Church

Have you considered becoming a part of the NEXT church community?

You may not know this about me, but I am currently working at a federated American Baptist and United Church of Christ Church as a Presbyterian USA Pastor. I love living into this interdenominational reality. Trying to figure out what we have in common of One Baptism, One Table, One Christ. I find it beautiful. I think one of the best places that prepared me for this ministry is NEXT Church

It is probably not a coincidence that I became a board member about the same time I started my ministry at Emmanuel Friedens–the Holy Spirit knows what she is doing.

Anyway I am about to talk about some of the movement of NEXT church and why I think you should come, but we also offer free roundtables https://nextchurch.net/roundtable-conversations/, coaching, a Preaching Cohorts–the one for POC who are in majority white congregations called “Still We Preach” is especially unique and worth checking out https://nextchurch.net/preaching-for-change/cohorts/–and more https://nextchurch.net.

NEXT Church is one of those spaces that continues to transition as time goes on. I have been attending NEXT for about 13 years. It is a place that continues to wrestle with the questions of what it means to be the church today—but uniquely it does this with hope and joy and for the church at all levels. The mantra NEXT church is trying to live into is that it is better together, therefore anyone who is involved at NEXT church at any level is NEXT church. We are NEXT church. It is more of a movement than an institution.

It certainly felt that way when at NEXT church that the ramification of the Gay marriage amendment passing broke. I’ll never forget that day—Diana Butler Bass was speaking. I was sitting up in the balcony, and we all got text alerts about it. No one was able to hear a word about what she was saying, because the news was so exciting. I was livetweeting the conference and asked if someone was going to interrupt her and announce the news. NEXT church is kind of laid-back, so it seemed hard for anyone in the hall to break in. Finally, I realized I was in a good position. I raised my hand and said “Excuse me Diana, I hate to interrupt, but we just got the news that gay marriage was ratified for our denomination can marry, and we are all distracted by the good news, everyone can marry.” Diana said, “Congratulations, this Episcopalian, welcomes you.” Note this delightful interdenominational interaction! And the entire hall erupted in applause. More Light and Covenant Network had planned a reception for that that evening and what had initially meant to be a small gathering practically the entire conference came out to celebrate, many of them ordering “the Presbyterian” which the bartenders no doubt quickly learned how to make.

NEXT church is not place for clergy to gather at the mountaintop and go just in hope. It is trying to meet all of the congregation as we figure out this thing of if the church is not existing as it is now, what then will it be? That is what the Already Not Yet national gathering of Next is coming together to contemplate—not to provide all of the answers, but to give time and space to be the church together, both now and for the future. The pathways are for all people doing all the work that is the church, because this is who we are.

If you have had a conversation with me about the greater church you have probably heard me say “I’m excited about where the church is going.’ It seems like a strange thing to say at this time, but the church was and is always meant to be a movement for the marginal, it was never meant to be for the rich and powerful. Right now people don’t go to the small town church for prestige or honor. The people who come are attracted by community and through a hunger for something more. We are the church together, God is planting the seeds so that we can be enough of a movement to do God’s work in the world. The buildings and pews are just dressing, the people are the heart of God’s love.

That something more is what is being addressed by the current Pathways for Next Church. There is the self explanatory Community Organizing, One about the Goals of your ministry called: More Than Good Intentions, there is the much in demand Communal Trauma track, there is the one I think I’m going to land on Art as Trauma (my mom and I had a long discussion that she forgot that writing was art), and NEXT church’s pathway about measuring progress other than through membership and money (or butts and bucks) called Cultivated Ministry. I hope you consider joining me in November 11-14th in Grand Rapids, MI. The cost is $499 and includes some meals. If you do not have a Continuing Ed budget, it is reduced to $299. There is a hotel deal as well and of course if you convince a friend to come, you can share a room. If you do not have young children like me, perhaps you can drive out and reduce costs more. The information is here https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/

