Rebecca Anderson grew up Evangelical, but as a young adult, she didn’t consider herself a religious person.
That didn’t mean she didn’t dip her toes in the waters of different communities of faith.
And then she attended a local church in Boston at the suggestion of a fellow non-religious friend, which changed her life. In fact, she describes the experience as her day of Pentecost.
Continue reading “There is a Balm in Chicago”
Michelle Beech lives and works in Spartanburg, South Carolina. In her words, that’s not where she’s from, but that’s where God has her now.
Due to her father’s career as a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she’s lived all over the United States. So it’s fitting that her new community of faith, Ekklesia Global, has people joining their video calls from across the country and across the world.
Continue reading “Finding a path to God with Ekklesia Global”
Rev. Dr. Louis Threatt never thought he’d be a pastor.
But that changed when he became a prison chaplain in North Carolina, where he noticed a disconnect between church and prison.
In a recent video call with New Church Ministry, Rev. Dr. Louis tells us that there’s both a lack of prison ministries and congregations doing prison ministry well.
Continue reading “What a congregation for those impacted by incarceration can teach the church about welcoming all”
New Church Ministry’s interview with Rev. Orlando Scott started later than expected.
As a chaplain at Northside Hospital in Lawrenceville and Duluth, Ga., he had just spent time in comfort care with a dying patient and her boyfriend, who had been brought down from another floor. Rev. Orlando is busy turning on lamps in his office to improve the dull clinical lighting and apologizing for his tardiness when he joins our video call.
Even though we ask if he wants to reschedule, Rev. Orlando replies that it isn’t a problem, this is everyday life for him and his colleagues, including the intern who pops into the room to confirm his patient’s death.
Continue reading “Navigating death, intimacy, and the palpable nature of online church with Rev. Orlando Scott”
The New Church Ministry team met Rev. Debbie Griffin, the Senior Minister of Downtown Disciples, last summer at General Assembly (GA). Since the pastor’s congregation is based in Des Moines, IA, it offered worship services, hosted pre-assembly activities for general ministries, prepared a meal for regional ministers, and chaired the local GA mission committee.
All of that as a new church planted in 2015.
To celebrate the culmination of the 2020 Vision goal to form 1,000 congregations within the first two decades of the 21st Century, we spoke with Rev. Debbie about Downtown Disciples.
Continue reading “Doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly together in Des Moines”