As my pastor — really, the first person I could ever truly call my pastor, freely chosen — Ian opened up a world of possibilities for me. I turned to, and trusted, him in matters not only pastoral but professional, personal and, yes, even sometimes profane...I don’t know if anyone else would have been up to the task.

—Ken Kiesnoski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As my pastor — really, the first person I could ever truly call my pastor, freely chosen — Ian opened up a world of possibilities for me. I turned to, and trusted, him in matters not only pastoral but professional, personal and, yes, even sometimes profane...I don’t know if anyone else would have been up to the task.

—Ken Kiesnoski

Please click the button to download my resume and references.

Download my resume

The Seeker's Table

For the last few years, I have been developing an online spiritual direction resource for people who do not feel connected to religious communities. This community we created with help from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program.

CLICK HERE to visit the website

Sit, Breathe, Bow - 
Podcast

For the last few years, I have hosted a popular podcast for the Kwan Um School of Zen called Sit, Breathe, Bow. To listen, CLICK HERE or on the image.

 

Original Blessing

We created this short video to introduce people to the vision and mission of Original Blessing.

 

Berry Street Lecture response

In 2015, Rev. Sean Dennison was invited to give the Berry St. Lecture. He invited me (along with Rev. Meg Riley) to deliver the response. Here is just my portion.

"A Transformative Spiritual Relationship with the Divine"

My essay was included in Fred Muir's book Turning Point: essays on a New Unitarian Universalism. Click the button to download a copy of the essay.

Download the essay

UU Prophetic Evangelism

This was a workshop developed a few years ago to help congregations explore ideas of missional ministry. In it I share my understanding of what a prophetic evangelism means and I offer a few examples of how I have tried this in my ministry.

Ken Kiesnoski,
Original Blessing

I was casting about for a spiritual home in my new north Brooklyn neighborhood, jumping from church to drumming circle to church, when the local Episcopal priest suggested after one Sunday service that I might want to meet a certain redheaded Unitarian who’d started a congregation in the area. Father John said it sounded like my beliefs, and those of this “Ian,” were a good fit. My life has never been the same since.

Ian quickly became my pastor and my friend, and the church he founded, Original Blessing, that long-sought-after spiritual home. I began attending Sunday services, held in the basement of a local yoga studio; small group ministry (plus vegetarian dinners) at Ian’s home a couple of Wednesdays a month; and the occasional series of special study sessions. I dived into the community outreach that was such an important part of Original Blessing’s mission, helping Ian realize fantastic ideas of his that ran the gamut from financial literacy classes for the cash-strapped to giant bubble-blowing sessions in the park for kids and adults.

Under Ian’s spiritual, and secular, guidance, I became involved and engaged in congregational and community life as never before. As my pastor — really, the first person I could ever truly call my pastor, freely chosen — Ian opened up a world of possibilities for me. I turned to, and trusted, him in matters not only pastoral but professional, personal and, yes, even sometimes profane. Together, we explored ideas and practices from spiritual traditions from around the world.  I don’t know if anyone else would have been up to the task. I met the right man at the right time.