For the past forty years, A Rocha organizations have been pioneering faith-based conservation projects around the world. We’re all about DOING creation care, and our hands-on initiatives are motivated by our Christian faith, guided by rigorous science and theology, and rooted in our diverse communities. And now A Rocha is in the Northeast Corridor with our first Churches of Restoration Cohort. Please join us for our kickoff in NYC on October 3 9:30am-12pm at Loisaida on the Lower East Side.

*NOTE* If your church is part of the Churches of Restoration Cohort, then you will be with us from 9:30am-4:00pm. Want to join? Click here to join and here for more information!

On Saturday, October 3 we will connect with the land, people, and God who created all that there is through poetry, art, song, teaching and beautiful gardens in experiential and interactive ways.

Our time together will be divided in two parts:

• Part 1: From 9:30am-12:30pm, we will gather at Loisaida. All are welcome and the event is open to everyone of all ages. We have space for 40 people! Space is reserved on a first come, first serve basis.

• Part 2: From 1pm-4pm, members of our Churches of Restoration Cohort will reflect, pray, and plan practical ways to restore creation. Each of the faith communities committed to this program will receive a $500 seed grant to support practical and formational efforts in their contexts.

Got questions? Email jonathan.walton@arocha.us. We look forward to seeing you there!

Shared Wisdom. Shared Resources. Shared Infrastructure. That’s our goal for followers of Jesus in the Northeast Corridor. How can we get outside of our silos and tear walls down to respond collectively to issues of injustice with the shalom God intended.

Join faithful practitioners on September 15 at 10:30am! Click here to register!

Every month we get to know one another, dive deep with one of our members in their area of expertise, and have a focused time of prayer. This month, our prayer will focus on issues affecting rural Americans and be followed by a workshop and interview about fundraising through networks and community with one our co-leaders, Jonathan Walton!

Got questions? Sign up and reach out!

Don’t miss this free webinar on September 4th from 12-2pm EST hosted by Kinship Plot and the EDEN Network of CCDA featuring an interactive liturgy, worship and keynote from Rev. Dr. Ben Lowe.

What happens when we expand our understanding of community to include not only people, but the land, water, plants, animals, and ecosystems that sustain our shared life?

This is what we will be exploring together during Living Water! Join us for this free event on September 4th from 12-2pm EST for a virtual time of worship, prayer, learning, reflection, and action. 

Whether you're already integrating creation justice into your work or simply curious about how a deeper relationship with creation can shape your ministry, neighborhood, or community development practice, this gathering is for you.

This is an opportunity to learn from peers working across a wide range of contexts, including church-based ministry, affordable housing, watershed restoration, community gardens, food justice, and other neighborhood-based initiatives.

Together, we'll explore lessons learned, challenges encountered, sources of hope, and practical applications with, from, and for community development practitioners.

Got questions? Email jonathan.walton@arocha.us

When life feels chaotic and communities are carrying the weight of uncertainty, division, and change, slowing down can feel impossible. So how do we create space for this necessary reflection?

Join us on August 11 and 18 at 2 pm ET for Holy Noticing | A Beauty and Resistance Workshop!

This two-week series is a creative exploration of how paying attention to God, ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities can help us move from reaction to faithful response. Together we'll reflect on the realities shaping our world and discern where God is inviting us into healing, justice, and flourishing.

Let's learn embodied practices that root us in hope and resilience as we resist injustice together.

Register at ccda.org/radimag and if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at foreverfocused@gmail.com.

NOTE: RSVP will give you access to the recording as well.

When life feels chaotic and communities are carrying the weight of uncertainty, division, and change, slowing down can feel impossible. So how do we create space for this necessary reflection?

Join us on August 11 and 18 at 2 pm ET for Holy Noticing | A Beauty and Resistance Workshop!

This two-week series is a creative exploration of how paying attention to God, ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities can help us move from reaction to faithful response. Together we'll reflect on the realities shaping our world and discern where God is inviting us into healing, justice, and flourishing.

Let's learn embodied practices that root us in hope and resilience as we resist injustice together.

