Tag: disciple (Page 6 of 43)

A Few Changes Are Coming

October 22, 2025 / / 2 Comments

There’s a shift coming to the blog next month. Don’t worry! I’m not selling essential oils or becoming one of those skinny jeans wearing worship pastors. No offense to my essential oil (aka voodoo oil friends) or you skinny jean wearing peeps! Those have their place but it isn’t likely on this blog. I’m just tired of pretending that “pastor” is the only hat I wear.

Somewhere between the pulpit and my zero turn mower, God’s been reminding me that faith isn’t meant to live only in the sanctuary. It’s also in the sweat, the soil, and the sips around a backyard firepit.

For years, derrickhurst.org has been mostly ministry-focused. Like sermons, church leadership, discipleship, the usual “pastor stuff.” And I love that. I’ll keep writing about faith and leadership because that’s who I am. But it’s not all that I am.

I’m also a guy who loves lifting weights and the way it preaches discipline louder than most devotionals.

I’m a guy who likes a good bourbon not for escape, but because slowing down long enough to actually taste something is a spiritual act these days.

I’m a guy who finds God in dirt under the fingernails, broken tools, and the slow redemption of a half-dead garden.

And maybe that’s the point,  God is just as present in the mundane as He is in the miraculous. So, you’re going to start seeing a bit more of those mundane moments here. Posts about working out, working the land, coaching pastors, and wrestling with what discipleship actually looks like when the Bible closes and Monday shows up.

If that sounds too “earthy” for you, there are more blogs out there. But I’d love to have you hang around anyway. You might find that Jesus was far more earthy than we like to admit.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, then good. Grab your coffee (or whatever’s in that cup, depending on the hour), and let’s dig into what a full life of faith really looks like.

Because following Jesus was never meant to fit neatly in a church bulletin. It’s meant to invade everything from the gym to the garden to the glass in your hand.

So we’ll see you in a week or so with a little different focus and a better rhythm. Until then meet someone new. Share your name and one thing unique about yourself. Then see where the conversation goes. You might be surprised how who you are actually is interesting to someone new.

Stop Making Life Harder Than It Has To Be!

October 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This Sunday, we dug into 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28. Paul wasn’t writing to pastors to tell them to toughen up. He was writing to the church to remind believers how to live together well.

Here’s the deal: God’s will for us isn’t complicated. It’s radical in its simplicity:

  • Honor those who lead you.
  • Encourage each other.
  • Live at peace.
  • Be patient.
  • Pray without ceasing.

That’s it. Nothing flashy. Nothing Instagram-worthy. Just daily, gritty, relational obedience.

Think about it. Honoring leaders isn’t just nodding smiling in a pew on Sunday. It’s supporting them, speaking well of them, and helping shoulder the weight of ministry.

Honoring one another isn’t just being polite. It’s listening, forgiving, serving, and speaking truth even when it’s hard or inconvenient.

Paul ends the letter reminding us: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV)

Notice that “blameless” life he describes isn’t solo work. It’s built in community with leaders guiding, and with each of us doing our part to honor one another.

So here’s this week’s takeaway: Your faith doesn’t grow in isolation.

Faith grows in the way you treat people around you especially those who are leading. And that’s not optional. It’s the will of God in Christ for you.

No Excuses. No Apologies. All In.

October 16, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Hey Jesus following types. Did you know that if you’re a Jesus follower then, following Jesus is not optional? I know that sounds crazy but too often we make it sound like it’s an option. We often live like we can choose if and when we decide to follow him.

Look I get it. It’s not always convenient. But it’s also not something you check off only when you have time.

It’s all in or nothing.

Your Calling Doesn’t Wait

Jesus didn’t say, “Follow Me when it’s easy.”
He didn’t say, “Love when it’s comfortable.”
He didn’t say, “Serve when it fits your schedule.”

He said, “Follow Me.” And nestled neatly in the unspoken part of that invitation and command to follow is the idea of every day. All the time. No excuses.

You see. Excuses don’t honor God. Fear doesn’t honor God. Comfort doesn’t glorify Him.

Your calling as a follower of Jesus is bigger than your doubts, your tiredness, your calendar, even your comfort zone.

Love Without Limits

If you’re waiting to love only the people who deserve it, you’ve missed the point. Not to mention you’ll be waiting a long time my friend!

Jesus didn’t love “only the good people.” He didn’t wait for the world to be nice first. He gave His life for people who hated Him, ignored Him, and rejected Him.

That’s the standard. Love without limits. Every time. No questions asked.

Serve Without Question

Service isn’t a hobby. It’s not a resume-builder. It’s a response to grace. Not grace shown you by the people you love but grace shown you by Jesus himself.

