What’s up, family? Yesterday was the first full day of the 2024 Christian Community Development Association Conference here in Portland, Oregon. The weather has been perfect.
The day started with a small group of us praying together for God’s presence to fill every session and workshop. We prayed for the different needs people brought to the conference and that God would meet His people right where they are. We also prayed for our Indigenous brothers and sisters, who led us during the morning plenary session.
It was a privilege to sit and listen to these leaders speak about how deeply the truth of the Gospel and Christianity is rooted in their culture. Their insights were like a breath of fresh air, opening my eyes to new perspectives. So much of what they shared was new to me, and I am still processing it. They challenged my thinking on how we care for one another and all of creation. I am excited to invite other voices to speak on my podcast and this newsletter to continue learning together.
Worship, Liturgy, and Encounters
Common Hymnal led us through another powerful day of worship, not only through song, but also through liturgical spoken word. Reminding us of the beauty of confession, lament, and finding hope in the midst of hopelessness. Check out the piece that Royce Lovett did last night!
Quote of the Day:
“The poor reveals who we are and the prophets reveal who we could be. That’s why we hide our poor and kill or prophets.”
I attended a workshop conducted by Velynn Brown entitled: Rekindling the Fire: Empowering Your Journey Towards Racial Healing and Collective Restoration. This was the only workshop that I was able to attend due to the fact that I had overlapping consulting sessions, but I was really looking forward to attending, and it did not disappoint. Velynn is a skilled faciliator that was able to draw the deep stories of resilience and pain out of the workshop participants. She encouraged us who are seeking transformed communities through collective restoration. Here are few nuggets from the workshop:
Sankofa - The bird is the image that captures this word. It means to go back and retrieve or go back and fetch. It depicts a bird looking back while moving forward. Velynn reminded us that if we are going to rekindle the fire that God placed on the enside of us we must be willing to move forward, but also to recall what He has called us to. We must also learn from those who have come before us.
Three Lessons:
Surrendered Calling
Sacred Self-care
Safe Circles
“In the quietness of this place, in the stillness of this moment, I turn to God.”
~ Howard Thurman.
Consulting
I will not go in depth about the people that I had the opportunity to sit down with and consult, because I value the privacy of their stories. But I would like to say that yesterday really confirmed why I am on this journey. There are so many great leaders all over the nation who are leading through difficult situations in challenging places. As a whole we need to evaluate how we raise up leaders in our churches, communities, and non-profits/ministries. We also have to be build systems of support that empowers our leaders to lead holistically and healthily.
There is too much hiding and too much shame that plagues the life of leaders who have clearly been called by God. We need both the skills and the people along this journey to see transformed leaders help transform communities.
Resource of the Day
IVP and Tod Bolsinger produced a four-part series entitled: Practicing Change Series. It’s all about leadership! It is phenomenal. If you are a leader or an aspiring leader, I would recommend picking up this resource.
Y’all have a great day! On to day 3!
Read Day 1 Review: