Across the country, congregations are responding to growing community needs amid declining resources, volunteer fatigue, and complex social challenges. Drawing on her Doctor of Ministry project, From Charity to Resilience: Reimagining Congregational Mission Through Faith-Rooted Organizing in South Phoenix, Rev. Dr. Katie Sexton invites church leaders to rethink traditional outreach models and see how congregations can become catalysts for long-term community resilience.

This webinar invites faith communities to move beyond charity alone to build relationships, strengthen local partnerships, and cultivate systems that promote justice, climate resilience, and communal well-being. Participants will learn practical strategies for engaging neighborhoods through asset-based organizing, collaborative leadership, and interfaith partnerships while remaining grounded in theological convictions of hospitality, justice, and the common good.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Rev. Dr. Katie Sexton is the Executive Director of Arizona Faith Network, where she leads statewide interfaith initiatives focused on justice, community resilience, and faith-rooted organizing. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and a trained community organizer, she holds both a Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary. Rev. Sexton is passionate about equipping congregations to move beyond charity toward collaborative, community-based ministry that builds resilient neighborhoods and advances the common good.