Christian Community Development Association Conference
Christian Community Development Association’s annual conference has been inspiring, training, and connecting Christian Community Development practitioners for close to 40 years! The Seattle School and Center for Transforming Engagement will be sponsoring and speaking at this event.
Join us in Richmond, Virginia from October 7-10 for amazing speakers, workshops, worship, networking sessions and more!
Dr. Ron Ruthruff, Professor of Theology & Culture, and Dr. Paul Hoard, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, will be presenting on the continuation of their grant-funded research, Equipping White Folks for Anti-Racist Practice.
Stephanie Bulthuis, Partnership Development & Events Supervisor at the Center for Transforming Engagement will be speaking on Making Sense of Your Congregants’ Stories.
At the conference, you can expect authentic community, workshops highlighting best practices, inspirational sermons, exhibits (including us!) that offer books and consulting, and time to rest and refresh through embodied practices or praying with conference chaplains.
If you are interested in meeting up with other Seattle School folks during the conference e-mail Lauren Peiser! lpeiser@theseattleschool.edu
Paul Hoard, Phd, LMHC
Dr. Paul Hoard is a licensed counselor who holds a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. He completed the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program at the Greater Kansas City Psychoanalytic Institute and he specializes in working with adolescents with sexual behavior problems. A “third culture kid,” he was raised in Ankara, Turkey, and has provided mental health counseling and clinical supervision in the United States, Ukraine, and Turkey. His research and scholarly work primarily focus on the intersection of perpetration trauma, sexuality, white-body supremacy, and adolescent mental health.
Prior to joining the faculty at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, Dr. Hoard taught at MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Master of Arts in Counseling program. He has also taught courses overseas at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey.
Dr. Hoard is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Christian Association of Psychological Studies, and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.
Ron Ruthruff, DMin
Dr. Ron Ruthruff has served homeless and street-involved youth and their families for the past 30 years. He has provided case management services, designed programs, and educated the community on the issues that impact this vulnerable population. Ron’s career goal is to empower persons to live lives of significance, to equip the church to love and serve their neighbors, and to engage communities in cross-cultural and global conversations.
Ron’s education is an eclectic blend of social work, counseling, and theological studies. Ron holds a BA from Western Washington University, an MS from Pepperdine University, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Complex Urban Settings from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. His dissertation title, Welcoming Kids to the Table of Community: New Horizons Ministries as a Model of Service to Homeless Runaway Adolescents, addresses the psycho-social and spiritual issues surrounding homeless adolescents and describes a relationally based and theologically supported service delivery strategy to serve these marginalized young people.
Ron is an associate with the Center for Transforming Mission, providing training and support for grassroots urban leaders serving youth and families in hard places around the world. Closer to home, Ron is on a regular preaching schedule at several local churches. Ron lives in the Rainier Valley, a multicultural neighborhood in the south end of Seattle with his wife, Linda, with whom he has served for nearly 30 years. His two adult sons, Ben and Clayton, live close by.
Stephanie Bulthuis, MA
Stephanie pivoted from a teaching role in a public school classroom to join the Center for Transforming Engagement to contribute to the work of building healthy, purpose-driven communities.
With a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Washington and seven years of teaching experience, Steph is passionate about fostering connection, growth, and learning. She is a big believer in the power of community and the dynamic spirit of humanity, that we are always able to expand our horizons when we are given the opportunities and tools to listen, explore, and connect. Before teaching, she worked at the Library at Seattle Pacific University, supervising the circulation area, event planning, and copywriting.
Steph currently lives on the Kitsap peninsula with her husband Markus, daughter Freyja, and cat Penny (they are ferry people now!). She is a photographer, an avid reader, a novice gardener, loves a good hike (accompanied by good snacks) and very much enjoys time with family and friends.