“Intertwined” is a faith community in the Presbytery of Carlisle that is attempting to reach “nones and dones” [those who are either not church-goes (nones) or have left the church (dones)] through a low-key gathering community that includes an outdoor aspect and an online option. The Synod of the Trinity awarded Intertwined an Innovation Grant in 2023, and this is a two-year reflection from Kevin Long, the organizing pastor of Intertwined.
The Synod end we highlighted was “Fostering conversation and action for the promotion of social righteousness.” At the time, I highlighted our efforts related to ecological justice, and indeed those efforts have been a large part of what we do.
My Sunday reflections frequently touch or focus on ecological justice, and I regularly send out “Intertwined Actions” emails. Those emails offer opportunities for in-person actions related to environmental issues, as well as online actions that can be taken (e.g., signing petitions or contacting legislators about specific bills). I have also spoken on the topic of ecological justice in local churches, both as a pulpit supply pastor and Sunday school presenter.
Intertwined also partners with several organizations – some are focused on climate justice and others include it in their social righteousness efforts. We have participated in rallies and lobbying with Pennsylvania Action on Climate and March on Harrisburg. We have helped coordinate Poor People’s Campaign events. We have participated in litter pickups with Capital Area Cleanup. We regularly help staff the Friday evening to-go meal for the unhoused at Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg. As you can see, Intertwined participants are offered many and diverse opportunities to promote social righteousness.
Our goals included (and still include) providing a diverse faith community for the unchurched and dechurched while offering opportunities for service, honest and authentic conversation, mindfulness, spiritual practices and fellowship. Since we applied for the Innovation Grant, we have seen our numbers of unchurched and dechurched participants grow.
We have provided service opportunities (as described above). We offer time for fellowship and conversation during our Sunday gatherings, our Bible studies and at our Thursday evening conversations. Mindfulness is a major component of our Sunday gatherings, and it is also promoted through our weekday spiritual practice posts on social media. Those practices consist of a moment for breath, scripture reading and interpretation, or prayer.
It has been a privilege to hear the diverse stories of people who have chosen to be a part of our community. Some grew up with little or no religious influence. Others left the church when they were teenagers. A few suffered harm at the hands of the church, particularly those who grew up in an evangelical setting. I believe we have succeeded in creating a safe place for conversation, healing, deconstruction and reconstruction to take place. It has been a joy to witness our community become increasingly cohesive and supportive.
During our first two years, we have made a variety of changes based on the response of our community. We are now in a refining mode. I receive guidance from my 1001 New Worshiping Communities coach, the New Worshiping Communities Commission of the Presbytery of Carlisle (which also provides oversight), and, more recently, a Leadership Team comprised of Intertwined participants.
I currently have a survey open, through which I am collecting feedback from our community that will help shape our future. That feedback will be reviewed, and our current offerings might be tweaked as a result.
The next major step for Intertwined is to move toward financial sustainability. We have improved our online donation site, and I have encouraged our community to set up recurring donations. We have received donations from churches in the presbytery, and we are hoping to increase support as we familiarize more congregations with our ministry. We were awarded the first two rounds of grants from 1001 New Worshiping Communities and plan to apply for the third once we are eligible. I have also been researching additional grant opportunities outside of PCUSA.
On a weekly basis, I send an update email to the Intertwined community. We currently have 115 subscribers. I also created an annual update slideshow for the community that played during our two-year anniversary celebration, and it is available on our YouTube channel.
