Keep The Movement Going

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At NEXT Church, we are curious about the ways to embody the work ahead so that we live as the beloved communities we are called to be. It is not about striving for perfection, right answers, solutions, or immediate fixes; we believe it’s about uncovering vulnerable ways to live together and make our faith incarnate everywhere we go.

We come alongside leaders in the Church – church members, ruling elders, youth leaders, educators, pastors, seminarians, and church professionals  – to learn and grow in order to bring a taste of the kin-dom of God here on earth together. This year we held 9 learning circles, 4 coaching cohorts, spoke with 40+ individuals as a part of a season of listening, and gathered 137 people in various roundtable discussions. 

Though founded by a group of pastors from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over 14 years ago, NEXT Church has never been an entity of the denomination. We do not receive annual, denominational funding, rather, we rely on the generosity of our network (individuals, churches, ministries, and organizations) for primary financial support.

While this structure allows us to be nimble so we can accompany others in innovative ways, it means every dollar we receive is necessary to keep NEXT Church going.

You are critical to making this network sustainable. As this year comes to a close, we need you to be a part of the movement at NEXT Church.

  • Provide a financial gift to allow us to close the fiscal year strong.
  • Set up a monthly gift (or increase your gift) to deepen your commitment to the network.
  • Make a pledge for 2024, either as an individual or a church/organization, to enhance our impact in the new year.

There are still approaches to explore, areas to stretch and grow, and ways to impact the world around us. We are excited to see where we will go together.

With Thanksgiving for your Support,

Larrisa Kwong Abazia
Designated Strategic Director

Preaching for Change – Cohort Application Open!

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As a regular preacher in the local congregation, I am increasingly aware of how formative our worship can be, and how many distractions there are that too often prevent Christ’s liberative gospel from taking root and being a catalyst for congregational transformation.

With excitement, I invite you to consider applying to join our new Preaching for Change Initiative. This initiative is designed to accompany Christian leaders through personal and communal growth that is centered on the proclamation of God’s Word.

NEXT Church believes that leading change starts with the cultivation of a deeper personal awareness for both leaders and the communities they serve. This preaching and worship centered initiative:

  • begins with the internal work of preparing the leaders and community for change,
  • builds upon an evaluative practice of accountability to the work we are called to do,
  • creates a collaborative learning environment to move communities toward wholeness.

Applications are due January 7 for self-created cohorts.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Save the Date: The 2024 National Gathering!

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The Church is always called to be on the ground and grounded. Rooted in the needs of others and the yearnings of all Creation, we respond with trust and confidence as people of faith to transform the world around us. This work requires trust, openness, and resiliency.

We also must remember that we do not go on this journey alone. Over and over at NEXT Church, we have heard the deep desire to gather together in one place together. We hope you will save the date for the National Gathering from April 8-11, 2024 in the Metro DC area. Participants will dig deep into a chosen topic alongside a lead practitioner and coach to move toward engagement and application. Registration will open in December.

We will continue our longstanding commitment to connect people across various locations, experiences, and contexts:

  • A January and February Workshop Burst will help to start the year off right. Weekly opportunities focus on different areas, including but not limited to, community organizing skills, storytelling, preaching and worship, and engagement in antiracism work. Participants can register for individual workshops or purchase a pass for all sessions.
  • The Preaching for Change Initiative will open applications for self-created cohorts exploring the ways worship moves the needle toward change and transformation. Applications will open in November.
  • A new antiracism training video series, “Antiracism as a Way of Being,” will become available in early 2024. This updated set of videos will provide foundational understanding and practical application for participants.

Grounded in our faith, the NEXT Church network will journey together by listening deeply, remaining open to new ideas and possibilities, experimenting with the learnings, facing unexpected results and challenges, and leading toward new places we could have never imagined.

Keep an eye out for these opportunities in the coming weeks!

 

On the Journey Together,

Larissa Kwong Abazia

Designated Strategic Director

Town Hall: Update from the Vision Team

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We are encouraged and energized by those who attended our Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, September 28, 2023. NEXT Church leadership shared some updates and we heard from so many of our leaders in the network. Check out what you missed!