Thanks
Katy Stenta

Aka “KatyandtheWord” NEXT Church Board member

Accessible God

My God is the Immigrant God
The son of a slave
(I’m sorry do we usually translate Mary as a servant?)
The God of the found Family
the God of Queer Joseph
prancing around
in their lady’s cloak..
coat of many colors

God sees and hears the trauma
In the stories and sees the perspectives
we miss
Holding our hand
as we untangle the narrative
that we need to hear
Helping us to
get to a place of
true sanctuary
community
and Shalom: wholeness, defragmentation, peace

Our God is the accessible God
not contained to Jerusalem
Ephraim
God can be worshipped anywhere
even in
Samaria

And so God says–remember
I am the immigrant God

And when David says
Solomon says
humans say
I’ll build you a building
God says
Why would
I
EVER
Want to be
Contained in that

I’m really glad we listened to you on that one

Our God is the expanding God
The one who turns the “bad Moabites” sterotype
on it’s head with Ruth
The one who contrasts the evil people from Uz
with blameless Job
the one who shows the wholeness of personhood
Of foreigners and eunuchs
(God of immigrants)
with the magi and the baptistism of the African Eunuch
And the Samaritans, those neighbors too like the Hebrews
become “Good” in the neighbor parable of Jesus

“THE BIBLE IS CLEAR: Moabites are bad. They were not allow to dwell among God’s people (Dt. 23) BUT THEN comes the story of “Ruth the MOabit” which challenges the predjudices against Moabites. THE BIBLE IS CLEAR: People from Uz are evil (Jer. 25) BUT THEN comes the story of Job a man from Uz who was the “most blameless man on earth.” THE BIBLE IS CLEAR: No foreigners or eunuchs allowed (Dt. 23) BUT THEN comes the story of an African eunuch welcomed into the church (Acts 8). : God’s people hated Samaritans BUT THEN Jesus tells a story that show snot all Samaritans are bad. THE STORY MAY BEGIN with prejudice, discrimintaitono and animosity, but the Spirit moves God’s people towards openness, inclusion, acceptance and affirmation.

God is a protest God
who sends yelling Prophets
and Fighting Judges of Justice
and Well Endowed Women to back
Jesus and his disciples

God is many things
a mover
a shaker
a creator
an artist
someone helping those
in the corner of your eye

Affirming the full personhood
of all those you meet

What God is not is
a Kingmaker
A wealthproducer
An institution creator
a power propper

The Divine has no interest in
human machinations
they are but
wisps
and string
Unimportant

God is interested in
how people
and relationships will flourish
Giving life and personhood
to all….
Moving in
Unexpected ways
(Which is probably why
we think the Divine is so mystery)

Thank God
for that!

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

*with thanks to Aemina Razzina for her book and discussions about “Healing Together” to help inspire this prayer https://www.everand.com/book/813879316/Healing-Together-Trauma-Informed-Care-for-Spiritually-Integrated-Communities

Throw Jesus Off the Cliff

Some days
God
I feel like
we are throwing
Jesus
off a cliff

I feel like
we hear the words of prophecy
that say
Make things easier
help those in need

It is amongst the cacophony
of “Masculinity” “Capitalism”
and “Christian Nationalism”

Do you hear it under the cries for
Nazareth First?

Jesus says: I am here for the immigrant widow,
the strangers,
the broken,
the disabled,
the weird,
the LGBTQIA,
and the strange

I feel like
when we hear the echo
of Jesus’s voice
Calling us
to do the hard work
of the gospel

that when Jesus walks with us
and says
you are correct
Christianity
is not
about success

We have to sit down
and say
what is life about then

and many people
throw Christianity
leadership
Jesus
or whatever out

Why do we do this worship
thing
If it isn’t about that anyway?

