The Next Step Community

The Next Step Community is a group of people, like you, who need other people to help them take a next step following Jesus. You won’t find any preconceived notions or quick fixes here; just real people trying to follow Jesus in real life. You are welcome to join in!

About

As The Next Step Community, we are sold out on helping each other delight in taking a next step following Jesus. Not everyone is going to resonate with our values or our basic vibe, and that’s OK; we believe having a variety of options is the best way to sustain…Continue reading “About”

Discipleship Tools…

Feeling Secure

Note: This is an excerpt from the book The Emotional Devotional: Following Jesus in Every Emotion coming soon from Next Step Press. This book, written by teenage girls, for teenage…

Discipling Leaders…

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

12 Aug 202012 Aug 2020

The Next Step PodcastSeason 2: Ponder AnewEpisode 10: Come, Thou Fount of Every BlessingDate: 12 August 2020Guest: Matt Hein, Senior Pastor,NewLife Community Lutheran Church, Flint, MichiganAlso available on: iTunes Season…

Discipleship Tools…

Rock of Help Video Tutorial

By Valerie Matyas Each chapter of Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal for Trust and Confidence includes an experiment of some sort to help you take a small next step in…

For Me

A Fresh Start, Every Day

7 Aug 20207 Aug 2020

By Kris Bruun I am a CASA (court-appointed special advocate). I work with a pre-teen who just turned twelve. She’s been in the system since she was 8. She just…

For Me

What Do I Know About Rest?

By Katie Helmreich Back in the midst of distance learning and acclimating to the idea that everything could be suddenly shut down, I spent every spare minute to work out…

God Delights in Play

5 Aug 20207 Aug 2020

Editor's Note: this blog is an excerpt from Delight!–Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow, scheduled to be published by Next Step Press in the…

Discipling Leaders…

Come Unto Me, Ye Weary

The Next Step PodcastSeason 2: Ponder AnewEpisode 9: Come Unto Me, Ye WearyDate: 5 August 2020Guest: Leopoldo A. Sánchez M., Concordia Seminary—St. LouisAlso available on: iTunes Season 2 of the…

Discipleship Tools…

Ponder Anew Hymn Journal Book Tabs

4 Aug 20205 Aug 2020

By Valerie Matyas What a journey we are having together! To celebrate our Summer of 2020 adventure, Next Step Press is delighted to offer you Book Tabs for your Hymn…

Discipling Leaders…

My Stained Glass Life

By Miriam Rossow The first stained glass I created was during my Jr. High years, a simple design of a flower that used big pieces of glass. As Jr. High…

Cultural Studies…

Faithful In Small Things

By Kris Bruun Like many people, I’ve had somewhat more time on my hands during these Covid days, and I’ve soaked up some it in my favorite escape: reading. Many…

Discipling Leaders…

I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus

28 Jul 20202 Aug 2020

The Next Step PodcastSeason 2: Ponder AnewEpisode 8: I Am Trusting Thee, Lord JesusDate: 29 July 2020Guest: Conrad Gempf, London School of TheologyAlso available on: iTunes Season 2 of the…

Discipleship Tools…

Lettering Video Tutorial, Part 2

28 Jul 202028 Jul 2020

By Valerie Matyas Flipping through the resource Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal for Trust and Confidence you might notice the variety of lettering the artists used as part of their…

For Me

Enthusiasm!

By Katie Helmreich Enthusiasm! Dream big dreams! Do big things! Go, fight, win! Be AMAZING!!! There are days when we can do enthusiasm with all the cartwheels and exponential exclamation…

For Me

Seek First His Kingdom

22 Jul 202022 Jul 2020

By Kim Longden It was ten years ago, and we were at a fork in the road. We’d just had our third child, we were in the process of moving,…

Discipling Leaders…

In the Cross of Christ I Glory

The Next Step PodcastSeason 2: Ponder AnewEpisode 7: In the Cross of Christ I GloryDate: 22 July 2020Guest: Katie Helmreich, Visual Faith Illustrator and Next Step Community AuthorAlso available on:…

Discipling Leaders…

Express: Appreciate Your Group

By Valerie Matyas Note: this blog is the fourth in a four-part series for Small Group Leaders: Invite, Equip, Explore, Express. Sign up here to receive more small group resources.…

For Me

Consider the Ducklings

19 Jul 202018 Jul 2020

I am the one in our family that has to shoot down the crazy ideas. Somebody's got to, it's crazy enough around here as it is! I can't tell you…

Discipleship Tools…

Paperclip Embellishment Video Tutorial

18 Jul 202020 Jul 2020

By Valerie Matyas Embellished paperclips are used in the creative journaling world to mark pages, bedazzle Bibles, as conversation starters, and opportunities to spread love and joy. Whether you are…