Organize Communities with Paul Sparks at Praxis Gathering ’16

Discipleship happens in a place, and should affect that place.
At Praxis Gathering 2016, however, we are focusing on Shaping Disciples for Mission, but we do so with a “place-based lens.” We couldn’t do it without the help of our friend Paul Sparks.

Meet Paul Sparks

Paul is a has spent 25 years developing expertise in his place-based community development. He works with organizations, schools and faith-based groups to help them develop locally rooted forms of church life.  He is the co-author of The New Parish, and is the co-founder of The Parish Collective and The Inhabit Conference, and a professor at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.
Here’s his bio from Inhabit:

Paul Sparks is Co-Founder of the Parish Collective, a network of over 200 Churches and Community Organizations that are rooted in particular neighborhoods, and linked across the United States and Canada. As a recognized authority on parish renewal, he is a frequent speaker and consultant for groups seeking to understand the transition toward more local forms of everyday ecclesial life. Paul lives in an urban neighborhood at the heart of Downtown Tacoma, Washington with his co-conspiring wife Elizabeth. They curate a growing faith community comprised of friends, artists, and entrepreneurs seeking a common life together with their neighbors.

[Tweet “Meet co-author of The New Parish @paul_sparks at @Praxis2016”]

The Great Reversal

Via The Work of the People:

Salvation in the Neighborhood

On being a Community Organizer:

A Livable Church

In a 2013 article A Long Obedience in the Same Downtown, Christianity Today focused on Paul’s community Zoe Livable Church:

I’ll never forget the first time Paul Sparks gave me a tour of Zoe Livable Church. He showed me community gardens, coffee shops, a bakery, a holistic health center, nonprofit offices, an intentional community, murals galore, and an expansive library. He told me about Zoe members organizing farmer’s markets, block parties, and yarn-bombings. I was astonished by the hundreds of buildings, dozens of acres, and 6,000 residents within the purview of the church. [READ MORE]

Place Matters

The Other Journal digs into the story of Paul and the co-founders of Parish Collective.

[Tweet “”The Church is to manifest in ALL of Life.” @paul_sparks”]

Start Here

Come to The Praxis Gathering prepared and full of questions for Paul. Start with his book The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community.

Connect with Paul

Paul on Twitter
Paul on Facebook
Meet Paul at Praxis Gathering 2016!