When the world says, “Why bother?” we say, “Because Jesus did.” When the world says, “What’s in it for me?” we say, “What’s in me for them?”

Serving isn’t convenient. It’s costly. It’s messy. It’s the Gospel in motion.

There are no participation trophies in Kingdom work. There’s no safe middle ground. There’s no “Jesus-lite” version of life. You either live it fully while loving, serving, giving, forgiving or you don’t.

No excuses. No apologies. All in.

Quick Challenge

Today, stop hiding behind busyness. Stop waiting for the “right moment.” Stop soft-pedaling your faith.

Pick up your cross. Love boldly. Serve fearlessly.

Because the world doesn’t need more spectators. It needs followers of Jesus, fully alive, fully committed, fully His.

Have We Replaced the Kingdom with a Congregation?

October 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Somewhere along the way, the Church (Kingdom of God globally) started acting like the church (congregations in local communities).

We traded Kingdom vision for congregational maintenance.
We started measuring success by program attendance instead of life transformation.
We have become more obsessed with our church’s growth than God’s Kingdom advancing.

And that’s a problem!

When the Church Becomes Too Small

Jesus didn’t die to build a church brand.
He died to bring the Kingdom of God crashing into a broken world.

But many of us have started living like our congregation is the Kingdom. As if our membership rolls, our budget, our building projects, and our social media reach somehow equal the movement of God.

Too many of our prayers sound like “God, grow our church,” when they should sound like “God, grow Your Kingdom even if it’s not through us.”

You know what. That’s a dangerous shift. Because the moment we make church about our congregation instead of God’s Kingdom, we stop being the Church altogether.

The Kingdom is Bigger Than Your Logo

When Jesus talked about the Kingdom, He wasn’t talking about a brand, a denomination, or a Sunday morning time slot. He was talking about His reign breaking into every corner of the world.

“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed… For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
– Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)

The Kingdom is wherever Jesus rules hearts, heals the broken, forgives sinners, and sets captives free. That means it’s happening in homes, workplaces, schools, parks, prisons, and yep it’s happening in other churches too.

Look. If the only time we celebrate the work of God is when it happens in our building, we’re no longer building His Kingdom, we’re building our empire.

Kingdom Builders Don’t Compete – They Collaborate

A congregation-centered mindset says, “We’ve got to be the biggest.”

A Kingdom-centered mindset says, “We’ve got to reach the people far from Jesus, no matter who gets the credit.”

A congregation-centered leader says, “Come to our programs.”

A Kingdom-centered disciple says, “Go into the world starting in your neighborhood.”

When the early church grew, it wasn’t because Peter and Paul were trying to fill seats. It was because they couldn’t stop talking about Jesus. The Kingdom spread like wildfire because believers were scattered and sent, not settled and safe.

Pretty sure we need that again.

It’s Time to Think Bigger

I know all analogies break down over time. I get it. But here’s one to at least help us start seeing things a little differently.

Think of your congregation as a vehicle. And the Kingdom is the destination.
And if the vehicle ever becomes more important than the mission (destination), we’ve lost our way. No kiddo ever gets in a car headed to Disney more excited about the car than the theme park. We should be the same way as the local church pointing people with great excitement to the Kingdom not the carpet.

Maybe the hard question we need to ask is this:

  • Would we still rejoice if revival broke out across our community and none of it happened under our roof?
  • Would we still celebrate if families met Jesus at another church down the road?
  • Would we still serve if no one ever knew our name?

If the answer is “no,” then we’ve confused church growth with Kingdom growth.

The Church is not a club to grow. It’s a movement to unleash.

Jesus didn’t tell us to build our own crowd. He told us to make disciples of all nations. That means, He didn’t say “grow your congregation.” He said “seek first the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6:33)

Don’t get me wrong. The local church can and should grow. But the local expression of church never should be more of a focus than the Kingdom of God.

So let’s stop playing small. Let’s stop guarding our corner of the Kingdom and start advancing it together. Let’s stop worrying about how big our church can get and start dreaming about how far His Kingdom can go.

Because the goal isn’t a full sanctuary. It’s a full heaven.

Mind Your Own Business (No Really!)

September 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Thought for today: life would be way less stressful if more of us just learned how to stay in our own lane.

That’s not just me saying it. Heck it’s not even original to me. Even the Bible, you know the dusty book on grandma’s coffee table? Even the Bible lays it out in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own affairs, and work with your hands.”

Translation? Stop obsessing over what everybody else is doing. Stop replaying your old mistakes like it’s some greatest hits album. Stop living in other people’s drama like it’s your favorite Netflix series. I mean seriously people!

Why is this so hard?

