CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT At this point in the series, it is probably a good idea to provide a refresher as to what we mean by the phrase Christian Community Development (CCD). Pastor and community developer Mark Gornik writes: Community development in biblical...
The 5th principle of CCD is Listening to the Community. Communities are often developed by people outside of the community that bring in resources without taking into account the community itself. CCD is committed to listening to the community residents and hearing...
“That’s YOUR house?!” a young student yelled to me as I opened the gate that separates our backyard from Orchard Elementary’s play area. “Why yes, it is!” I yelled back. Later that week, we crossed paths on a neighborhood walk and was greeted with, “Hey you’re that...
A Series on the Eight Principles of Christian Community Development By Eric Basye In the fall of 2020, I began working on my Doctor of Leadership through George Fox University. I toyed with the idea for years, having completed one year of doctoral work through Fuller...
Hello friends! We are excited to announce that Mosaic Senior Cottages are 99% complete! With our certificate of occupancy, tenants will be moving in next week! After the snow flies next week (😥) we will lay the sod and finish up the landscaping. A HUGE praise to God...
Hello friends! We are SO CLOSE to having this project fully buttoned up! Thank you First Interstate Bank for your great crew of volunteers to help with a deep clean! As of right now, we are planning on our tenants moving in on April 13th and anticipate by that time...
A series on the Principles of Christian Community Development Enjoy this blog, written by one of our current interns, Kallie Linse. ECB That Side of the Tracks When I was in high school, a friend and I were driving to downtown Billings. At some point, we took a wrong...
Hello friends! Spring really came this week! The sun was absolutely amazing! I am especially thankful for the weather as it allowed the opportunity to get a LOT of work done at Mosaic! They are finishing up the inside of the apartments, appliances are being installed,...
A Series on the Principles of Christian Community Development by Eric C. Basye What the Gospel Says about being a Neighbor Coach Wayne Gordon, a seasoned Christian community developer in the South Side of Chicago, beautifully communicates the essence of the first of...
Hi friends of CLDI! It has been a cold one this week! Click here to get a video update! It is a COLD week in Billings!Cabinets are going in!Thankful for the warm apartments.Staging the cabinetsSafety first!This happened this week at Dinner Church this week (at CLDI) -...
Hey there friends! I hope you are well today. We had some great progress this week at the cottages. Trim is being installed, tile is going up in the showers, final paint is being touched up, and we are staging for the cabinets! Also, some great work is being done on...
"Christian community development should help us attain a mental image of how our community will look in the future when God is in control when his kingdom has come 'on earth as it is in heaven.'"[1] Urban Ministry Twenty years ago, I was on the cusp of...
Hey there friends of CLDI! Just a quick update. We are so thankful for the warmer weather. The construction site is coming along! With the forms prepped and ready to go, the ground thawing out, we hope to pour concrete next week! Meanwhile, trim is going up inside the...
Hello friends! I hope and trust you had a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! My family and I were able to spend a very snowy Christmas in Alpine, Wyoming with my immediate family. We certainly enjoyed seeing family and playing in the snow as we built snow forts,...
First off, it is official, I have given in to Lisa's influential spirit - we will be referring to this project as the Mosaic Senior Cottages going forward! A great name and picture of the community we pray this will be for our senior friends! Good job Lisa!...
Hello friends of CLDI! I hope that you had an excellent Thanksgiving. In light of the holiday, my being out of town last week, and a slow-down with the project, we delayed sending an update. However, here is a snapshot of the work that has been completed: For...
What a great week. We are thankful (and amazed) by this crazy warm fall that has allowed us to get so much construction done without having to deal with the elements. If at some point you would like to go on a tour of our work in the South Side, and such projects as...
What a great week! It is so fun to drive by each day and see the progress being made. If you haven't been by in person yet, you should! This week we finished pouring concrete and excavating for carports. The interior and exterior framing was completed,...
In this final installment of our “Kingdom Vision” blog series, it is our hope that you have been challenged to further orient your lives according to His ways. I had personally been praying for a healthy church to plant in our new CLDI building since 2016. Dinner...
What a great week! I could not be more encouraged and impressed with the progress Langlas construction makes every day. We are thankful that the weather has allowed us to nearly dry the apartments in. Hopefully, in the next week or two, the windows will arrive...
We are incredibly thankful for the nice weather we had this week as it afforded us the opportunity to catch up on lost ground caused by the snow last week. With the slabs (concrete floors) poured Thursday, the construction team started framing Friday and on...
While we thought we were going to poor our first slab last Friday, unfortunately, it didn't work out. And then with the cold snap, we were delayed. However, the great news is that we poured both slabs Thursday. Next on the docket? Framing both buildings! Cold...
Wow! What a difference a week can make. Concrete gets poured in the South building this week. Next week they will start to frame the South building. Gravel will also be going into the North building, and then we will be pouring concrete and prepping the...
Foundation walls; check.Site prepThe challenges next door; hopeful the city will enforce a demolition.The worksiteGetting the walls formed for Building #2Building #1 plumbed and ready for the concrete slab pour!Future intern house at 2016 4th Avenue SouthOur neighbors...
Construction forges ahead. The warm fall has been favorable for building! Have you seen the architect renderings for Mosaic? Enjoy these pictures of what's to come. Do you have a favorite feature? We love the front porches and proximity to Rail//Line. We...
It was my first day at CLDI as an intern and my nerves were only slightly tempered by my excitement. My new boss gave me the wrong address and after I tried to move into the wrong house, I couldn’t help but think—was this really where God wanted me? This past year was...
Reality for a Child on the South Side of Billings Last week I was reunited with my mom after being in foster care for a year. While I was with my foster family I did really great in school and didn’t worry about being hungry which was nice but they weren’t my family....
We have an address! 116 and 114 S 29th Street.Ready for the footings to be poured.The footings are in.Knocking out the essential site development work.Firm foundations.Patched and ready to open!Intern house renovation resumes.Soon to add a garage, two bedrooms, and a...
We had a great week on-site for Mosaic! Please continue to pray for safety for the workers and favorable weather to forge ahead. Work Completed Stripped topsoilPrepped building slabsTied in to existing sewerTied in to existing waterBegun excavating building footings...
Dear friends of CLDI, Summer has arrived! I love summer – the warm weather, clear days, the big Montana sky, green grass, bright flowers, cookouts, and trips; what’s not to love! Like many of you, the summer provides a “seasonal shift” for us with our various works....
