Nurturing seeds of faith in churches, individuals through conversation

Ministry of Outstanding Young Alum Seth Crissman ‘09, MDiv ‘15 builds bridges between communities

Harrisonburg, Virginia, resident Seth Crissman ‘09, MDiv ‘15, has been selected by Eastern Mennonite University’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee as the 2024 Outstanding Young Alum for his work through the collaborative faith-based ministry The Soil and The Seed Project. The effort seeks to nurture faith in Jesus through conversations, art, poetry, music and daily readings. 

“I wanted to find ways of empowering the church to live out what we say we believe,” Crissman said, “… faith that doesn’t just live in our heads, but in how we live and move in the world.”

The award is given annually to an alum who, through professional achievement and/or Christ-like compassionate service, is making a significant contribution to the local, national or global community.

Crissman, 38, founded his Christian-based faith formation project in 2021 in partnership with and as a ministry of Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMMissions). With dozens of other artists, his team produces liturgical daily readings and new music albums every three to four months to help families talk about their faith.

“It’s meant to be an intergenerational project,” Crissman said.

The project grew from a previous effort he worked on with his wife, Theresa Peachey Crissman ‘09, called Kids Club, which helped area churches combine efforts to provide resources for children.

“I love helping people build bridges between communities,” Crissman said. 

The Soil and The Seed Project has drawn talent from North America, Northern Africa and Southeast Asia; streams music to more than 130 countries; and has been shipped to 30+ states, all given away free of charge. More than 20 denominations and nondenominational groups are represented among the project’s followers.

Married with four children, Crissman pursued special education and history at EMU before seeking a master of divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

This past year, he was awarded a $1.2 million grant through Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. Awarded to VMMissions for the purpose of growing The Soil and The Seed Project, the grant will fund, in part, a music festival at Highland Retreat in Bergton, Virginia, from Oct. 25-27, 2024.

“There’s a temptation to think that what happens is because we’re clever or we hustle,” Crissman said. “What’s come of this project isn’t because I’m clever or have hustled a lot. It’s something God has done, and I’ve just had the joy of being able to help get it started.”