Wherever I travel, I see visible signs that the gap between the rich and poor is growing. This disparity appears even more stark in the many under-resourced communities that exist within close proximity to thriving, wealth-filled communities. For over twenty years, CCDA has been working to narrow [...]Read More
Making Prayer a Priority
Judy Nugent works with The First Village, a local church she was led to start in an apartment complex just across the street from her after several encounters with her neighbors, like a man who had just been released from prison and another walking away from drugs. The name is inspired by Luke 9:6. [...]Read More
Taking the Long View vs. the Fierce Urgency of Now
Lessons from Arizona Arizona won a significant victory yesterday when Russell Pearce, author of SB1070, lost in a first-ever recall election. It was not without great effort. I’m reflecting today on the lessons of the work and how we traveled from the darkness of SB1070 to the hope we feel [...]Read More
Glen Kehrein: Friend and Pioneer
Wayne "Coach" Gordon reflects on a life well lived I first met Glen Kehrein in the summer of 1975. He and Lonni were already well on their way to establishing Circle Urban Ministry, which has become a remarkable example of Christian Community Development. I was just getting ready to move to the [...]Read More
Language of Adoption
Mark Charles reflects on the meaning of family "Shi'masoni." That is how I addressed her as I leaned over to place my necklace around her neck. "My maternal grandmother." When I left home for the Christian Community Development Association National Conference, I was not expecting to gain a [...]Read More
Our Journey Together
CCDA’s days of learning and witness on immigration reform When Kit Danley of Neighborhood Ministries in Phoenix, Arizona, toured the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati with fellow CCDA board member Mary Nelson during the 2009 CCDA conference, she couldn't shake a feeling of [...]Read More
A Life of Reconciliation
An Interview with John M. Perkins John M. Perkins, the founder of CCDA, participated in the American Civil Rights Movement over four decades ago. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to interview him for his unique (and 80-year-old) perspective on racial reconciliation. [Former] CCDA [...]Read More
A Young Family
Laying down roots in Cincinnati's Northside. "Sometimes he's up at four in the morning," marvels Northside resident and community volunteer Valerie Sacko. "Not four o'clock. Five o'clock," Pastor Abe corrects. Either way, it's a busy life for Abe and Joni Brandyberry, founders of [...]Read More