Success Stories
Signs of Hope Congress
In the fall of 2007, Serving Leaders and the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation hosted a "Signs of Hope" congress with Dr. Raymond Bakke of the Bakke Graduate University in Seattle, Washington.
A Divided Kingdom
"The chief strategies of Satan in thwarting kingdom transformation," Bakke stated, "are division and discouragement." Men and women working in Christian congregations, businesses and social agencies, do innovative and life-changing work every day. But these kingdom demonstrations—these "signs of hope"—are isolated and fragmented.
Cities Matter to God
At the 2007 "Signs of Hope" congress, two hundred leaders from Pittsburgh's community gathered at the Heinz Regional History Museum to hear Bakke share stories from scripture and from cities around the world that illustrate God's strategic purpose in forming cities and calling people to work together in and for them. Bakke reminded the attenders that we will all, eventually, live in the city—the City of God spoken of in Revelation—and that God is a city builder.
Unlikely Partners Create "Signs of Hope"
Throughout the day, Congress participants were treated to short vignettes of God's work in Pittsburgh. Erika Jones shared about the work of LAMP (mentoring partnerships between congregations and urban children), Terry Mann shared about TWOgether Pittsburgh (marriage support programs to restore strong marriages), and Amy Podobnik shared about Athletes Taking Action (a high school outreach in the South Hills).
Collaboration builds unity
Congress participants also worked in table circles to share success stories, exchange resources and reflect on the material presented in the Congress.
