A Celebration and a Sending Forth
On Friday, April 29, at the Inhabit Conference, we announced Paul Sparks' intentions to formally transition out of leadership of the Parish Collective. As our co-founder, Paul has had an indelible mark on our organization. We celebrate him while sending him forth as he continues to press into God's dream for the Parish Movement. Below find a letter from Paul and one from Tim Soerens, Executive Director of the Parish Collective. Our inbox is open for questions and we're happy to pass messages on to Paul. Email us: info@parishcollective.org
Dear Friends and Loved Ones,
Few people have had the privilege and opportunity to live into the very center of their heart and hopes for the world. My many years growing and learning alongside the Parish Collective have been exactly that. They are some of the most epic and wonderful experiences of my entire life.
Over recent months I have felt a strong sense of call in new directions while staying deeply connected to neighborhood work. I have also felt a growing urgency to release my role creating space for others who are more capable of taking Parish Collective where it must go next.
I have watched the movement grow new voices, new leadership, and new clarity of vision through the most challenging pandemic years. Now, there is a growing confidence that this summer is the best time to begin the process of making this transition.
My heart is filled with gratitude for all of the brave friends and loved ones I have journeyed with. Your lives have sustained my faith and grown my hope in The Way of Love.
In Christ,
Paul Sparks, Co-founding Director Emeritus of the Parish Collective
Dear Parish Collective Community,
In the beginning there was just a hopeful hunch ... what if there were thousands of everyday Christians seeking to be the church in their neighborhoods with no real way to meet one another?
13 years later, as connections have compounded and grown all around the world, Paul has relentlessly embodied the soul of this broader Parish Movement. He is tenaciously curious, profoundly wise, and has remained faithful to the vision that God is renewing and restoring the church at the neighborhood level.
Thousands of you have been inspired and encouraged by Paul's exhaustive travels, attentive questions, and patient counsel. He has walked the streets of over 300 neighborhoods and slept on more couches than I can imagine.
If you have ever been inspired, challenged, or comforted by Paul, I hope you take a few moments during this transition to share your gratitude with him. I literally cannot fathom what my life would be like without this presence and am cheering him on into this next chapter.
Gratefully,
Tim Soerens, Co-founding Executive Director of the Parish Collective