In 2012, I sat down with my grandmother for a rare conversation. Growing up biracial, I was always eager to learn about the Chinese side of my family, and I usually turned to my mother for the stories of her parents’ immigration from China to the United States. On this particular occasion, my [...]Read More
InnerChange LA Seeking the Peace of the City
InnerChange has been in central Los Angeles for many years, before it became trendy to move here. Our work is centered in the Westlake/Pico Union neighborhood of LA, a very dense neighborhood home to many recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America. InnerChange practitioners begin their [...]Read More
The Beautiful Struggle of CCD Ministry in NW Pasadena
“CCDA raised me,” Florence Annang responded quickly when asked how she got involved in CCD ministry. Florence was first introduced to CCDA through Dr. John Perkins, when she began working with him at Harambee Ministries in Pasadena, CA. Through her work at Harambee, Florence recognized the [...]Read More
Payday Lending for What It Is: A Matter of Morality and Economic Justice
Rent is due a day from now. Your bank account is low, and you worry about bouncing another check. Figuring out how to get the rent paid is all you can think about. Meanwhile, an ad flashes on TV: Hundred dollar bills waving and the announcer promising cash right away with a payday loan. A solution! [...]Read More
Civic Engagement CCDA Style
Voting … it seems we are talking about it all the time right now. We understand it as a treasured right of freedom, hard won over the generations. In the book of Isaiah we are taught to “learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” [...]Read More
God’s Economy of Togetherness
During an election year, everyone is an expert on the economy—from billionaire businessmen and career politicians to your high school Facebook friends. For many Republicans, the free market is the answer to our economic woes, tapping into human potential and bestowing merit on those who are [...]Read More
Responding to God’s Call to Justice: Chasing the River of Life
My soul felt trapped in a life that should have brought peace and fulfillment but instead, brought anguish and deep discontent. I was thirsty and walking on dry ground. I longed to pursue God’s call to fight the injustices of poverty and also, to lead other evangelical Christians to engage in [...]Read More
CornerStone Initiative leads the way in listening, empowering in Huntsville, AL
Patty Lowe, executive director of the CornerStone Initiative, prefers to calls herself “lead listener” of the organization. She is committed to setting an example of listening and empowerment that is so central to this young community development organization’s roots. The CornerStone Initiative was [...]Read More