Ethan Daly is joined by Ryan Waalkes and Christy Carlin Knetsch to share about how God is moving in their city of Grand Rapids. They reflect on the history of Grand Rapids, what it means to pursue peace and belonging instead of mere civility or niceness, and the power of reconciliation in action. 

Learn more about the CCDA Conference and make plans to join us in Grand Rapids this November at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference]. And discover ways to connect with like-minded people through CCDA’s local and affinity networks at ccda.org/connect [http://ccda.org/connect]. 

With over two decades of experience as a social entrepreneur, Ethan Daly has dedicated his career to empowering community leaders and building ecosystems of opportunity. As co-founder of Sunshine Enterprises in Chicago, he helped grow an entrepreneur support organization that equips hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs each year with the tools to launch and scale businesses. He also served as U.S. Regional Director for Partners Worldwide, a global NGO focused on ending poverty through business. In 2022, Ethan joined Stand Together Foundation, where he currently serves as Senior Director of Bridging Divides. In this role, Ethan leads collaborative initiatives that bring together ideologically diverse leaders to solve community challenges, reduce toxic polarization, and promote a shared American identity. His work reflects a deep commitment to inclusive economic development, civic dialogue, and the transformative power of local leadership.

Ryan is the founder and executive director of Bridge Street Ministries, a Christ-centered, urban youth development organization in Grand Rapids, MI.  He and his wife have five beautiful children and have been living out CCD principles for over 20 years.  Ryan is a part of the CCDA national leadership cohort 8, serves on the Local Advisory Team for the 2025 CCDA national conference, and serves as one of the Grand Rapids local network connectors.

Inspiring others to know that in Christ, the past does not have to determine the future is the mission statement that has guided the career of Christy Carlin Knetsch (Kah-Net-Ch). Originally from the Pittsburgh area, where she was raised to cheer like a maniac for the Steelers, Christy started her career as a social worker and then spent 18 years as a youth pastor and community organizer at Madison Church, where one of her favorite things was driving a 12-passenger van filled with teenagers. After wrapping up six years of service as an Executive Director at New City Kids, she now serves in Philanthropy as a Program Officer at a local foundation. She is passionate about empowering leaders of all ages, promoting equity, and shaping the systems that influence the trajectory of a young person’s life. She lives in Grand Rapids with her husband Brad and their wild and wonderful kiddos, Isaiah, Solomon, and Simone. A graduate of Calvin University with a BA in Psychology/English/Gender Studies, she also holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Cornerstone Seminary’s Urban Cohort Program.  

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda]. 

Building Bridges in Grand Rapids

Sharon Fong Mo is joined by Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew to discuss her new book Front Porch Wisdom. They reflect on the challenges and beauty of being a woman of color in a leadership position. They also share about the importance of relationships, both in leadership and in life. 

Get Front Porch Wisdom [https://www.ivpress.com/front-porch-wisdom] wherever books are sold and read an excerpt on the CCDA blog [https://ccda.org/leadership-women-and-work/]. Learn more about the Women of Color Network at ccda.org/woc [http://ccda.org/woc].

Dr. Froswa's ripple effect stands out in the realm of cultural transformation. Her role as a network weaver emphasizes the importance of belonging and purpose in corporate, nonprofit, philanthropic, and government settings. By bridging the gap between grassroots nonprofits and institutions, she builds social capital, creates avenues for collaboration, and scales impactful initiatives. She is the President/CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, founder of the Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation, author of 5 books, including the award-winning Empowering Charity:  A New Narrative of Philanthropy, and her newly released book, Front Porch Wisdom: Navigating Leadership Pressures and Barriers as a Woman of Color by InterVarsity Press. Froswa' is an adjunct professor at Tulane University in the Master's of Public Administration program and a research affiliate at Antioch University.  

Sharon is a strategic communications expert and network weaver who specializes in helping businesses, nonprofits, and churches improve their communication systems and launch new initiatives. With a passion for connecting people and fostering collaborative engagement, she has been instrumental in launching regional business and faith collaborative networks across Southern California, New Orleans, and Portland, Oregon, working alongside faith communities, nonprofits, and government programs. Her expertise extends to redemptive technology design, helping organizations leverage digital tools in ways that restore human dignity and strengthen communities. Her track record of turning communication barriers into bridges has established Sharon as an influential voice in community development and economic empowerment, equally effective in mentoring emerging leaders and advising seasoned executives. She co-leads the Women of Color Network [http://ccda.org/woc] at CCDA.

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter, [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda] Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Leadership Lessons from the Front Porch

Darryl Answer is joined by Eun Strawser, the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means “Presence” in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii. They discuss the importance of being present in the community and being rooted in a place. Eun also shares about the recovery efforts on the island, three years after the Lāhainā fires.

