Parish Collective

Home
United States
Chicago, IL
Parish Collective

Connecting People to be the Church in the Neighborhood

www.parishcollective.org

When we organize the Church around God’s dreams for our neighborhoods there is nothing in the world that cannot be healed, transformed, and liberated. The problem is that we aren't connected, that's why we exist, to connect people to be the church in the neighborhood

08/21/2026

How will we live — not in theory, but with the people who actually live next door?

That's the question at the heart of Becoming Neighbors, the debut book — theologian, public scholar, and one of our Residents in Place.

It's out now from , and it's exactly the kind of thinking that animates this work.

Full excerpt at the link in bio.

08/20/2026

Meet Amar D. Peterman, one of our 2026–2027 Residents in Place.

Rooted in Bluemound Heights in Milwaukee, Amar is an author and constructive theologian working at the intersection of faith and public life.

His work asks important questions about how our faith shapes the way we live with and love our neighbors, and how we might cultivate the common good right where we are.

Amar’s first book, Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local, invites us to consider a simple but critical question: How will we live?

For Amar, neighborhood work begins with recognizing the love-worthiness of every person and seeking the flourishing of our neighbors as we build communities of belonging.

We’re grateful to have Amar in this year’s Parish Collective Residency in Place cohort and look forward to learning from the work he’s cultivating in Milwaukee.

Get to know Amar and meet the rest of our Residents in Place → Link in bio.

08/18/2026

Love music and need a reason to gather with your neighbors? We've got fun one!

August 29 is National Play Music on the Porch Day! People around the world will step outside to share songs, sounds, and the simple joy of being together.

You don’t have to be a musician to participate. Bring a song, an instrument, a chair, a snack, or simply yourself. Invite a few neighbors, open up your porch, lawn, or sidewalk, and make a little room for connection.

We saw what can happen when neighbors did exactly that in Ocean Beach. Read the Parish Story: A Porch, a Song, and a Neighborhood → link in bio.

🎵 Who knows what might happen if you gave it a try...

08/17/2026

What are you reading these days?

Our Essential Reading collection brings together books that have shaped the Parish Collective journey, resources for cultivating a deeper love for place, community, neighborhood, and the everyday work of being present.

Whether you’re looking for a book to spark a conversation, deepen your practice, or help you see your own neighborhood with fresh eyes, there’s something here to explore.

📚 Find your next read and explore our Essential Reading collection. You can find the link in our bio to browse the full collection.

What books would you add to the list?

08/14/2026

Meet Chelsea Kim Long, one of our 2026–2027 Residents in Place. 🌿

Based in Golden Hill, San Diego, Chelsea is a writer, lay theologian, meditation teacher, and the Lead Convener of our Parish Collective Residency in Place.

She helped create the Residency because she wanted a space for people doing this work in different places to learn from, encourage, and amplify one another.

As Chelsea puts it:
“The Residency is essentially the network I wished existed.”

We’re grateful to have Chelsea helping shape this first cohort, and we can’t wait to share more of her story.

→ Meet Chelsea and the full Residency in Place cohort at the link in bio.

08/13/2026

There’s a kind of courage in simply opening the door.

For Stephen in North Park, San Diego, it started with an open house and a simple invitation: come, share a meal, and make room for one another.

But somewhere between knocking on neighbors’ doors and sitting across the table from a stranger, something shifted. Stephen began to notice what was already happening in his neighborhood. God at work ahead of him, among his neighbors, in ways he hadn’t expected.

Sometimes we think we’re the ones extending welcome. And then we discover that we’re being welcomed, too.

What might happen if we paid a little more attention to who God is already bringing across our path?

Read Stephen’s Parish Story from North Park, San Diego. Link in bio.

08/12/2026

Need something good to read? 📚

We've been gathering some of the books that have shaped the way we think about parish, place, belonging, neighboring, and what it means to be the Church here and now.

We put them all in one place: our Essential Reading list.

Some are foundational. Some are practical. Some might mess with you a little. (Those are usually our favorites.)

Explore our Essential Reading collection through the link in our bio.

08/06/2026

Come gather around the table.

This fall, our friend Chelsea Kim Long is taking her Crowded Table dinners on the road in celebration of the release of her first book, Faithfully Dissident Daughters. Each gathering offers a shared meal, liturgy, and meaningful conversation in church spaces and backyards.

Join Chelsea at one of these upcoming dinners:

• Raleigh, NC — Sunday, September 6
• Portland, OR — Saturday, September 26
• Orange County, CA — Saturday, October 3
• Austin, TX — Saturday, October 17

Learn more about the book and register at faithfullydissident.com.

If one is close to you, go. If not, take it as a nudge to set a table like this in your own place.

07/27/2026

Tomorrow, we're gathering for Coffee Break with Shannan Martin, and we'd love for you to be part of the conversation.

Bring your favorite morning drink and join us for an encouraging discussion about community, belonging, and faithful presence. Whether you've followed Shannan's work for years or are just getting to know it through our July Book Club, everyone is welcome.

☕ Coffee Break with Shannan Martin
📅 Tomorrow, July 28
🕘 9:00 AM PST
💻 Free and online

There's still time to join us. Learn more and register through the link in our bio.

07/21/2026

What if God's invitations are more like comedy improv? An invitation and willingness to say, "Yes, and..."?

In this Parish Story, Matt Goldbloom shares how a simple "yes, and..." led to unexpected moments of joy and connection in his Spokane neighborhood. A zipline between two maple trees became a place for new friendships. A pancake breakfast brought neighbors together around one long table. An after-school drama club helped children discover confidence, creativity, and belonging.

Each story began with a small invitation and a willingness to imagine what God might do next.

As you swipe through, we hope you'll consider this question:
What invitation might God be extending to you in your own neighborhood today?

Read the full Parish Story through the link in our bio.

Address

3827 W Ogden Ave
Chicago, IL
60623

Website

http://www.parishcollective.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Parish Collective posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Parish Collective:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Chicago?