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”

Unexpected Emotions

6 Jun 20216 Jun 2021

By Kim Longden One evening during the recent Memorial Day weekend I took a walk through our neighborhood. It was noticeably quieter than usual—many houses empty and closed up as…

Cultural Studies

World Travelers

1 Jun 20211 Jun 2021

By Rachel Hinz “We are in the world; but not of the world.” Did your mom ever say this to you? Mine did. I thought of it recently when I…

Discipleship Tools

The Trinity and Praying for the Spirit

By Justin Rossow In Acts 2, Peter says that the risen and ascended Christ has poured out the Spirit at Pentecost. In John 14, Jesus says he will ask, and…

Send Somebody; Anybody!

27 May 20213 Nov 2021

By Justin Rossow I have been sad all day today. I can't really tell you why. Or, rather, the sadness comes from many different sources, some of which I am…

Discipleship Tools…

Walking in Prayer

By Alli Bauck I remember being introduced to the concept of a prayer walk when I was in 8th grade. My confirmation class was enjoying a weekend retreat at a…

Embrace the Process

By Katie Helmreich There's a special sort of beauty in the midst of a mess. I'm a fairly tidy person. I like to keep things organized as much as is…

Discipling Leaders…

Pentecost & Intimacy With God

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 08: Pentecost and Intimacy With GodDate: 15 May 2021Guest: Conrad Gempf Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon…

Discipling Leaders…

Visual Faith & The Secret Code Prayer

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 07: Visual Faith and The Secret Code PrayerDate: 11 May 2021Guest: Connie Denninger, Co-Founder of Visual Faith™ Ministry Also available on: Apple…

Discipling Leaders…

Rest, Heal, & Play

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 06: Rest, Heal, and PlayDate: 8 May 2021Guest: Steve and Jamie Wiechman, Breathe Life Ministries Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,…

I Got Rhythm!

By Justin Rossow I grew up with The Muppet Show, and I clearly remember a scene where Fozzie Bear sings his rendition of “I Got Rhythm!” Fozzie obviously doesn’t have…

Discipling Leaders…

The Adventure of Hospitality

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 05: The Adventure of HospitalityDate: 30 April 2021Guest: Carl Medearis Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon Music.…

Discipleship Tools…

An Experiment in Family Devotions

27 Apr 202127 Apr 2021

By Kim Longden For many years we wanted to have a family devotion time, but didn’t know where to start. Was there a specific format for family devotions? What resources…

Discipling Leaders…

Paradox & Life in the Spirit

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 04: Paradox and Life in the SpiritDate: 23 April 2021Guest: Professor Lois Malcolm Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora,…

The One Voice

22 Apr 202121 Apr 2021

By Kristeen Bruun I am a widow. I did not get to live the life that my husband and I had planned to live together. My parents have been dead…

Exegetical Study

Prayers of The Faithful One

21 Apr 202121 Apr 2021

By Justin Rossow In Mark 9, right after the Transfiguration, a concerned father brings his son to Jesus in desperation. The father (in Greek, ὁ πατὴρ, ho patēr) says to…

Gnat-ural Beauty

19 Apr 202119 Apr 2021

By Anne Meyer Have you ever walked into a cloud of gnats? Like where you hold your breath for fear of sucking one in and flail your arms in futility…

Discipling Leaders…

Desert & Wilderness

The Next Step PodcastSeason 5: Come, Holy SpiritEpisode 03: Desert and WildernessDate: 16 April 2021Guest: Rev. Walt Waiser Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon Music.…

One Body; One Spirit

By Justin Rossow Human beings are unique in all creation: God designed us to be physical and spiritual creatures. God gave us bodies and souls that belong together. That’s one…