Sometimes I want to put out posters
Come to church
We do brokenness
really well

Come to worship
We are bad at community

Join us Sunday
We have had to practice
for 2,000 years and are
still getting power dynamics
wrong

Put your faith not in
princes
power
and principalities

But the dandelion
still bloomed
A perfect
Weed
spreading
Wishies
for children
to blow
in the yard

I treasure God
calling me
a dandelion
full of
seeds
and
Wishes

Image: A child, in a red coat, you happily cannot tell their gender, drawing butterfly and heart) out of a giant dandelion (like making a wish). Image sourced from https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/child-blowing-dandelion-with-heart-star-sketch_587981-17165.jpg

Practice focusing on God
practice community
practice honesty
exercise everyday–not
because you will win any races
But because walking together
is the journey

And some days
I too want to throw Jesus off the cliff
Because it’s clear
I still don’t get it

And then Jesus floats back
and hugs me
Because
it never was about
perfection
in the first place

But the moments of
beauty
community
laughter
still count

Thank God
for that

Amen

Feel free to use/share Adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka KatyandtheWord

I think the Church is a Teenager

Throughout all the many beautiful metaphors for the church
from bride
to Phyllis Tickle’s rummage sale

I thinking of the church
as a teenager

When I say the church, I mean of course the amorphous cloud of saints,
where it is hard to say who is in or who is out, but somehow contains the multitude of faith
trying,
practicing and
sometimes even succeeding to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.

Here is the Church, thinking it knows how to be mature, and all grown up. Thinking it knew what it meant to be together, thinking it understood everything–when

Boom, the place in society shifted,
Or society itself shifted
(probably both)
who the church was, what the church wanted to be, even who the church was hanging out with proved to be….. not really false, just not as authentic as the church wanted it to be.

It seemed….to not fit anymore

I mean did we really think that cozying up to institutionalism? buildings and nationalism was a good idea?
The answer is yes, yes of course, we thought fitting in was the answer.
It was so nice to have everyone flocking to our doors, Sabbath off, and people listen.

It’s always nice to feel heard.

Here we are all awkward again, and the church its body is doing weird, unspeakable things that we do not understand

I say this as the parent of a teen who
wanted a Halloween costume
Sat before Halloween (which is on Thurs)
then didn’t want to go trick-or-treating (as of Tues)
Then
Last Min
Realized that meant the costume was useless
Could I please help them assemble and dress in costume
And drive them to the Halloween event
That was going on at the high school RIGHT NOW on Weds
(never mind that dinner was just being served)
then they stayed for 15mins, and everyone saw them
And there was nothing else to do
So naturally
They called me
As I rolled in the driveway
To be picked back up

The church is a little uncertain
as to what is going to happen next
And what to wear
What to do
When everything was so certain before
We had five year plans
and programs
and even Building extensions
And now everything just seems hard!
What are our goals and purpose
And how are we even going to do them
If everything has to be different?

And our job is not to save the church
Not to take over, but let its find its way
To hold hand
like my three teenagers
and to say wow
Its so hard, when Two things are so true

Two Things (Both things)

That the angst is
real
understandable and scary
and change is really,
really hard
And no I’m not sure how everything is going to turn out in the end

that I trust that everything will turn out ok
because–because I believe in you, and you have good roots.

There are good teachings
models of behaviors out there

Because, mistakes and missteps are not all there is to life
Because just because you try some fad on

Like thinking Praise music, Projectors, or just getting enough young families is going to save us

Or putting our buildings on the covers of the bulletins
Or that only white men are the legitimate preachers (sometimes married sometimes single)
Or that we need to keep the four hundred and ninety seven million buildings to keep being the body of Christ–I mean heaven knows how many sparkles and chokers I wore in the nineties, and I still love my big earrings–

I truly love how spiritual conversations weave their way more naturally, more (w)holistically* throughout life these days.

God knows
just like any parent
There are probably more awkward phases
for us to go through

After all what’s a couple of thousand years
or So
In God’s Calendar Anyway?
We are just starting to Grow up!

Teenagers know what’s real
what’s authentic
Into the latest fad
because teenagers figuring out identity
it is developmentally appropriate for teens to be hungry to express themselves,
except when they are too depressed or angsty to do so.

