The Rev. Gretchen Mertes is an associate pastor for Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Seattle. She previously led Luther’s Table, a unique faith community based in a bar, and continues to host theology on tap events.

Terrell McTyer is the minister for new church strategies for the Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, a ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)

The Rev. Elsa Marty leads St. Lydia’s, a food-focused faith community in the Brooklyn borough of New York.

The Rev. Abby King-Kaiser is associate director of the Dorothy Day Center for Faith and Justice at Xavier University. She leads Church-ish, a new worshipping community affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The Rev. Zach Kerzee leads Simple Church, a faith community centered on shared meals.

The Rev. Sara Hayden is the director of apprenticeships, residences and leadership cohorts for 1,001 New Worshiping Communities, a Presbyterian Church (USA) initiative. She also hosts the podcast New Way on religious innovation.

Rabbi Niles Elliot Goldstein leads Congregation Beth Shalom in California’s Napa Valley. He’s also co-founder of The Napa Center for Thought and Culture, which hosts events for people who are interested in Judaism but don’t want to attend traditional synagogue services.

Rabbi Susan Goldberg is on staff at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. She leads Nefesh, the temple’s community-driven ministry that’s redefining what Shabbat service should look and feel like. Contact her through her assistant, Ashley Sullivan.

Kara Faris is the director of resource grants and consulting for the Center for Congregations in Indianapolis. She is the co-author of Divergent Church: The Bright Promise of Alternative Faith Communities.