Register at ccda.org/radimag and if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at foreverfocused@gmail.com.

NOTE: RSVP will give you access to the recording as well.

Justice Starts Wherever You Are.

Justice doesn’t just start in big cities or across the world. It starts around the corner. 

This year, Chasing Justice comes to the Bronx for a justice pop-up.

Pop Ups are one-day city pilgrimages — part walking tour, part honest conversation, part community building — to explore how the work of justice happens right where you live. And on August 8 from 930am-330pm, the Center for Beauty and Resistance joins the CCDA, Renovation City Church and Chasing Justice for a justice pop-up!

In partnership with CCDA, Pop Ups are built for anyone who’s ready to see their city differently especially teens, young adults, parents, youth pastors, neighbors. This event is intentionally intergenerational, with young people (ages 13-30) at the center. 

The Bronx pop-up will feature the following leaders offering wisdom, leadership, teaching and testimony:

• Rev. Tim Holmes is the co-lead pastor and co-founder of Renovation City Church in the Bronx. He is a Bronx native of Black and Italian descent, father of three, licensed Reverend in the Evangelical Covenant Church, InterVarsity staff member, passionate about evangelism and justice, and holds an M.Div. from Northern Seminary.

• Phillip Joubert is an artist, emcee, composer, and worship leader based in Knoxville, Tennessee. He leads worship regularly, serves on the teaching team at Hope Fellowship, using his music to share gospel-centered hope. He is also a member of Common Hymnal.

• Majora Carter is a South Bronx-born, award-winning urban revitalization strategist. She teaches at Princeton and leads the Majora Carter Group from her wealth of experience and expertise as a MacArthur Fellow, real estate developer, and environmental justice advocate. She founded Sustainable South Bronx and Green For All and is widely known for her work linking neighborhood improvement with economic opportunity.

• Jonathan Walton is an poet, author, speak and founder of the Center for Beauty and Resistance which exists to nourish whole people and fruitful communities. He is also a co-leader of the Northeast Corridor Network for the CCDA, a facilitator in NYU’s Certificate in Faith, Innovation and Social Impact Program, and a Senior Associate with A Rocha USA.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out: foreverfocused@gmail.com. See you there!

I am so grateful for the privilege to join New Song Church in Los Angeles for a powerful and practical gathering on Beauty, Resistance, and Sabbath.

Together, we will what it means for rest to be resistance and listening for what Jesus reveals about cultivating beauty, practicing resistance, and entering into true rest for the soul. This will be an engaging and thought-provoking experience rooted in spiritual formation, the promises of God, and the practical forces working against us today.

ALL ARE WELCOME and there are two services at 9am and 11am. Watch LIVE or attend in person in Culver City at 5875 Green Valley Cir.

Copies of Beauty and Resistance and Twelve Lies that Hold America Captive will both be on sale and I hope to see you there!

I am so grateful for the privilege to join New Song Church in Los Angeles for a powerful and practical gathering on Beauty, Resistance, and Sabbath.

Together, we will what it means for rest to be resistance and listening for what Jesus reveals about cultivating beauty, practicing resistance, and entering into true rest for the soul. This will be an engaging and thought-provoking experience rooted in spiritual formation, the promises of God, and the practical forces working against us today.

ALL ARE WELCOME and there are two services at 9am and 11am. Watch LIVE or attend in person in Culver City at 5875 Green Valley Cir.

Copies of Beauty and Resistance and Twelve Lies that Hold America Captive will both be on sale and I hope to see you there!

Friends! As many of you know I am leaving InterVarsity USA after 18 years. But you’re wondering “what’s next?”. So, join a call on June 22 at 12 hosted by the Racial Reconciliation Group!

What's Next?: Deeper Work in the Different Place
I do my best work in two areas PRACTICE & FORMATION:

• PRACTICE: I believe God calls us to respond to the teachings of Jesus in context with integrity. So, to embody that I will be joining AROCHA USA to live out God's call to care for creation and equip others to do likewise in my own backyard and the Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania to Maine.