Learn more about the CCDA Conference and make plans to join us at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference]. And discover ways to connect with like-minded people through CCDA’s local and affinity networks at ccda.org/connect [http://ccda.org/connect]. 

Eun K. Strawser is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means “Presence” in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii, a community physician at Ke Ola Pono, and an executive board member of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) with twenty years in both local and trans-local church planting work at executive levels. Prior to transitioning to Hawaii, she served as adjunct professor of medicine at the Philadelphia College of Medicine and of African Studies at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania (where she and her husband served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) after finishing her Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Dar es Salaam. She is the author of Centering Discipleship: A Pathway for Multiplying Spectators into Mature Disciples (IVP) and You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone: The Power of Sharing Leadership (IVP). She and Steve have three, seriously, amazing children. Rev. Dr. Strawser has nearly two decades of experience in centering discipleship and making mature missional disciples. She has developed a lay counseling curriculum, discipleship pathways for children’s ministries, and discipleship pathways utilized both in established church and church-planting contexts. While her heart is in locally-rooted kingdom work, she also consults and coaches pastors, planters, and marketplace/community leaders worldwide in developing discipleship pathways and structuring their context to center discipleship. Ma Ke Alo o is also part of CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative [https://ccda.org/fci/]. 

Darryl was born in London, England. He is currently co-pastor of New Community Church, and founder of Verge Solutions. Through Verge Solutions, he provides consulting, training, and facilitation for organizations and communities in the areas of entrepreneurial mindset (ELI), and community development through an Asset-Based lens. In addition to serving in a consulting role, Darryl works in neighborhoods as a mobilizer and connector of residents and institutions around their shared vision of power, healing, and abundance. Darryl is a coach for CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative [https://ccda.org/fci/]. 

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda]. 

Being Present in Hawaii

Turan De’Angelo Rush is joined by Bethany Rivera Molinar and Jeff Biddle to discuss CCDA’s leadership cohorts. They unpack what cohorts are and why they’re important; they also share their experiences in their cohorts, the incredible relationships they’ve formed, and the leadership lessons they are still drawing on today. 

CCDA’s newest cohort, Cohort 9, is now accepting applications! This cohort is for Gen Z leaders in the Southeastern U.S. Learn more and apply at ccda.org/cohort [http://ccda.org/cohort]. 

Turan De’Angelo Rush is the founding COO of the Midian Leadership Project, Inc., a sports-based community development nonprofit in Charleston, WV, an Evangelist with New Hope Community Church in Charleston, and the Director of Sports Science and Nutrition for the Capital High School football team. He played football at Eastern Michigan University, where he was team captain and earned a BA in communications with a minor in special education. He holds a master's degree in Sports Science from West Virginia State University, and is pursuing his PH.D in sports psychology from Kairos University, where his research focuses on the trauma-healing power of team sport participation. 

Bethany Rivera Molinar is a fronteriza Chicana living and working in El Paso, Texas, about a mile from the international border line of the United States and Mexico. She is the Executive Director of Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach, a holistic, asset-based, Christian community development nonprofit organization walking alongside their neighbors to develop youth, support families, equip leaders, and strengthen community in downtown-central El Paso. Bethany is deeply passionate for Ciudad Nueva to be a place where community work unfolds and community members are actively engaged and accessing their gifts, skills, and resources to collectively lead towards a vibrant and thriving community. Along with her team and community, this passion has driven the work that she has done through Ciudad Nueva for over ten years. Bethany serves as Chair for the board of the national Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) as well as other local boards. Bethany earned both Masters of Divinity & Masters of Social Work degrees from Baylor University. In 2023, President Obama selected Bethany as one of 100 Leaders from across the United States for his inaugural Obama Leaders USA program. Bethany serves with prophetic strength and innovative leadership within local, regional, and national women of color faith circles. When not doing all of the above, Bethany enjoys spending time with her husband Adrian and their three little ones, running, urban gardening, and pursuing the crafty arts.

Rev. Dr. Jeff Biddle, Jr. is the founding pastor of New Hope Community Church and the co-founder of the Midian Leadership Project. He holds a BA in Economics from Harvard University, an M.Div from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and his doctorate from Palmer Seminary, where his thesis focused on sports, faith, and community leadership development among young people affected by the school-to-prison pipeline. He is the coauthor of Playing For The City: The Power of Sports for Christian Community Development. 

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda]. 

What are Cohorts? And Why Do They Matter?

Roslyn Hernández is joined by Carol Bremer-Bennett, the U.S. Executive Director of World Renew. Together, they discuss asset-based community development around the world, the process of connecting with their Indigenous heritage, and the importance of listening to the wisdom of elders. They also reflect on what shalom means in the lives of individuals and communities. 

Learn more about the CCDA Conference and make plans to join us at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference]. And learn more about CCDA’s Indigenous Peoples network at ccda.org/indigenous [https://ccda.org/indigenous/]. 

