In the spring of 2019, the National Benevolent Association hired me to help transition the new Director of Social Entrepreneurship into his role. The National Benevolent Association is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Following God’s call, the National Benevolent Association exists to inspire and connect the people and ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), to accompany one another in the creation of communities of compassion and care, and to advocate for the well-being of humanity.
This upcoming week, I will travel to Scottsdale, Arizona to support the 2-day Anti-Racism and Pro-Reconciliation Training of the National Benevolent Association as well as the 4-day SENT Seminar.
The 2-day Anti-Racism and Pro-Reconciliation, "Intersections and Applications", Training is to ground participants in a common understanding, framework and language around what it means for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to address racism by actively working toward being anti-racist. The approach will be intersectional including systemic analysis coupled with experiential learnings. The trainers will move beyond a basic analysis of systemic racism in the United States, namely, but not exclusively in the church, to a deeper analysis of how systemic and institutional racism adapts and changes over time. The trainers will utilize the wisdom and experience present in the room, as many of our participants have been active in anti-racism/pro-reconciling work, while also providing tools and assessments for participants to analyze their work through an anti-racist/pro-reconciling commitment.
The 4-day SENT Seminar equips Social ENTrepreneurs for leadership and change! This four-day seminar is designed for Disciples and their leadership teams who are starting new health and social services ministries. The SENT Seminar will cover the basics of nonprofit ministry startups, as well as skills for leadership and change in our global and faith communities.
I hope to share reflections from these two experiences in the days ahead.
