In addition to our sermons and guides, the following resources address our life together as a faith community. Some of this writing is intended to get us thinking more deeply about our values, commitments, or practices. Some is written to describe our life together to a wider audience. To add other resources to this list, please contact the Outreach Mission Group.
Books by Others
Hal Taussig, A New Spiritual Home: Progressive Christianity at the Grass Roots (Santa Rosa: Polebridge Press, 2006). This discussion of new and renewed progressive churches highlights wide community participation in creative worship as a distinctive mark of Seekers Church (pp. 71-72).
Paul Wilkes, Excellent Protestant Congregations (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001). This description combines observations about worship at Seekers Church with experiences at the Potter’s House and other activities of Church of the Saviour.
Writing by Seekers
Marjory Zoet Bankson
Stalking the Spirit in a Do-It-Yourself Church (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014). This book is the story of Seekers Church, known for creative worship, an open pulpit, shared leadership, a strong matrix of mission groups, and generous giving.
“The Power of Commitment: It Can Happen Anywhere,” in Best Practices from America’s Best Churches, Paul Wilkes & June Minchin, eds. (New York: Paulist Press, 2003). This chapter provides an overview of Seekers Church with emphasis on God’s call and the commitment of each member.
“The Rhythm of Renewal,” Chapter 9 in Rattling Those Dry Bones, June Steffensen Hagen, ed. (San Diego: LuraMedia, 1995). This chapter offers reflections on losing heart and finding it again as part of the spiritual path shared by many at Seekers Church.
Peter Bankson and Deborah Sokolove, Calling on God: Inclusive Christian Prayers for Three Years of Sundays, (Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths, 2014). The prayers in this collection were originally written by Peter and Deborah over a number of years, as they took their turns leading worship at Seekers.
Pat Conover, “Case Study of a Progressive Christian Community,” February 2008. This sociological study is intended to help people who don’t know Seekers Church to gain some understanding of the distinctive way that Seekers understands itself and acts as a church; encourage other congregations that are seeking revitalization or transformation; contribute to networking with other progressive Christian churches; inform students of ecclesiology and sociologists or anthropologists of religion; and be of some value to Seekers Church as it continues to grow in understanding and comfort with following the path it has begun.
Kate Cudlipp, “Who Do We Say We Are? A Question for The Seekers Church,” April 2004. This course paper written in the Master of Divinity Program at Wesley Theological Seminary describes the history of Seekers Church and lays out some theological structures to help shape conversations about the emerging shape of Seekers Church.
Sonya Dyer with Jackie McMakin, Seekers: Growing Our Life Together, 1976-2000, 2000. A collection of prayers and essays by Sonya Dyer, co-founder of Seekers Church, based on her twenty-five years of leadership at Seekers.
Deborah Sokolove, “Our Lives on the Table: An Investigation into the Liturgical Practices of Seekers Church,” February 15, 1998. This thesis was written as a capstone project for the Master of Theological Studies degree at Wesley Theological Seminary, connecting the liturgical practices of Seekers Church with the longer history of liturgy and suggesting a theological understanding of collaborative process in art and worship.