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S05 E04

Counter | Presence

Seeking the Welfare of Our Communities

S5 E4 Counter Presence - Seeking the Welfare of Our Communities

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What does it mean to seek the good of the places we live — not through control or performance, but through presence, peace, and faithful attention? In this episode, I am joined by Andrew Dungan as we explore how the pursuit of shalom — wholeness, justice, and right relationship — invites us to stay rooted and work for the flourishing of our neighbors.

Shaped by the life of Jesus and grounded in Anabaptist values like local presence, simplicity, and mutual care, we reflect on the slow, everyday work of building community. This is about showing up where we are, loving well, and believing that small acts of faithfulness can lead to real transformation.

Many of us are living with a deep dissatisfaction — with organized religion as it’s been, with society as it is, and with the pace and patterns of life that leave us fragmented and exhausted.

Counter Presence: Dissatisfaction Rooted in Hope is a series of conversations born from that unrest, and from a longing to live more grounded, more human, and more faithful lives. It’s about cultivating a presence shaped by the life and teachings of Jesus, and formed through community, simplicity, mutuality, and hope — as exemplified by the Anabaptist tradition.

Not as an escape, but as a faithful way of being in the world, together.

Intro/Outro music by Skinfiltr8r.

About Andrew:

Dr. Andrew S Dungan serves as pastor of Summit Street Church, a Mennonite Church USA affiliated congregation, located in Beatrice, Nebraska. Summit Street Church is Jesus-centered, others-focused, neighborhood church located in the very same neighborhood that Andrew grew up in. Andrew earned a Masters Degree in Christian Education from Bethel Seminary (St. Paul, MN) and a Doctorate in Leadership from Creighton University. Directly out of seminary Andrew served as Pastor of Ministry Development for a non-denominational church in Omaha, NE. That work was short-lived, however, as he exited the ministry (and “church“) dissatisfied, discouraged, disgruntled and disenfranchised, vowing that he’d “never do that (ministry) again.” God had other plans and Andrew has a new appreciation and compassion for those who “dig Jesus, but not the church.”


After leaving the ministry, Andrew worked the next 10 years in the nonprofit sector finding his niche in developing organizational systems and engaging volunteers. Andrew enjoys working through sticky organizational problems and finding places for people to get involved. Back in the pastorate, Andrew is a voice for new church possibilities and for Neighborhood-Narrative Theology – for a fresh praxis of actively re-contextualizating scripture in embodied ways with others in local neighborhoods. Andrew has been characterized as “angsty productive,” living with a creative dissatisfaction that fuels his imagination and his urgency. His Substack, “Wired for Urgency,” is a space intended to confront cliché and explore Jesus-centered faith for the disillusioned, the restless, and the called. He has a wife, Alicyn, and two children: Beckett and Emberly. 

Dive Deeper

Want to explore the Anabaptist vision of shalom more deeply? Below you’ll find resources on peace theology, justice-rooted discipleship, and place-based practices of community care. These tools can help you reflect on what it looks like to pursue the flourishing of your neighborhood in real and hopeful ways