The church is trying to find itself
It feels like we are the outcast at the party–
Christianity used to be cool, but it isn’t anymore

However, we, like most teenagers,
haven’t figured it all out yet

I will confess, I feel much more at home in the marginal church
than the up and coming popular one
However, I can understand what it feels like to ache to be wanted
to be at the center of things
to want to sparkle for a moment

I have teens who all want that moment in their lives
to know they are able to shine, but are struggling

The gift of church right now though
The people who are here,
Want to be here,
because we love it

We
Want to be here
We have no hanger ons
No fakers
Very few power seekers (though a couple of bullies sneak in)
There is not much money in the church**
People who are at church
Want to be here

We know that the Church sings to them
in some weird way
And we are angsty, because we want to express that
with everyone else.

It’s hard to be a teenager
Some of us haven’t been one for years
And wouldn’t go back if you paid us
However
a lot of us
are good at remembering
How to hold one another’s hands
And saying
Things will be ok

We don’t know what we are growing up to be
yet
What will take shape
Where it will go
What it will even look like

It may not even be our job
to make it happen
(is that scary or comforting?
Probably depends upon the day)
But it will be brilliant
We are quite sure
God will walk us
all the way there.

Resource List: (I feel like I should list nothing or everything here, so I just put 2 small resources to get started, maybe I’ll edit and add more)

Small Church Data: https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/6-ways-forward-for-very-small-congregations/

Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property TransitionBy Mark Elsdon, Foreword by Willie James Jennings, https://www.cokesbury.com/9780802883247-Gone-for-Good

*I love holistic with a w, it imbues it with a meaning of natural, whole and in my mind it carries with it an inclusive meaning. Permitting us to include all those things that we find helpful science, nature, spiritual, emotional meanings instead of trying to separate them out.

**Again there are exceptions, but as a whole the church has fallen so much in power that most churches are small and there are few opportunities for big money or power in church.

Feel free to share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Zits - Teenager Comic Strips | The Comic Strips

Zits Comic by Scott and Borgman: Jeremy: Mom do you have a phone book? Mom (getting it from the drawer): Sure right over here. Pierce: NO WAY!” Mom: Aren’t you going to take it? Jeremy: Naw. It was just a bet. Pierce: Now ask her if she still uses a landline Comic found at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/450219293983937704/

God here’s a prayer for the church
The messy, institutional church
The one that is dying
The one that is full of too many rules and regulations
and buildings
and other things

Here’s a prayer for this greater church
That I grew up in
and love, and still think
can transform things

I have seen a million churches
God

And through these imperfect vessels
I have witnessed
tears
births

Children giggling in pews
and holy silences

“I don’t worry about the church”

I say God,
And you know,
that most days
I actually mean it

I can love this imperfect thing
even as it is changing to something new
Here’s a prayer for the church
that raised me
and is changing into something
unrecognizable

like a new dawn after a storm

like a movement

Here’s a prayer for church
a thing that happens
in parking lots
breakfasts
phone calls and hugs

May we not get caught up
in “saving it”

That was never our job anyway
And instead catch glimpses of it along the way
I pray

Amen.

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Community and PCUSA Insurance Changes

This is about the PCUSA insurance changes

Book of Order E-1.0301

The Church is the body of Christ. Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world (1 Cor. 12:27–28):

The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.

The Church is to be a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things. The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.

***

Today the Board of Pensions released its plan to charge churches and pastors insurance according to the cost of plans.

Constitutionally, every installed pastor has to be covered by insurance, but not

retired pastors
uninstalled pastors
pastor’s spouses
pastor’s children
temporary pastors
pastors between calls

so the plan charges $10,000-$20,000 more, unless you are a big steeple church, then you are excused from some of the costs–there is a still a cap on the maximum you have to pay
(because it makes little difference, which is irking in so many ways).

Throughout the listening sessions, BOP exhorted pastors to trust their churches, but the reality is many churches cannot afford to pay more.

And many pastors can afford their call only because of the superior health coverage that is given them.

Many young pastors, especially women (the healthiest quotient) will walk.

I bet many more People of Color..

those who are already discriminated against will be moreso
I attended most of the Town Halls, BOP argued both that discrimination is already happening, and that everything will be ok.

