“Every community is different. As I hear people speak and engage in the CCD Philosophy, I've learned that we have to be able to take what is doable in Dorchester, not necessarily what is done in the South Side of Chicago. Take what is applicable,” says David Nok Daniel, an elder at Christ the King …
Moving from Church Outreach to Community Development
Michelle Ferrigno Warren is joined by Joshua Park of Genesis Church of Fayetteville to reflect on their experience in CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative and how God is moving in the city. They share about what loving mercy and doing justice looks like and how cultivating partnerships in the …
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Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church: A Legacy of Faith, Resilience, and Community
Nestled in the community of Alma, North Carolina, Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church stands as a testament to African American faith, perseverance, and collective strength. Founded in 1874, during the turbulent years following Reconstruction, the church has served as a spiritual refuge and cultural …
Flourishing Congregations in North Carolina
Lynette McIntosh-Madrigal is joined by James Harrison, Crystal Heilig, and Marcia C. Wilson to discuss how their churches are doing ministry with their communities. They are all members of different AME Zion churches in North Carolina who are also part of CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative. …
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The Nature of Leadership
The following is an excerpt from You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone by Rev. Dr. Eun K. Strawser. You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone is available now wherever books are sold. Leadership is one of the most complex and multidimensional phenomena. It has been studied extensively over the years and …
When Prayer Develops a Community
How do you rest from your work and worship God? A half mile from my house on the east side of Cleveland, OH, sits a Benedictine monastery called St. Andrew Abbey. It is the oldest religious institution in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. My community has a history of white flight from the 1950s …
Being Present in Hawaii
Darryl Answer is joined by Eun Strawser, the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means “Presence” in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii. They discuss the importance of being present in the community and being rooted in a place. Eun also …
Flourishing in Action: Visiting Genesis and Samaritan Churches
After a few full days in Kansas City, I took a detour on my way home to visit two of our Flourishing Congregations churches in Arkansas. I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I certainly didn’t anticipate that a short trip through Fayetteville and Springdale would leave me feeling challenged to …
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