204. How to Cultivate Presence in Your Community, with Tim Soerens, author of Everywhere You Look

Spiritual Life and Leadership

Would your neighborhood even notice if your church ceased to exist? I imagine that’s a question many of us have thought about. Maybe you’ve even posed that question to your congregation.
Maybe the question should be, as churches, how do we become more present to our neighborhood.? That’s what I talk about in this episode with my guest, Tim Soerens, the author of Everywhere You Look: Discovering the Church Right Where You Are.
Tim walks us through his shift from wanting to be a big church pastor to learning what it means to truly embody the Christian narrative in our neighborhoods. And he helps us better understand the concept of a parish and what it means to have a “minimum viable presence” in your community.
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Tim Soerens emphasizes the need to listen and understand the specific hopes and dreams God has for both communities and individuals.
• He advises on discerning how to actively address the particular needs and challenges within a neighborhood or parish.
• The conversation delves into determining a parish's boundaries, considering factors like centers of activity, edges, and resident affiliation.
• Soerens notes the complexities in identifying a parish in suburban and rural settings, influenced by architectural designs and local governance.
• Markus Watson discusses the varied needs of communities in serving their neighborhoods effectively.
• Tim Soerens suggests congregations often comprise multiple parishes, sparking discussion on discerning their locations.
• Soerens introduces the idea of a 'minimum viable presence' for church experimentation, akin to the business concept of a 'minimum viable product.'
• He highlights the value of small, experimental initiatives to understand better what works in community outreach.
• The discussion encourages involving others in these small experiments and celebrating the courage it takes to try new approaches.
• They stress the freedom to experiment without the fear of failure, emphasizing that each community requires a tailored approach.
• Soerens recommends starting outreach efforts with curiosity, prayer, and involving others in experimental activities.
• Tim Soerens shares insights into The Parish Collective's mission and upcoming events, inviting listeners to connect.
• He recounts a pivotal interaction with Michael Frost that steered him away from preaching-centric community formation to joining what God is already doing.
• The conversation touches on the formation of The Parish Collective, which encourages congregations to align their ecclesial life around joining God's work.
• Soerens advocates for a vision of the church that transcends Sunday services, focusing instead on being actively involved in God's hopes and dreams for neighborhoods.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Parish Collective Website
• Books Mentioned:
  • Everywhere You Look, by Tim Soerens
• Related episodes:
  • Episode 129: Recalibrating the Church Around Jesus, with Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch Episode 185: From Sunday Services to Real Transformation, with E.K. Strawser
  • Episode 177: Exploring New Forms of Church, with Shannon Kiser
  • Episode 191: Thriving Church Leadership in Uncertain Times, with Heather James

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