• FORMATION: I want to disciple people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives out of my lived experience, communion with God and others, and a deep concern for creation and those in material and spiritual poverty. So, to reflect that value I will be co-founder of the CENTER FOR BEAUTY AND RESISTANCE to nurture whole people and fruitful communities that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in their contexts.

Got questions? Jump on the call and email foreverfocused@gmail.com!

***CURRENT DONORS: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR GIVING BY JUNE 30 TO AROCHA USA TO CONTINUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK***

Friends! As many of you know I am leaving InterVarsity USA after 18 years. But you’re wondering “what’s next?”. So, join a call on June join a call on June 15 at 12PM EST hosted by the Racial Reconciliation Group!

What's Next?: Deeper Work in the Different Place
I do my best work in two areas PRACTICE & FORMATION:

• PRACTICE: I believe God calls us to respond to the teachings of Jesus in context with integrity. So, to embody that I will be joining AROCHA USA to live out God's call to care for creation and equip others to do likewise in my own backyard and the Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania to Maine.

• FORMATION: I want to disciple people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives out of my lived experience, communion with God and others, and a deep concern for creation and those in material and spiritual poverty. So, to reflect that value I will be co-founder of the CENTER FOR BEAUTY AND RESISTANCE to nurture whole people and fruitful communities that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in their contexts.

Got questions? Jump on the call and email foreverfocused@gmail.com!

***CURRENT DONORS: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR GIVING BY JUNE 30 TO AROCHA USA TO CONTINUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK***

Friends! As many of you know I am leaving InterVarsity USA after 18 years. But you’re wondering “what’s next?”. So, join a call on June 4th at 8PM PACIFIC TIME!

What's Next?: Deeper Work in the Different Place
I do my best work in two areas PRACTICE & FORMATION:

• PRACTICE: I believe God calls us to respond to the teachings of Jesus in context with integrity. So, to embody that I will be joining AROCHA USA to live out God's call to care for creation and equip others to do likewise in my own backyard and the Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania to Maine.

• FORMATION: I want to disciple people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives out of my lived experience, communion with God and others, and a deep concern for creation and those in material and spiritual poverty. So, to reflect that value I will be co-founder of the CENTER FOR BEAUTY AND RESISTANCE to nurture whole people and fruitful communities that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in their contexts.

Got questions? Jump on the call and email foreverfocused@gmail.com!

***CURRENT DONORS: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR GIVING BY JUNE 30 TO AROCHA USA TO CONTINUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK***

Friends! As many of you know I am leaving InterVarsity USA after 18 years. But you’re wondering “what’s next?”. So, join a call on June 4th at 7PM hosted by the Racial Reconciliation Group!

What's Next?: Deeper Work in the Different Place
I do my best work in two areas PRACTICE & FORMATION:

• PRACTICE: I believe God calls us to respond to the teachings of Jesus in context with integrity. So, to embody that I will be joining AROCHA USA to live out God's call to care for creation and equip others to do likewise in my own backyard and the Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania to Maine.

• FORMATION: I want to disciple people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives out of my lived experience, communion with God and others, and a deep concern for creation and those in material and spiritual poverty. So, to reflect that value I will be co-founder of the CENTER FOR BEAUTY AND RESISTANCE to nurture whole people and fruitful communities that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in their contexts.

Got questions? Jump on the call and email foreverfocused@gmail.com!

***CURRENT DONORS: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR GIVING BY JUNE 30 TO AROCHA USA TO CONTINUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK***

Friends! As many of you know I am leaving InterVarsity USA after 18 years. But you’re wondering “what’s next?”. So, join a call on June 4th at 12PM

What's Next?: Deeper Work in the Different Place
I do my best work in two areas PRACTICE & FORMATION:

• PRACTICE: I believe God calls us to respond to the teachings of Jesus in context with integrity. So, to embody that I will be joining AROCHA USA to live out God's call to care for creation and equip others to do likewise in my own backyard and the Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania to Maine.

• FORMATION: I want to disciple people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives out of my lived experience, communion with God and others, and a deep concern for creation and those in material and spiritual poverty. So, to reflect that value I will be co-founder of the CENTER FOR BEAUTY AND RESISTANCE to nurture whole people and fruitful communities that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in their contexts.