They said that few people will be affected, and that they cannot afford to care for the retirees, the spouses and the children.

But our pensions are fine (I must admit if I hear my so called pension, which I will probably never reach, is fine one more time, I might scream) since I first started ministry, when I could not afford food for my children, or the housing, when I was poverty stricken, and negotiating every cent I made, I was assured over and over again, but my pension is fine. Great, wonderful, what about Maslow’s principles of human needs?

Plus at the moment the retirement medical plan Humana is not accepted at either of our local hospitals, which is pretty ridiculous.

I will admit, as a pastor I cannot understand how we are not rallying for single-payer healthcare. I held so many congregants hands who have told me the health aid didn’t show up. Fielded the phone calls from couples who could not physically take care of one another but could not get in to a nursing home, talked to children who did not know what to do with parents, driven people to doctor’s appointments because they literally had no one else to do it.

How are we not on the frontlines of this?

For our congregations, our part times staffs, and ourselves?

When I assess the BOP, it feels like they are not doing their job
often they admit that they will not do as directed by General Assembly–they do not follow the dictates of the Constitution to live in community even at the risk of themselves.

Even though it is our core belief.

When asked outright if they approached other denominations to team up more closely. (We already cooperate on some level with some denominations.)

They admitted they did not.

When asked if they pursued more creative Co-op options, one that might include congregants (which would take restructuring but would that not be amazing?) or even just to be more creative in our leveraging, one of which my best friend, who is a real estate agent found one and is participating in.

They said they did not.

The sum of their research suggested sharing pulpits–which is a good and sound suggestion; one we have been doing for hundreds of years as a denomination.

When one takes in the exorbitant salaries of the top BOP officials, who participate in our healthcare–capped of course–it calls into question, did they do their jobs?

When small scrappy churches are required to risk everything for Christ and figure out how to creatively survive every year, month and day.

When pastors sacrifice a lot to be in ministry, and yes have the privilege of good healthcare, in this admittedly white collar job.

I predict a lot of young ministers leave ministry as a result, a lot of people with families and children, particularly women (ironically this is the healthiest quotient in insurance: young, women).

Perhaps ministry is changing, perhaps healthcare will no longer be a part of the job, but if that is the case, then equity still needs to be a part of the discussion, because we are a community of Christ first. We are risking all of this because we believe in community, equity and love.

At least that is why I’m doing this church thing.

Maybe we all need to not be installed and start over; even though installation a (I believe) used first to describe pastors wayyy before it was used to describe stoves and video games

However, I think we need to keep working to make things more fair, not less.

I believe in E-1.0301
I am doing my best to live into it. To not accept that “this is the only way” to know that the Kin(g)dom calls us to imagine a better world, and then to live creatively into it.

I will not leave others behind along the way. I will continue to learn about equity, inclusion and love.

I am aware this is not all bad for everyone, however I still feel like there are better ways to do all of this. See also: Who is communicating all of these changes and bearing the brunt of this work in the church community (that feels like a whole different article).

PS the menu option is great, and progress and I like it.

By Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Dues Package published by the BOP is here

Advent Day 4: Prepare ye…

Ah God
Lord Almighty
Creator of all things

I love the art of an unspecified pronoun
When it is said
Prepare Ye the way of the Lord
the implication is perhaps us

But, maybe not–maybe it is you who is preparing
Or maybe it is a Ye/We kind of thing
A royal you, an authorial you
One where the narrator says Ye–but means everyone

Because you know, I know. God
Not how to straighten paths, knock down mountain
or exalt any mountains
And though accessibility is totally my thing
literally, physically and spiritually
(Prepare Ye, can you hear the echo in your soul?)

I have a feeling the Kin-dom will
change the landscapes in ways I’ve not yet dreamed

All I know God is that I am not prepared
We think preparations are one thing
(money, power, war)
And from the way you entered the world
and the way I feel the echoes of Preparation in my heart..

