Parish Church • dwight j. friesen

Church Post Christendom . Part 3

On Sunday I will be concluding a short, three week, Community Forum with my congregation about life after Christendom. I’ve titled the series: “Conversations After Church.” Below you will find my “week three” slide deck, followed by my church newsletter

Dwight J. Friesen February 3, 2023May 2, 2023

Church Post Christendom . Part 2

This weekend will be the second, in a three week conversation, I’m facilitating with my congregation about life after Christendom, during our Community Forum. I’ve titled the series: “Conversations After Church.” Below you will find my “week two” slide deck,

Dwight J. Friesen January 27, 2023February 3, 2023

Church Post Christendom . Part 1

Beginning this Sunday I will be facilitating a three week conversation with my congregation about life after Christendom, during our Community Forum. I’ve titled the series: “Conversations After Church.” Below you will find my “week one” slide deck, followed by

Dwight J. Friesen January 20, 2023February 3, 2023

SDGs as a Faithful Expression of One’s Spirituality

Last Saturday, at the end of the end of the Winter trimester low residency retreat, The Seattle School held its “Day of Scholarship.” There was a fantastic scholarship poster session showcasing some exciting submissions from current students, alumni, staff, and

Dwight J. Friesen January 16, 2023January 16, 2023

…But I’m Ready Now!

One week left! As a child I found this final week was almost unbearable… anticipation overload! Time off school, gifts to open, gifts to give, fun events in my neighborhood, school, church and extended family. Just a different kind of

Dwight J. Friesen December 18, 2022December 18, 2022

8 Billion Neighbors

As of today, eight billion humans are living on planet Earth. A huge milestone officially projected for and being recognized today by the U.N. It was 1974 that the world population first hit 4 billion people. It took from the

Dwight J. Friesen November 15, 2022December 16, 2022

Missionary Church After Christendom

This week I got to serve as the theologian in residence for the Episcopal Gathering of Leaders clergy event just outside of Portland, Oregon. What a great group of church leaders. It was so inspiring to be with other folks

Dwight J. Friesen October 20, 2022October 21, 2022

The Missionary Church After Christendom… take two

Each year the “Gathering of Leaders” invites a theologian to spend some time thinking alongside some leaders within the Episcopal Church, this year that honor falls to me. I was supposed to have some time in January in the American South

Dwight J. Friesen September 20, 2022September 20, 2022

Marking the Changing Seasons

I’m roughly nine months into my 20 month commitment at St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue. The church has commissioned its pastor to go on pilgrimage to Holden Village for about a year and an half, and I get to

Dwight J. Friesen September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

Seattle Times on “Reconnect South Park”

David Kroman, a staff reporter for the Seattle Times, has been covering the story of a grassroots movement to decommission a section of Hwy 99 and to reconnect two parts of Seattle’s South Park neighborhood that was cut in two.

Dwight J. Friesen August 23, 2022August 31, 2022

Speaking @ Urban Economy Forum 4

In October I will have the privilege and responsibility to offer a neighborhood-rooted, grassroots-parish, faith-based, gift-economy perspective, that is so vital to the ongoing conversation about sustainable urban economics. The City of Toronto is hosting (in-person & on-line) the fourth

Dwight J. Friesen August 19, 2022August 27, 2022

Off to Poland

This Friday I am on my way to Katowice Poland to participate in the United Nations Habitat’s eleventh convening of the World Urban Forum. So I thought I’d offer a bit of an explanation of what I will be doing…

Dwight J. Friesen June 22, 2022September 26, 2022

100 Million Refugees Worldwide

Currently we have surpassed 100,000,000 refugees on our planet. That’s more than 100 million people just like you and me, who have had to make the terrible decision to flee the place they love, their home, and what they know

Dwight J. Friesen June 20, 2022December 9, 2022

Parish Collective & “Grounded Faith”

I am thrilled to see that Parish Collective is launching its new “Grounded Faith” initiative in partnership with Whitworth University’s Office of Church Engagement and the Lilly Endowment. Lauren Goldbloom, longtime friend and former fellow board member of the Parish

Dwight J. Friesen May 31, 2022December 16, 2022

A Vital Resource for Church & City

Since its creation, United Nations Habitat has been striving to put practical tools in the hands of local people and communities to equip them with the needed information, inspiration, and ideas to mobilize grassroots people to bring about real change

