Spiritual Listening Plan: A Practical Tool for Community Engagement and Mission Innovation

The Spiritual Listening Plan: A Free Resource from The Listening Church

By Luke Edwards

In my fifteen years of community engagement work, I have been frustrated by the lack of spirituality in the church’s community outreach. Too often, I see churches limiting spirituality to Sunday morning worship and approaching community engagement ministry the way secular institutions do. I am not advocating for aggressive proselytization. I am advocating for church-based community engagement to be driven by and influenced by our encounter with Christ. That will look different from the work of other social agencies.

Three years ago, I developed a community assessment tool that incorporates elements of mystical spirituality to help churches understand their communities better and become spiritual homes for their immediate neighbors. The Spiritual Listening Plan (SLP) is an interactive PDF that consists of twelve activities broken into three categories: “Listening to God,” “Listening to Your Congregation,” and “Listening to Your Neighbors.” These activities emphasize the rhythm of looking within to discern where to be sent out. In a time when meaningful ministry requires genuine engagement, the Spiritual Listening Plan offers a structured approach to discernment, conversation, and reflection.

A Three-Fold Listening Process

The plan is structured around listening in three directions:

1. Listening to God – Engage in spiritual practices that help you discern God’s direction.
2. Listening to Your Congregation – Understand the passions, dreams, and hopes of those within your church community.
3. Listening to Your Neighbors – Learn from the people in your broader community to understand their everyday lives and spiritual longings.

To guide this process, the Spiritual Listening Plan provides a range of practical activities, allowing churches to tailor their approach based on their context and goals.

Listening to God

The plan emphasizes spiritual practices that ground listening in faith. These activities include:

• Rooting Listening in Scripture – Studying biblical passages about listening and reflecting on their relevance today.
• Organizing a Prayer Initiative – Inviting church members to pray for discernment.
• Practicing Centered Listening – Incorporating principles from centering prayer into the listening process.
• Spiritual Journaling – Recording insights and reflections throughout the listening journey.

Listening to the Congregation

Several activities help church members listen to one another and reflect on the church’s identity and direction. These include:

• Congregational Surveys and Focus Groups – Providing structured opportunities for people to share their thoughts and passions.
• Congregational Document Reviews – Examining existing church materials (website, budget, etc.) to see how well they align with current values and vision.
• Historical Reviews – Looking at the church’s past interactions with its community to learn from its successes and challenges.

Listening to Our Neighbors

The most impactful ministry happens when we understand our neighbors’ experiences. The Spiritual Listening Plan encourages churches to reach out through:

• Community Systems Mapping – Identifying the systems and structures that shape daily life for people in the community.
• Neighborhood Interviews – Engaging with key community members to learn about local needs and challenges.
• Demographic Reports – Comparing listening findings with demographic data to identify patterns and disparities.

Turning Listening into Action

The plan doesn’t stop at gathering information—it emphasizes spiritual discernment as the next step. Churches are encouraged to compile their findings, reflect on what they’ve learned, and seek God’s guidance on how to move forward. By bringing everything together, the church can make informed, spirit-led decisions that lead to meaningful ministry innovation.

Why This Matters

The Spiritual Listening Plan offers clear steps and activities that any church—large or small—can implement. More importantly, it fosters a culture of active listening rather than assuming we know what people need. It encourages humility, openness, and genuine engagement with our faith and our communities.

The Spiritual Listening Plan is a powerful tool for anyone looking to deepen their church’s impact. The plan aims to help us transform how we hear and respond to the voices around us.

For more details or to download the free PDF, visit thelisteningchurch.com/plan.

If you need additional resources to help you lead your new start-up or existing ministry, visit umcdiscipleship.org, or contact Bener Agtarap at [email protected].