The last several years have seen exponential growth in not only the Coeur d'Alene area, but within the Catholic community here as well. During that time, the organizer of the Collaborative spent time working in churches in both Sandpoint and CDA and saw both the challenges and opportunities that this growth was bringing to the area.
The Collaborative was started as a way for the broader faith community to connect - regardless of parish or how long they have lived here. The Collaborative offers a way for us to get to know one another on a more personal level, discuss ways to support each other, collaborate on business ideas and ventures, and create a stronger community as a whole.
About Us
The Story behind the CDA Collaborative
Our Mission
We serve as a Christian community incubator and connector with regular opportunities for members to meet up to discuss how to stand solidly in their faith while doing business/service/life in the secular world. We brainstorm on how to evangelize through our work and business practices.
We contemplate how to strengthen and define Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in our businesses and cultivate that in our community. All while acting as servant leaders and proper stewards of our God given time, talent, and treasures.
Our Vision
The CDA Collab seeks to build a well connected and strong Christian business community that supports one another through patronage, hiring, referrals, mentoring and formation.
Our Values
1
Life & Dignity of the Human Person
Every human life is precious and is a gift from God, and every institution is measured by whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person. Collaborative members intentionally support the dignity of life at every stage.
2
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The human person is not only sacred, but also social. We have the responsibility to participate in society and to promote the common good. The Collaborative seeks to foster a community that supports the growth of Faith, Family & Local Businesses.We encourage, through the practice of subsidiarity, opportunities for employees to exercise appropriate authority as they contribute to the mission of the organization.
3
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The basic moral test of a society is how the most vulnerable members are faring. The Collaborative maintains solidarity with those in need by being alert for ways to connect underserved populations with opportunities for advancement.
4
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
The economy must serve the people. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. We contribute to the common good by producing goods that are truly good and services that truly serve.
5
Solidarity
Every human being has a responsibility to our brothers and sisters, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Solidarity is about loving our neighbors locally, nationally, as well as internationally. The Collaborative see’s each member and business as a unique and important part of The Body of Christ.
6
Care for God's Creation
The Catholic tradition insists that every human being show respect for the Creator by our stewardship of His creation. Collaborative members model responsible use of the resources, whether capital, human or environmental, with which they have been blessed.