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”

Discipling Leaders

Readers Theatre: Look, Lift Up Your Eyes, and See!

By Justin Rossow Just recently, I got to lead a Next Step Immersion Weekend at a congregation down in Texas (hit me up with a pm if you or your…

Cultural Studies

“Jesus wept.”

17 Oct 202218 Oct 2022

By Rachel Hinz Six years ago my mom died. That’s not how I usually say it, though. I’ll say something like, “My mom got to see her Savior.” Or, “My…

How are You Doing?

OR The Roller Coaster of Transition By Jamie Wiechman “How are you doing?” is the innocent question that leaves me fumbling for words. Some people are blessedly able to offer…

Cultural Studies

Don’t Wear the Gorilla Sweater

11 Oct 202212 Oct 2022

By Katie Helmreich I just finished knitting a cardigan for a gorilla. It wasn't exactly what I was going for. I thought I was following the pattern, but somehow things…

A Beautiful Day for Needing Jesus

8 Oct 20226 Oct 2022

By Katie Helmreich A few weeks back I shared about a particularly challenging season we've been going though. I'm happy to say that, for the most part, our skies have cleared…

Non-Judgmental Noticing

The Next Step PodcastSeason 6: My Next Step, Vol 1: Getting StartedEpisode 2.3: Non-Judgmental NoticingDate: 06 October 2022Guest: Jamie Wiechman, Cofounder of Breathe Life Ministries Also available on: Apple Podcasts,…

Make Like a Tree

By Katie Helmreich For nearly a hundred years, our silver poplar tree has graced the backyard. We have dozens of other trees, but this gigantic tree and the shade underneath it…

The LORD is Not Slow. Say What?

By Jamie Wiechman Does anyone remember the famous line from the 1980’s sitcom Different Strokes? Something doesn’t compute with Arnold Jackson. This little boy tilts his head, scrunches up his…

Discipleship Tools…

Noticing Your Emotions, with Jesus

By Justin Rossow Emotions are simply part of who we are as human beings; which means our emotions are "beautifully and wonderfully made," and part of a fallen creation, both…

God at Work, in My Kids

23 Sep 20226 Oct 2022

By Katie Helmreich The past month has been an intense struggle for us. My youngest started kindergarten this year, and turns out she wasn't quite ready for it emotionally. Every…

Cultural Studies

Great (and Not-So-Great) Expectations

17 Aug 20221 Nov 2022

By Ted Hopkins Expectations are a funny beast. On vacation this summer, we ate at a restaurant that was a bit sketchy when we first walked in. They had open…

Cultural Studies…

Mary and Martha, GPA or GPS?

28 Jul 20222 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow (with Valerie Matyas) A couple of weeks ago, I got to lead a Next Step workshop at a congregation outside Buffalo, New York. As part of the…

Discipleship Tools…

Your Cloud of Witnesses

By Katie Helmreich Basketball, an afternoon at the beach, and a Rubber Band Boat Race Tournament bracket with a group of third cousins makes for a stand out great day.…

Peace in the Process

14 Jul 20222 Nov 2022

By Kim Longden A few days ago, I was sitting in the optometrist’s office with nine-year-old Jonah listening to the hushed tones of the eye exam in progress: “What is…

The Day After Perfect

10 Jul 20222 Nov 2022

By Katie Helmreich Ah, summer... Sunshine and a more laid back routine. The kids are home doing their childhood thing. The Suburban has been packed, unpacked, and repacked for trips…

Faith Experiment…

RAIN-ing with Jesus

1 Jul 20222 Nov 2022

By Naomi Rossow I have been seeing my current therapist for about six months now. She is amazing, and we have been able to work through a lot together as…

ADVENTURE!

22 Jun 20222 Nov 2022

By Katie Helmreich My daughter, Elise, just turned 13. It’s a big deal. So we decided to celebrate with a big adventure! Elise and I headed North for a two-day canoe…

Exegetical Study

The god in My Pocket

15 Jun 20222 Nov 2022

By Justin Rossow A friend of mine has a collection of artifacts from the Holy Land in his office, including a woven basket full of household gods. These crude figurines…