Here are some highlights:

  • NEXT Church is refining how we embody our work. This is happening in three ways:
    1. Accompaniment – standing alongside leaders as we all engage in the work of ministry
    2. Co-Creators – creating a space for all to engage
    3. Co-Conspirators/Collaborators – learning from one another and trusting the knowledge in the room
  • Our Preaching for Change initiative has done a lot of listening and had a lot of conversations with others. We hope to launch in November with an invitation for cohorts to apply for the first round. Grab 5-8 colleagues or church members who want to dig into moving your congregation through changes using preaching as a moment of impact. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
  • NEXT Church has a new antiracism resource called “Antiracism as a Way of Being” coming this fall in partnership with Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training.
  • A sub team of the Vision Team has been meeting to consider a National Gathering in this season. We are planning a National Gathering for Spring 2024! Stay tuned!!
  • Please consider supporting NEXT Church with a financial gift, both individually and as a church.

Let Us Journey With You This Fall

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NEXT Church seeks to embody faith in ways which bring about change and impact. We know shifts do not happen without bold intention and faithful leadership. This network of leaders is fertile soil for ideas to take root, leadership skills to grow, and collaborative conversations to shape the future of the Church.

Let us accompany you on your journey toward growth and transformation.

A COHORT FOR PASTORS IN DISCERNMENT

Join other colleagues who have been in ministry for 5+ years and are discerning a shift in their role, setting, or focus – from changing the type or location of ministry, shifting the leadership approach within their current context, to considering retirement. The Cohort begins Thursday, October 5. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

 

A COHORT FOR RULING ELDERS

Ruling Elders are the heartbeat of their congregation and the most effective change-makers within it. Guided by our ordination vows, come join a group of Ruling Elders from across the denomination who are committed to dismantling racism, deepening their leadership skills for the work, and curious about how they might affect change from within a congregation. The Cohort begins Monday, October 2!  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

 

TOWN HALL MEETING THIS THURSDAY!

Join us for a Town Hall meeting this Thursday, September 28 @ 1:00pm EST (10:00am PST). The NEXT Church Vision Team and staff are excited to share what we’ve been discussing, hearing, and discerning over the past few months. We will also answer questions and receive feedback from participants. REGISTER FOR THE LINK

 

JOIN A ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATION

Roundtable Conversations are one hour bursts of generative discussion around a specific topic. Join church leaders from across the country to talk about the things shaping the church and faith today. New conversations are being added all the time. Next up – a conversation around the new Book of Order antiracism policy requirement, a discussion around changing staff models, and an on-going monthly conversation for People of Color.  SIGN UP FOR A CONVERSATION

Thank you for the generous ways this network is supporting the work of NEXT Church. Your support means the world to us in this season! If you’d like to make a donation to help keep NEXT Church sustainable in the next chapter, our team would be most grateful.

 

Larissa Kwong Abazia
Designated Strategic Director

Turning Our Focus Outward

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Like the concentric circles of a stone dropped in water,
an idea,
question,
inquiry,
dream,
vision
…creates ripples. Movement in once still water grows larger while also remaining connected to the initial disruption of the surface. Movement is the way change and transformation are created.

NEXT Church began as a movement over 14 years ago, striving to unleash the potential of gathering Presbyterians from across the country to dream and vision about the future of the Church. As the organization experienced exponential growth, it focused on internal stabilization as its primary solution: staffing and organizational structure, products and services, and brand development.

I believe the outward facing posture of our leadership is the work of NEXT Church in this season. The Vision Team and staff are listening to individuals within our network and the Church, at large. Some of the things we’ve heard:

  • People are tired, even burnt out, but uncertain about how to proceed (or even if they can continue).
  • There is a deep desire to do things differently and a lack of clarity as to what the new paths could be. Several times we have heard there is little energy to explore new approaches.
  • Continued work on NEXT Church’s Race Audit keeps the organization accountable to its own antiracist, anti-oppression work.
  • People value spaces of innovation, connection, and resourcing; many looking to NEXT Church for these opportunities.
  • There is a nimble, experimental space within NEXT Church which allows individuals and organizations to learn/grow in ways institutional structures cannot.
  • Churches, ministries, and individuals are seeking liberative ways to respond to God’s call in their lives.

