Future Christian

What if the sermon wasn't something delivered to the congregation—but something created with the congregation?

In this episode, Martha Tatarnic talks with the Rev. Peter Levenstrong, associate rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco and author of Collaborative Sermons. Peter shares how his congregation developed "Living Story Sermons," an interactive, tactile approach to preaching that invites worshippers to wonder together, contribute their own insights, and trust the Holy Spirit to speak through the entire community—not just the preacher.

Drawing from years of experimentation and research across multiple congregations, Peter discusses why collaborative preaching is more than a novel technique. It's a response to spiritual trauma, declining trust in institutions, growing digital isolation, and the church's need to become an embodied, relational community in an AI-shaped world.

Together, Martha and Peter explore how collaborative sermons foster biblical engagement, deepen participation, create healing, and offer a compelling vision for the future of Christian worship.

Together they explore:

• Why traditional sermons often assume only one person has something worthwhile to say
• The origins of Living Story Sermons during the COVID pandemic
• How collaborative preaching builds trust and participation
• Research findings on biblical retention and congregational engagement
• Why collaborative sermons can be healing for people with church hurt
• Creating "analog havens" in an increasingly AI-driven world
• The future of preaching, worship, and embodied Christian community

The Rev. Peter Levenstrong is Associate Rector at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, where over the past six years he developed Living Stories Sermons, a collaborative, tactile preaching method now used by more than 130 preachers across denominations. His book Collaborative Sermons: A Guide to Authentic, Interactive Worship through Living Stories is out from Church Publishing in August 2026. He writes about the human part of ministry in an AI world on his Substack, The Human Part, and is a Trinity Leadership Fellow (2025–27) and Senior Fellow on AI at TryTank Research Institute. He holds an MDiv from Yale Divinity School and lives in Oakland with his wife Kaitlin and their son Caspian.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 His Book: Collaborative Sermons

🌐 Living Stories Newsletter: LSS Sign-Up for Newsletter

🟧 Peter's Substack: The Human Part

📱 Socials: His Facebook

🎧 Episodes Referenced: Doug Pagitt

 

 Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Martha's New Book! Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History - Available now!

Loren's New Book: The Church as Community Hub: Sharing Spaces to Help Neighborhoods Thrive - Available for pre-order!

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age.

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

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