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”

Living with Loose Ends

11 Oct 20212 Nov 2022

By Kristeen Bruun My son called recently to find out how and what I was doing. “I am clearing out,” I told him, and I also assured him that he…

Discipleship Tools…

Small Conversations

7 Oct 20211 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow Sid is good at her job; and her job right now is to help unfreeze my frozen shoulder, something that has to be painful in order for…

Empowered to Hear

3 Oct 20211 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow Today we celebrated by niece Karolein's confirmation as well as her 15th birthday with a special party, the traditional Quinceañera. As part of the ceremony, family and…

Gifts Wrapped in Darkness

22 Sep 20212 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow At the end of our congregational information meeting last night (on Zoom no less), one of my pastors was asked to close the gathering in prayer. “A…

Ivy for Dana

10 Sep 20211 Nov 2022

By Kristeen A. Bruun I attend a lot of funerals. Partly, as I age, I of course know more people who die. But also, I grew up in a small…

The Christ in the Mouth of My Brother or Sister

7 Sep 20212 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow Our youngest daughter started high school today. Oof. I remember my dad dropping me off for my first day of high school, so it was an honor…

Noticing the Schemes of the Accuser

31 Aug 202125 Jan 2022

By Jamie Wiechman This morning I had to wake up early. That’s not completely unusual for me, but today it was my responsibility to drive my daughter to school. While…

Discipleship Tools…

What Do You Need to Follow Jesus?

30 Aug 20212 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow What do you need to follow Jesus? That question came back to me again this week as Pastor Neuendorf and I were preparing to preach together on…

Fear Not

By Kim Longden My daughter makes adorable crochet creations, and she and I decided to give it a whirl and try selling one on Facebook Marketplace. A woman from out…

A Pressed Penny Promise

23 Aug 20212 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow I was really struck by the Old Testament lesson this week, and glad when the preacher chose to use those strange and wonderful verses as the basis…

Discipleship Tools…

A Prayer Life Audit

20 Aug 20213 Nov 2021

By Raelyn Pracht I have always been amazed and, admittedly, a bit intimidated hearing other people pray. Conversing with the Almighty seems to come naturally to my friends—the words dripping…

No Regrets!

1 Aug 202131 Aug 2021

By Kristeen Bruun These days, regrets swarm around my head like the swarms of no-see-ums used to do when my siblings and cousins and I played in the northern Wisconsin…

Childlike Joy

By Kim Longden I remember being a new mom and looking nostalgically at my little children experiencing delight and wonder at everyday things in their world. I wished to be…

That Didn’t Go As Planned

By Naomi Rossow I recently got accepted into Wayne State's College of Nursing (yay!), but it didn't work so smoothly. On June 29, I was sitting at work when I…

Reorganizing Choices

By Kristeen Bruun Years of disorganization have left me with a mish-mash of stuff, all mixed together, so I’m currently working on organizing all of my possessions. I know my…

Cultural Studies…

Social Media and a Sense of Play

An interview with Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller In this special episode of the Next Step Podcast, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Senior Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas talks to…

Watching the Dock Emerge

By Kristeen Bruun I was barely home from my son’s wedding long enough to do my laundry when I traveled forth again for an eight-day silent retreat. The first question…

Blessings in the Midst of Anxiety

7 Jun 20216 Jun 2021

By Naomi Rossow I am at a point in my life where I am starting to create a life for myself and make decisions independent of my family. I have…