Churches that Transform Communities: Social Justice & Community Development in the Local Church

When: Monday April 19, 2010 1pm - 5pm; Tuesday April 20, 2010 9am - 11am

Leaders:

Dr. Troy Jackson, Lead Pastor at University Christian Church, an urban congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio. University Christian focuses on social justice issues locally and around the globe.

Mary Nelson, Founding President and CEO of Bethel New Life Ministries on the West Side of Chicago & Board Member with Sojourners and the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).

Kirsten Strand, Founder and Director of Community 4:12, the community development ministry of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL. The ministry focuses in a nearby under-resourced and primarily Hispanic community.

Description: “Thy Kingdom Come, They Will be Done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.” When Jesus prayed these words as part of his model prayer, he was asking God for social transformation. When God’s Kingdom truly comes to earth, everything changes. Everything is transformed as all individuals, congregations, neighborhoods, communities, and nations fall under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In this age of great social upheaval, new congregations will be well served to put Jesus’ prayer into action by developing clear and concrete strategies for community development and social justice within their cities. This pre-workshop intensive will offer very practical ways your congregation can be a transformation agent for God’s Kingdom in people’s personal lives and in the communities in which they live.

This pre-conference intensive will help you consider how to make social justice and community development part of the DNA of your new congregation. We will explore ways to build upon concern for the poor and marginalized so you can engage in concrete action that moves beyond paternalism. We will help you launch justice efforts that will inspire your congregaton, will make a real difference in your community, and will demonstrate a heart for the poor that will lead many skeptics to take a fresh look at Jesus.

This intensive will consider these questions facing your new church:

• How prominent should social justice/community development be for our congregation?
• How can my church launch teams that focus on social justice/community development?
• How can a suburban church demonstrate a concern for the poor?
• What resources can our church use to be better engaged, informed, and involved in making a difference locally & globally for God’s Kingdom?
• How can we measure the success of our justice & commuity development efforts?