[00:00:01] Claire: Welcome back, collective table. This is Claire here, and I'm with Chelsea and Dana. And we have some super excited changes coming, and we just wanted to update our listeners. We have a huge transition coming up. So this episode, we've called it passing the baton. This will come out the day after the Olympics wrap up, and so we're just gonna continue with that Olympic theme and passing the baton. So, Chelsea and Dana, do you guys want to take it away and give us a little bit of, you know, where the collective table has been and we'll get on with where we're going?
[00:00:36] Chelsea: Well, it's been a minute.
We know that we've kind of been absent from the podcast, and we do have some life changes that have happened and some exciting things that are coming up for the collective table. We started dreaming about the collective table in 2018. We were trying to create a church that we wanted to go to, one that was progressive and young and modern and celebrated joy and justice and learned about Jesus and really came together as a community. And so that was our goal, was to create the church that we wanted to go to. And we spent about a year and some change planning, gathering a team together, really gearing up to launch our in person service. And like the rest of the world, when Covid hit, we had to pivot our plan. And so we moved online. And for a while, we did the church online type of thing. We're trying to kind of mimic what other people were doing, and somehow we fell into a podcast interview style. And we really, honestly, just had so much fun with it that we decided to kind of run with it and follow where we thought the spirit was leading, where we felt the energy. And for the last. What was that then? For years, we have spent time interviewing authors and musicians and thought leaders, some really fun, exciting guests. We've also had conversations amongst ourselves about scripture and liturgy and time of year like Lent and Easter and all that. And we did come back together to meet in person for a little bit. But we really did find our footing in this online space that people could access progressive, affirming christian theology from wherever they were. So we were really proud of that.
[00:02:16] Dana: You know, we found ourselves, certainly during COVID really reinventing our original plans. And we did, we fell into a podcast. And I think a big part of it was we realized just through learning and curiosity that the United States is full of amazing, diverse, affirming, progressive christians. And we really wanted to give, create a platform where they. We could highlight their voices. And so that's kind of what morphed into the collective table online, along with our social media platform, and it really grew and took off. And I think Chelsea's right. We did once, Covid, kind of. It's never gone away, but it settled down. We did find a way to find in person spaces, but the online presence was relevant, and we found a need for it. And so it was a great experience. It was a great experience, and...we've transitioned in our own personal lives. Chelsea has moved across the country, and things have been very active in my personal life. And so we just realized that it was time to put some more energy, to put some newness, some vitality and excitement into this space and really pass it on to a group that we trusted, that we believed in, that we knew would bring it into something else. And that's how we connected with the Oceanside sanctuary. Claire is there now, and Claire has always been that thread that's connected all of us for this particular space. And so for us, it's just. We are just so humbled and honored and excited to pass this over to this group. I mean, this group that's just doing some amazing work.
[00:03:56] Claire: And we are super excited, too. And with that, I would love to introduce some of our new hosts. We have the co lead ministers at Oceanside Sanctuary who going to be tag teaming the collective table with me. And so we have Jason and Jenell Coker that I would love to introduce. So, Jason and Jenell, tell us a little bit about yourselves and oceanside sanctuary.
[00:04:23] Jason: Well, hello. Welcome.
[00:04:26] Jenell: Hi, everybody.
I am so excited for this opportunity. We have a mission statement that we want to learn to generate new expressions of inclusive, inspiring, and impactful christian spirituality wherever it is needed. And I really heard previously to this conversation, but also in this conversation, that that was really your desire as well, that this is why this was put into place in the first place. And so we are so grateful that we had these intersecting desires and missions, and that this will hopefully be a good place to land this great work that you have already started.
[00:05:19] Jason: And if I could, like, maybe jump in. I'm really glad Jenell shared that priority that we have at Oceanside sanctuary. I did want to just maybe speak a little bit to the. The connection between the collective table and the oceanside sanctuary. And, like, one little funny, like, story, one little funny thing that I'll always remember is because Janelle and I pastor a progressive christian church in north San Diego county, it means that there aren't very many other progressive christian churches in the area. Right. Like, I think a lot of people would be surprised to discover that Southern California isn't necessarily, like, totally liberal or progressive. Right. We live in this kind of very conservative area in San Diego county. And so because of that, I was keenly aware of the collective table. Like, as soon as it became a thing, because you guys were, like, two cities south of us, and there just weren't very many people doing it. Right. And so I've kind of been a fan of the collective table for a while and, like, watching what you guys were doing and, like, excited because we need more progressive, inclusive churches in the world, not fewer. Right. And so I always really loved what you guys were doing. And then we met and kind of crossed paths in the clergy group that some of us organized in this area. And then I remember one time, not too long ago, maybe it was last Christmas, Dana and her family came to Christmas Eve service at the Oceanside sanctuary. Do you remember this, Dana?
[00:06:48] Dana: I do.
