Since 1988, I’ve seen references to Clarence Jordan’s quote "What the poor need is not charity, but capital, not caseworkers but coworkers." I remember being moved by this concept. Once I went to an amusement park wearing a red t-shirt with the quote in bright yellow lettering and I got compliments from folks while standing […]
Today was the final day of the Millard Fuller Legacy Build week and it was amazing! The houses were dedicated and we had a wonderful closing supper and ceremony. It was time to say goodbye to our friends, but we knew it was only a temporary time away from each other, as plans are already […]
James Mulholland is a pastor, an author and holds the title "Community Builder" for our partner organization Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND). He has traveled to my neighborhood to visit Koinonia Farm where he visited and offered workshops. Today I had the opportunity and pleasure to meet Jim for the first time. He took time out […]
Today I interviewed four incredible volunteer construction workers. I had heard from the men and realized it was time to share some of the faith motivations of women working on the build. I caught up with Erika Anderson while she was taking a break from leading a crew of volunteers installing shingles on the roof […]
Today I had the opportunity to visit with Orie Lehman, a general contractor and a member of the Lagrange-Elkhart, IN Old Order Amish Settlement. This community was founded in 1841 when four Amish families of Somerset County, Pa. moved onto newly acquired farms southeast of the village of Goshen, Ind. Through the invitation of our […]
Last winter, my friend Jenny Purtill suggested that I read a book called "Home to Harmony" by a Quaker pastor named Philip Gulley. I immediately fell in love with the fictional story series about a pastor of a Quaker meeting house in a small town called Harmony. Soon our whole family was reading all things by Gulley, including some […]
Field Notes: Presbyterian PC (USA) General Assembly in Minneapolis, MN The name of the city is attributed to its first schoolteacher, who combined mini, the Dakota word for water and polis, the Greek word for city. Minneapolitans enjoy both banks of the Mississippi River and over twenty lakes, wetlands, creeks and waterfalls. I didn’t realize […]
Field Notes: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly, June 24-25, Charlotte, N.C. The Fuller Center was highlighted as a response and Charles Ray said he closed one of his workshops on disasters by saying "Now you have heard from me so don’t ask me what you can do. Write a check for a Fuller Center house in Haiti." So the […]
