The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community - Paperback

by Paul Sparks (Author), Tim Soerens (Author), Dwight J. Friesen (Author)

Christianity Today Award of Merit

Readers' Choice Awards Honorable Mention

Best Books About the Church from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

"When . . . faith communities begin connecting together, in and for the neighborhood, they learn to depend on God for strength to love, forgive and show grace like never before. . . . The gospel becomes so much more tangible and compelling when the local church is actually a part of the community, connected to the struggles of the people, and even the land itself."

Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen--in cities, suburbs and small towns all over North America--how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy and culture. This is not a new idea--the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

Author Biography

Tim Soerens is a pastor, social entrepreneur, and co-founding director of the Parish Collective. He is also the coauthor, with Paul Sparks and Dwight Friesen, of The New Parish. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Maria-Jose, and their twoboys.

Paul Sparks is a Parish Organizer and Social Entrepreneur. His place-based expertise and trusted friendship in neighborhoods across North America make him an indispensable consultant to faith communities, academic institutions, and community organizations. Paul speaks for strong resilient relationships within the parish, and brave collaborative links across places.Paul is the co-founder of Local Life: Coalition for Livable Communities, the Parish Collective: Rooted and Linked for Parish Renewal, and Urban Landscaping: Rapid Placeshaking Collaborations. He is also an instructor for the Leadership in the New Parish at the Seattle School of Psychology and Theology and is the co-founder of the Inhabit Conference.Paul lives in an urban neighborhood at the heart of Downtown Tacoma, Washington with his co-conspiring wife Elizabeth. They pastor a growing faith community comprised of friends, artists and entrepreneurs seeking a common life together with their neighbors.

Dwight Friesen is associate professor of practical theology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. He is the author of Thy Kingdom Connected.