Engaging with Our Kingdom-Building Partners

This past weekend, Forge partnered with the Urban Renaissance Center to host a Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) Intensive at Joy Tabernacle in Civic Park. CCDA is a national association whose mission is “To inspire, train, and connect Christians who seek to bear witness to the Kingdom of God by reclaiming and restoring under-resourced communities.” Individuals and groups representing many different Michigan and Great Lakes region communities gathered together to learn how CCDA’s Christ-centered principles could be introduced into their organizations, work, and daily lives. Through the intensive, we hoped to foster a common language and philosophy that would mobilize the church and kingdom-minded organizations to be engaged in transformative ways in our unique contexts.

Throughout the event, not only were people learning from the knowledgeable facilitator, Reverend Jonathan Brooks, but also from each other. During the intensive, people were encouraged to lean into their current seasons of life and ministry, whether they were in the depths of frustration or at the peak of joy, and this honesty created an opportunity for everyone to grow. By the end of the day, new ideas were birthed, relationships were formed, and many truths had been spoken and renewed.

We encourage you to visit CCDA’s website, http://www.ccda.org/ , and learn more about CCDA's philosophy and mission.