Bio

Institutional Christianity is going through a great shaking. None of us know exactly what tomorrow holds, but one thing is sure - the church is changing. Escapism is being replaced by realism. Dualism by integration. Status quo by social activism. Judgmentalism by compassion. Exclusion by inclusion. Hierarchy by democratization. Colonization by the celebration of BIPOC leadership. In the process, praise and protest are becoming inextricably intertwined, and the spiritual underground is giving us more and more clues as to what's around the corner.

With all of this in mind, Common Hymnal was created as a virtual library to help Christ followers navigate these uncertain times and find a safe passage into the future by loading them up with forward-facing content from the spiritual underground.

History teaches us that the future is innovated at the margins. Therefore, our efforts to treasure hunt the uttermost extremities of the faith to stock this library with songs, stories and ideas that echo the important conversations that are happening in these places. We have done our best to steer clear of cliches and spiritual fads in an effort to contribute meaningfully to a culture that values thoughtfulness and honesty.

As such, we are not seeking a platform of influence in the Christian bubble. We are working slowly and carefully to coalesce a new demographic, Christ followers who find themselves on the outskirts as a result of not fully connecting with mainstream Christian culture, yet eager to enjoy healthy community with other Jesus people. In order to accomplish this, we are building alliances with individuals and organizations that have a presence outside of evangelical subculture and that are tackling the justice-related issues that are a matter of survival on the fringe. 

Just as with a physical library, we engage with the community in our orbit in a variety of ways to introduce our content - from hosting get togethers to assembling pop-up bands for third party events. 

Pop Up Bands vary in size depending on the nature of the invite.