End of Year Review
I (Emanuel P.) sometimes describe World Outspoken as a growing toddler. Still learning words; making discoveries; growing personality. But, like any parent will tell you, this toddler made some remarkable gains this year, the kind that leave a parent stunned and reaching for their camera. These are the five snapshots that capture our community’s growth in 2022. We praise God for the Kingdom impact and invite you to join us in celebrating the service of, with, and for those in-between.
Our Five Snapshots
Making Training Accessible
Hosting an Event like no Other
Growing Interns, Student Writers, and Scholars-in-Residence
Expanding Church Resources with a Series of Audio-Essays
Teaching and Training Virtually and In-Person
Making Training Accessible
Our biggest change was the launch of our online platform for contextualized courses. Our Learning Center hosts short courses designed specifically for ministries in cultural transition. Whether you are wrestling with language issues, change-readiness, or cultural competency, our courses equip leaders to step into their role with confidence. Enroll in an available courses now.
Hosting An Event
like no Other
We partnered with Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and Candler School of Theology to host a special two-day virtual event celebrating theologies and ministry approaches from two of our wells.
Dr. Rene Padilla and Dr. John M. Perkins were founders of a distinct theo-praxis in their places and ministry contexts. Their models of ministry focused on social, economic, political, and spiritual restoration for the marginalized in Latin America and the US.
This was a unique dialogue between scholars and practitioners where the intersection between these theologies “from below” were explored with nearly 100 practitioners from several countries and organizations. Read below how CCDA and Candler’s leaders experienced the event.
From Candler School of Theology
At its core, theological education exists to strengthen the Church. It seeks to equip pastors, priests and other ecclesial leaders to serve in ways that reflect the needs of their communities. And yet, as a whole, theological education is in a season of examining how well it is fulfilling its purpose, which is necessary to remain faithful to the spiritual formation of students already serving in ministry. This has led us to explore new models of ecclesiology and this conference aligns with that shift. In this space scholars and practitioners were invited to co-exist and intentionally pursue the intersectionality of intellectual thought and practical application. Through the philosophies of Misión Integral and Christian Community Development, Padilla and Perkins offer us models that bridge the work of the Church with that of the Academy, and call us to collectively engage in community transformation.
- Rev. Dr. Joanne Solis-Walker, Associate Dean and Professor in the Practice of Leadership
From CCDA
The Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) was delighted to be a part of this event. It was obvious that the conversation around the intersection of Misión Integral and Christian Community Development was and continues to be needed. The most compelling part of the event was engaging both the theology and praxis of both philosophies. Dr. Perkins & Dr. Padilla’s philosophies and lives compel us to commit ourselves to seeing people and communities holistically restored. CCDA is a nationwide community of practitioners who are doing just that. It was beautiful seeing several members of our association, including one of our founders, Dr. Perkins, represent the CCD philosophy and we look forward to more conversations and events bridging the scholar-practitioner divide.
- Christina Foor, Advocacy & Communications Lead
Our Growing Leadership Community
This year we added student writers to our community, accepting four submissions from student leaders across the educational spectrum (undergrads, grads, and PhD students). We also saw the growth of our Scholars-in-Residence program, adding Michelle Navarrete to our team. Our internship program has even earned previous interns awards and recognitions. Read Wendy’s testimony about winning a grant and attending a leadership conference after being part of our internship program.
From Wendy Cordero-Rugama
One of the strengths of the WOS internship program is the professional development opportunities it gives interns. When I was an intern in 2021, WOS connected me with FTE to review and provide feedback on one of their vocational discernment courses. It was a fruitful experience to network with the FTE community and learn about their vocational discernment model. Earlier in 2022, WOS was invited to nominate interns for FTE's conferences and retreats, and I was selected to participate in the 2022 Discern Retreat this past September. After participating in the retreat, I was awarded a ministry exploration grant of $1,000 for 2023. With this grant, I will be discerning my call to pastoral ministry in relation to my academic pursuit. I will work with a local church in Chicago that has given me the space to explore how to bridge my academic interests with the concerns and needs of this particular congregation.
Expanding Our Church Resources
We recruited Colton Bernasol to publish his Masters Thesis as a series of audio essays for the church. The increasing sense of loss and devastation affecting leaders made his work invaluable, and we worked with Colton to do something truly unique. Listen to the episodes as part of the Mestizo Podcast.
From Colton Bernasol
As with much in the academy, master’s theses can often remained cloistered away and accessible only to a few. World Outspoken has pushed back against this and with their support, I’ve been able to develop my research to speak to communities beyond the academy. I’m grateful for the podcast essay series they’ve helped produced. I’ve not only been given the room to develop my ideas further, but present them to communities who are wrestling with faith today.
Don’t Forget our other Podcasts
Our podcasts address a range of questions and challenges facing leaders today (e.g. justice, theology, pop culture, and identity). Join the conversation by listening to the podcasts in the WOS network.
Teaching and Training Leaders
Reaching Leaders in classrooms, webinars, pulpits, conferences, and congress (!!!), our team offered training on a variety of challenges facing leaders. We were especially excited about the nearly 40 leaders who joined the Latinx networking session we hosted at CCDA national conference (second pic left-to-right, top row). These leaders shared their stories and testified to the importance of spaces that we create for bi-cultural leaders. Interested in learning from our leaders? Request our teaching team now.
We continue making together (en conjunto)!
Because of nuestra gente, despite a challenging 2022, WOS can celebrate greater impact for the Church in-between. We have significantly expanded our educational resources and equipping opportunities thanks to your support.
As we continue serving faithfully in this growing ministry, we have a critical need. WOS needs your help in matching our capacity with our opportunity.
We believe that every leader serving within changing communities, including you, should have access to resources that help them remain faithful in the midst of a fluctuating culture. Therefore, we strive to create accessible resources for continued learning.
We are making tremendous progress toward these goals, but need your help to be able to take some exciting new steps in 2023.
Will you contribute toward our $15k end of year fundraising goal? Your gift will help secure and enhance the work of WOS. You can donate by submitting your donation online below or by sending a check to World Outspoken, 3105 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60634.