Carol Bremer-Bennett is World Renew's U.S. Executive Director. As director, she oversees their work in 30 countries around the globe in poverty & hunger alleviation as well as disaster response. Learn more about World Renew at worldrenew.net [https://worldrenew.net/]. She is born to the To’aheedliinii (Waters Flow Together) Clan and born for the Todich’iinii (Bitter Water) Clan of the Navajo Nation. Bremer-Bennett is an educator by training, with a B.A. from Calvin College and M.A. from Western New Mexico University. Her extensive experience in Christian ministry spans more than 25 years of organizational leadership, leadership development, and administration. Carol believes in the power of community and shares her passion and gifts with her church, school, and like-minded international organizations. She has served on multiple boards, including Calvin University, the Christian Alliance for Inclusive Development, Integral Alliance, and Growing Hope Globally. 

Roslyn is a Latina public theologian, content producer, creative strategist, and spiritual director passionate about resourcing emerging adults as they navigate faith, identity, and justice. Her work integrates socio-cultural awareness, spirituality, and activism to decolonize and cultivate holistic healing, liberation, and formation. Roslyn’s content often explores the intersections of theology and culture, offering thought-provoking reflections with clarity and depth. She brings a multidisciplinary lens to everything she does, curating safe spaces where emerging generations can cultivate their development and faithfully engage the world around them. Roslyn’s creative practice is shaped by her lived experiences and a desire to hold space for the sacred in everyday life. When she’s not ideating or writing, you’ll likely find her in nature, immersed in ancestral stories and culinary traditions, or savoring moments of solitude with a cup of herbal tea.

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

A Look at Indigenous Leadership

Four seasoned CCD leaders dive into the 8 Key Components of the Christian Community Development philosophy. Discover how this approach to ministry can restore and transform lives, communities, and systems. This audio is from the 2024 Conference workshop, Overview of CCD Philosophy, Theology, and Practice [https://ccda.org/product/overview-of-ccd-philosophy-theology-and-practice-dr-eun-strawser-ccda-speakers/].

Timestamps

(~02:55) - Relocation (Jonathan Brooks)

(~10:11) - Reconciliation (Sandra Maria Van Opstal)

(~15:47) - Redistribution (Mary Nelson)

(~23:44) - Leadership Development (Sandra Maria Van Opstal)

(~29:33) - Church-Based (Eun Strawser)

(~34:17) - Listening to the Community (Mary Nelson)

(~40:00) - Wholistic Approach (Eun Strawser)

(~46:30) - Empowerment (Jonathan Brooks)

To go deeper with the CCD philosophy, read Making Neighborhoods Whole [https://ccda.org/product/making-neighborhoods-whole-a-handbook-for-christian-community-development/], or complete the Immerse course [https://ccda.org/product/immerse-bundle/].

Rev. Dr. Eun K. Strawser (she/her) is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means "Presence" in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, HI, a community physician at Ke Ola Pono, and an executive board member of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) with 20 years in both local and trans-local church planting work at executive levels. She is the author of Centering Discipleship: A Pathway for Multiplying Spectators into Mature Disciples (IVP). She and Steve have three, seriously, amazing children.

Jonathan Brooks currently serves as Lead Pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church. He was the former pastor of Canaan Community Church in Chicago for 15 years. He is also an adjunct Professor for Northern Seminary in their Christian Community Development Program and Trinity Christian College’s Chicago Semester program. He has a deep desire to impress this virtue on all who will listen whether congregation, classroom, or community. He is the author of the book “Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods” published by InterVarsity Press. Lastly, Pastah J has also recorded four hip-hop albums with the group Out-World and a mixtape to accompany the book Church Forsaken.

Rev. Dr. Mary Nelson brings over 50 years of experience to the Christian Community Development Association as a Founder and former Board Member. Mary is President Emeritus of Bethel New Life, a faith-based community development corporation, where she served for 26 years. She still lives, works, and worships in the same low-income African American community. Mary actively participates in city-wide, national policy advocacy efforts. She is also on the faculty of the ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) Institute at DePaul University, on the Board of Christian Community Development Association, and served on the Board of Sojourners. Mary has her PhD from Union Graduate School and six honorary PhDs and is now doing consulting, writing, and teaching. She is the author of the handbook Empowerment, published by CCDA (2010), and has authored chapters in a number of books on sustainable community development.

Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice, a movement led by people of color to mobilize a lifestyle of faith and justice. She is an international speaker, author, and activist, recognized for her courageous work in pursuing justice and disrupting oppressive systems within the church. As a global prophetic voice and an active community member on the west side of Chicago, Sandra’s initiatives in holistic justice equip communities around the world to practice biblical solidarity and mutuality within various social and cul

What is the CCD Philosophy?

Christina Foor is joined by Pastor Carlos Rincon to discuss what life is like right now in Los Angeles. Pastor Carlos shares about how he and his church are serving their community right now, the importance of showing up with compassion, and some ways you can pray for those in LA. 

If you want to learn more about how you can get involved, check out CCDA’s Immigration Network at ccda.org/immigration [https://ccda.org/justice-initiatives/immigration/]. And for more information on the immigration process, watch our Immigration Law Basics webinar [https://ccda.org/product/immigration-law-basics/]. Click here [https://ccda.org/prayer-requests-from-ccda-members-in-greater-la-amid-immigration-raids/] for prayer requests from CCDA members in Southern California.

Rev. Carlos Rincon is the CEO and president of Instituto de Avance Integral Latino Community Development Corporation. Carlos Rincon has been pastoring in Los Angeles for over 35 years and has developed strong ties with the community. He is also a member of many coalitions, such as COPALA, which works closely with Chirla, LA Voice, Homeboy Ministries, Jesse Miranda Center, and Assemblies of God Network. Pastor Carlos is also part of CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative [https://ccda.org/fci/]. 

Connect with Pastor Carlos on his Facebook page, facebook.com/vidavictoriosa [http://www.facebook.com/vidavictoriosa]. 

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Pastoring in the Midst of Immigration Raids

Dr. Lorenzo A. Watson is joined by Natarsha Sanders to discuss education equity. They reflect on the state of education today, why equity in education is important, and how we can make our communities more equitable. 

Learn more about CCDA’s Education Equity Network, #TransformED, at ccda.org/transformed [http://ccda.org/transformed].

Natarsha Prince Sanders is a career educator with over 15 years of professional experience both inside and outside of the classroom. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy and History from Hollins University and a M.A. in Special Education from North Carolina Central University. She is currently completing her doctoral degree at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Equity in Education and the Church

Lynette McIntosh-Madrigal is joined by Pamela Evans and Pastor Jermaine B. Armour of Saint Luke AME Zion Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. They share stories of hope, discuss how they are partnering with God and their neighbors to see their community flourish, and reflect on their journey from being in the community to being with the community. 

Saint Luke is part of CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative, a four-year program that empowers church leaders to deepen their congregations’ community engagement, enhance their ministries, and contribute to the flourishing of their neighborhoods.

Learn more about CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative at ccda.org/fci [http://ccda.org/fci]. 

Pamela Evans currently serves as the Director of Ministries & Outreach and Administration at Saint Luke AME Zion Church in Wilmington, NC. I have been a member of the church for over 27 years. I have participated in activities at both local and conference levels within the church. I also serve in the community on various boards, such as the local chapter of the Red Cross, advisory board for the Food Bank of NC, health promoter in the Faith Health Network with Novant, and Community Mediator with the Wilmington Cape Fear Museum. I enjoy cultivating partnerships and relationships through community outreach initiatives.

Pastor Armour and his wife, Tanya, moved to Wilmington in January 2014. He is a native of Buffalo, NY, and holds a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Education from the Interdenominational Theological Center and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Ministry from Livingstone College. He serves on several community boards, including One Christian Network, Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM), Kids Making It, and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Red Cross. Pastor Armour and his wife have two children, Jadah Alana and Jermaine Elijah.

Learn more about Saint Luke AME Zion Church and what they’re doing in their community at newsaintluke.com [http://newsaintluke.com]. 

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

From 'In the Community' to 'With the Community'

Scott Overpeck is joined by Justin and Nate Beene of Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation to discuss their work in Grand Rapids, MI. They share how they are pursuing Shalom, working toward community flourishing with their neighbors, and seeing God move in their city. They also offer some encouragement for CCD practitioners and recommend some of their favorite parts of Grand Rapids. 

Visit grcct.com [http://grcct.com] to learn more about the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation and their work. 

Make plans to come to the 2025 CCDA Conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] November 5-8 in Grand Rapids, MI.

Justin Beene is the visionary and founder of an innovative partnership called the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, a collective between non-profits and non-profits working together for a flourishing city. He is well known as a global leader and practitioner with extensive knowledge and skills in starting and scaling collaborative ventures, creating win/win/win solutions across sectors, and connecting resources to real problems in innovative and sustainable ways.

As COO of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation network, Nate’s role is to execute the vision of a collaborative effort focused on transforming the community through social enterprise/innovation, leadership development, and career and entrepreneurial training. Nate is passionate about developing and providing opportunities to indigenous entrepreneurs and incubating and operating transformational businesses that seek impact outside of just profits.

Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda]. 

Shalom in Grand Rapids

Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) is a network of Christians committed to seeing people and communities experience God’s shalom. This podcast features teaching from our annual conference, interviews, and training courses.

CCDA Podcast