Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places: A Guide to Christian Community Development

The Essential Guide on How to Start and Sustain a Christian CDC

Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places looks to the Scriptures and ground-level experience to help churches, faith-based institutions, nonprofits, and others breathe life into communities with a stewardship approach to social and economic justice. Through her cofounding of the West Angeles Community Development Corporation, Lula Ballton offers us a two-part, in-depth guide and discussion. Topics include:

• What community development is and is not
• Establishing an organization’s vision and mission
• Seven principal steps to set up a successful CDC
• Strategic planning, program and fund development
• Forming the required legal components
• Selecting and training board members

"If you have the same desires and dreams to change your community as Dr. Lula Bailey Ballton has done, then this book will be the guide to your road. If you put these practices into place, you will truly have an “Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places.”

—Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., Pastor, West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Presiding Bishop, Church of God In Christ, Inc., 7th in Succession

"This book is not only the story of West Angeles CDC. It is also a valuable guide to assist others who are interested in how it has been done and how to do it. Congratulations, Lula, a job well done!”  

—Dr. John M. Perkins, Christian Minister, best-selling author, Founder and President Emeritus of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation

“In Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places, Dr. Ballton shares and draws on over 25 years of experience in developing affordable housing units across the country. It is a must-read for those who desire to do transformational work in their communities.”

—Elizabeth Wilson, Vice President, Economic Development, COGIC Urban Initiatives

Dr. Lula Bailey Ballton is Executive Director of Community and Economic Development, Church of God in Christ, Inc. She is CEO emeritus, co-founder, and former president of the West Angeles Community Development Corporation (WACDC), operating within the greater ministry of the West Angeles Church of God In Christ under the pastorate of Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. Dr. Ballton assists faith-based institutions, churches, CDCs, and nonprofits to identify and leverage their assets to create wealth for their communities through her independent consultancy firm, Lula Ballton and Associates.

A recognized and respected writing expert, Rae Lynne Johnson has taught and coached writers for over 25 years. She has the gift of simplifying complex subjects that quickly activates the writing potential of her students and clients. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Rae Lynne was trained and employed at the Institute of Reading Development to teach reading and writing classes designed to instill lifelong competency and enthusiasm. She went on to create writing classes, workshops, seminars, and retreats, developing an effective curriculum infused with her love of the craft. Her fiction and nonfiction programs help her clients produce vivid, compelling writing that represents them well in the marketplace. Whether presenting to executives or leading a weekend retreat, Rae Lynne Johnson has helped hundreds release their unique voices and share their stories and messages with passion, purpose, and power.

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. is the fifth Presiding Bishop and the seventh leader in succession, appointed in November 2007 by the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. From 1985 to 2009, he maintained the position of Prelate for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of California, where he was responsible for overseeing over 250 churches. He is an example of servant leadership and has become a voice to the nations to uphold the standards of holiness. He is known to many as being an eloquent, compassionate, and practical leader, as well as a humanitarian and an advocate with a God-given gift for ministering to the whole man.