CCDA Emerging Leaders at UYWI

30 emerging CCDA leaders met at Azusa before the UYWI conference this past week to explore how the movement of Christian Community Development, characterized by grass roots, faith-based, incarnational (living among the people we are seeking to impact), development (versus hand outs), and justice (that begins with economic justice) will flow into the future.

In the light of gentrification (Cabrini Green in Chicago is an example of what is going on all over the country- desirable land close to lakes, oceans, rivers, downtown attraction that were once home to public housing and the poor, are now being re-claimed by the 'gentry' (the landowners with capital) who now are seeking to exploit low property values and especially, close proximity to the city center.

What will CCD and 'relocation- living amongs the people look like in this reality? Not only in Chicago, but everywhere throughout our nation!

What kind of relationshops, and networks (geographical and cyber) will it take to connect CCD leaders of this generation to faithfully and effectively transform our changing cities?

Will our statagies move us into old suburbs becoming home for the displaced city poor? Will our churches in the hood become more cross-class (class will be more a more difficult gap to bridge I believe, than race and culture in many places)?

Will the Latinoizing of our nation impact our strategies, our focus on collaboration with other ethnic groups? Will we see a 'poor people's march / movement' in the next decade with Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and others taking to the streets ala the May 1st demonstrations to demand justice in an exptreme rich and an extreme poor society?

The emerging leaders of CCDA will be at the center of finding solutions to these, and other crisis' facing our nation and our church. Thanks to all the leaders who paticipated!