About Us
MISSION STATEMENT: Why we are . . .
The Center for Bold Action exists to motivate and equip men and women
to provide actions that enhance quality of life of all people.
OUR DIVISIONS: What we do . . .
Touching Grace is the original outreach of the Center for Bold Action, a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity founded in 2010 and located in the Scenic City, Chattanooga, Tennessee. CBA has three divisions to train and equip individuals within churches and community organizations to fulfill the mission God has prepared them to achieve. The divisions are as follows:
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TOUCHING GRACE: The ground-breaking research carried out by Diana Walters led to the publication of her multi-sensory book, Remembering the Life\of Jesus, and many other activities that enable meaningful worship for people who have dementia. She has also developed materials that assist people of all ages to successfully and joyously visit residents in long-term care facilities (where, it is reported, that 60% of the residents receive only one visit from an outsider in one year). See these materials, and read about the great enjoyment found by a group of reluctant first -time nursing home visitors. Read more
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MOBILIZERS: This segment of our ministry is an extension of Rich's many years of experience designing and delivering training to equip men and women to become more effective followers of Christ. It deals with matters of practical theology: human relations, listening, conflict resolution, anger, forgiveness, bogus beliefs, dealing with scary topics, and so on. We are online at www.Udemy.com, offering SAVVYQUICK COURSES: We call these "mini-courses" because they are about an hour long and are narrow in focus. As of January 14, 2022, we've had 36,397 enrollments from all over the world and the number keeps growing. They are nominally priced. Only 43% of the students are from the U.S.; the others are from a great many other countries! Each course includes an optional Bible-based lesson on the course's topic.
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HIGH GROUND PRESS: This division publishes workshop manuals and textbooks for our courses, and special products for dementia patients.
Richard P. Walters, PhD
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Co-Founder and President
Diana L. Walters, PhD
Co-Founder and Vice President
Diana Walters, PhD, earned her doctorate at Oxford Graduate School. Her studies focused on religious issues among the elderly, capped by her pioneering research of the use of multi-sensory materials to enhance receptivity by Alzheimer's patients of a ministry visit. This use of Montessori methods to the special needs of persons with dementia was tested by rigorous empirical research and has been published in a refereed journal (click here). She has presented at the Crystal Cathedral and at a national conference in Australia. She works 60%-time with the senior population as Consultant to the Vineyard, the assisted living community of a residential complex for independent and assisted living in Chattanooga TN. These activities both fulfill her love for interaction with people and give opportunity to observe how the lives of people in such circumstances can be enriched. She is actively involved in equipping volunteers and professionals better to serve the needs of persons whose abilities have been blunted by physical conditions. Rich describes Diana as "Prov 31 put into reality."
LET'S GET ACQUAINTED! Who we are . . .
Rich Walters, PhD, describes himself as number one cheerleader and support person for Diana's success in the field of applied gerontology. His career as a licensed psychologist in a variety of clinical contexts was followed by teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels. For several years he was actively involved in training in the business community, He has taught, full- or part-time, at Michigan State University, the University of Georgia, Belhaven University, Aquinas Institute of Religious Studies, Bryan College, and retired as Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Oxford Graduate School (now Omega Graduate School), Dayton, TN. He continues his love for writing on subjects related to living the authentic Christian life in a broken world. Some of these books are available elsewhere on this website (click the "Bookstore" button). Rich does much of the behind the scenes work that is required in the development of materials for outreach to people in late life who are so sadly underserved by the church at large. He and Diana live in Chattanooga, TN, where they recently completed their 32nd year of honeymoon. They just finished co-authoring a novel.
Board of Directors
The Board is charged with responsibility to fulfill CBA's mission in conformity with state and federal requirements.
Richard Walters - Co-founder and President
Diana Walters - Co-founder and Vice-President
Happy Huddleston - Owner, Happy Home Realty
Michael Farrand - Retired Consultant; Professor, MINTS Seminary
Floyd Davis - Signal Centers, an NPO offering many family services
Jennifer Niles - Respiratory Therapist
Vacancy to be filled soon.
Council of Advisors
Individuals of strong faith and good judgement who independently assist the Directors by offering counsel.
Dr. Donald Mason - President Emeritus, Central Christian College of KS
Dr. Paul Mathenia - Pastor, Beechmont SBC, Louisville, KY
Dr. Richard Nelson - Owner. Morningstar Construction, Nashville, TN
Dr. Peter Riola - Chancellor, St Alcuin House, Blaine, MN
Dr. Gary Sweeten - Founder/President, LifeWay Centers, Cincinnati, OH
Dr. Paul Wang - President, AlphaCare Behavioral Health, St Louis, MO
Mr. Ryan Wynne - Real estate mortgage officer, Chattanooga, TN
< WE ASSEMBLE THE MULTI-SENSORY BOOKS
After design and writing, and field-testing of prototype copies in natural settings, we get quantities of the pages printed. Then comes a lengthy process of finishing each book: punching holes for the binder wire, attaching the "add ins." Some of these require extensive preparation. For example, faux lambskin is purchased in a bolt that is 30 feet long and 54 inches wide! This is cut into narrow strips. Rich is shown cutting the long strips into short lengths with an electric cutting wheel. We have bought machines and made various devices to speed up the assembly process. Maybe it is hard work that is the mother of invention! After this, we attach the "add-in" to the page, collate pages for a book, and bind.
IT CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT GREAT HELP >
We are fortunate to have the good service of volunteer, Jon Todd. In this picture Jon is preparing to afix a touchable add-in to pages for our book about Noah. Without the good help from Jon (and A. J. before him), there wouldn't be any Noah books. Or Good News Books or copies of Remembering the Life of Jesus or The Apostle's Creed or SmilesUp cards. We thank God for volunteers who make possible this ministry.
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Volunteers make it possible for us to work in the under-served mission field of the late-age elderly population and their families. Please pray for all who help us assist this group and/or contribute financially to our nonprofit organization.
Bunni-Faye Brimstone
Bunni-Faye's best quality may be the fact that she, like Buddy, is imaginary. We hope you are not disappointed. She would be, if she knew, but there are no plans to disrupt her blissful lack of awareness. From time to time she blogs for us on the doings in her small town of Pudgy, seat of Weakley County. Bunni-Faye's efforts to help CBA are pro bono. When we told her that she said, "Of course! I was always pro Bono, but I so do wish he and Cher hadn't of split up!" We appreciate Bunni-Faye's enthusiastic blog reporting, admire her relentless optimism, and hope that you will find her reports enjoyable whether they are rational or not.
Buddy Banner
Buddy Banner is an advertiser on our blog page and is not, we repeat, NOT, a member of the CBA teaching or administrative team. He is a fictitious advertiser. However, we like Buddy and have given in to his relentless wheedling and agreed to this notice. He is honest although inclined to hysterical exaggeration and is easily over-excited. You should have seen him with his arms around Rich's legs, sobbing and pleading, "At least one little-bitty picture of me, would that kill you?" No, we think not, so here he is. Keep bringing in the ads, buddy Buddy, and maybe (Maybe!) one day we'll buy a car from Buddy Banner's Palace of Premier Pre-Owneds.
CHARACTERS YOU MAY MEET ON THE BLOG PAGE