So what are you doing after graduating? (Part 3)

Listening

Here it is where the fun begins: Everyone listens to God differently. The three common ways we hear from God are through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit and the Church. Being that I much more of an active listener than a contemplative listener I have decided to go on an adventure to hear and gather stories from the Chruch.

Throughout the last year, God has been slowly giving me a vision of how I could choose to listen for God’s voice over this next year. I have embraced this vision with excitement and nerves. I truly believe that God has something to reveal to me through the adventure that is outlined below, yet I have never embarked on such a journey. The newness feels risky and unknown. However, I am excited to see what this risky, unknown adventure has for me.

I am going to be collecting stories from church planters, practitioners, pastors, social entrepreneurs, and theologians throughout the United States that are rethinking the way we “do” church. My desire is that these stories will provide hope to the Church that has lost a sense of what it means to belong to each other. 

There seems to be a lot of fear in the Church today from those that are use to the Church looking a specific way, with a certain way of being. The fear is then heightened by the fact the church buildings are no longer the center of the town or community and there are less and less attending on Sunday mornings.

I believe that God is not done with the Church. There are amazing experiments, creative endeavors, and risky ideas that, I believe, are commissioned by the Holy Spirit and anointed by Christ for the Glory of God.  These stories of hope seem to be hidden. My hope and goal is to help tell the stories of God’s creative movement in the United States. I hope to help the church understand that the Church is bigger than a building or a tradition. God is not done with us.

The truth is that God is not worried about the church building being filled every Sunday or not. God is more concerned with Creation becoming reconciled with its Creator. Following the way of Christ may not look the way it did 30 years ago, but God is still actively pursuing us.

This project is called The Listening in Place Project. I will be blogging and making videos about the people, projects, churches, and stories I encounter. I am also partnering with The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology to produce 10 podcasts for their podcast channel. The Listening in Place Podcast will be posted monthly starting in October 2016. (More information on how to subscribe is to come.)

I look forward to gathering these stories of hope our Church. I am excited and nervous to intentionally listening for God’s leading in my life as I embark on this crazy journey.

God's Provision

This is the part that is risky. Trusting that this idea is not just something I came up with one night, but that it is truly what God wants me to do over this next year. That means opening myself up to all of this falling apart.

I am thankful to already have the support of The Seattle School to help make this vision a reality. I now must be even more vulnerable and ask for my community to come along side me to support me financially this year. This feels strange to me. Yet, I strongly believe that God has set me on this adventure and that my community will come around to support me. Thank you in advance for your support; whether it is through prayer or through donations.

To execute this project well I will need around $10,000. Please prayerfully consider how you can help be apart of The Listening in Place Project. Below is a breakdown of the three different levels of sponsors that are available.

Connecting Sponsor $1000+

• Suggest 3 people to interview and you are guaranteed 1 will be interviewed.[5]
• The opportunity to have Cassie come and speak to your organization, church, or institution about her journey.
• Logo on Cassie’s Website with link if requested.

Cohort Sponsor $201 - $999

•  Logo on Cassie’s Website.

Community Sponsor $1 - $200

• Name on Cassie’s Website.

Become a Sponsor of The Listening in Place Project!

This is what I am going to be doing this next year. 

It is risky.

It is not a usual progression after seminary. And it is what God has put on my heart to do. I will faithfully step out and try, knowing that God’s vision for my life is bigger than I could every understand. I trust that God will provide through my community to share the stories of others working to bring about more of God’s Kingdom about in new and creative ways.

I hope you choose to participate with me on this journey. I will be posting blogs and video as often as I can and I will be posting the links to the podcast when they are released on The Seattle School’s channel.

Please pray for:

• The financial side of things to go smoothly
• Schedules of those I wish to interview to align
• Safety as I travel throughout the U.S. over this next year

Blessings Friends!

Cassie

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[5]The Seattle School stewards the podcast content. They edit and produce the final content.