Got questions? Jump on the call and email foreverfocused@gmail.com!

***CURRENT DONORS: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR GIVING BY JUNE 30 TO AROCHA USA TO CONTINUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK***

I’m so grateful to “The Exchange” for welcoming me to their work! Check out what they have to say about our upcoming workshop on June 3rd.

“What if rest isn’t something you earn after the work is done, but the very ground from which faithful leadership grows?

Mark 6:31 finds Jesus pulling his disciples away from the crowd with a simple, countercultural command: Come away and rest a while. Jesus’ invitation is extended to you now.

As summer kicks off, we invite you to hit pause and join us at The Exchange. This gathering is a space for leaders to step back from the weight of ministry and recover something essential — the capacity to lead from a full soul, not an empty one. Through practices of Sabbath, lament, community, and intentional self-care, we'll explore how prioritizing rest protects the work you’ve been called to do.

Our special guest, Jonathan P. Walton, brings a rich and prophetic voice to this conversation. As the author of Beauty & Resistance, Jonathan offers transformative insight for leaders who want to stay engaged in a broken world without losing themselves in the process.

His framework, rooted in the rhythms of rest, restoration, resistance, and renewal, is a gift to every leader.

If you have ever wondered if there's a more sustainable, more faithful way. There is.

Join us and find it.

Registration Link: https://www.wearethreaded.org/offers/fDP2kLju/checkout”

I am so grateful to be sharing The New College of Berkeley for a conversation on both of my books! Twelve Lies and Beauty and Resistance certainly go together and I’m excited share how they are deeply connected.

Our time will be interactive, challenging and full of the promises of God. I sincerely hope you can make it!

Save the date, bring a friend and make sure you get signed copies of Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair and Twelve Lies that Hold America Captive!

I am so grateful to be preaching at Shalom Iglesia del Pacto for their Sunday Service! We will be looking at Luke 10:21-24, Romans 12: 1-3 and seeing what Jesus has to say about, Beauty, Resistance and Rest for Your Soul.

This message will be interactive, challenging and full of the promises of God. I sincerely hope you can make it!

There will be a time for Q&A and I hope you come to get a signed copy of Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair as well as my other books.

I am so grateful to be preaching at Grace Fellowship for their Sunday Service! We will be looking at Luke 10:21-24, Romans 12: 1-3 and seeing what Jesus has to say about, Beauty, Resistance and Rest for Your Soul.

This message will be interactive, challenging and full of the promises of God. I sincerely hope you can make it!

Light refreshments will be served afterwards and take your chance to get a signed copy of Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair as well as my other books.

If we live lives of kingdom integrity, there will be communal fruitfulness and collective liberation. And this is most evident in how partnering with God in the renewal of all things requires resisting injustice. During our time together, we will look at the following three questions:

• How does engagement in the social justice stream help to form us?

• How does a lack of engagement in the social justice stream malform us?

• What spiritual formation practices and rhythms might we need in order to engage in this stream (as we must) in a fruitful, sustainable way?

All are welcome and I look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please email foreverfocused@gmail.com.

I believe that you’re never too young to have a Rule of Life and I’m so glad that RISE Prep believes that too. I’m very much looking forward to spending time with 11th and 12th graders, reflecting on the good and hard things happening in the world and just how we can become more wise, kind and loving in a world forming us to be angry, sad, and isolated.

If this is something that you’re interested hosting at your school or group, please click HERE or email foreverfocused@gmail.com.

Some books diagnose the sickness of an age. Others offer practices for healing. Jonathan Pan Walton’s work does both.

For this Radix Live conversation, we are pleased to have Walton discuss two of his books: Twelve Lies That Hold America Captive: And the Truth That Sets Us Free and Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair. One names the false stories that shape our national imagination; the other offers a way of living that resists despair, burnout, and spiritual fragmentation. Sounds timely, right?

I’m excited to join New College Berkeley for this online conversation before I see them on LIVE on May 11!

