Christians Supporting
Community Organizing (CSCO) is a bold national attempt to
change the relationship between the theologically
conservative parts of the Protestant church and community
organizing.
from the report by USC's Center for Religion and Civic
Culture (Fall, '99). For entire report see CSCO website in
"About Us."
PURPOSE
The purpose of Christians
Supporting Community Organizing (CSCO) is to work for the
shalom of our society (Jeremiah 29:7) and of our churches by
engaging Evangelical, Holiness and Pentecostal churches in
congregation-based community organizations. To work for the
shalom is to work for systemic/ structural justice within
our communities and churches. By engaging in this work, we
are seeking to bring all of life under the Lordship of
Christ.
MISSION
The mission of CSCO is to
motivate, enable and support churches and pastors of
Evangelical, Holiness and Pentecostal traditions to become
active members of regionally- and nationally-networked
congregation-based community organizations in their city.
Christians
Supporting Community Organizing,
Christians Supporting Community
Organizing,
P. O. Box 60123
Dayton, OH 45406
www.cscoweb.org
Leadership
Dr. Stephen Mott,
Dr. Dick Righter,
Dr. Wally Tilleman
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W ebsite
Progresses
The CSCO website has
really been improved through the last year or so. Professional
designers were hired so it now has a nice look. The homepage
has been recently changed to include blocks for people to
click to respond to the questions we think they have.
In addition many new pages have been added including 11 new
bible studies on systems and parables. Try them out!
www.cscoweb.org
2003 CSCO Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting was
held at the Walker Center for Global Mission in Newton MA. The
meeting opened with a forum on "How to persuade
Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Holiness people who are uneasy
with ecumenicity to work ecumenically in community
organizing." John Heinemeir, a leading pastor in the
Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, participated; and
other organizers and other guests were present.
Membership requirements were changed to make the annual
financial commitment only $200, while creating a distinction
of sponsors, who are members who continue to give or raise one
percent of their income. Mentoring for prospective
members also was formalized.
Members shared what they planned or wanted to do for CSCO’s
ministry in this coming year. The next annual meeting will be
May 18-20, 2003 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
OTHER NEWS
Beginning in January 2004 the ad committee has spent $5000
for a campaign through the calendar year. Six
ads have been placed in Sojourners, Other Side, Prism, Social
work and Christianity, and Catalyst. Next fall the Leadership
Teams wants to advertise in smaller EPH denominational
magazines. Send us your suggestions.
Report on organizing of the Pomona Valley Cluster of LA
Metro, including the recruiting of evangelical and
Pentecostal churches (we've brought 3 into the organizing
effort and have 4 more in the "pipe-line")
CSCO members led another all day workshop aat the Gordon
Conwell Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME).
This year there were 60 in attendance to wrestle with the
ministry of faith-based community organization.
CSCO-Discuss
Are you aware
of the CSCO-Discuss email list?
This list provides more regular updates about CSCO. You can
discuss your ideas with others. We encourage you to join the
list if you’ve not yet joined. To subscribe, send an email
message from the email address that you want to use for the
list to:
CSCODiscuss - subscribe@Yahoogroups.com |
CSCO, P.O. Box 60123, Dayton, OH 45406; email: