CCDA

Well, I haven't blogged in quite a while, but I'm looking to get back into the habit. Last week I was at the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) annual conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. Those who have kept up with me outside this blog probably know that I'm working for Mosaic Life in Grand Rapids Michigan. Mosaic life is a diverse faith community that will be celebrating its 5th birthday this Sunday. Over the past year, we worked to develop a nonprofit community development corporation called Grand Rapids Dreams to further the work that Mosaic is doing in the community. You can check out the Mosaic Life and Grand Rapids Dreams websites to find out more about these organizations. We recently launched Grand Rapids Dreams with a public launch party, and in addition to my role at Mosaic Life, I am serving as the Executive Director of Grand Rapids Dreams. Anyway, the point of this post isn't to fill you in on all of that, but to begin my public reflection on the CCDA conference.

Three people from Mosaic Life went to the CCDA conference. CCDA has been around for 20 years, and exists to help organizations do community development. It was great to learn from people who have been doing community development, community organizing, and community transformation for years in a variety of different settings. If I could sum up the conference in one word, it would be "listen". CCDA talks a lot about Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), and that starts with listening to people's hopes and dreams, and then using the assets that are already in the community to realize those hopes and dreams. This comes from the understanding that people know their communities and know what their communities need. Once projects or initiatives have been put in place, it is important to listen to the community to find out how well the projects are working.

In addition to being educational, the CCDA conference was a very inspirational event for me. It was wonderful to hear the stories and experiences of those who have been in this field longer than I have. It was encouraging to know that we can make a difference in the community. It was uplifting to know that even when we face setbacks there are many ways to push through them or work around them. It's such a blessing to know that there is a wealth of knowledge out there from those who have gone before.

This was the first time that our tribe has had a large group at the CCDA conference. It's great to know that even in our own tribe, we are not alone in seeking to transform the communities in which we're present.

CCDA is also a great place to meet people. I reconnected with a lot of people that I know from other conferences or other encounters, and I met new people who have the same passion and dreams as I have. I know that as my network continues to grow, I will have a wealth of people to draw on for support and insight. I look forward to supporting others who are doing kingdom work and sharing my insights with my friends doing community development.

If I have one bit of advice to share with anyone, no matter what context they're in, I would say "be present". Be fully where you are, that you are able to hear what the people around you are telling you and that you can feel their emotions. Being more present in all aspects of life will help all of us as we seek to follow the example of Christ and show love to those around us.

Blessings,

Steve