At Lincoln Elementary, students gather in their school garden, digging into the soil with their hands. They’re not just playing—they’re learning. About vegetables, responsibility, and where food comes from. This is transformative for their lives in the classroom and at home. Here’s why.
Andrew hangs out today with Mark Bowers of World Relief on the podcast. Mark describes how his own personal journey led him to a life on the margins with refugees and immigrants. Mark and Andrew discuss the Church’s role and responsibility to the immigrant, how World Relief is addressing and responding to the recent policy changes, and how you can learn and get involved with refugees in your own neighborhood.
J. Mark Bowers serves as Sr. Training Advisor for World Relief where his team builds tools for refugee and immigrant ministry in The Workshop. When the screens are powered down, Mark runs a housing business for immigrant families in East Lake—an under-resourced neighborhood where his own family lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Andrew sits down with Mariana Diaz, of Mennonite Central Committee West Coast, to talk about not only her personal story of immigration, but local immigration policies, ways to navigate and learn the system, and how to be a better neighbor to our local undocumented community.
Check out the various job openings and resources from ENP partners.
Considering our current cultural moment, Andrew and Grace process the current administration’s philosophy on immigration in light of ENP values and point of view.
The two discuss how their personal faith is intersecting with the issue of immigration, and frame up for listeners why we’re taking a pause to learn from experts who have dedicated their lives or careers to people who live in the shadows of citizenship.
As we finish out our conversation about being a good neighbor, we finish our series with Christian Gonzalez and Samai Munoz. Both women work personally with women and residents in our urban communities here in Fresno, and have the lived experience of working with people at a slower and messier pace than we would like in order to see real change. Samai is Mexican born, Fresno raised, and transformed through the power of travel, language, people, cultures and traditions. She finds herself continually learning through life experiences about radical acceptance of others and hyper-inclusive spaces. Samai is committed to evolving, self-development and growth in order to be a better family member, friend, and neighbor. Christian Gonzalez is the eldest daughter of immigrant parents. She is the Manager of Neighborhood Development She has worked both in ministry and in local place-making initiatives that build on adopted city plans, policies, and smart mobility streetscapes to encourage new mixed-use housing, businesses, public amenities, and jobs.
Today we get the privilege to sit down with and laugh with Pastor DJ Criner! DJ is a pastor, teacher, and visionary here in Fresno as he shepherds the people of Southwest Fresno at St Rest Baptist Church. DJ shares his thoughts about what it means for a church and a pastor to be a good neighbor in their space and place. The three chat theology, contexual ministry, community work, and city flourishing.
Mike Oz is the guy who knows a thing or two about finding the best things about where he lives and making them a pretty big deal. Andrew, Grace and Mike talk about what it takes to care about your city so much that you begin to make places for people to hang out at. Mike is the pro at this in Fresno, we are grateful we got the chance to pick his brain about why Fresno refuses to love itself, and creating spaces where people may just change their mind. You can find out more about Fresno Street Eats here: https://fresnostreeteats.com/ Mike Osegueda (aka Mike Oz) is the president/founder of Fresno Street Eats, which serves as both an events company and a business development group for mobile food vendors. Mike lived the first half of his life in the Bay Area, but has adopted Fresno has his home after living here for more than 20 years now, having moved to the 559 to work for The Fresno Bee. In the time that he’s been in Fresno, he’s taken a big interest in Fresno’s inferiority complex, putting a spotlight on the things that make it cool (like tacos!) and building rad things for the community.
As part of a fairly new statewide initiative, Fresno Unified School District is in their second year of piloting community schools- a new, holistic approach to education.
In a recent Fresno Bee article, Leqi Zong expands upon why California recognized the needs for community schools and how quickly Fresno Unified plans to expand the initiative:
It’s December 19th and it felt fitting that we paused for a moment to recognize the season we are in. Grace and Andrew discuss Advent, the meaning and purpose of the season, and how the God we serve made deliberate choices to come as baby, born into poverty, already so needy.
God is in the Manger, by Dietrick Bonhoeffer
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, by Ann Voskamp
Every Neighborhood Partnership is a Fresno, CA based non-profit that exists to Activate. Equip. Mobilize and Transform so that our students excel, community members are healthy and whole, and our neighborhoods thrive. Learn more about us by visiting https://everyneighborhood.org or @enpfresno on socials.
