Lord Lead Me in the Way of Repentance As we focus on repentance, we remember that in Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. There he spent 40 days and 40 nights and was tested by the devil. I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit is the person leading Jesus. Somehow, [...]Read More
Lent: Fostering Intimacy with Christ
Setting Your IntentionLent is a special time. As Christians, it’s a special time to engage The Living God through intentional times of prayer, fasting, contemplation, meditation, worship and other disciplines that foster intimacy with Christ.Lent provides an opportunity to intentionally fast (give [...]Read More
Remember. Rejoice. Release.
What do we need to release this season?How can I prepare myself for the arrival of Jesus when the Christmas season can bring about some unpleasant feelings? The Christmas season can be a time of trouble and worry for many people. It can be a hectic season, a rough reality, and our hearts may be [...]Read More
Embracing Advent: Preparing Our Hearts for a Meaningful Christmas Celebration
The lights are up. The stores are bursting with tinsel, decorative trees and gifts galore. All around the world, a great "to-do" is made about Christmas. But just what are we really celebrating? The coming of Christ is undoubtedly one of the most monumental events in history; however, [...]Read More
Holding onto Hope
I’ve been thinking a lot about the first Advent and the early years of Jesus’ childhood. I wonder what Mary was thinking as she brought her son into the world, so far from home. Instead of nesting she had to flee to Bethlehem. So much for planning a cozy home birth. And yet, she held [...]Read More
Waiting on His Justice and Transformation
By Sunny Sue Chang JonasTransformation. We wait for His transformation. We wait in line to buy a snack, we wait for a friend to return a phone call, we wait for the day to be over, or for a new day to begin. We anticipate what’s coming next and in doing so, we wait. In fact, sometimes [...]Read More
A Letter from Interim President & CEO Dr. Mary Nelson
Dear CCDA Family,I am excited about my new role as Interim President & CEO of CCDA. Bringing over 50 years of experience in Chicago-based Christian Community Development as well as national leadership on several fronts, I am ready to serve our much needed association. Joining our strong [...]Read More
Without Walls or Borders
by Christina FoorOne beautiful piece of the Gospel is how God weaves together stories of people from all different backgrounds. In a small migrant shelter in Juarez, Mexico, people from several divergent worlds gathered together – Cuban asylum seekers, college students from both sides of the border, [...]Read More