Parish Church

Great Time with the CBOQ

Just finished up a wonderful few days as the keynote speaker at the annual Canadian Baptists of Ontario & Quebec “Reignite” leadership conference. All the Bapist leaders and their partners are invited to pause their regular day-to-day work, and gather

Dwight J. Friesen November 8, 2018May 6, 2022

Congress for New Urbanism

My friend Chris Elisara invited to join him at the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), when its conference was here in Seattle a few weeks back. I’ve posted just two of the amazing talks from the event. One of the

Dwight J. Friesen May 16, 2017September 26, 2022

The Womxn’s March on Seattle

Wow! What a Day! I have never loved felt more proud of my city than I do today. The Womxn’s March on Seattle was truly beautiful. Lynette and I carpooled with some neighbors, we had a blast… if that’s the right

Dwight J. Friesen January 21, 2017September 26, 2022

“Re:Imagine Vancouver” New Parish Training

Paul, Tim, & I get to go up to St. Andrew’s Hall’s “Centre for Missional Leadership” at the invitation of Ross Lockhart and his leadership team at the beginning of next month. Leaders from different church traditions, cultures and regions

Dwight J. Friesen November 1, 2016May 6, 2022

5 Signs of the New Parish

Here is a conversation from the latest Inhabit Conference in which Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens and I share the emerging Five Signs of new parish churches and leadership. As always visit Parish Collective for more info on these vital themes.

Dwight J. Friesen June 4, 2016September 26, 2022

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

A few months ago – September 25, 2015 to be exact – the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda titled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” I can only imagine the

Dwight J. Friesen February 2, 2016February 26, 2024

Hatchery LA Podcast

Spiritual innovator Spencer Burke has launched a new venture with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Pacific Southwest Region.  It’s called the Hatchery LA, and it is thoroughly invested in one idea when it comes to the future of our

Dwight J. Friesen December 2, 2015January 18, 2021

Conversations After Church

“Conversations after Church” is the latest film directed by Winnipeg’s Bevan Klassen. The film explores faith and spiritual journeys of six people who at one time described themselves as Evangelical Christians and/or Mennonites. Each person’s story testifies to their experience

Dwight J. Friesen November 3, 2015May 31, 2022

Got to Team-Teach with my Brother!

I just got back from team teaching an immersive learning course at McMaster Divinity College. The course was “Leadership in the New Parish” and I got to team teach it with my brother, Dallas Friesen. So grateful for the team

Dwight J. Friesen June 8, 2015November 3, 2022

Andrés Duany, “New Urbanism 101”

Came across this the other day and I watched it a few times. This is a vision of development that I need to learn more about and feels really hope filled. Check out the site for the Congress for New

Dwight J. Friesen May 29, 2015May 6, 2022

10 Practices for Deepening your Personal Presence in your Parish

Between the “Leadership in the New Parish” think tanks and the hundreds of parish walkabout Tim Soerens, Paul Sparks, and I have lucky enough to have engage over the last few years, we’ve identified 2 vital questions, and 10 practices

Dwight J. Friesen February 12, 2015December 11, 2020

Lake Hills Soup & Liturgy

As Lynette, Pascal, and I have been thinking about the rhythms of our lives, we want to experiment with bringing our everyday lives in our neighborhood with our spirituality.  While we don’t exactly know what that all means, we’d like

Dwight J. Friesen February 2, 2015November 3, 2022

Jorge Tovar Jr. on Parish

Dwight J. Friesen December 23, 2014January 18, 2021

Inhabit Conference 2014

This year’s Inhabit Conference will be our fourth one, the first three all “Sold Out!”  Hundreds of parish leaders gathered to celebrate the move toward a more embodied, participatory, and sustainable way of being the church. Our theme this year

Dwight J. Friesen December 20, 2014November 3, 2022

Christianity Today Awards The New Parish

Every December Christianity Today publishes its books of the year. This year in “The Church/Pastoral Leadership” CT awarded The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community its Award of Merit! Writing of our book for CT

Dwight J. Friesen December 15, 2014November 3, 2022

Speaking @ “Ministry in a Changing World”

Next week I’m heading to the Twin Cities to keynote at the PCUSA “Ministry in a Changing World” leadership conference. Saturday, November 1, 2014. Special thanks to Newell Krogmann, and David Parker for making this event happen. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen October 24, 2014November 3, 2022

Interviewed by Tom Sine

Dwight J. Friesen September 3, 2014November 9, 2021

Tasha Hicks on Parish

Rev. Tasha Hicks, pastor in Seattle’s White Center neighborhood shares about loving her place and discovering faithful presence. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 30, 2014May 12, 2022

Sean Hall on Parish

Dwight J. Friesen April 17, 2014May 12, 2022

Helping a Church Listen to Its Collective Story

This weekend I have been invited to join the Evergreen Mennonite Church drawing out its collective narrative and listening to God’s invitation to them in light of who they are becoming. We’re calling the time: “Listening to our Story:  Exploring

admin April 1, 2014May 5, 2022

Keynote Speaker for “Bishop’s Convocation”

Bishop Kirby Unti of the ELCA NWWA Synod has invited me to serve as the 2014 keynote speaker for their region’s pastor’s conference. I will be presenting on the key themes of the new book that I have co-authored with

admin March 1, 2014May 5, 2022

Urbanization & the Future of Cities

Check out this helpful, TED Educational Talk exploring “Urbanization and the future of cities” by Vance Kite. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen September 25, 2013May 10, 2022

New Parish Leadership

Parish Collective together with The Seattle School have launched a place based leadership certificate. Participants of the Leadership in the New Parish Certificate at The Seattle School share their experience and what they’re discovering. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen June 4, 2013January 13, 2021

Inhabit Conference 2013

Inhabit: The Art of Parish Renewal April 19-20, 2013, Seattle, WA The last two years the Inhabit Conference “Sold Out!” Hundreds of parish leaders gathered to celebrate the move toward a more embodied, participatory, and sustainable way of being the

Dwight J. Friesen March 1, 2013May 5, 2022

PLU Summer Institute on Pastoral Theology

What a privilege to be one of the keynote speakers for this year’s PLU’s annual Summer Institute on Pastoral Theology. Granted Dr. Nate Frambach, who is the Associate Professor of Youth & Culture at Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa was scheduled

admin June 21, 2012May 5, 2022

Leadership in the New Parish Think-Tank

If you know me at all, then you know how passionate I am about the mission of the grad school where I get to teach.  You may have already heard that The Seattle School was recently awarded a grant to

Dwight J. Friesen February 16, 2012June 7, 2022

inhabit conference: seattle, april 29-30

There is a tectonic shift happening under the surface of the church in North America. Parishioners are returning to the parish. The greater our individual mobility extends, the greater the world’s longing and need for a faith that can be

Dwight J. Friesen March 9, 2011May 13, 2022

seattle’s misisonal clustering

Richard Florida, author of the international best seller Who’s Your City: How the Creative Economy is Making Where you Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life, writes to put it simply, about the importance of place. In his introduction

Dwight J. Friesen November 23, 2010May 7, 2022

2010 Emergent Theological Conversation

In just a couple of days I get to join one of the most important theological conversations that Emergent Village has hosted to date.  The conversation will bring Dr. Musa Dube , Dr. Richard Twiss, and Dr. Colin Greene together

Dwight J. Friesen October 29, 2010January 15, 2021

Intro to the Emerging Church

On October 11th at the Church of the Resurrection in the Lake Hills neighborhood of Bellevue I will begin a short series of conversations introducing folks to all things “Emerging Church.” Its going to be a blast to pull together

admin October 1, 2010May 5, 2022