Listening Is the Heart of Our Ministry

Listening is the heart of our ministry here at The Upper Room. 

In July, I traveled to Texas with Publisher Stephen Bryant to host listening sessions with pastors and church staff at three churches in San Antonio and Austin. The trip was part of The Upper Room’s strategic emphasis on understanding the needs of those we serve. It was my first work trip as Publisher’s Assistant and Church Relations Specialist, and I was excited to meet with church leaders to hear about their experiences and to consider together how we might develop deeper partnerships in ministry.

This year continues to be a time of intentional listening for The Upper Room. Here in Nashville we’ve hosted lunch gatherings with pastors and spiritual directors, offering them a space for rest and intentional conversation in the midst of their busy lives of service and guidance. In the coming months, we plan to spend time in other states, as we seek to invest in existing relationships and build new connections that will shape our work.

During our meals and meetings with people in any city, we often discover trends in the needs spiritual leaders express. While every faith community has unique experiences that shape its common life, we also notice recurring themes when spiritual leaders share about their own needs and the needs of those in their care.

Themes we heard during our time in Texas include:

• Churches need tools for helping people at every stage of the life and spiritual journey — from birth to death.
• People want resources for spirituality in action, not just for thinking and reading.
• Families are looking for ways to participate in spiritual formation together.
• Clergy need support in creating space for rest.
• Spiritual leaders need guidance in navigating the shifting role of church in society.

Our conversations with these spiritual leaders in Texas served as a refreshing reminder that people truly value what The Upper Room offers. And they are expectant and hopeful that we will continue to be a good partner in supporting them with ministry resources and encounters.

Spending time in person with those we serve helps Upper Room employees like me feel encouraged about the work God is doing in the world, and it gives us new energy to continue in our call to support the spiritual formation of God’s people.

By listening well to those around us, I believe we learn to listen more carefully for the voice of God. As we listen to others, we are attentive to God’s presence in their experiences and in our own, and we seek to discern where God is guiding us on the way that leads to life. Here at The Upper Room, we believe the spiritual practice of listening increases our availability to God’s power at work in and through us.

We invite you to join us in listening well to the partners you encounter, and we encourage you to share with us as you identify your own joys, longings, and needs on your spiritual pilgrimage.

Emily Snell is Publisher’s Assistant and Church Relations Specialist for The Upper Room.