Program Lead
Office Location
AF Gray, 300
Biography
Sean Benesh works at the intersection of creativity, digital media, and the outdoors. He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Magazine, where he champions trails and the communities behind them. A freelance photographer and writer, Sean brings a passion for storytelling to every project. Sean also serves as the communications director for a local trail-building advocacy non-profit.
Beyond his work on the trails and behind the camera, Sean teaches Digital Media and Communications courses at Warner Pacific University, guiding students through the evolving media landscape and equipping them with the skills to thrive in a digital world.
Education
M.A. in Strategic Communication: Emphasis in Social Media Management, Arkansas State University, 2024.
D.Min in Transformational Leadership for the Global City, Bakke Graduate University, 2010.
M.A. in Church Planting and Church Growth, Simpson University, 2006.
B.A. in Pastoral Ministries and Biblical Studies, Grace University, 1997.
Areas of Teaching
ART 120: Introduction to Photography
COMM 220: Public Speaking
COMM 218: Interpersonal Communication
COMM 250: Introduction to Digital Media
COMM 265: Introduction to Web Design
COMM 266: Web Design and Implementation
COMM 300: Communication Theory
COMM 312: Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship
COMM 381: Social Media and Analytics
COMM 390: Visual Communication
ILR: 300: Advanced Information Literacy and Research
URB 160: Startups and Social Media
REL 320: Spirituality, Character, and Service
Areas of Expertise/ Research Interests
Social media, photography, digital media, startups, brand building, print media
Books
Trail Towns from Scratch: How Small Communities Can Revive Their Economy Through Trails.Portland: Trail Builder Magazine, 2025.
Women Trail Builder Research Report: Perceptions and Attitudes About Being a Woman in the Mountain Biking and Trail Building Industry. Portland: Trail Builder Magazine, 2025.
Ten Low-Cost / No-Cost Startup Ideas to Help You Ditch Your Day Job. Portland: URTHTREK, 2022.
On the Backside of the Desert: Searching for a Theology of Church Planting. Portland: Intrepid, 2022.
AWKWRD: Uncomfortable Conversations in Church Planting That We Avoid. Portland: Intrepid, 2021.
Finding Your Flow: A Trail Guide to Help You Figure Out What Kind of Startup to Launch. Portland, URTHTREK, 2021.
The Urban Cartographer’s Toolkit: How to Map, Study, Exegete, Analyze, and Understand Your Neighborhood. Portland: Intrepid, 2021.
Part-Time Pastoring: Leading God’s People by Integrating Faith and Work. Portland: Intrepid, 2020.
Intro to the City: 150 Observations to Understand the City. Portland: Intrepid, 2020.
Through Barren Wastelands: In Search of Explorers, Pioneers, Misfits, and the Apostolic Imagination. Portland: Intrepid, 2020.
The Adventure of Vocation: Exploring the Contours of Calling, Identity, and Place. Portland: Intrepid, 2020.
The New Cartographers: Helping Social Entrepreneurs Develop a New Map for Church Planting + Local Church Ministry in the New Frontier. Seattle: Missional Challenge, 2019.
Intrepid: Navigating the Intersection of Church Planting + Social Entrepreneurship. Seattle: Missional Challenge, 2018.
Urban Hinterlands: Planting the Gospel in Uncool Places. Oklahoma City: White Blackbird Books, 2017.
Exegeting the City: What You Need to Know About Church Planting in the City Today. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2015.
The Urbanity of the Bible: Rediscovering the Urban Nature of the Bible. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2015.
Blueprints for a Just City: The Role of the Church in Urban Planning and Shaping the City’s Built Environment. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2015.
The Bikeable Church: A Bicyclist’s Guide to Church Planting. 2nd Edition. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2015.
The Multi-Nucleated Church: Towards a Theoretical Framework for Church Planting in High-Density Cities. 2nd Edition. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2015.
The Bohemian Guide to Urban Cycling. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2014.
Vespas, Cafes, Singlespeed Bikes, and Urban Hipsters: Gentrification, Urban Mission, and Church Planting. Portland: Urban Loft Publishers, 2014.
View From the Urban Loft: Developing a Theological Framework for Understanding the City. Eugene: Resource Publications, 2011.
Metrospiritual: The Geography of Church Planting. Eugene: Resource Publications, 2011.
Articles
Benesh, S. (2025, Summer). We Don’t Need Another Moab: How Rural Towns Can Grow Without Losing Their Soul. Trail Builder Magazine, 3(1), 73-86.
Benesh, S. (2024, Summer). Warpaint Outdoors is Building Trails for All. Trail Builder Magazine, 2(1), 59-80.
Benesh, S. (2023, Fall). Why Trail Building Needs Rezduro. Trail Builder Magazine, 1(2), 69-85.
Benesh, S. (2023, Summer). How to Make Trail Building More Welcoming for Women. Trail Builder Magazine, 1(1), 61-73.
Chapter Contributions
“The Geography of Church Planting.” In Text and Context: Church Planting in Post-Christendom Canada, edited by Leonard Hjalmarson. Portland, OR: Urban Loft, 2013.
“Managing the Chaos.” In Ready?: Preparing for the Pressures of Church Planting, edited by John M. Bailey, Steve Canter, and Randy Ferguson. Alpharetta, GA: North American Mission Board, 2009.
Journal
“Pilgrim and Place: Reflections on Geography and Theology.” Journal of Urban Mission 3:1 (2013).
“Response: The Word on the Street: Biblical Reflections on God’s Reign in the City.” The New Urban World Journal 2 (2013) 45-46.
Presentations
“Gravel as the Gateway to Becoming a Trail Town.” Spirit World 100. October 23, 2025. Patagonia, AZ.
“iPhoneography: Photography for Social Media.” Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp. February 26, 2025. Virtual
“Growing Your Platform Using Social Media.” Cascade Christian Writers Conference. October 12, 2024. Portland, OR
Community Engagement / Service
Board Member, Oregon Timber Trail Alliance.