Parish Movement Sign 2: Inhabiting Our Parish
Sign 1 reminded us that the Church starts with Centering on Christ.
Sign 2 reminds us that Christ shows up in place.
SIGN 2: We actively inhabit our neighborhood, joining the liberation story of God in, with, and for our place and its inhabitants.
What is a parish?
A parish is where Church and neighborhood meet.
Historically, a parish was a defined geographic area served by a particular church. A place-based way of organizing spiritual life and care. While many modern churches have moved away from that language, we’re reclaiming it with new energy and imagination.
As Parish Collective, we define a parish this way:
Church + Neighborhood = Parish
Church: Christ’s body (team) following, celebrating, and learning from the Jesus story to join God’s dreams in the neighborhood.
Neighborhood: A geographic area large enough to live a lot of life, but small enough to be a known character in its story.
So, a parish is not just where you go to church.
It’s where you are the Church—with, for, and in your neighborhood.
Whether that’s a few blocks, a school district, or a side of town, a parish is about presence and attention. It’s about joining the liberation story of God already unfolding in that particular place.
Why does this matter?
Our faith was never meant to float above the ground.
“The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” (John 1:14)
Jesus didn’t stay distant. He moved into a neighborhood. He became known. He walked the streets. He shared meals. He wept, healed, and hoped within a specific place. That’s the invitation we’re given too.
This is why Sign 2 of the Parish Movement is so important: We actively inhabit our neighborhood, joining the liberation story of God in, with, and for our place and its inhabitants.
You don’t have to settle down permanently or own a home to inhabit your parish. You can choose to show up with intention, humility, and presence wherever you are, for however long you are there.
From residence to relationship
In the Sign 2 video, Michael Mata reflects that there is a difference between residing in a place and being woven into its fabric. For him, that truth has come from decades of living and working in central Los Angeles where he has been learning with, from, and alongside the people, the systems, and the sacred stories of the neighborhood.
“It isn’t so much to occupy or reside in a space,” Michael says, “but to become part of the fabric of life in all its meaning, struggles, and celebrations.”
We live in a culture that encourages us to move on, upgrade, and stay disconnected. In that world, choosing to stay, to know, to inhabit, even imperfectly, is a radical act of faith.
To inhabit your parish is to declare:
This place matters.
These people matter.
And I’m going to live like it’s true.
Shannan Martin brings that idea to the ground level by quoting Jeremiah 29:
“Build homes and plan to stay. Plant gardens.”
This is long-haul work. The kind of presence that doesn’t just pass through, but commits to knowing and being known.
“Staying is different than existing,” Shannan says. “Until we go, we stay.”
Inhabiting means asking deeper questions
If we’re going to join God’s dreams for our place, we need to listen more deeply.
Who was here before us?
What stories have been buried or left out?
How did this neighborhood get its name?
Who’s been most affected by injustice—and what does love look like in response?
Jonathan Brooks notes that when we go deep into place, we are inevitably drawn toward the pain, beauty, and equity story of that neighborhood. It’s not a detour. It’s the way of Jesus.
This isn’t charity—it’s mutuality
Inhabiting your parish isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about showing up as a neighbor—and recognizing that your own peace is tied to the peace of the place.
“We’re not here for the neighborhood as if we’re separate from it,” Shannan reminds us. “We’re here with the neighborhood, and it’s here for us, too.”
That shift matters.
It’s what turns churches from service providers into true community members.
And it turns ministry into mutuality.
Watch the Sign 2 video with more insights from Michael and Shannan.
SIGN 2: Inhabiting Our Parish - We actively inhabit our neighborhood, joining the liberation story of God in, with, and for our place and its inhabitants.
Becoming rooted people in the same proximity, we seek to join the liberating story of God in, with, and for our place, its inhabitants, and those who stewarded the land before us. All of us are made in the image of God, which means our worth is imbued with gifts and abilities. However, we recognize there will be systems and structures that devalue some inhabitants because of their identity or heritage. We will stay alert and engaged against injustices around us that might exist. Rather than seeking power or wielding control, we begin with an intentional effort to know and be known by our actual neighbors - to actively participate in listening, loving, and caring for the land and people where we live. Learning together how to faithfully embody kinship and equity at street level gives us wisdom to discern our limits, strengths, and responsibilities elsewhere.
Sign 2 Definition written by Michael Mata & Shannan Martin
➤ Think through your typical week and estimate the amount of energy and intention you have toward your neighborhood
➤ Research and write a list of local business you’d like to patronize this week or month
➤ After listening for something that community members want to see done, do it. Could be a small project, like picking up litter or offering to take those with limited mobility to vote