Media
Resources to learn more
How does an under-resourced neighborhood go from struggle to success, from despair to dignity? The path takes different twists and turns in each neighborhood, but learning from and sharing resources with others experienced in spiritual and community development is a good place to start. We invite you to learn more about Desire Street and our ministry through the links and lists below.
News & Blog

COVID-19: Leaning Into the Resurrection of Christ
From dust you came and to dust you shall return. Whether the world wanted it or not, the powerful and pervasive COVID-19 virus has imposed a Lenten reality on all of us. Not everyone celebrates Lent and there are many who don’t even know what it is. The 40-day season started on February 27th with Ash

Faith Journey Through Needs
In 2020, we’ll be talking a lot about seeing God’s hand in our journey of faith. You might have seen our spring newsletter where we talked about God’s working in human suffering. He has the ability to give perspective and meaning to the circumstances of our lives. I was reading in the book of John

Why rest?
We’re coming up on Labor Day next Monday. The 19th-century labor movement came up with the concept, and it became a U.S. federal holiday in 1894. Most workers have the day off. There’s a similar concept in the Bible: the Sabbath. In fact, it’s one of the “Big 10″—commandments given to the Israelites by God

Thoughts at the Intersection
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, like many others, I often contemplate how God most desires to use my life and witness for his glory. He clearly calls me to love him (Deut 6:5), to love my neighbors (Matt 22:39), and to make disciples (Matt 28:19). In loving our neighbors, the faith walks

Five Years
Five years. That’s the maximum amount of time that most leaders last when serving in under-resourced communities. That’s not very long. Living in poverty is hard enough, but trying to reverse poverty and all of the other challenges that come with it can feel literally overwhelming. Harvard professor, Dr. Robert Sampson, has studied communities that

Stripes and Scars
“he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 It’s Good Friday and I’m thinking about Christ’s horrific death on the cross. Jesus, in my place and perhaps yours, was whipped until his skin
Suggested Reading
10 Ways to Be a Better Neighbor
Becca Stanley
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
Parker J. Palmer
Catherine of Siena: Passion for the Truth‐‐Compassion for Humanity
Mary O’Driscoll
Disunity in Christ
Christena Cleveland
Divided by Faith
Emerson & Smith
Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman
Free at Last?: The Gospel in the African‐American Experience
Carl F. Ellis, Jr.
Generous Justice
Timothy Keller
In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
Henri Nouwen
Jesus and the Disinherited
Howard Thurman
Justice, Mercy and Humility: Integral mission and the poor
Edited by Tim Chester with contributions from C. Rene
Kai’Ro: The Journey of an Urban Pilgrim
Ben Sciacca
Justice, Mercy and Humility: Integral Mission and the Poor
Padilla, Tom Sine, and Elaine Storkey
Let Justice Roll Down
Dr. John M. Perkins
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
Parker J. Palmer
Meals from Mars: A Parable of Prejudice and Providence
Ben Sciacca
Mere Christianity
C. S. Lewis
Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life
Phileena Heuertz and Phyllis Tickle
Prophetic Lament
Soong Chan Rah
Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat‐Up, and Burnt Out
Brennan Manning
The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning
Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham
The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
Os Guinness
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard
The Briarpatch Gospel: Fearlessly Following Jesus into the Thorny Places
Shayne Wheeler
The Color of Compromise
Jemar Tisby
The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith
Marcus J. Borg
The Invisible Hand: Do All Things Really Work for Good
R. C. Sproul
The Provocative Church
Dr. Graham Tomlin
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
Henri J. M. Nouwen
The Way of the Heart
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Thriving City Blocks
Nate Ledbetter
Under Our Skin
Benjamin Watson
Up from Slavery
Booker T. Washington
White Awake
Daniel Hill