news article
How the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck and Greenhouse Days helped SPARK ignite a new way of being church
August 25, 2025 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
In a time when many churches are navigating declining membership and cultural shifts, a new kind of community is quietly growing within the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church—not through buildings or bulletins, but through belonging.
SPARK has emerged as a vibrant fresh expression of faith, rooted in radical inclusion, community, and spiritual creativity at Kenmore United Methodist Church. While its origins began with a local team’s desire for something new, its growth and continued momentum have been deeply shaped by the influence of the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck and the Greenhouse Days initiative.
SPARK, which stands for Seeking Progressive Acceptance, Respect, and Kindness, began not as a program but as a question: What would church look like if it was built on relationships instead of rituals? That question opened the door to exploring a different kind of faith community—one that would eventually align with the United Methodist Fresh Expressions movement championed by Michael Beck.
For Shannon Ebert, a worship leader at SPARK, the journey was deeply shaped by both Rev. Dr. Beck’s writings and the immersive experience of Greenhouse Days. “We were lucky enough to shape SPARK essentially with Michael Beck’s book,” she said. “Greenhouse Days was a really cool affirmation… a litmus test for how we were doing what we were doing.”
Though SPARK was already taking shape before Greenhouse Days officially launched in Fall 2024, the initiative played a pivotal role in validating and strengthening the community’s sense of direction. Co-led by Rev. Michael Beck and the Rev. Abigail Browka, who serves as the Associate Director of Missional Excellence for Upper New York, through the Upper New York Conference’s New Faith Communities and Innovation Initiative, Greenhouse Days provided practical coaching and spiritual encouragement for leaders exploring new ways of being church.
"Greenhouse Days helps individuals, churches and pastors imagine fresh expressions of Christian Community. It’s an exciting incubator for beginning to imagine something new,” said Rev. Browka.
“Michael casts a wide net,” Shannon added. “You take it in, process it, and whatever iteration comes out is based on what your community needs… The God is the same, and the love of Jesus is the motivation.”
While SPARK began through the Upper New York Conference’s Launch Pad training and seed funding from Kenmore UMC members, Allen and Carolyn Shepard, it has found long-term affirmation and inspiration in the Fresh Expressions ecosystem.
The connection to Rev. Dr. Beck—who met Kenmore UMC’s Pastor, the Rev. Rebecca Naber at the Fresh Expressions National Gathering in 2023—deepened through Zoom conversations with Rev. Browka that led to the creation of Greenhouse Days. These initiatives didn’t create SPARK, but they confirmed that it belonged in a wider movement of the Holy Spirit across The United Methodist Church.
“I love that our ministry is out of the box,” Shannon said. “We can embody Jesus in whatever iteration that might look like.”
While Rev. Dr. Beck and Rev. Browka helped provide structure and support through Greenhouse Days and other innovation cohorts, their leadership helped SPARK understand that it wasn’t alone. What was growing at Kenmore UMC was part of something much bigger.
“Over the past year 20 leaders from nine ministries gathered for our monthly Innovation Cohort to deepen our efforts to innovate and cultivate fresh expressions of Christian communities in our own church contexts,” said Rev. Browka.
Jessica Itotia, a SPARK worship leader, participated and says, “It gave us ideas of other directions we could go… and helped when something just wasn’t working,” she explained.
The relationships formed through the Innovation Cohort and the continued exposure to Beck’s national work helped SPARK leaders feel seen and supported.
That connectional spirit—a hallmark of Methodist identity—continues to bear fruit. As Jessica put it, “Being able to run into people we saw on Zoom, making it more connectional—that’s what The United Methodist Church thrives on.”
For Jennifer Nichols, joining SPARK wasn’t just about participating in something new—it was about finding a place where she could be fully herself. After returning to Kenmore UMC in 2023, her family was looking for a truly welcoming church—a place without the implied “but” that often follows the word “welcome.”
When she walked into a SPARK Bible study during Lent, everything changed.
“SPARK really opened that door for me to grow into myself,” Jennifer said. “It created a community where I can be myself and be who I want to be. I have a family—but now I have this community that allows and supports that.”
Jennifer now serves as a worship leader and part of the SPARK Core Team. From leading music to running slides, she does a bit of everything—and, in her words, she “loves it.”
“Sometimes I’ve struggled with where I fit in… but I found the people here who allow that. Watching myself come out of my shell, I think that’s the biggest thing I got out of it—growth in so many different ways.”
Nichole Lakso, another early SPARK leader, describes her role as one of hospitality—helping people feel comfortable, greeting newcomers, and meeting needs as they arise.
“We just kind of come as we are,” she said. “It feels very laid back and relaxed… I can easily express my faith, and I’ve met a lot of great people.”
From monthly worship gatherings filled with contemporary music and shared stories, to Conversation Cafés that open space for deep discussions on faith and life, SPARK embodies what Fresh Expressions is all about: relational, adaptable, and Spirit-led community rooted in context.
Their second annual community block party, volunteer efforts, and social justice advocacy all grow organically out of the relationships SPARK cultivates.
SPARK is no longer just an experiment. It’s a living testimony to what can happen when a community dares to ask different questions, follow the Spirit, and lean into authentic connection.
“There are so many possibilities,” Shannon reflected. “To equip and cultivate people to support one another and love one another in a time that can feel kind of hopeless? That’s SPARK.”
From the pages of Rev. Dr. Beck’s book - to the shared spaces of Greenhouse Days, SPARK continues to be shaped by a vision that is bigger than itself. It's not about replicating someone else's model—it's about listening deeply to the Spirit in the community of Kenmore and allowing something sacred to grow.
And in that growth, many have found what they didn't even know they were looking for: community, purpose, belonging, and grace.
Click here to watch a video about SPARK.
Click here to learn more about UNY Greenhouse Days.