“A process for Christian Life, a practical way to respond lovingly to the God who first loved us." You may have heard the expression “a Matthew 25 Christian,” referring to someone who emphasizes the Last Judgment in her approach to the faith. This approach takes the...
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Compassion and Systemic Change: A Vincentian Reflection
“Whatever else our God does, the first outburst is always compassion” Those striking words were penned by a theologian in the 14th century. Compassion: perhaps no other word goes more directly to the heart of the Gospel message, because it goes to the heart of God’s...
Anyone Listening?
A Vincentian Reflection on Listening and Systemic Change Someone actively engaged in ministry told me recently that he ran into a person from his former place of service, who thanked him profusely for helping her with a problem years ago. The minister was...
A Heritage of Systemic Change
We have a great heritage. Sharing that heritage can help the systemic change process and the process of collaboration within the Family. Two men born in April, with feast days in September, but otherwise very different individuals in significant ways. How did two such...
Firefighters and Electrical Engineers
by Mike Clark – When I explain my work in the field of collective impact and systems design, I have some go-to phrases, like:
Life and Legacy of John Timon, C.M., First Bishop of Buffalo, New York
April 16 marked the anniversary of the death of Bishop John Timon, C.M., first bishop of Buffalo, New York and first provincial superior of the American province of the Congregation of the Mission. Throughout the 400-year history of the Vincentian Family, we find so...
Collective Impact: Three Basic Questions
by Mike Clark In providing services and programs to assist those in poverty, there are several basic questions we need to ask ourselves to determine whether or not what we are doing is making a difference. Namely: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone...
Collective Impact in Systemic Change
by Mike Clark Is there an impact -- a collective impact - -that can be demonstrated in a systemic change initiative? The call to action for this year of Vincentian collaboration is “together in Christ, we Vincentians make a difference.” I believe we do make a...