The Community Engagement Toolbox
Community Development Resource Library
The Community Engagement Toolbox
Community Development Resource Library
Introduction
The concept of Christian Community Development (CCD) involves many ordinary Christian passions and practices that are tied together in new ways that seem revolutionary. It is a movement that calls the Church to transition from a mindset of charity to a mindset of justice, peace, and community building.
CCD is a grassroots movement of faith-based ministries across the nation where people of faith choose to come alongside others in their community to love, live, and build the capacity for real transformation.
Module 1: The Kairos Moment
We are at a cosmic tipping point, a kairos moment, where a new understanding of Christian ministry is being birthed. We are witnessing dying Church systems that can no longer hold the longings and desires of our communities.
This module has been developed to be used as an initial community conversation. It invites us to shift from performative progress and operational preservation to transforming our structures and systems in ways that interrupt the mission-industrial complex and stop the commodification of BIPOC bodies.
In this module, missiologist Dr. Joyce del Rosario explains that “the commodification of BIPOC bodies are ways that the mission-industrial complex has raised millions of dollars to help the poor on the backs of the poor.” Drawing from the roots of the Christian Community Development movement, Dr. del Rosario explains, “Dr. [John M.] Perkins knew long before, that developing communities that can generate their own economic systems for sustainability was a way to keep the marginalized centered and empowered.”
She challenges us, “Are you a performative activist, or are you ready to change the systems?”
Module 2: The John Perkins Story
Founded through the pioneering work Dr. John Perkins,
Introduction
Since the beginning of the Afghan Refugee Crisis, we have been in conversations with several partners and in discernment about the best way to respond.
For anyone wishing to better understand the situation and all that is involved, please make use of the two webinar videos titled “Welcoming Strangers.” These were recorded in partnership with the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Also on this site you will find a Toolkit created by Global H.O.P.E. and UCC Wider Church Ministries. It has been organized as a slide deck to fit the style and function of our toolbox. The content is also available as a Word Doc here.
Below the slide deck is a training video to help UCC congregations welcome and speak up for Afghan refugees.
This page will be updated periodically as events unfold. If you would like to suggest a resource we should include in one of our resource libraries, please send your suggestion to Michael Howard, our Minister of Faith in Action at michael.mfia@livingwaterone.org.
Welcoming Strangers Webinar
Session 1:
In this first webinar, we hear from US Together and their work with refugee resettlement agencies on behalf of the United States government to resettle families and provide immediate services and support in the first 90 days.
Our guests for this interview were Liv Randall, the Development Specialist for US Together, and Ron Hedrick, Director of US Together. You access their slide presentation below.
Session 2:
In this second webinar, we hear from a number of our ecumenical faith partners and a presentation from Refugee Response.
The ecumenical discussion includes reflections from Bishop Laura Barbins of the Evangelical Church of America, Northeast Ohio Synod; Rev. Michael Howard, the Minister of Faith in Action with the Living Water Association of the United Church of Christ; and Rev. Margaret D’Anieri, Canon for Mission at Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Each panelist shares about how responding to the Afghan Refugee Emergency is important in their tradition.
Finally, this session includes a presentation by Patrick Kearns, the Executive Director of Refugee Response in Cleveland.
Welcoming and Advocating Toolkit
The following toolkit is offered by Global H.O.P.E. to help congregations discern their particular call at this critical time.
The toolkit is also available in a document format that can be downloaded below.
Congregational Training Video
The following video was created by Global H.O.P.E. and the United Church of Christ for congregations looking to faithfully respond to this refugee crisis.