Curiosity and judgement cannot live together in the same space

This past weekend the Jubilee Center presented at the 127th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado on Asset Based Community Development. The presentation was a way to share our story of implementing ABCD work in a community, including first steps, asset mapping, and continuing conversations. We met people from Episcopal churches across Colorado that were looking to begin community building initiatives in their church or out in their neighborhoods.

The Jubilee Center used this workshop as a way to begin organizing our own thoughts about ABCD and the work we have done. As a pilot project, we are responsible for completing a "how-to" manual to share our processes, including how we structured our project and what worked well for us in our neighborhood, which is in a state of constant change. The workshop had three different sections: an overview of ABCD, an appreciative inquiry exercise that led into preliminary asset mapping, and a description of how we are using ABCD in North Denver.

Attendees were active participants by conducting "one-to-one" interviews with partners to discover gifts and assets in their stories. They shared answers to one of the following questions: What is something you did to prepare to come to Convention? or What is something you left behind when you came to Convention? Participants observed that it was easy to begin connecting right away with their partners and found that their conversations began to delve deeper into more than simply answering the question. This allowed attendees to start thinking of the gifts both they and their partners have. Then participants began the mapping process of their gifts. This was an individual exercise in which attendees wrote their individuals gifts, associations they belong to, and institutions they are part of in their communities. They also wrote what they are most excited about for convention, which goes on what Aspen (our ABCD intern) calls the themes board, which helps to organize people by their passions and interests.

The attendees gave great responses to the mapping exercise and had many questions on how it works and how to implement it for themselves. We were very excited about their interest in the project and how we can continue to share our own story.

If you are interested in seeing our presentation slides or learning more about how we're using ABCD in North Denver, please contact the 32nd Avenue Jubilee Center at aspen.matthews@jubilee32.org.