Inspiration and accountability is in the network, not primarily its organizational structure and leadership. Deep listening centers us in our calling as leaders who seek the transformation of ourselves, our contexts, and the whole world together. This work is ever present and ongoing.

You are a vital part of this movement.
We need you to build the future of NEXT Church. Here’s how:

SUPPORT OUR WORK FINANCIALLY

NEXT Church is at a financial precipice. Our current operating budget is highly streamlined to continue to serve the Church: contract staff and coach payments, website and digital advertising, and tools to keep the network connected. We do not receive annual gifts from agencies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We rely on grants and individual gifts from churches, ministry partners, and individuals. A financial gift, either individually or from your church/organization, will significantly impact the close of 2023 and the continued ministry of NEXT Church. Make a financial gift today.

SHAPE THE NEXT NATIONAL GATHERING

One of the primary ways connections have happened is through annual national gatherings. Members of the Vision Team are planning future gatherings based on feedback from our network. Whether you’ve been several times or simply hope to attend in the future, please take 5 minutes to complete this quick survey.

PARTICIPATE IN THE UPCOMING TOWN HALL

Join us for a Town Hall on Thursday, September 28 from 1-2 pm EST. The NEXT Church Vision Team and staff are excited to share what we’ve been discussing, hearing, and discerning over the past few months. We will also answer questions and receive feedback from participants. To attend, please register for the Zoom link.

 

In the journey alongside you,

Larissa Kwong Abazia
Designated Strategic Director

Grow Deeper this Fall

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At the heart of what we do is a desire to equip leaders for impact. Making sustainable change and meaningful transformation is possible when people gather in accountable community around a common purpose. Looking for a way to deepen your leadership skills while meaningfully connecting with colleagues from across the church? Check out our fall cohorts and register today!

Where Do We Go From Here?

This cohort is for pastors who have been in ministry for 5+ years and are discerning a shift in their role, setting, or focus – from changing the type or location of ministry, shifting the leadership approach within their current context, to considering retirement. Using the metaphor of a journey, this cohort will guide participants through a series of exercises and practices intended to expand the imagination of what is possible, and through one on one coaching create an actionable plan to live into what is next.

Time: Thursdays @1:00-2:30pm ET (10:00-11:30am PT)

Dates: October 5, November 2, December 7, January 4, February 1, March 7

LEARN MORE

Antiracism and the Intersection of our Ordination Vows

Ruling Elders are the heartbeat of their congregation and the most effective change-makers within it. Guided by our ordination vows, come join a group of Ruling Elders from across the denomination who are committed to dismantling racism, deepening their leadership skills for the work, and curious about how they might affect change from within a congregation.

Time: Mondays @ 7:00-8:30pm ET (4:00-5:30pm PT)

Dates: October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, and March 4

LEARN MORE

Enneagram and Leadership

The Enneagram is a personality type system that illustrates the interconnections between nine core archetypes. Each of us comes into life with a personality we use to make our way in the world. Sometimes it works well for us, and at other times we get in our own way. In conversation with the Enneagram, we can celebrate the gifts God has given us, identify our personality challenges, and put deeper self-understanding into action.

Time: Wednesdays @ 2:00-3:30pm ET (11:00am-12:30pm PT)

Dates: September 6, October 4, November 1, December 6, January 3, February 7

LEARN MORE

With Hope and Joy –

Larissa Kwong Abazia

Designated Strategic Director

 

🚨NEW TOPICS ALERT!

Roundtable Conversations are one hour bursts of generative discussion around a specific topic. Several new topics have just been added for the fall. Check them out.

Roundtable Conversations for People of Color begins September 7. Learn more and register for the Zoom link.

Get Connected to the Network

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At NEXT Church, we hope to connect healthy tissue to healthy tissue in order to foster radical and sustainable transformation. This network of leaders is stronger because YOU are here.

Looking for a way to connect to other church leaders, deepening your own health and the health of those around you? Check out these upcoming opportunities and resources…

Roundatable Conversations for People of Color

People of Color are invited to on-going monthly conversations as a place of connection, networking, support, and rest. This space is shaped and led by People of Color for People of Color. Join every month or when your schedule allows.

GET CONNECTED 


Register for a Fall Coaching Cohort

Coaching cohorts are a combination of scheduled group cohorts gathered around a particular topic, along with individual coaching sessions. Cohort meetings and individual coaching sessions are led by trained/certified coaches to help you apply and wrestle with the topic for your particular context and move you towards action.

REGISTER TODAY

Grow Together Through Bible Study

Looking for a resource for an adult education class or small group this fall? The Restoration Bible Study features three church leaders from diverse backgrounds, contexts, and theological lenses who seek to answer the question – What does the Bible say about faithful restoration? The study features 6 short videos with accompanying lesson plans which makes it easy for anyone to lead!

LEARN MORE

Join a Roundtable Conversation

Roundtable Conversations are one hour bursts of generative discussion around a specific topic. Join church leaders from across the country to talk about the things shaping the church and faith today. New conversations are being added all the time. Next up – a conversation around fall planning, braving the ministry burnout, and how to be a true welcoming community for LGBQTIA inclusion.

SIGN UP



May our paths cross soon…

Larissa Kwong Abazia

Designated Strategic Director

Registration for Fall Cohorts is Now Open!

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It is better when we go together.

At its core, NEXT Church is a network of leaders. There is something really powerful that happens when leaders from across the Church gather together in community around a common purpose. Leaders dig deeper. New understandings emerge. Sustainable transformation begins to take shape. Healthy practices take root.

Our exceptional team of trained and certified coaches have designed four cohorts beginning this fall. The topics range from leading change to discerning transitions, from antiracism leadership by ruling elders to personal health through the enneagram. Our coaches will accompany you through group and individual coaching to take what you are learning and support you through actionable next steps, while encouraging you all along the way.

We hope these cohorts are places where information isn’t just absorbed, but instead a laboratory where experiments are welcomed and leadership muscles are strengthened.

Will you join us this fall as we go together?

A cohort is for pastors who have been in ministry for 5+ years and are discerning a shift in their role, setting, or focus.

A cohort to identify natural strengths, develop instinctive capacities, learn approaches to conflict awareness, and communicate effectively.

A cohort just for Ruling Elders (past and present) who are committed to dismantling racism and deepening their leadership skills.

A cohort for teams of pastors and church members drawing from community organizing, systems theory, and adaptive leadership practices to lead for change.

REGISTER FOR A COHORT TODAY

 

Grateful to be on the journey with you…

Jen James

Program and Operations Director

Announcing our New Preaching for Change Coordinator!

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The Preaching for Change Initiative invites church leaders to engage in the power of worship and preaching to celebrate our radical call as people of faith. Our goal is to inspire individuals and faith communities to transform their surrounding neighborhoods and even the whole world.

Over the past two months, the Hiring Team (consisting of Shani McIlwain, Susan Thornton, Jen James, and Larissa Kwong Abazia) has been blessed to talk with many qualified candidates for the Preaching for Change Coordinator position. They have inspired us and stretched us. The discernment of the team weighed many factors while focusing on who was the right candidate for this particular rebuilding season of NEXT Church. On behalf of the Hiring Team, we are pleased to announce our new Coordinator for the Preaching for Change initiative! Watch the video below to learn more.



JOIN US!

You are invited to join the conversation as we build this initiative. Check out some of the options below and keep up to date on our website.

Join the new Coordinator for two conversations happening in July. One conversation is for Pastors and one is for Ruling Elders. Reserve your spot in the Zoom room today.


Join a cohort for teams of pastors and church members drawing from community organizing, systems theory, and adaptive leadership practices to lead for change. Registration opens June 20.

 

With Hope —

Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia
Designated Strategic Director