Missio Lincoln Creates "Holy Curiosity" Among Participants
Apr 24, 2025 | Stacey Ortman
LINCOLN, Nebraska - A "holy curiosity" brought together the first cohort of participants at Missio Lincoln, a University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) initiative with a vision to cultivate local ecumenical kinship, discernment, and collaboration that equips the church for faithful futures.
Six individuals from the church traditions of Catholic, nondenominational Black, nondenominational Evangelical, Presbyterian Church (USA), and United Methodist Church have met since September 2024 to focus on the questions: What are we? What is God up to here? How is the Spirit inviting us to join?
"I don't know of any other Christian group that has the intentional diversity of voices and theology as well as a level of commitment to the group," said Rev. Melodie Jones Pointon, DMin, senior pastor at Eastridge Presbyterian Church. "This is the space where you can't get up and leave if you disagree - the rest of the group won't let you go. And also, we've had some really good conversations where we've learned a lot about each other in an open and nonjudgmental way. Barbara Taylor Brown calls it a 'holy curiosity' in her book Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others. It feels sacred to hold that holy space for each other."
Missio Lincoln's first cohort will have its final gathering on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
"I'm loving the friends I'm making," Pointon said. "I'm loving the diversity of perspectives, experiences, and theology."
That ability to foster ecumenical friendships and collaborations was appreciated by others in the first Missio Lincoln cohort. Max Chapman, MA (Theology, Sports Administration), founder of More Mercy, a Catholic ecumenical apostolate with a mission to "restore Christian unity through truth and love," felt the Missio Lincoln opportunity fit nicely into More Mercy's mission.
"I have enjoyed the friendships that have formed and the 'holy curiosity' that we have about one another's Christian traditions," Chapman said. "I appreciate that we are encouraged to be honest, vulnerable, and direct with one another in the midst of our conversations."
Many comments and questions have been directed to him about Catholicism as the only Catholic Church representative in the cohort. Something he said he loves.
"The 'holy curiosity' allows for meaningful and important questions to be asked without the fear of friendships being ruptured. I think our Missio Lincoln cohort has a high capacity for substantial dialogue and I am hopeful to see where the Spirit leads from here," Chapman said.
UDTS, with the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc., launched the first Missio cohorts in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2020. Since then, over 50 local missional practitioners from nearly 40 churches have participated in Missio Madison, now known as Neighborhood Catalysts and coordinated by a partner, Collaboration Project. Missio Lincoln launched fall 2024.
"The most unique and exciting development with the launch of Missio Lincoln is the involvement of Catholic leaders and the support of the wider Catholic community, which are a significant part of the Body of Christ in Lincoln. The way that the Spirit was out ahead of us, stirring up desire for ecumenical unity among Catholics, has been a huge encouragement," said Christopher James, PhD, Missio cohorts director, professor of evangelism and missional Christianity at UDTS, and director of the master of arts degree in mission and discipleship at UDTS.
Alex Rousseau, coordinator of Missio Lincoln, added, "Missio Lincoln is unique because of the diversity and the discernment. There are very few Christian spaces in Lincoln where conservative and progressive church leaders sit in a room together as members of God's family, and even fewer spaces where we can open the Bible together and discern some truths of God for us. Every time we are together, I can almost see the walls of assumption and prejudice crumble between us. This doesn't mean the differences aren't felt or important, but the openness for love and relationship grows. I think this is possible because our goal for gathering isn't 'figuring out the differences' or even 'let's just all become friends.' Our goal is discerning the work and activity of God in our city and neighborhoods so we might join with the Spirit - something we all agree is core to being a follower of Jesus."
Applications for the next Missio Lincoln cohort will open May 2025. Those interested in completing the eight-month community experience can apply at www.missiocohorts.org. Cohorts meet September through April. The time commitment is about eight hours a month, except October and March as those months include gatherings for two-day retreats.
A third Missio location - Missio Quad Cities - will launch its first cohort fall 2025 with a format similar to Missio Lincoln. Those interested in being the inaugural Missio Quad Cities cohort can apply beginning May 2025 at www.missiocohorts.org.
