The best source of comfort and support comes from prayer. Learn how to connect people to God.

Learn how to deliver comfort with practical tools including what to say and not say.

Respond without losing yourself.

Dispel the notion feelings are either right or wrong, need to be hidden, or carried alone.

Park your personal story, assumptions, and fixes at the door. Listen to understand without judgement, offering solutions or advice. Agreement not required.

Communicate the infinite value and worth of people to God: acknowledge you see them.

Rodney Melton is a member of Westwood and the leader of our Racial Justice and Reconciliation team. Rodney joins Pastor Brian Suter and Pastor Kevin Klingbiel to have an important conversation on race and the church. Hear helpful ways we can lean in to fight racism together.

Episode Notes:

- There is a lot of hope right now because of the good that is taking place. People are listening to each other, getting out of comfort zones and are ready to address our issues.

- There is a whole lot more work to do!

- Leaning in to racial truth means that we exchange lenses. We can do this by asking the question, "What's it like to be you?"

- Relationships matter on these tough topics. The key is to find people that you can safely process and discuss race and the implicit biases you carry.

- We are Christ's disciples, and our call as His followers is to fight racism.

- Acts 17:26- From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth.

Special guests Laurel Bunker and Bryan Fleming joined Pastor Joel for an important dialogue on race and justice. They shared helpful steps we can take to be people who seek justice and repair amidst the racial discrimination and injustices that are present in our communities.

In this episode of The Westwood Podcast, we talk to Heather Wilford, our Outreach Associate. She shares her personal story of faith and how God has used difficult situations to draw her closer to Himself. Heather tells about how running impacted her life and how it helped her connect with God.

Mike Ayres makes a difference in Minnesota, in America, and across the world. He is a leader at Minnesota based Oppidan, a commercial real estate development company. More than that, he is a servant with a tenacious desire to help the poor throughout the world create a sustainable living and change their world. As he makes a difference he stays true to his values. Mike's story will inspire you to serve well through the various roles you have, and change your world and the people within it as you do.