A shared vision / Aurora, Illinois
What if we
began by
listening?
To God. To one another.
To the people right in front of us.
Helping the church step into the community, talk with people, and share who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.
Room to grow.
Rooted in ChristPracticed in relationshipShared with our neighbors
01 The heart of Talking Church
Knowing Christ.
Knowing our neighbors.
The most important thing we have to share is who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.
Talking Church is a vision for equipping ministry-minded individuals, small groups, and churches to carry that good news into everyday life: meeting people, asking thoughtful questions, speaking of their faith, and serving with care.
02 Our starting point / 1 Thessalonians 5
A relationship.
Not a time slot.
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer belongs within a life of patience, doing good, joy, thanksgiving, and discernment.
Not nonstop speaking.
A consistent relationship with God.
In Pray without Ceasing, Pastor Daryle Worley describes prayer as communication with God throughout daily life. Focused times of prayer and brief prayers within our work and conversations belong together.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
Ask God for patience as you listen and wisdom as you respond. Give thanks for another person’s joy. Let what you hear move you to care.
Drawing on Pray without Ceasing, Pastor Daryle Worley
Grace Church of DuPage · August 30, 2026
Begin here / Pilot podcast
Pull up
a chair.
A first look at Talking Church: people exploring faith through conversation. One example, not the whole vision.
Watch the conversation
TALKING CHURCH01 / PILOT
Faith, in
conversation. A place to begin.PLAY FILM
conversation. A place to begin.PLAY FILM
Hosted on Vimeo. The player loads only when you choose to watch.
03 The training / People before production
Learn the craft.
Tell the truth.
A journalistic approach, learned by doing.
Learn to approach people, ask open questions, listen closely, verify facts, and tell stories accurately. Practice interviewing, photography, audio, video, and editing—in the community as well as the studio.
Christina Selter’s vision
Equip locally.
Share more widely.
Christina Selter’s vision is to equip small groups to produce local media, with shared topics, sample questions, practical training, and support for wider distribution.
Over time, shared question guides could connect groups across communities—even nationally—while each group brings its own relationships and local knowledge.
POSSIBILITIES FOR A LOCAL GROUP
A group could explore the daily life of single parents, honor a loved one’s memory, or discover a neighbor’s work. These are examples to explore—not a fixed program. Start with the people, follow the questions, and learn to tell the story.
04 Talking Cities / The community outlet
Where our stories
meet the community.
Talking Church equips people.
Talking Cities helps their stories reach the community.
Talking Cities is an existing civic media outlet. Our vision is for it to share work developed through this training, alongside social media, church websites, and other outlets.
A public place for local stories
Talking Cities.
Family, work, service, creativity, and faith. The life of a community, told through its people.
Explore Talking CitiesNeighbors.
Not an audience.
The starting point is a person, not a piece of content. We want to understand our neighbors and build relationships that continue beyond the story.
From the photographic archive.
05 A few examples / Many possibilities
A small sample.
An open field.
Conversation, portraits, audio, and film: these earlier projects are a small sample of the communication this work could support.
sharing.DISCIPLESHIP / 01
06 A place to begin
Downtown Aurora, Illinois
Not somewhere.
Right here.
A place to gather.
A place to learn by doing.
The studios and gathering spaces at TalkLab / Bureau Gravity in downtown Aurora offer a practical home for this work.
Take the early ThinkAI tour
A laboratory for learning
Practice together.
Take it into the community.
Learn around a table and in the studio. Then go out, meet people, and bring back stories that help neighbors understand one another.
07 An invitation / Help shape the first pilot
There is room
at the table.
Begin with people.
Build from there.
We are inviting ministry-minded people, small groups, and churches to help shape a first pilot in Aurora.
One group. One story. A beginning.Pray, learn the craft, meet people, and create a story for Talking Cities or another outlet. Keep building the relationships that follow.
Explore a small-group pilotOpens an email to Jimi Allen.
jimi@talklab.io
BRING A QUESTION
Who are we called to know?
What could we learn together?
How could we serve?
Clarity matters
A few things
to keep clear.
Who is the training for?
Ministry-minded individuals, small groups, and churches. The purpose is to equip believers, not replace the local church. The neighbors we meet do not need to share our faith.
What role does AI play?
A supporting role in preparation, transcription, editing, and reflection. People remain responsible for accuracy, judgment, and the relationships. Technology is not God’s voice or a replacement for prayer.
Where would the stories be shared?
Talking Cities is the civic outlet we propose beginning with. Social media, church websites, and other outlets offer further possibilities.