The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive

Reyes, Patrick B.

ISBN 10: 0664266703 / ISBN 13: 9780664266707

Published by Westminster John Knox Press, 2021

About this Item

All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.

Seller Inventory # MINV.0664266703.G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0664266703
• ISBN 13: 9780664266707
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

In The Purpose Gap, Patrick Reyes reflects on a family member's death after a long struggle with incarceration and homelessness. As he asks himself why his cousin's life had turned out so differently from his own, he realizes that it was a matter of conditions. While they both grew up in the same marginalized Chicano community in central California, Patrick found himself surrounded by a host of family, friends, and supporters. They created a different narrative for him than the one the rest of the world had succeeded in imposing on his cousin. In short, they created the conditions in which Patrick could not only survive but thrive.

Far too much of the literature on leadership tells the story of heroic individuals creating their success by their own efforts. Such stories fail to recognize the structural obstacles to thriving faced by those in marginalized communities. If young people in these communities are to grow up to lives of purpose, others must help create the conditions to make that happen. Pastors, organizational leaders, educators, family, and friends must all perceive their calling to create new stories and new conditions of thriving for those most marginalized. This book offers both inspiration and practical guidance for how to do that. It offers advice on creating safe space for failure, nurturing networks that support young people of color, and professional guidance for how to implement these strategies in one's congregation, school, or community organization.

About the Author

Patrick B. Reyes is Senior Director of Learning Design at the Forum for Theological Exploration and the host of the Sound of the Genuine podcast. He holds a PhD from Claremont School of Theology.