Audio by artist daniel_hill

A prophetic message by John Perkins eventually led to an inner-city Chicago church plant focusing on worship, reconciliation, and neighborhood development. This elective will be a sharing some of the lessons we have learned dealing with issues of holistic urban transformation and howto integrate community development church.
 

The forces of gentrification have brought
the cultural poles together into the same
neighborhood and this new proximity pushes
daunting questions to the forefront of our
outreach strategies. Can you speak wisdom
into the lives of those affected by racism but
at the same time to those who have known
nothing but privilege? Can we wrap our arms
around the Gospel widely enough to be
able to invite people of all ethnic and racial
backgrounds into our church? This seminar
will explore these questions and pursue a
theology big enough to minister effectively in
the new urban world.

The roots of the Christian Community
Development Association (CCDA) stretch
back to 1960 when John and Vera Mae
Perkins relocated their family to the struggling
community of Mendenhall, Mississippi to
work with the people there. This seminar will
walk through the eight components of CCDA
and tell the story of River City Community
Church as they have applied these principles
in Chicago, Il. It will also explore ways that
your ministry can utilize the CCDA philosophy
to minister more effectively in your context.