Moving Forward with Purpose in 2020

Feb 28, 2020 | UA News

Throughout 2019, Urban Alliance has been growing, transitioning and starting new things. As we settle in to 2020, we find ourselves looking back over the year and considering where we’ve been and where we are going in 2020 and beyond.

hellos and goodbyes

  • We celebrated the retirement of David Booker and his 11 years of service as President and CEO. (And we welcomed the news that Russell Jarvis would be taking over that role!)
  • We welcomed two new team members! Joanne Perry and Bill Kracke both joined us in 2019.
  • We gratefully wished the best for Sarah Thompson as she transitioned out of her role as Director of Marketing and Communications to a new opportunity in the greater Hartford community.
  • The Jarvis family celebrated the birth of a son!

the more things change

Yet, in the middle of transitions and changes, there was still plenty of work to do. Through the combined efforts of Urban Alliance, the programs and ministries we partner with, generous donors and faithful volunteers, people’s lives were changed for the better.

looking forward to 2020

There is still plenty of the year 2020 ahead of us. We are excited to share some of the new things that are coming, as well as some of the things that we’ve been doing for a while. There are challenges ahead to be sure, but as we look back and consider how faithful God has been we are confident that He will continue to be faithful. We’re not just excited about what’s to come, we’re looking forward to it.


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The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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