Invitational Christian, An Introduction (Day Time)

Who are you?  Who are we?  We tend to identity ourselves and our congregations by the denomination we belong to.  This doesn’t resonate with most people seeking a nurturing faith community.  We will consider a more impactful way for Mainline Protestant and progressive Christian individuals and churches to extend an invitation to those who need to receive it.  Together we can overcome a marketing problem that is 200 years in the making. 

About this Series

This is part one of a three-part series on Invitational Christianity, a concept coined by Rev. Andrew Ponder Williams as a new way of marketing Mainline Protestant churches.

Part one of this series is free for all. Parts two and three will have a small entrance fee to support the production of the workshop.

About the Presenter

Rev. Andrew Ponder Williams

Rev. Andrew Ponder Williams hopes to inspire and engage all people through invitational and intergenerational congregational ministry. He is the Pastor of North Community Church, UCC in Marshfield Hills, Massachusetts. Andrew has served congregations along the California Coast, in the Southwest, and in New England. 

Andrew is a member of the Board of Directors of the United Church of Christ. He has a passion for social justice ministry and has been involved in advocacy on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations. He previously served as a Campus Minister at the University of California, Irvine and Arizona State University. He was ordained in the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.


Rev. Andrew completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Rockhurst University, Jesuit, a Graduate Certificate in Religion, Activism, and Social Justice from Claremont School of Theology, and a Master of Arts Degree in Religious and Public Leadership from Boston University School of Theology. He is currently continuing his studies at Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry.


Andrew and his husband Ashton live in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He is a vegetarian of over 20 years and enjoys exercising, traveling,

and dining out.