Why We Published "Staying at the Table"

A year ago this week at the 2025 General Assembly, Chalice Press launched Staying at the Table: Being the Church We Say We Are by Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

It’s always fun and encouraging to hear stories of how a book is being used once readers dig in. Staying at the Table has made a significant difference to its thousands of readers across the denomination and beyond. Every time I see Terri, she has a new story of a congregation that has used her book as an opportunity to focus on what it means to be a Disciple—but beyond that, Staying at the Table encourages us to think deeply about how we live into what Jesus calls us to do.

“So many across the church have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss these core elements of discipleship: spiritual practice and engagement with Scripture,” Terri says. “From young adults to seniors, their reception of the book has been rewarding and inspiring.”

Staying at the Table was a book long in the making. Reading a book by the General Minister and President is the next best thing to having her in-person, and it can be a great way to prepare for an enlightening experience when she is able to make the trip. So in February 2017, within minutes of the General Board formally approving her nomination to serve as the Disciples’ leader, I introduced myself as Chalice’s publisher and cut straight to the chase: “I’m ready to publish your book as soon as you’ve written it.” The contract was signed a few weeks later, and for a time it looked like we might “crash” the book, publishing it on an extremely condensed timeline. Then Terri was elected to her post, and the busyness of the business rightly absorbed her time and energy for several years.

But Terri stayed true to her word: She wanted to write a book, and she knew what she wanted it to say. She just needed the time to write it. Eventually she started carving out that time while soaring 35,000 feet over America or the Atlantic, during writing retreats, and scheduling days away from email so she could focus on the words and ideas. Finally, in late 2024, we knew the book would be ready for publication in time for the 2025 General Assembly.

Staying at the Table encapsulates Terri’s pastoral message as the general minister, calling for courageous, empathy-driven dialogue to bridge our deepest social and theological divides. Persistent, grace-filled engagement is essential for fostering true Christian unity, and we must remain present and intentional in building relationships to transform our fractured, polarized modern communities. It’s an audacious call, one our culture definitely needs to hear right now.

It’s an especially challenging call for a denomination as ideologically diverse as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). For many mainline churches, denominational leadership is more centrist or progressive than many of the more conservative members. Like those other denominations, Disciples have had our share of divisions in recent decades, with congregations disaffiliating over differing opinions on Biblical interpretation and authority, LGBTQIA+ welcome, political stances, and more.

Rather than trying to argue for specific points of view, Terri seeks to change the posture of the church. If the church can become a community that truly practices the radical love of Christ, she suggests, it will naturally become a more resilient and attractive space, strengthening the bond between Disciples and our congregations. She challenges readers to ask: Are we leaving because we are fundamentally different, or because we have lost the spiritual capacity to love those who disagree with us?

That’s a tough question as we think about our faith, our families, our friends, and our communities. United States culture has grown very rough-and-tumble since the turn of the century. (That’s somewhat true for our Canadian siblings as well.) You can probably think of people you’ve chosen to let slip away because you burned too much energy and emotion trying to reconcile an irreconcilable difference. Staying at the Table encourages you to keep at it because the effort of reconciliation is the kind of work Jesus calls us to do every single day.

We celebrate a year of Staying at the Table and hope it has been a catalyst for transformation in your faith. If you haven’t yet started your journey, preview the introduction or download reflection questions from ChalicePress.com. Ultimately, we hope Staying at the Table inspires a gathering and that the conversation and connection last a long, long time.

Gratefully,
Brad Lyons, President & Publisher