Ministry Philosophy: 8 Key Components of Christian Community Development

CCDA is a network of followers of Jesus committed to loving our neighbors and being signs of the kingdom in places neglected by society and often ignored by the church.  In every part of the world, we see that God consistently raises up women and men who care about the most vulnerable neighbors in our communities.  CCDA’s mission is to come alongside these amazing individuals to help them fulfill their God-given calling to invest their lives in communities, so that they might flourish for the glory of God.  We are also convinced that cultivating connections with like-minded Christ-followers, with a commitment to ministry in difficult places, is essential to help leaders avoid burnout and disillusionment when caring for people and sharing the gospel in under-resourced contexts.  CCDA’s 8 Key Components have significantly shaped our team’s philosophy of ministry at NETwork for decades.

1. Relocation.  How did Jesus love?  He came and dwelled among us, full of grace and truth.  We’re committed to following his incarnational approach and going wherever He leads.  We recognize that place is significant, and that proximity and being visibly present with those on the margins is crucial for participating in God’s redemptive work.  Being present provides opportunities to love our neighbors through listening and problem solving together, to gain credibility and trust through solidarity - even in suffering, and to learn to appreciate the gifts and resources within our community.

2. Reconciliation.  Reconciliation is at the heart of the gospel, not only to restore us to right relationship with God, but also with one another.  The command to love God is inseparable from the command to love neighbor.  What is broken in our neighborhoods?  The gospel confronts every racial, ethnic, and economic barrier that hinders people from experiencing reconciliation, and empowers us to work for justice in the midst of this broken world and to repair that which is broken so all can experience God’s shalom.

3. Redistribution.  We live in a world of abundance, yet with distorted, broken systems, we recognize many are denied access to the economic framework to have needs met and to live meaningful lives in the kingdom.  Aiming to reflect the most beautiful examples we see in the early church and believing that all we have belongs to God, we’re committed to using our time, skills, money, resources, education, and more to sacrificially work for individual and systemic transformation on behalf of vulnerable folks, so those experiencing injustice have opportunities to be equipped to work, give, and thrive!

4. Leadership Development.  Inspired by the servant leadership model Jesus champions, we are passionately focused on raising up leaders from within the neighborhood.  In a spirit of humility, we are committed to countering the leadership vacuum that is often prevalent in under-represented communities.  We desire to intentionally come alongside young and inexperienced leaders and give opportunities to develop, be equipped, and emerge.  This process takes time, so if we’re serious about this work we need to be committed to pouring into people over the course of many years.

5. Listening to the Community.  Following Jesus' example when he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?,” listening to the community involves taking a posture of learning and empathy.  Listening to and learning from local residents and key community stakeholders is essential for building trust, mutual respect, and solidarity.  Those marginalized and oppressed understand the felt needs of their community personally, and are often in the best position to imagine solutions, opportunities, and ideas to solve the challenges of their own community. 

6. Church Based.  The church is the body of Christ within the community, gathered to worship, be rejuvenated, and grow as disciples of Jesus.  The church is uniquely equipped to affirm the dignity, gifts, and skills of individuals so they can be utilized for the greater good of the community.  The church has a responsibility to love neighbor and to respond with Christ-like compassion to crucial needs within the neighborhood.  Churches should work to love their neighborhoods and to be a faith community that breaks down the racial, educational, and cultural barriers that often separate people.  

7. Wholistic Approach. 
 We know Jesus cared deeply about the whole person, and we desire to see Christ’s love permeate every aspect of life - engaging in the spiritual, social, cultural, educational, economic, physical, emotional, political, moral, environmental, and familial dynamics of an individual and community in order to bring about flourishing.  Jesus came so that we might have abundant life, and we long to see folks experience this in every dimension of our well being - not just individually, but also as a community - so that all can be made whole.


8. Empowerment. 
We focus on recognizing and creating conducive environments in which we rely on the power of the Spirit and work together with our neighbors in our gifts and resources for the development of our community.  Often in marginalized communities, charity can be demeaning, strip folks of their dignity, and create unhealthy dependency.  In contrast, Jesus was empowering in his approach, rooted in knowing that every person is created in the image of God.  We affirm the God-given dignity of every person, and want to see all empowered to use their gifts to contribute to the flourishing of the community.

To learn more, visit CCDA.org