The Black Star Project is committed to improving the quality of life in Black and Latino communities of Chicago and nationwide by eliminating the racial academic achievement gap. Our mission is to provide educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically and become knowledgeable and productive citizens with the support of their parents, [...]
Archive for the ‘Responsible Christianity’ Category
Black Star Project
April 23, 2010Downward Mobility
April 21, 2010We live in an unabashedly upwardly mobile society; a culture of “climbers.” Life is generally about bettering our own situation, and often at the expense of others. We are “social climbers,” who are aptly described as “climbing the ladder of success.” We have an innate desire to find significance and we are taught to accomplish [...]
Exciting New Veritas Website
April 20, 2010The Veritas Forum is excited to announce the launch of a brand new website! Veritas.org is now a dynamic online experience, enabling you to explore life’s hardest questions on the web and in community.Features of the new site include: – Enhanced video streaming of more than 600 recordings of leading thinkers – Speedier downloads of [...]
The Words of Martin Niemuller, then and now…
April 12, 2010This posting presents some things for every believer to think about. The first paragraph contains a well-known quote written by Martin Niemuller. Niemuller was a German pastor during World War II who, along with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was victimized by the Nazi persecution. Both died in a Nazi concentration camp for speaking out against the very horrors [...]
Latino Leadership Circle
April 12, 2010Latino Leadership Circle (LLC) is a cohort of emerging ministers dedicated to theological reflection, mutual support, and social justice. Among the deep convictions of the LLC is that we have voice representing emerging Latinas and Latinos in the body of Christ. We feel called to find a nexus of understanding within our bi-cultural and spiritual [...]
Celebration of Hope
April 11, 2010Join us in fighting poverty and securing justice during Willowcreek’s Celebration of Hope. Information available at: http://www.willowcreek.org/coh/
Willowcreek Messages
April 11, 2010Missed a message, or just curious about what is preached at Willowcreek Community Church? Tune in to the most recent messages at: http://www.willowcreek.org/mediaplayer/playerHome.aspx?cid=3&id=14 Check out the inspiring Easter message and today’s moving message on Biblical Justice. Many others also availible in online podcasts.
Breaking Ground Ministry
April 11, 2010Breaking Ground is a faith community characterized by grace and truth that seeks and develops those who desire to become instruments of lasting change in their community. Vision Breaking Ground is a mission-driven not for profit organization building strong inner city communities through self-sustaining entrepreneurial programs and services. We are a comprehensive community development corporation [...]
About Justice
April 11, 2010Coming to understand God’s compassion for the oppressed, and the way he suffers with them, has completely transformed my understanding of God. His real presence amid the horrendous injustice ofour earth has finally allowed me to understand why God hates injustice so much. I have to imagine what it would be like if I, like [...]
Test Your Knowledge on Race
April 7, 2010How Many of These Questions Can You Answer? 1. List as many African American “firsts” as you can. 2. Describe the history of White Privilege in America. 3. Define colonization and tell how colonization affects various cultures of people. 4. Define the “one drop rule”. 5. Define in 5 sentences or more the term “one [...]
Bridging the Racial Divide
April 7, 2010Carl Ellis takes a look at how Christians have tried to Bridge the Racial Divide, the results, and some further ideas on how we might now approach that daunting task: http://arloasutter.com/Bridging_the_Racial_Divide
Divided by Faith
April 7, 2010This book provides a very interesting and thought-provoking look at the Evangelical response to racisim in America. Here are two reviews: Amazon.com Review Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith has an ingenious, troubling argument. “[E]vangelicals desire to end racial division and inequality, and attempt to think and act accordingly. But, in the [...]
Under the Overpass
April 7, 2010This is an extraordinary book about homelessness and poverty by a young man who left the safety of school and family to experience the life of homelessness and poverty that so many people are facing today. A really good and interesting read. Find the book at: http://www.goodmanson.com/church/under-the-overpass-a-journey-of-faith-on-the-streets-of-america/ A seperate website for updates on this experience [...]
California Newsreel
April 1, 2010Not a Christian film group, but one with a powerful message about race and ethnicity. Find their website at: http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0149
The House that Grace Built
March 26, 2010Each year the Lake County Jail releases approximately 1,000 women back into our community. Ninety percent are single moms; 59% do not have high school diplomas, 47% are homeless (or have no positive, crime free place to return to) and only 20% had minimum wage jobs prior to incarceration. Without positive intervention many of these ladies will return [...]
