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 at a slower pace in community with others before the conference begins is such a gift. A past attendee told me, “I attended a preconference workshop and appreciated the longer session time. I like the idea of developing this longer deeper dive option.”
Here are some great preconference events for team building and equipping!
Empowering the City
Do you want to learn more about the role you play in your congregation and community? For me, it can be difficult to figure out where I can use my strengths within both spaces and how church and community overlap. I’ve learned a lot from World Impact’s Rev. Dr. Alvin Sanders within the space of leadership development.
Join Rev. Dr. Alvin Sanders, President and CEO of World Impact, and special guests as they discuss:
- The critical work church leaders are undertaking in service of the Kingdom of God
- Your role in supporting that work
- How to bring others into that work
Come learn and network with the goal of improving the health of our communities and seeing them flourish together.
An attendee from last year’s World Impact preconference event said, “The preconference training with Alvin Sanders was really helpful and made that day really worthwhile.”
Safe Sanctuaries Training
Does your church have an empathetic ministry response plan to respond to survivors sharing stories of abuse? Having a policy on how staff respond sensitively can set your church up to provide survivors with a beginning to holistic healing and spiritual support.
Join Love Mercy Do Justice from The Covenant Church trainers to receive certification in Safe Sanctuaries program implementation. This 8-hour comprehensive training is designed to empower and equip pastors and lay leaders with best practices to effectively minister to those who have suffered trauma due to the injustice of abuse.
As a social worker, I cannot recommend enough that churches have policy and procedure in place for how to respond to congregants and community members disclosing and discussing abuse experience. Creating space to expand your congregational or organizational wholistic CCD practice is key to serving your community well.
**Please note this is a limited capacity training of 30 attendees and offers breakfast and lunch.
Relational Poverty Alleviation Training
What personal biases or prejudices influence your congregational or community work with poverty alleviation? Everett Gospel Mission (EGM) is hosting a preconference training that equips neighbors to practice coming alongside one another and experiencing mutual transformation.
EGM is using their extensive experience to train others in relational poverty alleviation. Whether you identify as a remainer, returner, or relocator, challenge how your personal perspective influences how you build relationships and interact within under-resourced communities. Learn frameworks and mental models to understand both material and relational poverty and how we can move away from transactions and toward authentic relationships.
Check out all of our preconference events and make plans to enjoy a slower pace for yourself or your team to connect and learn together.
About Mary Beth Meadows
Mary Beth Meadows is CCDA’s Education & Equipping Director and lives in East Tennessee. She is a member of CCDA’s Leadership Cohort 7 and serves on the Knoxville CCDA Local Network steering committee.
