New forms of church

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Before the pandemic, members of the church and others gathered in the Rev. Jessica Ketola's home for meals and worship. Although meals and other activities are on pause, worship still takes place on Zoom. Photos courtesy of The Practicing Church

Congregations, New forms of church, Innovation, Congregational innovation

The Practicing Church in Shoreline, Washington, seeks to live out its faith in the neighborhood

Borrowing from the Roman Catholic tradition of the parish, the pastor of a Vineyard house church focuses on serving the geographical area in which the church is located.

Windsor Jones and Country pause for a moment at the Common Soles clinic hosted by Church of the Common Ground, where Jones washed Country's feet. Photos by Branden Camp

Congregations, New forms of church, Innovation, Congregational innovation

A church without walls offers unconditional acceptance to people who are homeless

Church of the Common Ground, an Episcopal congregation in Atlanta, avoids the usual attempts to “fix” people who are living on the streets. Instead, it seeks to be a living witness of love and compassion.

Latino Protestants are an increasingly visible presence in our nation’s religious life. Who is this vital new religious bloc? iStock / Abalcazar

Congregations, New forms of church, Reconciliation, Racial & ethnic

Gerardo Marti and Mark T. Mulder: More than a fiesta -- variety and diversity among Latino Protestants in the U.S.

Latino Protestants in the U.S. -- like Latinos in general -- are an extraordinarily diverse, complex and multifaceted group, two sociologists say. A failure to understand this rich complexity can lead to troubling stereotyping.

The Kusanya Cafe in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago was established five years ago by a partnership that included Canaan Community Church. Photo courtesy of Kusanya Cafe

Innovation, Congregational innovation, Congregations, New forms of church

Jonathan Brooks: Sometimes the church needs to follow and partner with others

The pastor of an inner-city Chicago church shares how he and his congregation have changed the way they work in their neighborhood -- and how that has changed the community itself.

With Malcolm Smith on banjo and Mac Traynham on guitar, Appalachian music is a central part of worship at Wild Goose Christian Community Church in Floyd County, Virginia. Photos by Stephanie Klein-Davis

 

Innovation, Congregational innovation, Congregations, New forms of church

PCUSA faith community takes flight, celebrating Appalachian music and culture

Tuesday services, rockers for pews, a Mason jar chalice and mountain music -- Wild Goose Christian Community is an alternative faith community that celebrates local Appalachian culture.

After years of struggling to keep up its 1928 building, the congregation of First Christian Church of Oakland decided to make it a center for nonprofits working for peace. Photos courtesy of Oakland Peace Center

Congregations, Buildings, New forms of church, Innovation

A tiny congregation with a big building is resurrected as a center for peace

Concerned about violence in their city, members of a declining church in Oakland shifted focus, redefined its ministry and invited nonprofit service agencies to work together as the Oakland Peace Center.

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