When it comes to children's books about Advent and Christmas, there are thousands of options. It can feel impossible to weed through them all and figure out which ones have theology, representation, and story you can trust. That's where children's minister and librarian Kari Bauman comes in! Kari shares some of her tried and true go-to books for Advent and Christmas, as well as some new releases, and some ideas for how to incorporate reading stories into your holiday traditions. Be sure to check out Kari's Instagram page @thechurchlibrarian where she has shared several of the recommendations ..read more

“God never expects us to be perfect. When God created the world, God didn’t high five Godself and exclaim: “It’s perfect!” God just called it good. And good is a B+!” If you need a reminder that God shows up when it’s “good enough” and not just when it’s “perfect,” this conversation with poet and pastor Meta Herrick Carlson is for you. She reminds us of what it means to be human, to experience the sacred in the ordinary, and to trust that we are enough just as we are - even during the holiday season. It doesn’t need to be perfect to be beautiful, especially in God’s eyes. About MetaMeta Herr ..read more

To be human on this planet is a beautiful thing. We spend a lot of our spiritual time thinking about what is beyond this earth and what is next after this life, but as Mary DeJong teaches us: God is right here on this wild earth. She invites us to look up and look down and see God all around us. About Mary Mary DeJong is a spiritual ecologist, ecotheologian, wild soul guide, urban naturalist, and practitioner and guide of place-based pilgrimage. She specializes in the spiritual companionship of "rewilding" and instructs spiritual directors and companions through Spiritual Directors Internatio ..read more

The Enneagram is a powerful tool that can show us who we are as part of the image of God, the Imago Dei, in the world. It can also teach us that we all need each other - that no one is better or worse than anyone else, and that together we make up the fabric of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Dani Cooper, an Enneagram teacher and coach, shares with us how we can deepen our understanding of God, ourselves, and one another through the lens of the Enneagram. About Dani Dani Cooper is a Certified Enneagram Teacher, Coach and totally-biased personal growth cheerleader for individuals, couples and tea ..read more

Have you ever felt like science and faith contradict one another? Today we sit down with Haley Cole, a physicist also known as Haley the Scientist, to talk about how her understanding of science enhances her experience of God through her faith.  About Haley Haley Cole is a physicist studying space radiation, but goes by Haley the Scientist online. She hosts a podcast and blog dedicated to helping people liberate from fundamentalist or hyper-conservative Christianity and find joy, peace, and freedom in feminist theology, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Through her podcast Divinely Modern ..read more

As you close out your October and enter November, we invite you to receive this simple blessing ..read more

Hospital chaplains are called to some of the holiest work, entering rooms where grief and vulnerability are often palpable. Rev. Emma Landowski Sancomb shares her experiences with us - what it’s like entering those spaces, how she prepares her own heart, and how she tries to move out of the way so God’s wisdom can speak through her. She does the same in the journaling workshops she offers, which she says are all about allowing space for the Holy Wisdom of God to flow through us. About Rev. Emma Rev. Emma Landowski-Sancomb, BCC is ordained in the United Church of Christ and a Board Certified C ..read more

Patriarchy is neither nice nor particularly Christian, but it shows up in our churches all the time. Liz Cooledge Jenkins tackles this much-needed conversation about the more subtle ways patriarchy weaves its way into church culture and offers us a way forward in her new book, Nice Churchy Patriarchy. About Liz Liz Cooledge Jenkins (MDiv) is a writer, preacher, and former college campus minister who lives in the Seattle area with her husband Ken and their black cat Athena. Liz is passionate about building more just faith communities and a more just world. She has a BS in Symbolic Systems (St ..read more

Patriarchy is neither nice nor particularly Christian, but it shows up in our churches all the time. Liz Cooledge Jenkins tackles this much-needed conversation about the more subtle ways patriarchy weaves its way into church culture and offers us a way forward in her new book, Nice Church Patriarchy. About Liz Liz Cooledge Jenkins (MDiv) is a writer, preacher, and former college campus minister who lives in the Seattle area with her husband Ken and their black cat Athena. Liz is passionate about building more just faith communities and a more just world. She has a BS in Symbolic Systems (Stan ..read more

In her recent memoir, Beautiful and Terrible Things: Faith, Doubt, and Discovering A Way Back to Each Other, Rev. Dr. Amy Butler shares about finding her way through wreckage after wreckage. A deeply personal, yet incredibly universal memoir. She’s here with us today to share more of her story, talk about where God’s Spirit has been nudging her lately, and, of course, what she is still learning. Important Links Learn more about Pastor Amy Learn more about Invested Faith    Order Pastor Amy’s new book, Beautiful and Terrible Things About AmyPastor Amy believes deeply that courageo ..read more