Five Duke Master of Divinity students were welcomed into leading communities of practice during summer 2009.

Read reflections from their journeys:

Community noon prayer at the Festival Center

Reflection: Wisdom and Foolishness

The Church of the Saviour
Washington D.C.

For more than 50 years, this ecumenical Christian community in the diverse neighborhood of Adams-Morgan has birthed a network of organizations addressing issues of poverty and injustice. Each of their 12 small churches emphasize a commitment to an outward journey of mission and service and an inward journey of deepening one’s relationship with God through a disciplined life of prayer, scripture study, and committed Christian fellowship.

Reynolds Chapman with children in Sandtown

Reflection: Listening to the Community

New Song Ministries & Church
Baltimore, Md.

Grounded in an interracial worshipping congregation, New Song concentrates on 15 blocks in the Sandtown-Winchester community of West Baltimore, which struggles with concentrated, enduring poverty. More than 80 staff, mostly from the surrounding neighborhood, live in the community and work together on efforts from New Song Academy (K-8 public school, 130 students) to over 200 houses completed via Sandtown Habitat for Humanity. Many different individuals-black and white, affluent and poor, urban and suburban-work closely together to break down barriers, including 10,000 annual volunteers.

Tolu Sosanya with Pastor Amelia Harris of Newborn Holistic Ministries, a church working closely with New Song in Sandtown

Reflection: More of God’s Presence

New Song Ministries & Church
Baltimore, Md.

Grounded in an interracial worshipping congregation, New Song concentrates on 15 blocks in the Sandtown-Winchester community of West Baltimore, which struggles with concentrated, enduring poverty. More than 80 staff, mostly from the surrounding neighborhood, live in the community and work together on efforts from New Song Academy (K-8 public school, 130 students) to over 200 houses completed via Sandtown Habitat for Humanity. Many different individuals-black and white, affluent and poor, urban and suburban-work closely together to break down barriers, including 10,000 annual volunteers.

Courtney Bryant after a service project with youth from Wells United Methodist Church

Reflection: I Want to Live It

Wells United Methodist Church
Jackson, Miss.

Founded in 1929 in the midst of racially-segregated Jackson, Miss., Wells United Methodist Church stands today as a sign of hope in its community, attempting to bridge racial and socio-economic divides. The church proclaims a holistic gospel and an inclusive ministry, offering a weekly food pantry and a mobile health clinic where prescriptions can be filled at no cost. Its commitment to the ministry of reconciliation is embodied best by its youth, whose friendships and deep faith transcend unspoken racial lines.