“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14 The Message)
Liturgy means literally “the work of the people”. We often tend to merely “live” in our neighborhoods. Through developing a neighborhood liturgy that is unique to our place, we are able to discover the sacred spaces while learning to “live into” the community that we call home. We see our neighbors through a different lens at the same time they see Jesus through us. We can be participants in the now and not merely spectators waiting on the not yet.
In case you haven’t noticed … during the past 10 years it seems as if churches in the United States, and in fact worldwide, have begun to focus their attention back into the communities and neighborhoods that God has placed them in. No longer can the church rely on attracting and entertaining. We have been called to engage the spaces that the Spirit has long been working in. After a good deal of time in traditional church environments, in 2014 my wife Joanie and I launched “Common Table” … an urban table centered expression of the church in Seattle. Having spent more than 25 years leading churches from proximity to presence in their neighborhoods as well as numerous coaching and consulting relationships, I am now dedicating a good amount of time to help other churches desiring to begin that journey back into their communities … exploring how we can enter in to Gods story being played out in civic, cultural, communal, creation, and Christ-centered, spaces that already exist in the neighborhood.
Utilizing very profitable educational influences with an MA in Ministry Leadership from Portland Seminary, a “Leadership in the New Parish” certificate from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology combined with 25 years of experience training churches and Jesus followers to be fluent in the language of their neighborhoods, I am excited for the opportunity to engage your group in the same journey.
Liturgy means literally “the work of the people”. We often tend to merely “live” in our neighborhoods. Through developing a neighborhood liturgy that is unique to our place, we are able to discover the sacred spaces while learning to “live into” the community that we call home. We see our neighbors through a different lens at the same time they see Jesus through us. We can be participants in the now and not merely spectators waiting on the not yet.
In case you haven’t noticed … during the past 10 years it seems as if churches in the United States, and in fact worldwide, have begun to focus their attention back into the communities and neighborhoods that God has placed them in. No longer can the church rely on attracting and entertaining. We have been called to engage the spaces that the Spirit has long been working in. After a good deal of time in traditional church environments, in 2014 my wife Joanie and I launched “Common Table” … an urban table centered expression of the church in Seattle. Having spent more than 25 years leading churches from proximity to presence in their neighborhoods as well as numerous coaching and consulting relationships, I am now dedicating a good amount of time to help other churches desiring to begin that journey back into their communities … exploring how we can enter in to Gods story being played out in civic, cultural, communal, creation, and Christ-centered, spaces that already exist in the neighborhood.
Utilizing very profitable educational influences with an MA in Ministry Leadership from Portland Seminary, a “Leadership in the New Parish” certificate from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology combined with 25 years of experience training churches and Jesus followers to be fluent in the language of their neighborhoods, I am excited for the opportunity to engage your group in the same journey.