“In a cultural moment marked by emotional fatigue and fierce division, Walton raises timely questions: 

• What lies have we mistaken for truth?   

• Where have politics, nation, and identity become substitutes for the Gospel? 

• How might Christians recover rhythms of life that make justice, beauty, and repair possible?

This conversation will move between critique and hope. Drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and spiritual wisdom, Walton will reflect on the myths that hold America captive while also exploring how practices of rest, restoration, and resistance can form a life capable of love, endurance, and communal flourishing. As always, there will be time for questions from our live audience.

We hope this event will offer a rich conversation on faith, justice, emotional health, and the possibility of a more rooted Christian life.”

Got questions? Email foreverfocused@gmail.com 

The Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation is a two-year online and in-person school that immerses students in friendship with Jesus through study, spiritual practices, community, and retreat-style residencies, fostering a deeply Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered life in God’s kingdom.

I will be joining them to answer three questions:

1. How does engagement in the social justice stream help to form us?
2. How does a lack of engagement in the social justice stream malform us?
3. What spiritual formation practices and rhythms might we need in order to engage in this stream (as we must) in a fruitful, sustainable way?

If this is something that you’re interested but not part of the course, please check out my substack or email foreverfocused@gmail.com for the notes!

I am so grateful to be preaching at Great Road Church for their Sunday morning service! We will be looking at Beauty, Resistance and Rest for Your Soul from Luke 10:21-24 and Romans 12: 1-3.

All are welcome!

If you have any questions, please email foreverfocused@gmail.com.

Christians believe that Jesus walked the Earth, talked with real people and engaged in the miraculous, the missional and mundane of every day life. So who don’t we read the Bible that way?

In this interactive manuscript study, we will look at Mark 1 and consider the whole context of the Gospel, how it may have been received by the people of that day and what these ancient texts have to say to us.

So, grab a pen and a few friends and let’s EASE into scripture and be Emotionally Aware + Systemically Engaged!

Questions? | Email foreverfocused@gmail.com

I am so grateful to be preaching at New Life East on April 19th for our Sunday Service! We will be looking at a familiar passage from Joshua 1:1-9 and leaning into what it looks like to live out this message in ways that receive and reflect the kingdom of God in every area of our lives.

This message will be interactive, challenging and full of the promises of God. I sincerely hope you can make it!

Light refreshments will be served afterwards and take your chance to get a signed copy of Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair as well as my other books.

Childcare is provided and all are welcome! I hope to see you there!

Questions? | Email foreverfocused@gmail.com.

Fr. Joash P. Thomas wrote what I believe to one of the most consequential books on the Gospel and justice called, The Justice of Jesus. And now I’m going to be LIVE on his substack on March 30 at 9pm.

So make sure to mark your calendar, subscribe and jump on!

See you there!

The church’s current regional infrastructure is not strong or unified enough to meet today’s crises and local challenges in a coordinated and impactful way. Without shared resources, capital, and collaborative structure to empower faith communities, congregations remain isolated and unable to respond with collective, effective impact.

RSVP HERE AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU’RE COMING!

Coming out of the first NYU + CCDA Faith Innovation and Social Impact Cohort, we hope to establish a Northeast Corridor Faith and Innovation Action Network that connects, equips, and funds, churches and people of faith to boldly address our communities' most pressing challenges.

Join us for connection, conversation, and a bit of visioning together about what could be possible in Dorcester, Boston and the Northeast Corridor.

RSVP HERE AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU’RE COMING!

Got questions? Email foreverfocused@gmail.com.

In a world full of so much disappointment, division, and despair we need practical, sustainable steps to engage meaningfully in patterns of kindness, love, justice, and replenishment. Let’s have a conversation, build connections, make commitments and cultivate the community necessary to receive and reflect the kingdom of God at every level – individual, intimate, interpersonal, institutional, and ideological.

RSVP HERE AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU’RE COMING!

This won’t be a regular workshop where you will sit, listen, nod and go home. We are going to talk, reflect and make one concrete choice to follow Jesus more faithfully in one level of our lives. I hope you can make it!

Got questions? Email foreverfocused@gmail.com.