CCDA has influenced both my personal life as well as our approach to ministry in very big ways. Our urban church in Waterloo, Iowa has many people with lots of different needs. Before we were introduced to Christian Community Development, we had several programs that were charity [...]Read More
Life on Life Mentoring
I received an email from a national grantor informing me that our organization would not receive the (critical) funding that we had budgeted and anticipated. I was far away from my office, my team and my Board. I felt like I was keeping a dark secret... I received an email from a national [...]Read More
The Ongoing Scandal
This year CCDA released the first edtion of a Theological Journal designed to for Christian Community Development workers to better integrate theology into their practice. This month we are featuring an Article by Soong-Chan Rah. His article, The Ongoing Scandal of the Evangelical [...]Read More
Room for Reconciliation
“Who's gonna take back those stories?” The challenge was simple. Who is going to take back the stories that have been entrenched in American culture about Native Americans for so long? Stories of how Native Americans are pagan, how they are less than human, and how "Indian" customs just [...]Read More
Emerging Leader Finds His Footing at CCDA
I moved to the Madison Square / Garfield Park neighborhood of Grand Rapids when I was 9yrs old. Now, almost 18yrs later, as I survey the area in which I live, I don't see too many of the people I grew up with. Most have moved to other parts of the city, suburbs, or across the country. Those that do [...]Read More
The Language of Shalom
My experience in working as a mediator and a director of a community-based ministry has led me to believe that the fields of restorative justice and Christian Community Development should be brought together. Mediation skills and processes are the threads that weave these two practices together. [...]Read More
Deferred Action
We celebrate a great moment of relief and respite from what has been a season defined by grief, anxiety, pain and a lot of hard work. We know that this Deferred Action is the result of great effort and work demanding justice for our families and communities. This work has been led by DREAMers [...]Read More
Community Health Connectors
As we become more aware of the increasing dangers of poor nutrition and obesity, the health of our communities has never been more important. Yet, many are not accessing the health benefits available to them. As we become more aware of the increasing dangers of poor nutrition and obesity, [...]Read More