We cultivate joy in MINISTRYLEADERSHIPMISSIONDESIGNTHEOLOGYLITURGY
At Fossores Innovation and Design, we believe enlivened pastors inspire people, and inspired people change the world. That’s why we cultivate ministry that fuels the dreams of preachers, leaders, and innovators.
Drawing upon decades of both remarkable creativity and dynamic impact, we have created an experienced network of support and guidance. Whether you serve in a local church, a global outreach program, or a community-focused initiative, we intend to empower YOU to fulfill your holy longings, noble ambitions, and passionate pursuits. Together, let’s work for the love of the Lord and the good of the world.
WE ENLIVEN THE DREAMS OF PREACHERS, LEADERS, AND INNOVATORS.
Let us help you flesh out your boldest, biggest, most audacious ideas. We want to provide an incubator for your intuition, a breeding ground for your future, and a hyperbaric chamber for your soul.
What is A
Fossorian?
A “fossores” is a species of sand wasp, and was used in reference to clergymen during the Roman persecution of the church much like we might crudely refer to someone as a cockroach.
Because Christianity was an outlaw religion, pastors were often forced to take inconspicuous day jobs. Many became gravediggers. By day, Fossorians (as I’ve come to call them) would suffer the scorn of the public while working backbreaking labor for low pay. But at night, they would use the newly excavated gravesites as houses for worship, smuggling in their brothers and sisters for church in the catacombs.
After the services ended, the Fossorians would stay up and pray, decorating the tombs with symbols and scriptures, prayers and pleas. Then they would sleep in the presence of sacralized death, dreaming of God’s plans to heal the world. They practiced the undifferentiated wholeness between their art, their work, and their faith.
The original Fossorians model that our vocation and calling and identity are inextricably mixed. We don’t have “prayer lives” and “spiritual lives.” No. We are spiritual people, and every thought or word or hope we utter is saturated by the presence of the Spirit. Today, we pick up where they left off in hopes of honoring Christ with all we are permitted to create.
BECOME A FOSSORIAN
Life is too short, and ministry too taxing, to do alone. Join our fraternity of men and women comprising the absolute best people in ministry today.
Ministerial Innovation
and Design
Creative experimentation doesn’t only generate beautiful ideas, but beautiful people, also. The very process forms and funds our understanding of Christian spirituality, catalyzing both our personal development and our missiological future. That’s why we began applying the best design-thinking principles to practical ministry problems. Whether through our online resources or our certifications and training, we are committed to helping you foster fresh creativity in service to our Creator.
The Chapter
House
This is our research and development center for the future of the Church. Join us every month as we provide graduate-level teaching, practical training, and biblical reflection concerning the overlap of art, work, and faith. Join us onsite every month as we offer retreats for both clergy and laity, featuring rich biblical wisdom and practical ministry application. Our guests consistently report having a profound transformational experience--both relationally and spiritually.
Rev. Dr. David McDonald
Dr. David McDonald is the Founder of Fossores and the Steward of the Chapter House. A pastor and scholar with over three decades of experience, David was awarded the first-ever post-doctoral fellowship at Portland Seminary and his work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. Some of David’s most recent publications include "Heirs of Eden", (a biblical defense for how God guides us through our passions, desires, and noble ambitions to heal the world) and "The Adventure of Happiness."
01 Ministerial Innovationand Design
Creative experimentation doesn’t only generate beautiful ideas, but beautiful people, also. The very process forms and funds our understanding of Christian spirituality, catalyzing both our personal development and our missiological future. That’s why we began applying the best design-thinking principles to practical ministry problems. Whether through our online resources or our certifications and training, we are committed to helping you foster fresh creativity in service to our Creator.
02 The Chapter House
This is our research and development center for the future of the Church. Join us every month as we provide graduate-level teaching, practical training, and biblical reflection concerning the overlap of art, work, and faith. Join us onsite every month as we offer retreats for both clergy and laity, featuring rich biblical wisdom and practical ministry application. Our guests consistently report having a profound transformational experience--both relationally and spiritually.
03 Rev. Dr. DavidMcDonald
Dr. David McDonald is the Founder of Fossores and the Steward of the Chapter House. A pastor and scholar with over three decades of experience, David was awarded the first-ever post-doctoral fellowship at Portland Seminary and his work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. Some of David’s most recent publications include "Heirs of Eden", (a biblical defense for how God guides us through our passions, desires, and noble ambitions to heal the world) and "The Adventure of Happiness."
MINISTERIAL INNOVATION AND DESIGn
We provide highly customizable solutions to liturgy, theology, mission, and storytelling in order to ensure your best ideas come to life. We supply these resources through our weekly email subscriptions, our training and certifications, and the development of our authors at Chapter House Publishing and creators at Chapter House Records.
The Chapter House
The Chapter House is a research and development center for creative pastors located in the heart of Jackson, Michigan. Part monastery, part workspace, the House has places to pray and places to play, places to study and places to collaborate. Every space has been lovingly curated to provide a divinely creative atmosphere. Click below to learn more about the retreats, local memberships, and cohorts available at the Chapter House.
Rev. Dr. David Mcdonald
With over three decades in Christian ministry and higher education, McDonald integrates spiritual truth with sharp social analysis, bringing the biblical imagination to bear on the challenge of our times. Whether through one-on-one coaching, onsite consulting, or preaching and teaching, McDonald is sure to fire up your heart and your mind at the same time.
Fossores impact in Numbers:
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