An article over at Christianity Today drew my intention as it connects to the central thesis in my book, Thrive. “Bonhoeffer Convinced me to Abandon my Dream,” reflects on contemporary church leadership trends through the lens of Bonhoeffer’s book,...
What is your calling in life? That question can stump a lot of people. Some have tricks and tips to confirm their path. Others will sit and wait for the “voice” of God before moving. Christian calling is kind of like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter. If you...
Pastors often ask me for ways to re-imagine and lead change in declining congregations. They’ll ask something along the lines of, “how do you get people to do, X, Y, or Z?” Be it how to build multi-ethnic communities, realize better discipleship, or...
I had the pleasure of being invited to hold a session at the Praxis 2018 gathering in Philadelphia, put on by the growing church planting movement V3. The theme of the entire conference centered around a much needed conversation on re-imagining leadership. Little did...
This would be a nice song to play while reading this post. In the final chapter of my book, Thrive, I tell a story about an old Presbyterian church that invited Darrel Guder (of Missional Church fame) to speak. As I sat in the crowd listening to his lecture, the...
In my current church plant we’ve come to a crossroads. A decision needs to be made. First some context. Cypher Church is unlike any church plant you’ve seen before, and simultaneously like every church plant you’ve seen before. Our gatherings are...
In my upcoming book, Thrive, I discuss a phenomenon that detracts from the success of the contemporary church. It has to do with learning and chasing the story and results of celebrity pastors. I’m not talking only the ones with fame and fortune, I’m...
Bi-vocationalism means having different sources of income rather than one single job. 4 years ago I wrote this blog post on the topic challenging the notion that ministry should be full-time work (proponents are largely unaware what a privilege full-time ministry...
Just finished my book that’s now in the hands of the editor. I’m aiming squarely at the lost heritage of the church, and how we cope. So far, not well. Yet I believe post-Christendom is a great opportunity for the church, but only if we make the right...
My upcoming book, (Spring target launch date, sign up to my newsletter in the sidebar to get the latest updates and exclusive deals), includes a chapter on leadership structures in top heavy institutional churches. Using terminology and research from the business...
