Friday connections

Today, I’d like to connect you to four organizations and their up-coming conferences. These conferences offer direct connections to the issues of poverty, ministering to the poor and in poor neighborhoods, and much encouragement to get involved. (Mostly the script below is from these organizations' websites.)

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1. Urban Reload

RELOAD East Coast (NY) 2015
September 12 @ 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
RELOAD (East Coast), is a one-day training event that teaches best practices in youth ministry and connects you with like-minded leaders who share your calling & understand your challenges. Whether you are a veteran, seasoned, or a brand new youth worker, You and your team will be inspired, equipped and refreshed by this leadership development experience. Reload is a national non-profit organization that trains & resources urban youth workers to effectively evangelize and disciple youth in at-risk zip codes throughout the US.. This organization exists to empower the urban youth workers so that urban youth have the leaders and role models they need to live transformed lives by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Reload seeks to engage 75,000 urban youth in life-changing discipleship with local youth workers by 2020.

Go here for more information on Reload's website >>

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2.  Christian Community Development Association, Illuminate, national conference

CCDA National Conference, Illuminate
November 11-14, 2015
Memphis, TN

Many communities and neighborhoods experience a continual battle with darkness. Yet, out of our encounter with the valley of the shadow, a great witness is born. Such a witness has the profound power to expose injustice, pushing into the darkness with the light of Christ. As Dr. King stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” The gospel of Matthew invites us into the light of Christ, the light of the world. As followers of Jesus, we embody the light of Christ, illuminating the darkness and shining light into the shadow of oppression. We declare that this light is the light of personal salvation and the light of good works of the Kingdom of God, together bringing about transformation, justice and an immediate and eternal hope. As vessels of Christ’s light, we expose areas of injustice, calling for a different reality, rooted in the hope of Jesus. When we engage with our neighbors in community transformation, issues of injustice are exposed and brought out of darkness and into the light, furthering the work of transformation.


Go here for more info on CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) >> and Illuminate >>

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3. The Justice Conference

The Justice Conference
June 3-4, Chicago, IL
LIVE JUSTICE TOGETHER. Our vision is to serve the discovery of ideas, celebrate the beauty of justice, and foster a community of people who live justice together. Now, more than ever, people of faith need to come together to wrestle with the injustice in our world. This is the time. This is the place. Our vision is to serve the discovery of ideas, celebrate the beauty of justice, and foster a community of people who live justice together. The Justice Conference has emerged as a premier gathering for Christian leaders, justice practitioners, students, and learners from all over the world. We want to leverage the power of community and catalyze the work of justice globally, nationally, locally and personally.  ow, more than ever, people of faith need to come together to wrestle with the injustice in our world.

Go here for more information on The Justice Conference website >>

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4. Movement Day (NYC)

Movement Day
October 29, 2015
New York Hilton Midtown
1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019

Movement Day is catalyzing leadership teams from the world’s largest cities to serve their cities more effectively by advancing high-level, city-changing collaborative partnerships. The Mission of Movement Day is to Cultivate Gospel Movements in Cities by:

• Facilitating unity and collaboration amongst Christian leaders to address today’s urban issues;
  
• Fostering an environment where City Networks are strengthened; and
  
• Inspiring and challenging Catalytic Leaders to maximize their leadership potential.
  

The history and theory of missions tell us that whole cities or cultures can be reached with the Gospel. “Reached” doesn’t mean that everyone becomes a Christian, but that a “tipping point” can be achieved where Christianity begins to have a disproportionate effect on the population’s values and beliefs; and their faith grows spontaneously, without external control.

Go here for more information @ the Movement Day website >>

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