CCDA - Christian Community Development Association

Are you coming to the CCDA Conference this October in Richmond, VA? Make plans to attend one of our Preconference Events on October 7!

👉️ The Clearing with Lisa Sharon Harper and FreedomRoad.us

👉️ Redemptive Poverty Work with Alvin Sanders and World Impact, Inc.

👉️ Nonprofit Development Specialist Certification with Community Development Professionals

👉️ Afterschool as Mission

👉️ Entre Nosotras

👉️ Common Ground, Common Healing with Into The Neighborhood

👉️ Building Blocks

Learn more about all of these at ccda.org/precon



P.S. Haven't registered for the CCDA Conference yet? There's still time! Register at ccda.org/conference today!

"Give us discernment
to know when to pray,
when to speak out,
when to act,
and when to simply
shut off our screens
and our devices,
and to sit quietly
in your presence,
casting the burdens of this world upon the strong shoulders
of the one who aloneis able to bear them up.
Amen."

A Liturgy for Those Flooded by Too Much Information from Every Moment Holy by Doug McKelvey

I will never forget sitting with my CCDA leadership cohort in March of 2020—just one week before the world shut down. We were in Jackson, Mississippi, for our second retreat at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation. It was a sacred opportunity to be in the very birthplace of the CCDA movement, soaking up wisdom from Dr. Perkins in the place that birthed his lifelong pilgrimage of reconciliation.

It was a profound honor to sit with, listen to, and be sharpened by Dr. John Perkins and his family. They didn't just teach us; they encouraged and emboldened us to keep pressing forward—to lead in a new way.

What moved me most was not just his public leadership, but the way he loved his family. Watching the honor, tenderness, and mutual respect between Dr. Perkins, his children, and his grandchildren was a masterclass in itself. Most of all, it was the love he had for his Beloved, Vera Mae. To witness a love that had weathered so much—decades of ministry, struggle, and the fight for justice—still remain so tender was a powerful reminder that the CCD philosophy is not just a strategy for the streets; it is a way of life that begins in the home. He showed us that restoration must be true in our own living rooms if it is to be true in our communities.

Dr. Perkins offered a specific admonishment to our group - a diverse gathering from different spheres of work, life, ages, and backgrounds. He looked at us and said: "Be who the Lord is calling you to be in the spaces that He has called you to be in. I served my generation; now you must serve yours. Keep your focus. Don’t leave out the redemptive story."

Dr. Perkins was the living embodiment of the "redemptive story" he told us never to forget. Our unofficial anthem that week—played on repeat constantly—was Jonathan McReynolds’ "God Is Good." Looking back today, I see how Dr. Perkins was the living embodiment of that truth. He showed us God’s goodness by the way he loved his neighbor, and he left us with a roadmap for how to carry that light into our own generation.

Reflection by Vola Ranaivoson



P.S. This year's CCDA Conference is the last stop of the national memorial tour for Dr. John M. Perkins. Join us in Richmond, VA, October 7-10, 2026, to honor his life and legacy.

https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/

"We cannot love our neighbors as ourselves if we do not love ourselves. It is very hard to give what we have not first received. As we consider the types of practices or habits to reduce or remove in our lives, we must also consider new practices and habits that can be lifegiving and foster racial resilience." - Nathan Walton

Read an excerpt from Nathan's forthcoming book, Embodying God's Multiracial Kingdom, on the CCDA Blog!

https://ccda.org/multiethnicity/

It's time for another speaker reveal! 🎉 Here are some of this year's speakers at the CCDA Conference!

Charles Cheek
Corey Widmer from Third Church
Raquel Leal-Alvarez from Latinas Time
Dr. Fred Liggin IV from 3e Restoration Inc: A Christian Community Development Agency
Rev. Donald L. Coleman from East End Fellowship
And more!

We can't wait to gather with you this October 7-10 in Richmond, VA, for a time of inspiration, training, and connection.

Learn more at https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/

For generations, Dr. John M. Perkins called us toward reconciliation, relocation, redistribution, and a deeper love for God and neighbor.

We invite our CCDA family to gather to remember his life, celebrate his faithful witness, and recommit ourselves to carrying the work forward. Join us October 7–10 at the CCDA Conference in Richmond, VA, for the final stop on the Dr. Perkins Memorial Tour, and celebrate with us!

Learn more at https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/

John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation