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5 Questions with Jeff Krehbiel

This series highlights participants at the national gathering in Minneapolis on March 31st – April 2nd, 2014. Presenters, preachers, teachers, and leaders were asked the same five questions and their thoughtful responses may be found here every week. The goal is to introduce you to people you’ll hear from in Minneapolis and prime the pump for our time together. Hopefully, something here will spark an idea, thought, or question for you. We encourage you to reach out and initiate conversations that you can later continue in person. 

Jeff Krehbiel is one of the Paracletos coaches who will be co-leading a workshop on the learnings thus far in this church revitalization project.

5 questions

1.     Tell us about your ministry context.

Church of the Pilgrims is a small, historic, largely young adult congregation in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC, with a long history of social justice, and a recent history of creative worship.

2.     Where have you seen glimpses of “the church that is becoming”?

In Epiphany, we asked four members of our congregation to preach, telling their own journey of faith and vocation. They were beautiful and awe-inspiring. It’s only when pastors get out of the way that liturgy truly becomes the work of the people.

3.     What are your passions in ministry? (And/or what keeps you up at night?)

My passion is helping people discover their own agency—as leaders, as citizens, as disciples.

4.     What is one thing you are looking forward to at the NEXT Gathering?

Being inspired by great stories of churches doing bold things, and being with beloved colleagues (OK, that’s two things).

5.     Describe NEXT Church in seven words or less.

Living into the church that is becoming.

Got Seven Minutes? That’s Enough Time to Ignite What’s NEXT

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By MaryAnn McKibben Dana

Our 2014 National Gathering has a variety of great stuff planned—keynote speakers, testimonies, workshops, and plenty of time for informal conversations with friends, colleagues and the conference leadership. We recognize that great ideas get transmitted in a variety of formats: long-form theological reflection, storytelling, small-group discussion… and this year for the first time, in seven minute bursts of inspiration.

Introducing Ignite, a new feature of the NEXT National Gathering in which ten participants at the gathering—that’s people like you—will give quick, tight, thought-provoking presentations designed to spark imaginations and get people dreaming and scheming about the church that is becoming.

We’ve scheduled two slots for Ignite, with five presentations on Tuesday morning and five on Wednesday morning. Ignite presentations will be seven minutes long, strictly and light-heartedly enforced. Dig around on other Ignite websites (or Pecha Kucha, a similar format) to see how others have done it. (You’re free to use images that auto-advance, in the spirit of other Ignite/Pecha Kucha events, but we’re not requiring it.)

Got an idea you feel called to offer to the conference? Want to raise some provocative questions for reflection? What’s your angle on this movement we call the NEXT Church?

Email maryannmcdana@gmail.com by Friday, February 21 with the following:

  • a brief bio
  • a description of your idea/topic
  • any blog posts or links you have that would help flesh out your proposal (optional)
  • availability to present on Tuesday or Wednesday of the conference (all attempts will be made to accommodate folks who can only come for part of the conference)

We will select Ignite presentations by the end of February, giving you a month to create your content and whittle it down to seven compelling minutes. Decisions will be made based on the quality of the proposal and diversity of topics presented. Scheduled speakers are ineligible for Ignite.

We’ve already got some great topics in the works: young adults and the NEXT Church, how congregations connect in a post-denominational world, and some “theological speculation” in which John Calvin engages with NEXT.

What will you add to this list? Help us Ignite what’s NEXT.


mamdMaryAnn McKibben Dana is co-chair of NEXT Church, a pastor, and author of Sabbath in the Suburbs: A Family’s Experiment with Holy Time. Connect with her at her blog, The Blue Room, or sign up for her newsletter.

“Hope” photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography via photopin cc

2014 National Gathering

Register TODAY for the 2014 NEXT Church National Gathering!

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In this era of change and uncertainty, we trust that God is leading us into the future. God desires us to seek the welfare of the all the various places God has planted us – from the sky-scrapers of Minneapolis to rural areas to university towns. The 2014 National Gathering explores conversations on Leadership, Creativity, and Culture. Worship will orient us toward God’s creative, disorienting, forward-looking movement among us.

March 31-April 2, 2014

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Minneapolis, MN

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you • Jeremiah 29:7

Registration is available now. Click here to register!

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Download the flyer here.

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