Forum Days

Circle City Fellows is focused on equipping adults to integrate their faith into the workplace and  beyond for the sake of the flourishing of the city. It is that last portion of our mission that leads  us to engage our Fellows in our Saturday Forum Days. These all day events that happen six times during the fellowship turn our attention directly towards the city of Indianapolis. And they are planned under the guise of two key questions: 

  • What makes for a thriving, flourishing city?  

  • What’s your next right step to contribute to that thriving & flourishing? In fact, at our Closing Retreat, we invite each Fellow to share what they sense is their next right  step to make this contribution. The reality is that class after class articulates the sentiment that  these Forum Days are one of, if not the, highlight of their experience. They truly are great days  that we spend together! 

So what then are our themes and topics, knowing there are so many we could choose from?

  • October: The Story of Indianapolis through the lens of Land Use & Transit.

    • This day gives us great insight into the past of Indy and why the city is the way it  is today from the history of being world-renowned for our public transit system  to why that is so not true today to how the interstate destroyed neighborhoods  and the influence of the KKK led to redlining in the city to Unigov and the impact  of making a city “equal” to the county… and lots of other important information  in between. 

  • November: Implicit & Explicit Bias in You, Your Workplace, and Your City.

    • These three areas of focus serve to foster an eye towards equity and inclusion as  we see how bias comes through in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Through our  time, we are taken into an honest look that implicates us as individuals while  also calling us to consider the bias in the entities of which we are apart. 

  • December: Comprehensive Healthcare 

    • With a focus particularly of learning from the safety-net hospital of Indy,  Eskenazi Health Network, we learn of the successes and yet great need especially  for the underserved and marginalized to get the healthcare they need. A special  emphasis is given to the social determinants of health that enlightens us to  realize how healthcare is actually only 10% of a person’s health. There are so  many other factors outside of that which determine the health of people.

  • February: Education 

    • Education is routinely touted as the key to a person’s successful future and  therefore to a city’s prosperous future. Engaging leaders from the public,  charter, and private school sectors offers a broad understanding of how education is leading to flourishing in Indy. 

  • March: Critical Concerns of Indy 

    • Taken on a year by year basis, this day serves as an opportunity to consider  issues that are rising to the surface in impact on the city’s wellbeing. Past years’  topics have included Public Safety, COVID-19, Addiction Crisis, and Mental  Health.

  • April: The Great Place of Indianapolis 

    • The flourishing of a city begins with the flourishing of our neighborhoods and  places. Drawing on a key 2020 initiative in Indianapolis called The Great Places,  this day is spent in the Englewood neighborhood where we see what can be  when civic, business, government, and the neighborhood itself work together  toward a quality of life for all.

In each of these days, we are fortunate to hear from incredible leaders in our city who generously give of their time to be with us offering their  expertise as well as their wisdom… and very often their insights on their faith impacting their  work as well.  

And why are these Saturdays such an important part of CCF? Because of the vision God gives us  in Jeremiah 29:7 to “...work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” This admonition from God to  the people of God is a direct reflection of God’s call to Abraham when God said of Abraham and  his descendents, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and  you will be a blessing to others….All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 

As we come to these Forum days, we see them as our investment to learn and understand so  that we can follow in the footsteps of the people of God of old to “seek the peaceful welfare” of the city – so that we can be a blessing! And in doing so, we then can discern how we might, in  whatever small way, contribute to that welfare – that thriving & flourishing – with our next  right step.


Join the next class of Fellows!


Elizabeth Caudle
I am a photographer in the Indianapolis area that specializes in capturing the essence of the moment. Our lives are made of moments and the ability to keep some of those moments forever is a wonderful feeling. Whether you have kids, are engaged, or are a senior in high school, I would love to talk to you about capturing your moments.
www.elizabethcaudle.com
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Fellows Spotlight | Elise Gahan