Introducing the Residency in Place
Some of the most significant work in the church today isn't happening in big institutions or on national platforms. It's happening in specific neighborhoods like Little Portugal and Appalachia, in the Georgia Piedmont and Durham's West End, in Milwaukee and Golden Hill, San Diego. It's the slow, faithful work of people who have planted their lives somewhere and let that somewhere shape everything.
At Parish Collective, we've spent years meeting these kinds of leaders. They're writers and artists, pastors and theologians, organizers and neighborhood practitioners. They each bring unique gifts, but they share a common conviction: God is already at work in the places we call home.
Many of them are doing remarkable work, yet they don't necessarily know one another. So we began asking:
What if these leaders knew each other?
What if they had a community of peers to encourage them, sharpen their thinking, and amplify the stories emerging from their neighborhoods?
That vision became the Residency in Place.
What Is the Residency in Place?
The Residency in Place is designed to identify thought-leaders and guiding voices who are deeply invested in the neighborhoods they call home. It exists to invest in their creative and neighborhood work while bringing them into conversation with one another.
Rather than asking people to leave their communities in order to grow, the Residency is built on a different conviction:
Our neighborhoods are some of our greatest classrooms.
We believe there is much to learn by connecting faithful people who are cultivating renewal where they already live.
Throughout the year, residents will gather for mutual learning and encouragement while continuing their work in their own communities. Together they'll contribute essays, conversations, storytelling, and other creative projects that invite the wider Parish Collective community to learn from what's taking shape in neighborhoods across North America.
As they share their experiences, they'll also help shape the future of Parish Collective by offering insights into faithful presence, neighboring, creativity, and the life of the Church.
Meet the Residency Convener
Chelsea Kim Long
The Parish Collective Residency is led by Chelsea Kim Long, whom many of you know from her years serving as Parish Collective's Communications Lead.
Chelsea has long been passionate about creating spaces where thoughtful, place-rooted leaders can find one another, share ideas, and flourish. Alongside her writing and theological work, she's deeply rooted in her own neighborhood, where she co-leads a neighborhood faith community in San Diego. As Residency Convener, she'll guide this community of residents through a year of shared learning, storytelling, and collaboration.
Meet Our Inaugural Cohort
We're thrilled to introduce the first Residency in Place cohort.
Rooted in Different Places, United by a Shared Calling
These residents represent different places, traditions, and vocational callings, but they share a common belief: local commitment is not a limitation. It's where the Kingdom of God takes root.
We couldn't be more honored to walk alongside them this year, to learn from them, celebrate their work, and introduce you to their stories in the months ahead.
This Is Only the Beginning
As the Residency unfolds, you'll hear from these residents through essays, conversations, and their own creative projects. Together, they'll invite us to learn from what's taking shape in neighborhoods across North America and to imagine what faithful presence can look like in our own places.
We hope their stories encourage you to look more closely at your own neighborhood and to imagine what God might already be doing there.
Continue the Journey
Want to learn more about the Residents? You can find additional information on the Residency in Place webpage.
