Christians Concerned for the Community

Mission | Philosophy | Staff | Board | Newsletter Archive

Mission

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-30

Founded in 1987 by Lynn and Suzanne Groce, Christians Concerned for the Community partners with local churches, organizations, and government agencies to help meet the practical, spiritual, and human development needs of Alachua County, FL.

As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we invite you to consider, “How can we continue to develop the community together?”

Christians Concerned for the Community is a 501(C)(3) tax-deductible charitable nonprofit affiliated with the Christian Community Development Association. Our philosophy is guided by the eight principles of Christian Community Development.

Our Mission
Expressing the love of God by equipping the Church to help people.

Our Vision
Seeing the Christian community in Alachua County, FL become more unified in loving and serving our neighbors in the name of Jesus Christ, contributing to our community flourishing.

Our Principles

Faith: Faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit.
Community : Living out faith in Christ in community with believers and our neighbors.
Discipleship : Modeling Jesus Christ’s lifestyle of loving, teaching, and serving.
Outreach : Christian Community Development is our guiding philosophy.
Neighbors : Our poor, elderly, and disabled neighbors deserve respect and concern. God’s love can be responsibly portrayed through acts of service to individuals in need.

Our Neighbors
Christians Concerned for the Community focuses on empowering our neighbors in crisis, neighbors who are seniors, and neighbors who have medical disabilities. At no cost, we serve a diverse population of neighbors in Alachua County regardless of age, income, race, ethnicity, culture, sex, gender, marital status, religion, political affiliation, or nationality.

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Philosophy

Christian Community Development

For more information visit the Christian Community Development Association website.

This philosophy is known as Christian Community Development, which is not a concept that was developed in a classroom, nor formulated by people foreign to the poor community. These are Biblical, practical principles evolved from years of living and working among the poor. John Perkins in Mississippi first developed this philosophy. John and Vera Mae Perkins moved back to their homeland of Mississippi from California in 1960 to help alleviate poverty and oppression. Through their work and ministry, Christian Community Development was conceived. Christian Community Development has a proven track record with over 600 models around the country making great progress in difficult communities. (Perkins 1995, 239)

Christian Community Development has eight essential components that have evolved over the last forty years. The first three are based on John Perkins’ Three R’s of community development: relocation, reconciliation and redistribution. (Perkins 1995, 21-22) The rest have been developed by many Christians working together to find ways to rebuild poor neighborhoods. The following is a brief description of the eight key components to Christian Community Development. (Fuder 1999, 74)

Excerpted from:
“Theology of Ministry: Christian Community Development” by Dr. Wayne L. Gordon, President of CCDA

Relocation: Living Among the People

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” John 1:14 (The Message)

When the ministers to the people live among the people, “you, them and theirs” turn into “we, us, and ours”. Real community with the populace you are ministering to is essential.

Reconciliation
People need to be reconciled to God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ’s salvation. We can’t meet the needs of a whole person without meeting their greatest need of all: salvation.
People need to be reconciled to each other over racial, denominational, class, and cultural lines. It takes: 1.) Commitment to relationship 2.) Intentionality 3.) Sincerity 4.) Sensitivity 5.) Interdependence 6.) Sacrifice 7.)Empowerment 8.) Call.

Redistribution
Redistribution is helping people help themselves. It is not Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Redistribution brings new skills, new education, new resources, and puts them to work to empower people in a community of need. This allows justice to return.

Leadership Development
Developing indigenous leaders (people from the community) fills the vacuum of moral, spiritual, and economic leadership that is so prevalent in poor communities. So often success is defined as living in an affluent neighborhood. This contributes to the decline of neighborhoods in need. Raising leaders to stay and work in the community will promote growth.

Felt Need Concept
How do we affirm the dignity of people, motivate them, and help them take responsibility for their own lives? Begin by meeting their NEEDS, establish RELATIONSHIPS, and minister to the WHOLE person.

Church-Based
Nothing other than the community of God’s people is capable of affirming the dignity of the poor and enabling them to meet their own needs. The Christian community is responsible to EVANGELIZE, DISCIPLE, and NURTURE.

Wholistic Approach
Christian Community Development has a ‘wholistic’ approach to ministry that deals with the spiritual, social, economic, political, cultural, emotional, physical, moral, judicial, educational and familial issues of each person. Working to meet the needs of the ‘whole’ person.

Empowerment
1.) There must be an opportunity, 2.) People must be willing to work for it, 3.) Empowerment=Dignity.
Go to the people. Live among them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. But of the best leaders, when their task is done, the people will remark, “we have done it ourselves!”
–Dr. John M. Perkins, Co-Founder of CCDA

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Staff

Ericson Frank, Executive Director

I feel called to the work of expressing God’s love by equipping the Church to help people! I’ve worked with CCC since 2003 and have been Executive Director since April 2004. Originally born in Canada, my family lived in Venice, FL, before I moved to Gainesville, FL in 2000. I have been involved in youth leadership all through high school and college, and was a youth director for a year before working with CCC. I graduated from the University of Florida in 2003 with a major in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, with a minor in Nonprofit Leadership. I have been happily married to my wife, Jennifer, since May of 2003, and I also became a U.S. citizen in 2004. I am apart of both the leadership and worship teams at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Gainesville, FL.

Nick Dunn, Donation Manager and Volunteer Coordinator

Upon returning from teaching English in China with Peace Corps for two years, Nick started volunteering with CCC whilst he worked on managing the service of coffee at local establishments. His desire to serve with CCC and serve our neighbors was evident as he continued serving and showing up at CCC events such as ENGAGE and CONVERGE. Nick is a great manager and equipper. He oversees our volunteers who pickup and drop off donations, and he also serves to meet every new volunteer that is interested in serving with us. He also speaks for CCC at events to promote our mission and work. Nick and his wife Alison both received their undergraduate degrees from UF, while Alison continues on her Engineering PhD.

Paul Benton, Project Manager (Part-Time)

Paul is an Engineering student at University of Florida, and still finds time to serve the community by overseeing home evaluations and furniture delivery to our neighbors. He has been involved in CCC for a long time, serving through middle and high school to present. He knows a thing or two about stacking beds in our truck, and helps people get a head-start on furnishing their home after a crisis by redistributing basic furniture items donated to CCC. He is also working to get our volunteers connected and equipped with the right tools to serve our neighbors.

CCC Board Members 2011

Greg Doles – CHAIR (Creekside Community Church)

Elliott Adams -VICE CHAIR (Williams Temple Church of God in Christ)

Rod Ingram (The Family Church)

Donny Dillion (University City Church of Christ)

Kent Jones (Creekside Community Church)

Tom Lenas (Vineyard Christian Fellowship)

Dan Dickhaus (St. John the Theologian Mission)

Kimberly Quinn (University City Church of Christ)

Ericson Frank (Vineyard Christian Fellowship) (*only votes in case of a tie)

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