Why I Built the Digital Missional Network
How it’s rooted in Wesleyan theology
If you’ve been around Pixel & Pulpit for a while, you know I’ve been doing digital ministry for over five years now. That’s five years of Discord servers, Twitch chats, YouTube sermons, and community building in the least likely places.
And in all that time—and all the conferences, webinars, and summits I’ve attended—digital ministry has rarely been more than a side note. Almost never a dedicated track. Definitely not a cohort.
So after years of searching for a space like this… I stopped waiting.
I built what I always needed.
I call it the Digital Missional Network.
So… what is it?
It’s a Discord server—but more than that, it’s a circuit in the Wesleyan sense. A loosely organized, deeply relational hub where digital natives, nerd ministers, progressive Methodists, and innovative thinkers can do ministry together.
Not just swap tech tips. Not just admire each other’s websites.
Actually walk the walk. Together.
We’ve already started gathering. We’ve launched our first discussion thread. We’ve got practitioners dreaming out loud. It’s a spark—but it’s real.
Why “Missional Network”?
Because I’ve seen the power of good ones—and the pain of bad ones.
The term Missional Network first gained traction within the United Methodist Church as a way to group neighboring churches for collaboration and mutual support. They weren’t top-down structures—they were grassroots, born out of a Wesleyan desire to stay connectional in a shifting world.
At their best, these networks helped pastors and lay leaders share resources, co-host events, and dream bigger than their church buildings. At their worst… well, they were another meeting on the calendar.
But the heart behind them? That was pure Wesleyan:
Small groups. Mutual accountability. Big tents. A shared mission beyond individual silos.
That’s the DNA I’m carrying forward into the Digital Missional Network. Except now the neighborhood is the whole internet—and our circuit stretches through livestreams, chat threads, and late-night DMs.
And that’s what I want here:
A connectional, collaborative, feedback-rich space that’s innovative, nerdy, and practitioner-first.
This isn’t top-down leadership. I’m not building a platform—I’m building a workbench.
So, why is it $ 5 a month?
Because this takes real time and real energy to facilitate.
I’ve paid way more than that to attend conferences that gave me a tenth of what this could become. I’m treating this like part of my vocation, part of my freelance work, and I want to show up with intention.
Additionally, it provides you with all the benefits of being a paid subscriber to this Substack as well. It’s a two-fer!
If that’s something you want to be part of—
Whether you're a digital minister, a curious pastor, or a nerd dreaming about the church of the future…
👾 Come join us.
Become a paid subscriber and gain access to the Digital Missional Network.
We’re just getting started.
World 3-14 Complete
Q: What’s a Missional Network?
A: Think less committee, more holy chaos with a group chat.