Dwight J. Friesen May 11, 2022December 19, 2022

Inhabit Report

Stan Dueck and a whole host of leaders – 22 leaders, to be exact – from the Church of the Brethren participated in this year’s Inhabit Conference by Parish Collective. It was so great for me to see an infusion

Dwight J. Friesen May 10, 2022December 19, 2022

Five Signs of the Parish Movement

The parish movement has been growing and spreading all over the world. The parish movement is not an academic movement nor is it driven by any one culture, tradition, Christian denomination, etc. Rather this is grassroots followers of the Jesus

Dwight J. Friesen April 26, 2022December 19, 2022

Inhabit 2022

So grateful that Parish Collective’s annual flagship conference is back… live and in person. Inhabit 2022. Get your tickets today for this presence inspiring event will be held at The Seattle School’s campus on April 29-30. Part of me feels

Dwight J. Friesen April 19, 2022April 19, 2022

Holy Week

Palm Sunday April 10th 10:00AM @ St Luke’s Holy Friday April 15th, 7:00PM @ St Luke’s Table Turning April 16th, 1:00PM @ NW Detention Center Easter Sunday April 17th, 8:30 & 10:30AM @ St Luke’s If you’re looking for some

Dwight J. Friesen April 10, 2022April 12, 2022

Co-Leading a Futuring Retreat

Tom Sine and I have the privilege and responsibility of working with a Presbyterian church in Enumclaw Washington who are seeking to prepare themselves for tomorrow. This congregation was founded in 1892, and like the majority of faith communities in

Dwight J. Friesen March 22, 2022March 22, 2022

This Sunday

This Sunday – March 20th, the third Sunday of Lent – is the 94th anniversary of the birth of Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers wrote, produced, and hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for 33 years; an educational Public TV program focused on emotional,

Dwight J. Friesen March 18, 2022March 18, 2022

Pastoring Again!

I am thrilled to announce that I am pastoring again! For approximately the next year and a half, I will be serving as the part-time pastor at St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue. While I will still be teaching at

Dwight J. Friesen January 21, 2022May 26, 2022

More People Feeling Lonely

According to the Barna Research Group, 31% of U.S.A. adults report feeling lonely at least some of each day. Their report – posted at the end of last 2021 – highlights that even before the pandemic, loneliness has been an

Dwight J. Friesen January 7, 2022September 26, 2022

The Missionary Church After Christendom

Each year the “Gathering of Leaders” invites a theologian to spend some time thinking alongside some leaders within the Episcopal Church, this year that honor falls to me. I get to spend some time in January and again in June

Dwight J. Friesen January 6, 2022December 19, 2022

3 in 10 USA Adults Religiously Unaffiliated

According to a Pew Research study posted on December 14, 2021, approximately three in ten USA adults are now “religiously unaffiliated.” The study reveals that self-identified Christians make up 63% of U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade

Dwight J. Friesen December 30, 2021December 19, 2022

How We Gather & Who We Become

I think its safe to say, that at no other time in church history has “gathering” been so contested. Do we meet in person or online? Health and safety needs bump into our traditioned liturgical practices. If online how? How

Dwight J. Friesen December 1, 2021December 2, 2021

Changing Cities & City Changers

I’m a City Changer is a worldwide campaign with the aim of sensitizing and creating awareness among citizens on urban issues to achieve better cities. It is promoted by UN-Habitat, the city agency of the United Nations, through the World

Dwight J. Friesen November 20, 2021September 26, 2022

The Future of Seattle

This is worth checking out. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen October 12, 2021September 26, 2022

Discovering Your Mezzo Parish

Guiding your faith community into even greater faithful presence within its parish invites discernment of the collective. Where and how to focus time and energy is a vital and ongoing journey of listening and adapting. Sometimes we get sidetracked by

Dwight J. Friesen October 6, 2021November 12, 2021

Parish Collective, Inhabit/Connect 2021

Here are two great panel discussions from Parish Collective’s, 2021 Inhabit Connect. “Inhabit Connect” is the pandemic substitute for Parish Collective’s annual flagship event in Seattle, the Inhabit Conference. By the Way tickets for the 2022 in person Inhabit are

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2021November 4, 2021