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While the world becomes increasingly complex, professionalized, and disconnected, the church is experiencing a crisis of identity. Do we follow suit and strive to out-program, out-professionalize, and out-attract the rest of the world? Or do gather at the table and focus on the small and simple community-based practices that have been our strength across the generations? At the Table is a Podcast for church leaders interested in community-based ministry that contributes to the common good vi ...
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Today's episode is a conversation with Chuck Marohn, the founder and President of Strong Towns, a non-profit working to reimagine community development in the United States. Chuck and his team at Strong Towns advocate for development that is adaptable, financially responsible and profitable, and local. They remind us that the current models of deve…
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Today's episode is a conversation with Dr Cindy Lee, a spiritual director, professor, mystic, and author of Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation. In her book, Dr Lee untangles the limits of a spirituality developed and understood by and through one single cultural lens. The cultural lens of the West has dominated the language and prac…
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Gabrielle Clowdus, one of the founders and leaders with Settled, a Minnesota-based organization helping churches to establish permanent supportive tiny home villages for folks experiencing long-term homelessness. Settled’s approach to addressing homelessness includes housing, but more importantly, focuses on b…
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This Common Life with Amar Peterman
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1:08:29
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Amar Peterman, a scholar, writer, and theologian living in Milwaukee and currently working for Interfaith America. Through his newsletter This Common Life, Amar reflects on the Christian call into the public square, and his forthcoming book of the same title, is an effort to name a uniquely Christian conceptio…
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Rev Jim Bear Jacobs, the co-director of Racial Justice at the Minnesota Council of Churches, and the founder of Healing Minnesota Stories, an organization that strives to create understanding and healing between Native American and non-Native people. Jim Bear also curated and facilitates a Sacred Sites Tour in…
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Pete Marchetto, one of the founders and organizers of the Port Jervis Repair Café in Port Jervis NY. Each month, Pete, his spouse, and the community at St Peter’s Lutheran church open the church to neighbors and community members in need of repairs for household items – vacuums, lamps, chairs, clothing, zipper…
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Abundant Communities Edmonton with Howard Lawrence and Tammy Greidanus
1:11:44
1:11:44
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Tammy Greidanus and Howard Lawrence from Keep Neighbouring in Edmonton, formerly called Abundant Communities. Keep Neighbouring is an initiative that builds connections and relationships between neighbors to support healthy communities, bringing folks together for block parties, place-based projects, and commu…
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Fragile Neighborhoods with Dr. Seth Kaplan
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Seth Kaplan, Professional Lecturer at John Hopkins University, expert on Fragile States, and author of the book “Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time.” Dr Kaplan argues that to address social decline in the US, we must refocus our attention on the neighborhood, on stren…
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Activating the Common Good with Peter Block
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58:55
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Peter Block joins the podcast again, this time with a new book; "Activating the Common Good: Reclaiming Control of Our Collective Wellbeing". Peter invites us to discover and treasure the commons, to embrace relational activism, and to pay attention to a handful of critical fields for activating the common good. Along the way, we talk about eulogie…
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In this episode, I share a bit about what grounds me in this work and my hopes for Season 2 of At the Table: Christian Community for the Common Good. I ask for your feedback, questions, and stories which you can send to me at nick@nicholastangen.com. And I introduce a new segment I'm calling Table Talks where I offer some questions for you to bring…
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Season 1 Finale - At the Table: Christian Community for the Common Good
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In 2023, I have had 16 different conversations with lay people, clergy, writers, activists, and neighbors all committed to the idea of a place-based and discerning church. A church with the power and the freedom to contribute to the flourishing of their neighborhood, not with services and charity, but with connection, community, and authenticity. T…
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God's Economy of Generosity with Rev Jose Humphreys III
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58:08
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Reverend Jose Humphreys III, a pastor, church planter, and consultant helping the church to take place seriously and think differently about the impact of our dollars. He is the author of Seeing Jesus in East Harlem: What Happens When Churches Show Up and Stay Put, and Ecosystems of Jubilee: Economic Ethics fo…
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Church for Ordinary People with Darryl & Stephanie Answer
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Stephanie and Darryl Answer, who are faculty members at the Asset Based Community Development Institute at DePaul University, and founders of New Community Church in Kansas City, Missouri. New Community is a church that takes seriously the call to be the neighbor by highlighting and animating gifts, reimaginin…
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Everywhere You Look: A Conversation with Tim Soerens
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Today’s Episode is a conversation with Tim Soerens, the Co-founding Executive Director of the Parish Collective, an organization that connects people to be the church in the neighborhood. Tim recently wrote a book titled “Everywhere you look: Discovering the Church Right Where You Are”, that casts a vision for a church rooted in place and a faith p…
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Church on the Move: A Conversation with Pastor Travis Norvell
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59:20
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Pastor Travis Norvell, known around town and on Twitter as the Pedaling Pastor. Travis serves at Judson Memorial Baptist Church in South Minneapolis and can often be seen riding his bike around the neighborhood, connecting with community members. He’s the author of “Church on the Move: A Practical Guide for Mi…
