Leadership in the New Parish Certificate
Discover a new way of being the church
The church is so much more than programs, buildings, and liturgy. Together, there’s something more that we’re being called to. Curated by Dr. Dwight Friesen, Paul Sparks, and Tim Soerens, Leadership in the New Parish is a collaborative, practical think-tank for church leaders, social entrepreneurs, and place-makers with a heart for reimagining God’s call of shalom in their unique neighborhood contexts.
Our Leadership in the New Parish program trains you discover the intersection of your story, the story of your place, and the story of God; develop a holistic approach for reimagining church as a vibrant member of the community; and discern a contextual plan for your team’s engagement within your unique parish.
Meet the New Parish Teaching Team
Deep formation and creative action
The Leadership in the New Parish certificate offers:
- 4 high-impact intensive labs at The Seattle School
- Access to the Inhabit conference
- Measureable leadership plan for your parish
- Downloadable curriculum guide
- 12 leadership videos
- Access to private Facebook groups for discussion and networking
- Official authentication by The Seattle School
Voices from the New Parish
“When I began Leadership in the New Parish, I had no idea what I was signing up for. All I knew was that I was interested in exploring new practices and paradigms for church. For though I was painfully aware of current models that weren’t working, I was still very much immersed in them. Not only did LNP give me a new vision for what the kingdom could look like in my community, but it set me on a trajectory that has forever changed the course of my life and my faith community. Five years later, I am now experiencing the sweet joy and challenge of pastoring a small neighborhood church and living intentionally in community to see God’s dream realized here in my neighborhood.”
Jessica Ketola, Pastor at The Practicing Church
The New Parish Approach
At the core of the New Parish paradigm is the belief that change and renewal happens through practicing faithful presence. Each immersive weekend experience is oriented around these values and rhythms:
Story
We take time to reflect on who we are and the ways in which our stories shape our relationships, practices, and communities. During each weekend intensive, participants are invited to engage a particular story in a small group context to understand new styles of relating and navigating leadership blocks.
Practice in Place
We invite you to rediscover the beauty and potential of your particular place. Participants will develop local practices as they reflect on their neighborhood with prayerful curiosity for their place, its people, and God’s desire for shalom.
Community of Practice
Leadership in the New Parish is a cohort of on-the-ground practitioners led by practitioner-faculty. We believe that the imaginative ideas of scholars and the grounded discoveries of practitioners can enrich one another as they participate in God’s kingdom breaking forth in our neighborhoods.
Immersive Neighborhood Experiences
A hallmark of practicing faithful presence in the New Parish program is walking and listening to a number of diverse parish expressions in the Pacific Northwest region. Deep learning and generative dialogue emerges in place through these hands-on, fun field visits in communities with like-minded pioneers imagining the way of Jesus in their unique contexts.
Join the movement
Leadership in the New Parish is a hybrid program designed for an intimate cohort of practitioners converging over four intensive Wednesday-to-Saturday sessions in Seattle.
Intrigued?
Let’s Talk