Community Listening for Growth in Ministry
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Tuesdays | April 14, 21, 28 | 7:00-8:15 | on Zoom | Register
In this three session webinar, you will learn how to grow as a connection-rich congregation where everyone can make a friend and no one goes through life’s hardest moments alone. Each webinar includes times for discussion to explore how community listening applies in your specific ministry, and to identify practical next steps you can take.
Led by Ministry Consultants Joy Skjegstad and Heidi Unruh with KC's Associate Regional Minister for New Church, Rev. Amy Shoemaker. Joy and Heidi team up to help churches make God’s love and justice visible through creative community ministry, especially in ways that put relationships at the center. They co-authored the book Real Connections: Ministries to Strengthen Church and Community Relationships (Judson Press, 2021). Amy is excited to be joining Joy and Heidi to bring these crucial skills to the KC Disciples.
Webinar #1: A Church That Listens Can Grow
Listening with caring curiosity is vital to sharing God’s love, within and beyond your congregation. We are all hungry to be heard. This first webinar prepares you for intentional listening that expands understanding, builds connections, and opens doors. We are all uniquely gifted for this “ministry of listening” — even introverts!
Webinar #2: Make Listening a Part of Church Life
This webinar shares simple but impactful ways your church can put intentional listening into practice. Examples include:
Build connections with people served by your church’s ministries
Design church events to be more invitational and inclusive
Find out what people like to do, and do it together
These strategies can be incorporated into what your church is already doing.
Webinar #3: How to Get to Know People
This webinar offers pointers on connecting with people you don’t know well (yet). For many of us, this does not come naturally! Get ready to meet people in the neighborhood, welcome newcomers to the congregation, even to discover something new about the people in your pews. Be equipped with “curious questions” that can open doors to conversations. See how God is at work through our willingness to get to know others.
