Monthly Archives: March 2015

2nd Greatest Film update: written by Dan Thoemke

YES Community Faith in Action is working in partnership with Kingdom Sights Studios to produce a narrative feature length film called 2nd Greatest, inspired by true stories.  If you have not watched the interview trailer yet check it out!  See Trailer Here

Many are asking what does “2nd Greatest” mean?  I have joked saying it will be the 2nd greatest film ever created!  Well let’s be honest, it is my first film so that might be a bit far fetched.  Jesus was asked by the religious leaders of his day what is the greatest commandment.  This question was asked by men who were trying to trap him into saying something against the law, hoping he would say something that would give them the right to ridicule him publicly.  Jesus responded that the 1st greatest was to love God and the second was like it, “to love your neighbor as yourself”.  So, this film will be about a community who learns to love well in the midst of conflict.  It will follow the lives of a pastor and his wife, a homeless man, a police officer and the town villain who is personally fighting this needed change.  We are almost done casting for all our main characters and let me tell you, we are finding some great talent and good hearts for this film.  We plan to start filming the end of May and hope to release this film before the end of the year.

Toxic Charity by Bob Lupton- “What is working what is not”

I (Dan) had the great privilege to be with Bob Lupton the author of Toxic Charity and a number of our www.CityUnite.org leaders throughout the metro area this last month.  Bob and his family have led the way throughout the years as it relates to urban development and true sustainable change within their community. He was asked a number of candid questions around what he is seeing in our nation as it relates to charity and the true alleviation of poverty.  He unpacked for us some thoughts and principles worth sharing with our readers.  Over the course of the next few months I plan to explore the following thoughts through our blog.

1. Bob Lupton on Community Development… “You cannot serve a person out of poverty.”

2. Bob Lupton on Neighboring… “To truly help a neighborhood thrive spiritual, emotionally and physically it takes a wholistic approach which includes how we help people stay in their homes and see the value of their home increase over time just like the rest of America.”

3. Bob Lupton on Why the Poor Stay Poor… “Do we really think we can help the poor thrive by providing more free food?  We have to learn that meeting chronic needs in emergency ways will never solve the problem.”  

 4. Bob Lupton on Job Creation… A good job is the one thing that will move people out of poverty. Bob said, “all non-profit leaders who really want to be about community transformation must be actively involved in job creation!”

As I unpack these thoughts in the coming months, I welcome your thoughts and dialog around these topics!

CFIA Strategic Planning Update from Thom Norlund

Community Faith in Action’s (CFIA) Board of Directors embarked on a formal Strategic Planning process beginning in late 2014 and continuing into February 2015. The planning process included completion of a high-level Context Map followed by Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat Analysis (SWOT) at a CFIA level and for each of our five core Programs (Engaging Interns; facilitating The Together Church of Golden; The Gathering; Rocky Mountain Police Chaplains Program; and the Neighborhood Rehab Project). Each Program Leader was invited to present their program’s SWOT, future aspirations, and a budget to the Board during our January Planning Retreat.

CFIA is enjoying rapid growth within all of its programs and is receiving multiple requests to coach other communities in the development of collaborative, facilitative non-profits. The Board has identified Execution Initiatives that we believe will support the ongoing growth, well-being, and continuity of CFIA while also enabling the aspirations of Program Leaders.

CFIA and the Board are excited about our growth and are inspired by our opportunities. We are both humbled and encouraged by the support we receive from the communities we serve and for the ongoing growth and support of our volunteers, the cities and counties we service, our collaborating businesses, and our funding sources.  It has been wonderful to see how intentional planning and discernment has led to some great open doors and a strong collabortive way forward!  If you are interested in learning more about CFIA and finding ways to be involved please reach out we would love to hear from you!

We will be actively seeking some new board members and volunteers in 2015, let us know if you would like more information!  info@communityfaithinaction.org