It’s no secret that younger generations are finding new and different ways of expressing their spirituality and faith in today’s world, that may look a little different from what many of us are used to. Many congregations and faith communities have noticed a lower level of denominational affiliation by people under the age of 40, but despite what it may seem at first glance, there is profound and deep hope for our future. Between 2014-2017, a few Portland-based clergy, young leaders, and ministry partners like Leaven Community & Together Lab, noticed a pattern while developing relationships with their local communities: [...]

We’ve all heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” but when was the last time we seriously considered the implications of this for our faith communities and relationships? ReVillage, a ministry of the Storydwelling community in Bend, is doing just that. Storydwelling is a young faith community born out of a shared commitment to centering relationships and building community power for love and justice in the world, in partnership with the Oregon Synod of the ELCA and the United Methodist Church. In 2019, after Storydwelling community members began having children and struggling with costs of childcare, Storydwelling and [...]

For years, congregations, lay leaders, and clergy across the state of Oregon have planted seeds for new ways of stewarding faithful emergent lay leadership. These seeds, cultivated, watered, and nurtured by many, bore the growing fruit that is the new SALM (Synod Authorized Lay Ministry) & Lay Education Program of the Oregon Synod.