minutes). The second person may not ask questions, only say “ready for the next instructions.” When time is called, look at each creation. What happened? Why didn’t it work, or was only somewhat successful? It didn’t work because we each hear, see, and understand things differently. Try again and use different techniques to communicate better. Finding unity in our diversity (differences) is a challenge, but becomes a blessing and “is a visible sign of the coming reign of God” when we do!
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Missional Encounters Generously share your gifts to help others and the world. |
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Diverse Groups
Read 
Look around your school and neighborhood for a child about your age who is different from you. Once you have identified that person, find a time to talk with him or her. Think of some questions in advance like: Where were you born? What is your favorite thing to do? What is your favorite food? If your parents agree, invite the child to your house to play games, make a special treat, or just hang out. How many other friends do you have who are different from you in some way (probably most of them)? What do you like about having many different friends?
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Personal Spiritual Practices Pray and listen to God. |
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Community Spiritual Practices Come together to worship and praise God. |
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As a group, make a poster of everything in God’s creation that is always different and never repeats itself. For example, snowflakes, fingerprints, zebra stripes, clouds, people…the list goes on and on. God must think being different is important. Now add words to describe what is the same about God’s creations. For example, taking care of the young, need for water and food, having feelings, and more. God’s creation is all different, yet much the same. Display your poster in your congregation to share with others.
In your Sunday school class, club or group, make your own, unique, musical instrument. Some instruments to make: dried beans in aluminum pie pans or paper plates to rattle; coffee can drums to beat; small beads in hollow gourds to shake; wooden blocks and rhythm sticks to hit together; clay flowerpots to tap; large rubber bands around a shoebox to pluck; or bells to shake. Use your instruments as part of the call to worship in a suitable service.
Play a drawing game in which you and a friend create a unique picture together. Each of you has a marker or pencil, but you share one sheet of paper. Your friend starts by drawing a line. You connect to the line and draw another shape or line. Now it’s your friend’s turn to connect to your new line or shape and draw a little more. Keep drawing until one of you can turn the lines and shapes into an object. (Or maybe you just want to draw abstract shapes!) You can combine your diverse gifts into a cool work of art.
Make a diversity sun catcher, and give it to someone you think needs a little sun in their life. Use multicolored glass beads or mosaic pieces (recycled or from a craft store). Using clear glue, secure the beads to the center of a recycled picture frame (where a photo or art would go). Discover the beauty found in the variety of colors. Set it near a window to catch the light. Notice how the differences in the beads make the framed “sun catcher” even more lovely. Why do you think the Creator made the world and all people so diverse? God loves diversity and uses it in all of creation. 
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Shared Experiences in Community Be with family and friends. |
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With a group from church or school, play a grouping game. You start by calling out differences that you see in the others who are playing. Have them move to a different part of the room like this: “blue eyes, move to left side; brown eyes move to right side.” Continue with descriptions that will regroup everyone often: color of socks, favorite sports, type of pets, shoe type, own bedroom or shared bedroom. Give each one an opportunity to call out differences. When done, notice that we have something in common with everyone! God wants us to have unity, and get along, even with all our differences. Who do you feel very different from, but can now find something in common with? (even if it is blue eyes or red shoes!)
retend that you are pulling a very heavy wagon (cart) that will not move at all. Ask another child to help. Pretend that it is still too heavy. Keep adding more children and pretending it will not move. When the last person is added, run forward like you are all pulling it forward. How can working together make us stronger? Do our differences matter?
Our church family has strengths and weaknesses—as any family does. Sometimes we may be very happy. Other times we feel discouraged. We love one another and we need one another. We want to be able to talk together and express ourselves. It is important not only that we talk, but that we listen to one another in respectful and loving ways. 
Collect recipes from many cultures. Host an intercultural dinner to sample the dishes and learn about other cultures, countries and customs. You can help prepare food, decorate and do research. What games do children play in the other cultures? Do they read the same stories as you? What are the traditional ingredients in the food?
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Witnessing and Storytelling Share your story of God’s love. |
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| Lifelong Learning Grow your mind. |
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Each butterfly is beautiful and unique. How do you feel when you see them all together? Even though they are different, do they seem to belong together? How are the butterflies like people from all over the world who are part of Community of Christ? Make a poster or cover a bulletin board in your congregation with the butterflies. Every time a new person or family joins your congregation, invite them to make their own butterfly for the poster, or make one for them. |
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Prayer for Peace
Decorate the butterflies using paint, markers, glue, and sequins or beads, colored paper, seeds, or sand. Let them dry completely. Attach the finished butterflies to a large piece of poster board or a large cardboard box that has been painted.