New Way

A native of Finland and now resident of Denver, Colorado, Kaisa Stenberg-Lee is the founder of Kutsu Companions. Kutsu is a Finnish word meaning both “invitation” and “call”. Through her work, she practices spiritual direction - with both adults and children - that focuses on the invitation to be curious about our prayers, our spirituality, and God. In part two, Kaisa’s childhood in rural Finland;...

A native of Finland and now resident of Denver, Colorado, Kaisa Stenberg-Lee is the founder of Kutsu Companions. Kutsu is a Finnish word meaning both “invitation” and “call”. Through her work, she practices spiritual direction - with both adults and children - that focuses on the invitation to be curious about our prayers, our spirituality, and God. In part one, parenting in the time of COVID-19;...

Diane Anderson started Faith Works in her home town of Paterson, New Jersey. This ministry is as much at home outside the walls of the church at it is on the streets of the city. In this conversation, the gifts of empathy, solidarity, and humanity in this strange and unique time.

The Rev. Dr. Joanna M. Adams is a leader and thinker known for building bridges of understanding within and beyond communities of faith. Joanna is a mentor and pastor to the City of Atlanta where she has served as a guiding light to multiple congregations. One of America’s most beloved preachers, Joanna has preached at the National Cathedral , the Memorial Church of Harvard University , and the Ch...

The Rev. Grace Kim is the pastor to two different worshiping communities in rural Appalachia: Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church , founded in 1897; and the Wild Goose New Worshiping Community , which began its ministry more than a century later in the summer of 2013. In this conversation, the wisdom that faithful leadership requires; cultural identity; and communion in Mason Jars.

The Rev. Miriam Mauritzen is the pastor of Serious JuJu in Kalispell, Montana. This congregation of young people, mostly skateboarders, has captured the hearts of people around the country. In this conversation, life in Kalispell, Montana; how skateboarding can make us brave; and how Serious Juju practices an openness where trauma is talked about and healing is possible.

The Rev. Layne Brubaker is the founder of Hagar’s Community Church , a congregation of the Olympia Presbytery . Hagar’s Church is located on the inside of the Washington Corrections Center for Women . In this conversation, faith, restoration, and life inside the walls of the largest women's correctional facility in the state.

The Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta . She is a pastor, vocalist, and the founder of The Common Place ministry, based in her beloved Philadelphia. In part one, spiritual warfare. Some of us love to talk about it. Many Presbyterians avoid it. What on Earth is it?

The Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta . She is a pastor, vocalist, and the founder of The Common Place ministry, based in her beloved Philadelphia.

The Rev. Jeff Eddings is the co-founder of the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community and the Coaching Associate for 1001 New Worshiping Communities . In this conversation, Hot Metal Bridge Church; contemplative spirituality; and the fabulously meaningful and entertaining Christmas Eve Eve worship story (think Herod meets the herdmen).

The Rev. Carroll Jenkins and Kearni Warren go way back. Kearni is the founder of the Caregivers Society , a New Worshiping Community. Kearni’s friend and mentor, the Rev., was ordained during the Civil Rights Movement, and now pastors T. M. Thomas Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chester, Pennsylvania, on the West Side of Philadelphia. On this episode, the partnership between a traditional congrega...

Dr. Elizabeth Anderson has emerged as one of the most influential philosophers of our time. Dr. Anderson is the John Dewey Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan . She is widely admired for fostering dialogue between disciplines and possesses a unique ability to understand and appreciate contributions from different fields. Her work was featured in the New Year’s...

Several years ago, the Rev. Nancy Graham Ogne began to organize a new church in the new development of Lake Nona, Florida, not far from Orlando. Today, Hope Presbyterian Church at Lake Nona is a thriving, missional community that builds up people’s capacities to make incremental change for good. On this episode, the “holy cafeteria” where Nancy’s congregation worships; how experiencing cancer infl...

The Reverends Jeya and Daniel So are husband and wife as well as the co-pastors of Anchor City Church in San Diego, California. In part two, discernment; emptiness; and living a life that matters.

The Reverends Jeya and Daniel So are husband and wife as well as the co-pastors of Anchor City Church in San Diego, California. In part one, punk rock; risk-taking; and the strange world of church planting assessments.

The Rev. Shawna Bowman is a pastor and a theological and liturgical visual artist. She pastors a quirky and radically gracious community called Friendship Presbyterian Church that spent several years convening in the Norwood Park METRA Station of Chicago. Shawna is also a co-founder of Creation Lab , an art collective and a working studio space at the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and...

DeAmon Harges has one of the best titles in the church and academy: “The Roving Listener”. As a faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development Institute , DeAmon reminds institutions, associations and individuals that communities have the power to heal themselves from within.

Nick Pickrell is the organizer of the Open Table , a new worshiping community in his hometown of Kansas City. The Open Table’s mission is to be a place of reconciliation in a city divided. Their recent gatherings have centered around topics like Cultivating Authenticity, Sex and the Sacred, White Fragility, and a Palm Sunday experience as Political Theater. Nick is also an actor and long-time part...

Dr. Angela Boyd Wyatt is the founder of the Spiritual Wellness Center , which explores learning that engages the mind, heart and soul to help people live out their truest and highest expression of themselves and to discover purpose and meaning for life’s spiritual journey. Angela’s interests include spiritual development, evolving relationships with the sacred, and servant leadership. 

Dr. Bethany McKinney Fox is the co-founder of the Beloved Everybody Church , an ability-inclusive church in Los Angeles. It celebrated its one-year anniversary this fall. She also serves as Director of Spiritual Formation for Cyclical LA and is the author of the new book  Disability and the Way of Jesus (IVP Academic). Read the Transcript

The Rev. Abby King-Kaiser is an artist and new worshiping community leader living in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. At Xavier University , she is the Associate Director of the Dorothy Day Center for Faith and Justice, and also directs Common Ground , the Protestant worshipping community at Xavier. Last year she began convening a gathering of friends and colleagues on Sunday mornings for Church-...

The Rev. Gad Mpoyo was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the Pastor and founder of Shalom International Ministry , which is based in Clarkston, perhaps the most ethnically diverse city in the United States. 

Vera White served as the National Coordinator of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement until her retirement in 2018. One addition to her job description turned into an opportunity to lead a nationwide initiative that continues to shape in profound ways the way the church looks in the 21st century.