At Commonplace, this is our vision:
to be a community thriving like a wild garden, rooted in the loving wisdom of Jesus, where faith is not forced but nurtured and every soul has space to mutually flourish into what God designed from the get-go. We cultivate what bears good fruit, tend to what may be harmful, and trust the Spirit’s quiet work beneath the surface.
Meet our Pastors
Darren Fred
Darren is co-pastor at Commonplace Church. He is married to Melody and they share one adult daughter and one adult son-in-law. He loves cats, jokes, cheeseburgers, basketball, cold water, deep breaths, and long stretches of uninterrupted silence. Darren wholeheartedly believes everything and everyone is revealing something to us about the Divine.
Katrina Tomlin
Katrina is a mom to three kids, spouse to TJ, pastor, friend, spiritual director, former Kindergarten teacher, and an avid thrifter. Things she loves: singing, poetry, the beach. The idea that God is mysterious used to dismay her, but now she revels in the glorious expansiveness of it. Mostly, she just wants you to know you are loved.
Core Values
Belonging
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
from Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
Authenticity
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” - Dr. Brené Brown
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Howard Thurman
Beauty
“Beauty is God’s presence being sensed and until that is the case, God is only ever an abstraction devoid of any power to transform my life". - Dr. Curt Thompson
Wholeness
“..but God, who is whole and holy, longs from a place of abundance and joy.” - Lacy Finn Borgo
Hospitality
“Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.” - Henri Nouwen
We desire to make room for everyone to encounter the steadfast love of Christ.
Yep, this truly means everyone. At Commonplace Church, we believe our differences make us more whole. We need the presence of people who think, live, vote, and love in many different ways, because it’s through that diversity that we encounter the fullness of the Divine spark in our shared humanity.
We welcome into the full life and leadership of our community all people: across every race and ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ability, economic circumstance, family story, and faith background. We joyfully affirm our LGBTQ+ siblings as beloved by God and vital to the life we share.
Here, no one stands outside love’s reach. Here, we honor the wildness and wonder of every life — trusting that grace still burns like fire, peace still holds us fast, and glory still shines upon every face.