I think for some people drama feels exciting. Complaining has become a new version of therapy. Gossip gives the illusion that we’re powerful or something. But there’s a problem with all of these lines of thinking. Not one of these ways of living moves your life forward at all. You will stay stuck either in your own past life of regrets or in someone else’s life that wouldn’t fit you well anyway!

Think about it:

  • If you spent half the time working on your goals that you do ranting online, your life would look a whole lot different.
  • If you put the energy you waste trash-talking others into building something productive, you’d actually have something to show for it. Something more than high blood pressure and fewer friends.
  • If you dropped the baggage from your past instead of dragging it around like a dead body, you’d actually have room for something better in your life.

Here’s the point:

Minding your own business isn’t boring. It’s actually freeing. It means you’re not chained to someone else’s drama or your own regrets. You can finally focus on building a life that matters.

So maybe the smartest move you can make today is this:
Close the gossip tab. Quit rehashing the past. Get to work on the stuff that actually makes your life better.

The world doesn’t need more complainers. It needs more people who are actually living.

Established and Unmoved

September 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

We all want something solid to stand on. Something that won’t shift when life shakes. Most of us know the feeling of watching the ground give way from health scares to job loss, from betrayal to grief. The question underneath all of it is this: Will I be okay when everything around me is not?

That’s the heartbeat of 1 Thessalonians 3. Paul isn’t writing theory. He’s writing with tears in his eyes, worrying about his friends, longing for them to be strong in the middle of the storm. And his answer is simple: God Himself will establish you.

Here are five things I learned from studying 1 Thessalonians 3:

1. God Sends People to Strengthen Us (vv. 1-2)

Paul can’t take the not-knowing anymore, so he sends Timothy. Not because Timothy is a superstar, but because he’s family in Christ and faithful in the gospel.

Timothy’s job is twofold:

  • To establish – to set their faith on a firm foundation.
  • To exhort – to come alongside and encourage them.

That word “come alongside” matters. Timothy isn’t shouting from a stage. He’s walking shoulder-to-shoulder, reminding them of what’s true. That’s how God works, through people He sends into your life to hold you steady.

Who has God sent to come alongside you when things weren’t going great?

2. Trouble Doesn’t Mean You’re Abandoned (vv. 3-5)

Paul says it bluntly: “You yourselves know that we are destined for this.” This, by the way, is affliction – suffering – yuck of life stuff! Suffering isn’t proof that God has walked away. It’s part of the Christian life.

But suffering is dangerous because it tempts us to believe lies. Lies that say God doesn’t care. Lies that say faith is pointless. Lies that say it’s easier to walk away. Paul fears the enemy will lure them off the foundation. That’s why Timothy’s presence is so crucial.

Bottom line: hardship isn’t the exception. It’s the expectation. But it’s not the end of the story.

3. Faith and Love Breathe Life (vv. 6-8)

Timothy comes back with good news: their faith is alive, their love is real, and they remember Paul kindly.

Paul’s reaction? “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

That’s wild. Paul ties his own sense of life to their perseverance. In other words your faith doesn’t just matter to you. It matters to the people around you. When you stand firm, others breathe easier. When you hold on, others find hope.

Who is your faith giving life to?

4. Faith Still Needs Mending (vv. 9-10)

Paul’s grateful, but he’s also honest: their faith still has gaps. He prays he can see them again and “supply what is lacking.”

Faith is like a fishing net. It needs constant mending. It’s not about shame or failure. It’s about being equipped, repaired, and made whole so it can hold when the pressure comes. None of us are finished products. So never stop learning and growing.

5. God Finishes What He Starts (vv. 11-13)

The chapter ends with Paul’s prayer:

  • God directs our steps.
  • God makes love overflow.
  • God establishes our hearts so we’re blameless when Christ returns.

Notice who does the heavy lifting: God! Paul and Timothy play their part, but God is the one who holds people steady.

That’s the anchor. Your grip may slip, but His won’t.

The Ever Famous So What!

  • You’re not alone. God sends people into your life to come alongside you. Don’t brush them off. They’re His gift.
  • Suffering doesn’t mean you’re forgotten. It’s part of the story, but not the end.
  • Your faith strengthens others. You may not realize it, but when you stand, you give someone else life.
  • God’s the one who establishes you. Your hope isn’t in your ability to hang on to God. It’s in His promise to hold you.

The Bottom Line

Storms will come. Lies will scream at you. Faith will feel fragile. But here’s the good news: Christ establishes you. He supplies what you lack. And He will hold you all the way to the end.

So stand firm. And when you can’t, look for the Timothys God has sent to come alongside you.