You are the one who is going to have to lay the groundwork
Prepare Ye
the way
of the
Lord

More than hot takes…

If you want to know why pastors are leaving ministry
There’s a lot of people to compassionately ask—but don’t do it the minute they are leaving maybe?
If the PCUSA wanted to do a study (which are are renowned for) we could, but a study is just the beginning of the work…

I personally asked around during Covid and 30-40 PCUSA pastors told me very personal, very heartfelt stories about why they were leaving ministry.

I carry them in my heart and pray for them a lot because I want them to be happy where they are 🙂 (I realize I should clarify this) and some of them need healing and some of them might come back but only a couple and only if it’s right. After almost every conversation I affirmed every person’s choice to leave, because of course they were doing the right thing for them.

And of course every SINGLE person had legitimate huge, really hard, personal reasons for leaving that made the choice really valid and really tough.

But maybe it doesn’t have to be this way.

Maybe it does. Maybe ministry is a dying profession no matter what.

However, if we wanted to change the way pastors are paid and supported we could. Pay and congregational support/treatment were the two most named reasons. (Status due to gender, race and sexuality were also huge).

I still am hoping we will. Because I bet it will help the church to change into the justice bearing entity the way it needs to be.

Either way, I’m glad we are starting the conversation.

Era, A Prayer

It’s the end of an era

God, you know it and I know it.

Doors are slamming shut;

some of us have had our fingers pinched in them,

some of us have breathed sighs of relief at the ensuing silence afterwards.

It’s the end of an era–

We have not entered post-pandemic, post-capitalism, or post-racism

sadly

but we are post-something.

It’s the end of the world as we knew it,

Apocalypses continue to unfold, and Some of us are wringing our hands,

while other of us breathe in the fresh air

while others of us get to work (finally).

Jesus is this how it felt in the world of Acts?

With the politics all whirly, and no one knowing who they belonged to anymore?

And the things being torn down seemingly at random?

Is this why people fought over whether they belonged to Paul or Apollos

or Trump or Biden?

How was the church built in that era of chaos?

How did the the Lydias and Tabithas do it?

As people ask why things are different,

I laugh

Because you know God, that mostly

things are the same,

People have just finally noticed.

God walk with us as we enter this new era–

you’ve been with us so far.

Amen.

Feel Free to use/adapt/Share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

God Bless the Church, a Prayer!

This is a prayer

for all the babies in church

loud and crying,

breastfeeding or stinky

sleeping and beautiful

and for all of the kids,

squirmy or cute or talkative or shy

and the people who can’t sit

and the ones who can’t stand

and the people who whisper throughout

and the elder who falls asleep

and the ones who can’t hear

and the faithful who always sit in the same spot

and the teen who scribbles or is on the phone and seems to ignore everything

You are a part of the Church and you are Blessed!

…

This is a prayer for Easter/Christmas attenders,

the one time attenders,

the homebound church members

the ones who attend every week but will never ever, ever join!

You are a part of the Church and you are Blessed!

…

This is prayer for the livestreamers

who some say “aren’t really” at church

for the latecomers who enter by the inconvenient door

for the Pastor who forgets the words to the Lord’s Prayer

for the one responsible for the misprinted bulletin

You are a part of the Church and you are Blessed!

…

This is a prayer for the worship service that was too quiet

or too loud

or whatever.

This is a prayer, for those who couldn’t give for offering,

for the ones who dressed differently, or immediately felt rejected

for the ones who felt left out–or overwhelmed when they walked in the door.

You are a part of the Church and you are Blessed!

…

This is a prayer for all those

who came to church and didn’t feel welcome

Because there is no apology for that

…

This is a prayer for the church

The invisible, miraculous Body of Christ–

however you are a part of the church,

for you are Beloved, and always Blessed!

…

We are made up of all of these pieces.

The eye cannot say to the hand, you are not a part of me.

Praise Jesus.

Praise Jesus, that this is true of the Church of Jesus Christ!

…

Let us continue to be the Body of Christ,

This thing we call Church

and continue to Bless us, in all of our parts we pray.

Amen.

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta