Community-building | A Nyack College Core Value
September 6, 2021
At Nyack College, community-building is more than an expression of the institutional core value of being socially relevant. It is taught and caught.
Two courses, Community Development in Context and Urban Community Development, introduce undergraduate and graduate students to current issues and best practices of Christian community development in North America. Beyond the textbook and the teaching presented by Dr. Scott Reitz, chair of undergraduate global community development and director of global service-learning, students have the opportunity to experience the travel component of the three-credit courses.
This fall, students enrolled in these courses taught by Dr. Reitz will join him at the annual Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference, held this year in Kansas City, Missouri. The four-day conference, November 10-13, includes workshops, plenary sessions, panel discussions, networking opportunities and daily Bible study.
Of the service-learning facet of the travel course, Dr. Reitz says, “Someone new to community development, can see how vision is executed. When students go to CCDA, they get a foundation for community development concepts and learn key issues that the Church wrestles with.” Students pursuing an urban studies, intercultural studies or pastoral ministries will find this
At this national conference, students are also introduced to leaders and programs. Seminars and lectures focus on immigration, mass incarceration and social justice and feature Christian community development practitioners from across our nation and around the world.
CCDA pioneer, Dr. John Perkins, received an honorary doctorate from Nyack College in 2007 and was the featured speaker for Nyack’s Center for Racial Reconciliation virtual forum, “Beyond Diversity.” His book, Let Justice Roll Down, is one of the texts used in Nyack’s Community Development courses. To learn more about the courses, contact Dr. Reitz at scott.reitz@nyack.edu. Explore more information at the CCDA’s national conference here.
Being socially relevant is at the heart of Nyack’s commitment “to preparing students to serve in ministerial, educational, healing and community-building professions.”
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