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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,
P. O. Box 60123
Dayton, OH 45406   [email protected]
Phone 937-277-7102

              www.cscoweb.org

Leadership
Dr Susanne Johnson
Dr. Stephen Mott,
Dr. Dick Righter,
Dr. Wally Tilleman
Dennis Nordmoe

 

CSCO Discuss
Email to
[email protected]

 

Student Incentive Outreach


A pilot program in offering a $500 incentive to college student groups who get
involved in community organizing was very successful.  In the Los Angeles area,
five students from the Evangelical college, Azusa Pacific (Prof. Paul Hertig’s class), and one from Pomona College, diligently participated in Inland Empire Sponsoring Community community organization under the guidance of organizer, Robert  Linthicum, CSCO member.  They were glowing in the reports on how the experience developed their understanding of community organizing and community change (sewe website in fall).  As the result of a generous contribution, CSCO is committed to providing $2,500 a year over a three year period for such groups.


Boston Branch at CUME

 

 The Boston Branch again held an all-day seminar as the conclusion of a required
“Church and Community” seminary course at the Gordon-Conwell Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME). The workshop provides a biblical grounding for faith based community organizing and identifies its strategy. The lead organizer
of Greater Boston Interfaith Organization joins CSCO in this teaching. According
to figures kept since 2004, of the 330 students taught, only 37% have been
Euro-American, and of the Euro-Americans almost half have been women. Most of
these students are already urban pastors or other congregational leaders. 


New Course in Community Organizing


As an outcome of the many years in which CSCO has lead the community organizing seminar at the Gordon-Conwell Center for Urban Ministerial Education, a new course on community organizing has been developed there, “Biblical Faith, Social Justice, and Community Organizing.”


Outreach to Other Organizations


A priority for CSCO has been to reach out to other organizations. We attend
significant conferences of organizations that would be apt to have Evangelicals,
Pentecostal, or Holiness people with a latent interest in community organizing. 
We have a table exhibiting our work and often a workshop demonstrating it. Last
year’s annual meeting followed the annual conference of Pentecostals and
Charismatics for Peace & Justice.


2010 Annual Meeting


The annual meeting was held at Fuller Theological Seminary.  Professor Paul
Hertig, Program Director of Azusa Pacific’s Los Angeles Term, was the plenary
speaker.  He spoke on “Community Organizing as a Contribution to Servant
Learning,” describing how genuine urban involvement in humility consists of
experiential learning, not teaching from the top down.

 

 

Website News

 

Check the bottom of the “organizing” sub-directory for over 15 web pages from Mike Miller’s book on community organizing!