Encounter. New York City. Times Square. Hungry. “Welcome to McDonald's, CAN I HELP YOU!" said the young lady behind the counter as she rolled her eyes. It wasn't spoken as a question, but as an expression of anger and annoyance for having her life interrupted. As a Neuyorican, a bicultural [...]Read More
The Mayor Moves In
An Interview with Wally Bryan of Challenge House For most of the 1990s, Wally Bryan was mayor of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. After the turn of the millennium, he was in semi-retirement, living in what he calls the outer-city, and feeling “a little adrift.” He read Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life and [...]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
A Way of Doing Life
A teacher and a policy expert on real neighboring We usually think of Christian Community Development as the work of CCD organizations. But what about people who incorporate CCD principles into their everyday life and work in their neighborhoods without working for a Christian Community Development [...]Read More
“Rest a while”
New Year reflections for ministry leaders "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." (Mark 6:31, NRSV) When Jesus spoke those words of reward and guidance to his apostles, they had just reported back to him about their most ambitious training venture to date. He [...]Read More
Rural Justice (Part 2)
Two practitioners share the ins and outs of doing CCD in rural America [In the first part of the series], we interviewed Rev. Tim Olsen of Summit House, part of Sioux Falls Seminary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. [For part two], we talked with Pat Vander Pol, ministry coordinator of Justice for All [...]Read More
Rural Justice (Part 1)
Two practitioners share the ins and outs of doing CCD in rural America [In this two part series], we ask two rural CCD practitioners—Rev. Tim Olsen of South Dakota and Pat Vander Pol of Iowa—about their ministries, their areas, and about living out the 3R's. We also posed the ultimate question: [...]Read More