On October 13th, after six days of navigating bomb shelters in Jerusalem, I arrived at Logan International Airport. As I shuffled toward customs I watched the sunrise over Boston. I resented its beauty because it increased the weight of privilege: I was relieved to be out of a war zone and ashamed [...]Read More
When Worship Develops a Community
If I asked you, “What’s the one thing most needed for Christian community development?” What would you say? Strategy? Relationships? Funding? These are all essential ingredients, but is there one thing that is most important? The last year and a half have taught me and others in Cleveland, OH, that [...]Read More
Preconference Events to Check Out at #ccdaPDX
I’ve been coming to CCDA’s National Conference since 2003 in New Orleans. Every year, I look forward to featuring CCD practitioners who teach from their expertise. I’ve enjoyed partnering with members to develop intensive learning opportunities in our preconference space. Having space to learn [...]Read More
Life Together Beyond Sunday Religion and Social Activism
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and [...]Read More
Religious Liberty, Ableism, and Racism
An excerpt from Lamar Hardwick's book, How Ableism Fuels Racism.In 1974, Larry and Sandi Zobrest gave birth to their first child, Jim, while living in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jim was diagnosed as profoundly deaf after a routine medical examination before his first birthday. Jim would later attend a [...]Read More
State of the Membership
As 2024 is well upon us, I’m excited to share some updates about the state of our membership. 2023 was a year of significant growth in our membership. We’ve also grown in our knowledge and understanding of our members. We're thrilled to share insights and statistics that showcase the assets of [...]Read More
Juneteenth and God’s Redemptive Blessings
Juneteenth celebrates the effective end of lawful slavery of African American people on June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people would be freed. The troops arrived two and a half years after the signing of the [...]Read More
Healing Through Trauma-Informed Community Development
Upon returning from several military tours in Iraq, Rev. Paul Abernathy became aware of an alarming fact. He noticed there were higher instances of people affected by trauma in his hometown of Pittsburgh than there were among those he engaged with in a war-torn environment. Understanding that [...]Read More