Arloa Sutter and Breakthrough Urban Ministries
March 18, 2010Expanded repeat of an earlier post. Arloa Sutter is the Founder and Executive Director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Breakthrough restores broken networks by providing neighborhood-based holistic services to individuals and families in Chicago’s East Garfield Park community. For more information on Arloa Sutter and Breakthrough Urban Ministries please go to: http://www.breakthrough.org/ and http://arloasutter.com/
New Tribes Mission
March 11, 2010New Tribes Mission: A fascinating organization reaching the unreached in the remote parts of the world. See their websiote at: http://www.ntm.org/ and http://www.ntm.org/wp/john_steadman/ (blog page)
Climategate: Phil Jones’ Revelations and their Impact on the Global Warming Issue
March 8, 2010Forget all you’ve heard about unprecedented global warming; global warming so rapid it can’t be natural but must be anthropogenic; global warming threatening to devastate economies, ecosystems, and perhaps even human civilization itself; global warming on which “the science is settled” and “the debate is over.” Forget it all. Last Saturday (February 13), Dr. Phil [...]
Christian Financial Advice Sites
January 6, 2010A collection of sites dedicated to helping Christians with with various aspects of their finances. http://good-steward.org/fastfind_bar/resource.htm
Fellowship Housing
December 30, 2009Here is a wonderful program in Hoffman Estates that serves homeless and at-risk moms and their. These are moms in need of need of housing, support, serving, and most importantly, hope. Its a very worthwhile program in need of both moral and financial support. You can find further information at the following website. http://www.fhcmoms.org/
Dismantling Racism
December 9, 2009Dismanling Racism by Joseph Barndt, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Books, 1991.Here is a book about racism in America, written “for white people and about white people . . . by a white person.” Joseph Barndt, defining racism as “prejudice plus power,” asserts that efforts against racism have often been incorrectly focused on minority populations rather [...]
Cornwall Alliance and “Global Warming”
November 17, 2009There has been much written about the issue of “Global Warming” so there is not much need to publicize the prolific writings of those who support that position. There are, however, many scientists, economists, and theologians who dissent from that view. With that in mind, I present a second opinion that needs to be considered. The Cornwall Alliance [...]
GoSo: The Beauty of Serving Others.
October 15, 2009GOSO provides hope, stability and opportunity to Youth offenders. A caring place where dedicated volunteers serve as role models and programs are provided that empower our youth to succeed in an ever changing world to avoid the cycle of release and re-arrest. http://www.letsgoso.org/
Chicago Christian Businessmens Connection
October 15, 2009CBMC began as Christian Business Men’s Committee in the United States in 1930, when a group of Christian businessmen coordinated a series of pre-Easter rallies. With the Great Depression in its second year, these men saw a need for a spiritual revival in the Chicago area, and a six week evangelistic crusade was held at [...]
Flourish: An Environmental Group
October 15, 2009Environmentalism from a Biblical Perspective. Go to: http://flourishonline.org/
The Chicago Fellowship
May 5, 2009Chicago Fellowship is committed to helping men experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ and work together to extend that grace to others through acts of compassion and justice in the broken places of our world. When we gather, we challenge and encourage one another through God’s Word and the sharing of our lives. We [...]
The Hole in Our Gospel: A MUST read
May 5, 2009This is an amazing book about what God expects from us who claim to be followers of Jesus. A MUST READ book for every person who claims to be a Christian. Find the official site at: http://www.theholeinourgospel.com/ Endorsements: http://www.theholeinourgospel.com/endorsements/ Read an interview with Dr. Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. http://blog.sojo.net/2009/04/24/the-hole-in-our-gospel-interview-with-world-visions-richard-stearns/ A Book Review: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-hole-in-our/
Gangs and God
April 8, 2009An interesting article from the Christian Century touching on God’s outreach to gang members in LA and Chicago. http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=3663
Urban Ministries Website
April 7, 2009Urban Ministries is the largest independent, African American-owned and operated Christian media company. They publish Christian resources, including Sunday School and Vacation Bible School curricula, books, movies, and websites designed for African American churches and others seeking a diverse, Christ-centered perspective on faith and life issues. http://www.urbanministries.com/
CeaseFire and Gang Violence
April 7, 2009CEASEFIRE WEBSITE: http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/cpvp.shtml Some videos about CeaseFire and gang violence in Chicago: https://slurpee.uchicago.edu/dossier/Search/SearchResults.aspx?search=True http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/video.shtml http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3960858n%3fsource=search_video http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/video.shtml