[00:06:49] Jason: Yeah. So Dana came to Christmas Eve service at the ocean side sanctuary, and I was like, you know, walking around saying hello to people, and I walked up to Dana and said hello to her, and she said, hi, I'm Dana Black. And I was like, dana, I know who you are. Like, I like.
Like, you're. You're the collective table. Like, how? Of course I know who you are. It was just so funny to me that, like, you know, it's a small world, right? Like, what we do is, in reality, a very, very small world, sort of, to speak to that. That small world includes the fact that Claire, who has been a co host for the collective table for several years, came on about a year ago as our family minister here at the Oceanside sanctuary. So that's kind of the bridge. Like, there is this, I think, really great, you know, cross pollination that has already been happening between TCT and OSC.
[00:07:42] Dana: Yeah, I mean, I agree. And I do think it's a small community that continues to grow. And for Chelsea and I decided, okay, listen, it's really time for us to transition and to do some other things.
We did not want this content and this platform to just dissolve. It's like, where does it go? And it was just a natural fit for us to connect with you guys, because while this is a small community, it's growing. And you're seeing that, you're working towards that, and that was really important for us, is that we are connecting and partnering with a progressive, affirming christian community that's actively trying to see that world expand. And that's what Oceanside sanctuary is doing. We're super excited to have this happen.
[00:08:26] Chelsea: When we started this, we started this from scratch. Like, there was not, like, we really had to go, like, searching for people to be a part of our launch team and our community. And we appreciate that people were with us on the journey for so long. Like, that people supported us. And either through, like, finances or prayer or showing up, that people listened. Like, we were always so amazed. Like, people are listening to us. That's so cool. And we just are so hopeful and so excited to see what you all do with the collective table. Like, we want to be fans of it now instead of leaders. We want to actually be able to sit back and listen and be part of it in that way also. And so we just really want to encourage people who have been with us on the journey for however long to really continue to engage and to participate, however that works for you, knowing that, like, Dana and I and Claire, like, full stamp of approval. So excited, so trust in your vision, ability, intelligence, wisdom, all that. And so, like, we're just excited. I'm just excited to be a fan now and just kind of watch what y'all do with it.
[00:09:32] Jenell: Well, I appreciate that. I also just want to provide some gratitude. I think that this was a female started nonprofit and ministry, and I think as women, we have been giving away our work product for a long time. And I know that because this is a nonprofit, we don't profit from this work product.
But I do want to just affirm from the three of you that you put so much time, energy, passion into this. And I know that I feel really grateful that you are willing to move it over because you could have just decided to kind of hoard it because you didn't want to give that work product away, so you could have just let it go. And instead, what you have opted to do is freely give it within this nonprofit context. But I do know that that was your hard earned work product. These are your voices. These are your. This is much of your essence, what you have cared about over these years. And so I just want to affirm that.
Dana: I think that's one of the nicest things somebody has said to us.Thank you so much. Wow. Thank you. Thank you. Wow.
[00:11:02] Jenell: Well, it's true.
[00:11:03] Dana: So just really excited to see what you do. Like, I think Chelsea said it, we want to be fans, and we're looking forward to that space. So, yeah.
[00:11:17] Speaker F: Having the courage to say, I'm a Christian, but not that kind.
[00:11:21] Speaker A: Of Christian, to connect with God even.
[00:11:24] Speaker B: In the midst of chaos, he had.
[00:11:26] Speaker C: To resort to violence and coercion out of his absolute insecurity.
[00:11:36] Claire: The collective table has had eight incredible seasons worth of podcast episodes over the last three and a half years. Now that TCT and Oceanside sanctuary have joined together, we want to slow down and reflect. Where have we been? Where are we now, and where do we want to go? So whether you're a longtime listener or are just now pressing play, our hope is that this next season, season nine, will bring this growing podcast community together.
So we're revisiting some of our standout conversations with guests like Rob Bell, Nadia Bolz Weber, Brian McLaren, Cole Arthur Riley, and more.
Jason, Jenell and I are so excited to bring you some of our perspectives on these conversations and how they still speak into the depths of spirituality, questions and life today.
[00:12:25] Speaker D: This is an era to decide which institutions are serving us and which do not.
[00:12:31] Speaker C: Loneliness and social alienation are really driving a great fracturing in our society, like.
[00:12:38] Speaker F: When Jesus on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This is the day God becomes an atheist.
[00:12:43] Claire: You don't want to miss what we have coming, so be sure to subscribe to the collective table wherever you listen to your podcasts, and we'll see you in September for season nine as we carry on this new and exciting iteration of the collective table. We would love to hear from you, so send us an email at
[email protected] or you can leave us a voicemail at 760-722-8522 and you might be featured on a future episode.
Thank you guys so much for joining us in a little passing of the Baton conversation today, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
[00:13:29] Chelsea: Yeah, I'm excited.
[00:13:30] Jason: Thanks, you guys. Take care.
Dana: Bye.
