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NEXT → PLAY

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NEXT → PLAY 
Integrating ministry practice through improvisation

Date: Wednesday, March 15-Thursday, March 16—noon to noon

Facilitator: Lisa Kays, LICSW—Licensed Clinical Social Worker, improv instructor and improviser

Wrap up your time at the NEXT Church National Gathering with an additional day of debriefing, learning, and play! We know the “church that is becoming” will be flexible, dynamic, and agile. Improv can be an indispensable tool for leaders as we step into God’s future for the PC(USA).

Lisa Kays has worked with groups of clergy and mental health professionals in the Washington DC area, helping them approach their work with creativity, collaboration, and vision. Lisa will help us process what we’ve experienced at the National Gathering and give us tools for our work back home. And we’ll have lots of fun as well! No experience in improv necessary—just a willingness to come and say “yes” to a little bit of play.

Lisa will be joined by Paul Vasile, a freelance church musician, consultant, and composer based in New York City. Paul will be offering workshops at the National Gathering, and we’re excited to have him stay on to help lead NEXT → PLAY.

This event is a grassroots effort spearheaded by MaryAnn McKibben Dana, a member of NEXT Church’s strategy team. Thanks to a generous grant from an anonymous donor, cost for participants is just $75, plus meals and the additional night’s lodging.

How to register:

  1. Secure your lodging for Wednesday night! NEXT Church’s negotiated rates are still in effect, but rooms may be limited.
  2. Register on Eventbrite (please note this is a separate registration page from the National Gathering. That registration info is here).
  3. (Optional but recommended) Join the Theology of Improv Facebook group to connect with other folks interested in theology, ministry and the spiritual life.
    See you in Kansas City!

NEXT → PLAY Planning Team
Ryan Bradney, First Presbyterian Church, Winchester KY
MaryAnn McKibben Dana, free-range pastor, Reston VA
LeAnn Hodges, Oaklands Presbyterian Church, Laurel MD
Chris Keating, Woodlawn Chapel Presbyterian Church, Wildwood MO
David Westerlund, Tierra Nueva, Burlington WA

Yes, And…

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This month, our blog series is actually a vlog series – a video blog, that is! We’re calling it “The NEXT Few Minutes.” Over the next several weeks, we’ll share with you short, 2-3 minute videos from a variety of folks around the country with the hopes they spark your own imagination. We hope you’ll learn about some trends, ask questions, and think deeply about the practice of ministry in your own setting.

MaryAnn McKibben Dana, pastor and writer, reflects on the intersections between the improv concept of “yes, and…” and the church. What is the “and” in your own context? How might you apply this basic tenet of improv to your own ministry setting? Join the conversation by commenting on this blog post or on our Facebook/Twitter pages!

To see all of our videos in our “The NEXT Few Minutes” series, check out our playlist on Youtube.