Description
About the Book
What if church wasn’t confined to a building, but came alive in the spaces where people already gather?
Church leaders today face an urgent challenge: how to connect with a diverse world that is increasingly distant and disconnected from our existing forms of church. As loneliness and anxiety rise in the communities all around us, many are asking: Is there a better way to share the life-changing message of Jesus?
Opening Space invites readers on a journey to reimagine what church can be. Through heartfelt storytelling, relatable examples, and practical principles, this book explores how ordinary people—just like you—are creating extraordinary spaces for faith to flourish. From coffee shops to hiking trails, basketball courts to neighborhood potlucks, these new expressions of Christian community are making room for connection, belonging, and transformation.
Drawing inspiration from a group of roof-crashing friends in the Gospels, Opening Space casts a vision for breaking open spaces for people to encounter Jesus. It’s a call to rediscover the joy and adventure of faith—not just in sermons and church meetings, but in the beautiful, messy spaces where real life happens.
If you’ve ever longed for a faith that feels more alive or for a church that truly meets people where they are, this book will inspire readers to take the first step. The world is waiting. Are you ready to open space?
Preview the book here!
About the Author
Shannon Kiser is senior director for Fresh Expressions North America and serves as a teaching pastor at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling, Virginia, a vibrant missional congregation that has become a community hub through local partnerships and their seven-day-a-week coffee shop, Ridgetop Coffee and Tea. Shannon has coached, trained, and encouraged countless leaders across denominations as they experiment and adapt ministry and mission for a changing world. Shannon resides in Northern Virginia with her husband, Patrick, and is the proud mother of two young adult daughters, Catherine and Suzanne.
Specs
- Length: 6 Chapters
- Page count: 120
- Trim size: 5 x 8
- DVD accompaniment: No
This book was produced in partnership with Fresh Expressions.
