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”

A Field Guide to Humans

A Field Guide to Humans: Their Limitations and Glory By the Archangel Michael (transcribed by Conrad Gempf) My fellow angels! How resplendent you all look! Can I just say, I…

Go and Tell a Friend about Jesus

6 Dec 20215 Dec 2021

By Kim LongdenI’ve noticed that lessons for children in Bible curriculums oftentimes end with an exhortation for them to go and tell a friend about Jesus. This puts an image…

Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

The Next Step PodcastSeason 3: Light in the DarknessEpisode 4: Comfort, Comfort Ye My PeopleDate: 4 December 2021Guest: Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Concordia University, St. Paul Also available on: Apple…

The Proof is in the Pudding

3 Dec 202110 Dec 2021

By Justin Rossow 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the…

Emma

By Kristeen A. Bruun Ever since Emma turned twelve (she’ll be fourteen in a month) and could therefore fly without paying an extra surcharge for being an unaccompanied minor, she…

I’ve Got You Surrounded!

1 Dec 20211 Dec 2021

By Justin Rossow In Philippians 4:4–7, Paul is landing the plane on his letter to these dear friends with some final words of exhortation and encouragement. Verse 7 includes a…

Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty Gates

The Next Step PodcastSeason 3: Light in the DarknessEpisode 2: Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty GatesDate: 27 November 2021Guest: Jonathan Reitz, Director of Training and CEO at Fluxify Also…

My Christmas Letter to God

By Alli Bauck Every year around this time I debate sending a family Christmas card. In previous years I have justified my participation in this holiday tradition because we had…

School Photos

By Valerie Matyas Remember picture day at school? Finding the perfect outfit of which only 1/8th will be visible. Practicing a natural smile in the mirror, varying the degree of…

Faith Experiment…

Noticing My Need for Spiritual Rest

By Alli Bauck As a stay-at-home-mom with two active boys between the ages of 1 and 4 (and in my second trimester with boy #3), I try to make time…

Welcome Back

The Next Step PodcastSeason 3: Light in the DarknessEpisode 0.2: Intro, Year TwoDate: 13 November 2021Guests: Valerie Matyas and Alli Bauck Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora,…

Raising Daughters

By Heidi Goehmann I was recently asked a question by a friend about raising girls, about raising women: How is it done? Which led to other questions: What’s the “right”…

Cultural Studies…

I Long to See You Face to Face

29 Oct 20212 Nov 2021

It’s been a rather confusing year for worship. We’re called to stay focused on relationship. By Justin Rossow As COVID-19 drags on (and on, and on, and on...), our novel…

Faith Experiment…

A New Walk

21 Oct 202122 Oct 2021

By Raelyn Pracht I recently wanted to start a simple new habit to reach a certain step count every day. I knew two things going into this: (1) I needed…

For Me

Living with Loose Ends

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

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 20213 Oct 2021

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

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…