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...
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...
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...
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...
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!...
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...
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...
About a year ago, my husband and I bought a home on the South Side of Billings. We know—it’s that neighborhood. The South Side’s reputation precedes it—drugs, criminal activity, and certainly not the best bet if you’re looking for a return on your investment of...
*The following is a reflection from our Youth Works staff to give testimony of the ways the Lord was at work in the lives of our students last summer. As we lean into a fast-approaching summer, perhaps this will lead you in how to pray for our Youth Works staff and...
Moving to the South Side has not been what I expected. To be honest, I’m not quite sure what I expected! It must have been something along the lines of becoming best friends with all our neighbors and having deep conversations with them all the time. So far we’ve only...
So, it's never been more obvious that I can do nothing apart from Christ. I can't get out of bed well without His abiding presence. I can't even do a good job speaking with someone, unless Christ indwells my everything. This time as an intern has simultaneously...
I’ve lived in Billings my entire life, and I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve grown up with, and maintained, a pretty negative view of the South Side. “Don’t go there.” “Don’t hang out there.” “Don’t hang out with people who hang out there.” “And, by all means, don’t...
During the Christmas holidays, my intern Rachel and I took the residents of the Hannah House to look at lights at the zoo. We ventured out in the party wagon, over snow piled roads, all singing enthusiastically to the Christmas carols playing. At one point, we were...
On a regular basis, CLDI evaluates the needs that remain in our community that are within the scope of our mission to make Jesus known as we seek the welfare of our friends and neighbors of the South Side. A few of the needs we have identified are: more housing and...
For those of us in Christian circles, when you think of the word ministry, what comes to mind? If you had to describe what ministry was, or who was responsible for such activity, what would you say? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, ministry is defined as...
In seeking to encourage transformation of the South Side and its residents, the works of CLDI are targeted toward community revitalization, outreach, and discipleship. In regard to community revitalization, CLDI is committed to seek the shalom of our city, and in...
