SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:
This seminar will focus on practical ways to build Beloved Community in under resourced community settings, through the interactive sharing of John, Mary and participants, case studies of community building, community organizing from Chicago and Mississippi. We will share the Christian Community Development tools, including reconciliation, incarnational presence in the community, redistribution, building on the strengths of people and empowering indigenous leadership. Finally, we will partner with participants to think through their own settings and action pans.
SEMINAR OBJECTIVES:
1) Explore the biblical framework for beloved community, studying Nehemiah’s approach, and undergirding the why we do it, the changed relationships, of empowerment aspects
2) Learn of current models of building communities of justice and peace, moving from charity to empowerment, from service programs to development
3) Gain practical tools for action through the application of the 8 principles of CCD: relocation, reconciliation, redistribution, empowerment, listening to the community, indigenous leadership, church-based, wholistic approach
4) Frame out some possible next steps and resources (action plan) in your own setting towards building beloved community
6/1 Introduction and orientation to seminar/sharing of stories
Biblical framework on building beloved community; Nehemiah’s approach
Experiences of beloved community and what factors created
6/2 Sharing models of building beloved community,
Dialogue over urban/suburban partnerships (Linkiing Arms, Linking Lives)
Introducing CCD principles and how changed in current situation
6/3 CCD principles in action; discussion
Impinging justice issues/ advocacy
Justice and peace in creative tension with reconciliation
6/4 Conflicts and issues
Framing out next steps – presenting to group for feedback
ADVANCE READING: Linking Arms, Linking Lives, Ron Sider, John Perkins, Wayne Gordon, Al Tizon (Baker Books) 2008