Cultivating Communities

06/01/2026

Wise words from Rachel Held Evans!

I love this quote on conversation from Rachel Held Evans!!! (fitting for Trinity Sunday!)

05/30/2026

This is a wise and timely meditation by our friend Andrew Morrell!

Grateful for my friend Andrew Morrell!!!

05/27/2026

New on Substack:

Our friend Lisa Rodriguez-Watson shares about what it means for the church to be a community of exiles practicing hospitality.

"At the heart of the gospel is the startling reality that God has welcomed us. As those who were once strangers, we have now been brought near. Though we were once enemies of God, we have now been reconciled. Christian hospitality begins not with our generosity, but with God’s. This is why hospitality is not peripheral to Christian community. Rather, it is central to the nature of the Church."

05/26/2026

Amen!!!

05/24/2026

Amen!!!

A thought for Pentecost from Benjamin Cremer…

05/08/2026

A congregation nourished in the way of Jesus is not above, apart, or separate from the rest of the place, but part of it. It understands itself to be a segment of the ecological and cultural fabric of that particular place (much like the walnut tree, and in contrast to the zipping cars). We belong to this soil and to fellow neighbors, human and non-human alike. And like the swallowtail caterpillars-soon-to-be-butterflies that will shortly start crunching on my fennel plants, the congregation bears witness in its body to the hope of resurrection. We live out “your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” daily, as we are being transformed into Christlikeness together. That is, in being a good neighbor, the congregation seeks the peace and goodness of fellow neighbors, or shalom—including not simply our human neighbors, but our created neighbors, our built neighbors, and our land neighbor.

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Over on Substack, we're sharing about what it means for a congregation to have a permeable, place-based identity.

05/02/2026

This is an essential book for church leaders (both clergy and lay leaders!) And it's on sale now for only $3.99!!!

Our Kindle Ebook Deal of the Day!!! Only $3.99!
Such an important book... Now is a great time to read it if you haven't already!
A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
by Scot McKnigh and Laura McKnight Barringer

03/23/2026

"The thing about healing, as opposed to curing, is that it is relational. It takes time. It is inefficient, like a meandering river. Rarely does healing follow a straight or well-lit path. Rarely does it conform to our expectations or resolve in a timely manner. Walking with someone through grief, or through the process of reconciliation, requires patience, presence, and a willingness to wander, to take the scenic route.

But the modern-date church doesn't like to wander or wait. The modern-date church like results. Convinced the gospel is a product we've got to sell to an increasingly shrinking market, we like our people to function as walking advertisements: happy, put-together, finished--proof that this Jesus stuff WORKS! At its best, such a culture generates pews of Stepford Wife-style robots with painted smiles and programmed moves. At its worst, it creates environments where abuse and corruption get covered up to protect reputations and preserve image."

-- Rachel Held Evans Legacy, Searching for Sunday

03/19/2026

We are so grateful for Rev. Perkins! His life and ministry have shaped our own communities in profound ways. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

03/19/2026

In our work with congregations, these are the books we recommend over and over again!

Bookshop is offering print copies for 15% off now through April 1 if you shop via our book list. We hope you'll grab a new title or two!