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Discovering Mutual Delight: A Conversation with DeAmon Harges
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Today’s episode is a conversation with DeAmon Harges, the original roving listener. DeAmon has been about that place-based work for his whole life, and credits his grandparents with instilling the skills and temperament for listening deeply within community. A couple months ago, I interviewed Pastor Mike Mather on the podcast, who worked alongside …
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The Art of Public Church: A Conversation with Jeremy Myers
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57:25
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Today’s episode is a conversation with my friend Jeremy Myers, the Christiansen Chair of Religion and Vocation at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. Jeremy has been a religion professor for a lot of years and found his way into this work through youth ministry. In this conversation we talk about a framework for Public Church, and the power of …
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Dignity and Power through Community Organizing: A Conversation with Catalina Morales Bahena
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Today’s episode is a conversation with my good friend Catalina Morales Bahena, the Formation and Coaching Manager at Faith in Action a national organizing institution working for racial and economic justice. She is a student, a Dreamer, and a practiced community organizer. We talk about the discipline of community organizing, power and power buildi…
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Everything is Different: A Conversation with Professor Dirk Lange
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Professor Dirk Lange. Professor Lange works as the professor of Worship and Confessions at Luther Seminary and as the Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations at the Lutheran World Federation. He also wrote an incredible book titled “Today Everything is Different” discussing his time in Leipzig acc…
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Churches and Indigenous Histories: A Conversation with Kelly Sherman Conroy
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Today’s episode is a conversation with Kelly Sherman-Conroy, a storyteller, healer, church worker, and the first Native Woman Theologian with a PhD in the ELCA. She is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and has devoted her life to creating space, recognition, and belonging for indigenous Christians in a dominant culture church. Kelly is one of th…
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Contemplation and the Common Good: A Conversation with Sam Rahberg
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My guest today is Sam Rahberg. Sam is a Benedictine, a spiritual director, a writer, and the Director of the Spiritual Direction program at St John’s university and seminary. Sam’s work with leaders in the church around vocation and discernment, and his profound wisdom about the contemplative life, has inspired me for as long as I’ve known him. And…
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Breaking Bread: A Conversation with Pastor Eric Hoffer & Rachel Carmicheal
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1:06:26
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Today's episode is a conversation with Pastor Eric Hoffer & Rachel Carmicheal, who both serve at Salem Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis. Today we talk about food and the practice of building community around shared meals. We talk about Salem’s love of food ministry and the experiences around hosting a weekly community meal for the Camden neighb…
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The Call to Be the Neighbor: A Conversation with Kristina Fruge and Geoffrey Gill
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1:11:30
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Kristina Fruge and Geoffrey Gill work at the Riverside Innovation Hub, a learning community project housed by Augsburg University. Their work invites congregations to step into their role as public churches and to be the neighbor in their communities. I work closely with these two incredible leaders and the Riverside Innovation Hub team. In this ep…
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Walking in Humility: A Conversation with Felecia Boone
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49:21
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Felecia Boone is a Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant with Hennepin County and the Vice President of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA. She brings her many years of experience and expertise as a DEI consultant to her work in the church, most recently leading an effort to develop a Racial Equity tool for examining Synod finances…
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Looking for Gifts: A conversation with Pastor Michael Mather
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Pastor Michael Mather is the author of "Having Nothing, Possessing Everything: Finding abundant communities in unexpected places," which tells the story of his congregation in Indianapolis discovering the power of asset-based community development. Pastor Mather and Nick discuss the power of amplifying community gifts, learning to hit the pause but…
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Welcome and Belonging: Christian Community in the Neighborhood
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In today's episode, Nick talks with some friends and church leaders about the nature of Christian community and what it contributes to neighborhoods and the common good. Nick is joined by three incredible guests. Emilie Bouvier is the Director of Organizing at the Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA Felecia Boone is a Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusi…
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A Conversation on Community with Peter Block
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40:46
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This episode is a conversation with writer, consultant, and citizen, Peter Block. Peter has written a number of books related to community building, citizenship, and a vision of the common good including titles like “The Answer to How is Yes” and “Community: The Structure of Belonging”. Peter and Nick talk about the nature of community, the limits …
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Introduction to At the Table: Christian Community for the Common Good
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Episode one! Your host, Nicholas Tangen, introduces himself and the podcast and outlines his hopes for the conversations to come. Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast with friends and colleagues. Thank you, Joel Lurvey for the beautiful intro music!By Nicholas Tangen
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