C3I In the News
Our current societal moment is not new. Throughout history, churches have always existed among systems that refuse to care for the most vulnerable and, despite challenges, have found creative ways to care for their communities.
The contributions of graduate students are invaluable to Baylor University. More than 5,000 graduate students research, teach and pursue their own post-graduate degrees in the field of their calling, sowing into the University as they grow through its instruction. Baylor's Graduate School bestows Outstanding Graduate Student Awards annually through a highly competitive process. This includes our own Heather Deal.
Each grant provided funding for unique community needs, such as grieving parent support groups, food insecurity, disaster preparedness, inclusion, the development of helpful life skills and community fellowship. On GRF’s website, they are described as “designed to encourage congregations to actively engage with their local communities, understanding the unique needs and challenges they face.”
To help with this work, GRF has partnered with Baylor University’s Center for Church & Community Impact, known as C3I.
A panel conversation bringing together legal, theological, social work and survivor perspectives explored how Baptists can confront abuse with both courage and conviction during the May 20 afternoon plenary session of the joint annual conference of the Baptist History & Heritage Society, National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals.
I remember the day in March 2013 when Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. As a young 20-something postulant, I lived in a convent cut off from the outside world—no phone, internet or newspapers. After a continuous prayer vigil during the conclave, we were granted rare permission to watch the momentous announcement of our new pope on the community room television.
In observance of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month this February, the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) is recognizing two individuals and one organization for their advocacy against teen dating violence in Texas. Following the release of TCFV’s 2023 Honoring Texas Victims Report, in which the deaths of 10 Texans 19 years old or younger are detailed, TCFV says educating young people about healthy relationships is more important than ever for the future of our state.
The Bridges to Belonging project is equipping congregations across Central Texas to more fully welcome youth and young adults (ages 13–25) facing disabilities, mental health challenges, and chronic illnesses. In its first year, the project has begun sparking dialogue and fostering new relationships among local churches, all aimed at making congregations more accessible, inclusive, and truly representative of the body of Christ.
“We don’t want those people at our church.”
When people from the community began to walk through the doors on Sunday morning, I heard this grumbling from church members who had just participated in outreach to them...
“Those people” were my friends, my community and as Jesus refers to them, my neighbors. Sadly, these grumblings continue in many churches.
"I listened from two perspectives–the social work researcher and the person who had grown up in and deeply loved this church. We learned a lot about collective trauma and how it impacts congregations through that study, but hearing from people I love about surrendering to death has stuck with me to this day."
Before she came to know Baylor as a student, Lucy Huh, a doctoral candidate in Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, was first introduced to Baylor through the late Diana R. Garland – the namesake and inaugural dean of Baylor’s School of Social Work – and her pioneering research on clergy sexual abuse of adults.
Dr. Gaynor Yancey, with funding from Fellowship Southwest, selects and trains MSW students at Baylor to work with congregations, strengthening ministries, deepening faith, and fostering community transformation. The project enables students to conduct congregational research, raising awareness of resources available for congregational growth. Program Manager Erin Albin Hill highlights how students integrate faith with social work practice. Upon the project's completion in July 2024, 13 students will have participated, many now serving in roles supporting congregations and community development across the country.
Research and painful experience consistently demonstrate domestic violence is as prevalent in churchgoing families as it is in the general population, author and domestic abuse survivor Geneece Goertzen said.