CORR Workshop Options Are Here!
At the beginning of 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and some cities in North America erupted in racial protests, CORR (Congregations Organizing for Racial Reconciliation) was stepping into a new curriculum — new content and a new mode of delivery.
CORR leaders were excited, they say, to be able to share the new workshop with people, and feedback from the first workshop events they held in 2020 was very positive.
Then, as the pandemic spread quickly, they had to cancel April's workshop . . . and then June's . . . all in the hope that they would be able to convene in-person workshops again soon. But it's clear now that that will probably not happen for a while.
As a result, CORR trainers have been working hard to shape the curriculum into a format that can be delivered online. They now say that this has been accomplished, and “we are ready to offer it to you — and to do so in a time when this content is especially relevant and useful.”
Rev. Mark Stephenson, interim director of the CRCNA’s Offices of Social Justice and Race Relations, said, “CORR is a partner ministry that has for many years helped church members address racism in their own lives.”
Underlying the principles taught by CORR is the bedrock belief that racism runs deep in the hearts of people — and needs to be rooted out and replaced with new ideas. CORR is essentially about personal as well as social transformation, neither of which is an easy process.
“Genuine change needs to be intentional, deliberate, and rooted in a solid biblical anthropology that does not favor one group over another but insteads delights in the image of God in every person and seeks the good of every person,” said Stephenson.
“I appreciate that CORR has engaged in this work for several years already, deliberately reflecting on what churches can do to move away from racism toward beloved community, and I'm hopeful that the new online workshops will make participation possible for people, including church leaders, from many more congregations.”
Several options for delivery of the four-session workshop are now available:
- on two consecutive Thursday and Friday mornings
- on two full days
- on four consecutive Wednesday evenings
The content for all options will be interactive, and there will be breakouts (and breaks). In addition, leaders say they “require that you free up your schedule to be able to attend all sessions.”
Because of the nature and newness of the workshop, they have also lowered the costs for the first few workshops that they are doing virtually: $150 for new attendees, and $75 for persons attending again to walk alongside new attendees.
You can register for workshops on the following dates at these links:
- Aug 6, 7, 13, 14 (9 a.m. - 1 p.m. each day)
- September 25, 26 (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day)
- October 7, 14, 21, 28 — Wednesdays (6 p.m. - 9 p.m. each day)
- November 13, 14 (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day).
CORR has also moved registration to Eventbrite to make paying for the workshop easier. For those organizations that typically pay for your attendance, choose "Please Invoice My Organization," and an invoice will be sent.
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions you may have at CORR.