You're not weird - you're early
Welcome to Substack Seminary: we're building the Future of Church- together
You’re looking for what they don’t teach in seminary
Maybe you’re a chaplain. A church consultant. A podcast host. A church planter. Maybe you’re pastoring a traditional congregation and finding ‘Cage Free’ ways to share ministry inside it.
Maybe you’re doing all of this at once.
You see what’s happening to the church, and you’re already responding. That makes you a pioneer, which is a great word for a hard job.
Being early means working without a map. Usually without a net. And it’s lonely. It can be exhausting.
Substack Seminary is where we build the map and the net together.
Substack Seminary is a Newsletter that is part of
a Free Range Priest subscription.
During Quarters, you’ll get blogs thematic blogs:
Q1: Vision & Systematic Change
Q2: Structure & Business Model
Q3: Theology & Community
Q4: Technology & Collaboration
Paid FRP subscribers join Conversations live on Thursdays at 3:30 Eastern (during Quarters), and get the replay + chat invitation on Mondays.
You don’t have to do this alone. Subscribe to join the ‘home for weirdo pastors’.
Substack Seminary might be the place for you if…
You’re a lay or ordained minister (or thinking about becoming one, or on your way)
You’re building something outside the institutional box (or inside the institution, trying to build a new ‘box’).
You’re seeing the changes in the church and responding creatively - or want to!
You’re ready to describe what you do, who you’re trying to reach, and how it gets financially supported (we talk about money a lot).
You’re longing for real community, collaboration, people who see the same things you do - and are pioneering how to respond in new ways.
You really want honest, helpful critique of what you’re dreaming of and how to make it a reality.
Substack Seminary may NOT be for you if:
You’re not ready to challenge the traditional church model - or not ready to be challenged yourself.
You don’t have time to devote about five hours a week during Quarters (with time off between) to building your ministry.
You don’t have space to give as much support as you want to receive.
You’re not ready to think about how what you’re doing right now as pioneering the Future of Church.
Substack Seminary is NOT a traditional seminary.
It is:
A community where you don’t have to add a whole paragraph of explanation after you say ‘I’m a ‘Cage Free’ minister’.
A development, networking, and training community for ministers.
A workshop – where you bring the real ministry you’re tinkering with and work on it in public with others.
A formation hub – where you get weekly teaching, questions, and practices that help you grow into the kind of minister needed for the Future of Church.
You don’t have to build it alone.
The blogs are free - you’ll receive them as part of your Free Range Priest subscription.
Paid subscribers come to Thursday live streams (3:30pm Eastern), and get replays and chat invites on Mondays (during Quarters)
At Free Range Priest, we’re bringing church to people.
Bite-sized ways that YOU can re-imagine ministry and get ‘unstuck’.
Right now. Today.
Subscribe to re-discover ministry JOY.