Why I Haven’t Preached on the Death of Charlie Kirk

September 22, 2025 / / 4 Comments

Some people want to know why I haven’t addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk from the pulpit. Let me be blunt: it’s not because I don’t care. I care deeply. The death of any human being, especially someone who sought to serve God, is tragic. But my calling as a pastor is not to turn the pulpit into a press conference for my opinions.

Lutherans have long held to what’s called the theology of the two kingdoms. God rules the world in two ways: through the kingdom of the temporary (government, civic life, law) and the kingdom of the eternal (the Gospel, forgiveness, eternal life). Both belong to God. But they are not the same. And when pastors confuse the two, the Church loses its voice.

Here’s the truth: I will not hijack Jesus’ pulpit to carry water for any political agenda – left or right. That’s not what I was ordained to do. I don’t preach left or right. I preach the hands of a Savior stretched out on a cross, reaching to the left and to the right, to forgive us all.

Do I think Charlie Kirk’s death is horrific? Yes. Do I think the endless stream of abortions, suicides, wars, and injustices are also horrific? Absolutely. Which one deserves more outrage? That’s a political debate. But the pulpit is not a podium for outrage. The pulpit is the place for Christ crucified for sinners, for the broken, for all of us.

If you want political hot takes, there are endless pundits who will give them to you. If you want to know where I personally stand, we can sit down and talk. But if you want the living Word of God, the one thing that actually saves, you’ll hear it every Sunday from this pulpit, unfiltered and undistracted by the latest headlines.

It doesn’t mean that I’m avoiding hard truths by any means. Because we can head on address the truths of this world in winsome ways without calling on names other than the name of Jesus. We can decry violence because that’s what Jesus did. We can serve our neighbors because that’s exactly what Jesus did. We can embrace our neighbors regardless of walk of life, because that’s what Jesus did.

We can do all of these things without standing on the temporary ground of political debates. So yes, I do have very strong opinions. I will gladly share those with inquiring minds in one on one settings when the invitation arises. I have thoughts but rarely do people ask about those thoughts.

Friends at the end of the day, kingdoms rise and fall, voices rage, and leaders die. But only one Word endures forever. And that’s the Word I am called to preach. That’s the Word that I will continue to proclaim. That’s what FREEDOM in the FAITH looks like.

Faith That Echos in a Chaotic World

September 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you’ve turned on the news lately, you know the world feels loud and chaotic. Anger and division dominate headlines. Violence seems to hit closer and closer to home. Families are busy and stretched thin. Neighbors live side-by-side but hardly know one another.

In the middle of all that noise, people are searching for hope. Real hope. Not just another opinion, distraction, or temporary fix.

That’s why I love Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10. He celebrates a small church in a chaotic city whose faith echoed with hope across the entire region.

“We give thanks… remembering your work of faith, your labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 2-3)

The Thessalonians lived in a world full of political pressure, idol worship, and cultural division. But instead of blending in, their lives became an echo of hope. Why? Because they had anchored their lives in Jesus Christ risen from the dead, reigning now, and coming again.

That’s the heartbeat of the Bible’s story:

  • Abraham left home because of God’s promise.
  • Moses endured Pharaoh by clinging to God’s reward.
  • David sang of seeing God’s goodness even in the land of the living.
  • The prophets pointed forward to the Messiah who would set all things right.

And when Jesus came, hope took on flesh. His death looked like the end, but His resurrection proved hope is stronger than death. That same hope fueled the apostles through persecution and the Thessalonians through hardship.

And it’s the same hope we need today.

We do the exact same thing today. We put our trust in so many temporary things:

  • Hoping our team can bring joy on Saturdays or Sundays.
  • Hoping the housing market will finally settle down.
  • Hoping politics or new policies will finally fix what’s broken.

But all those hopes can disappoint. What we need is a hope that doesn’t crumble when the world shakes. A hope that holds steady in the chaos. And that hope is already here: Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and returning.

At Living Word Galena, this is the echo we want ringing out in our neighborhoods:

  • Faith that trusts Jesus visibly in daily life.
  • Love that shows up in sacrificial action.
  • Hope that endures when everything else feels uncertain.

Because when our hope is in Christ, people notice. The gospel doesn’t just go in. It rings out.

So here’s the question for you this week:
What’s echoing from your life? Fear, stress, and frustration? Or the steady hope of Jesus?

Our neighborhoods don’t need more noise. They need the echo of hope. And that’s exactly what God has already given us in His Son.

5 Steps to Show Up For Your City

September 11, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you’re planting a church, leading a growing congregation, or simply longing to see your city reflect the love of Jesus, hear this: your prayers need to come with feet attached.

We talk about being the light of the world. But light only matters when it’s positioned where darkness is already present. That’s neighborhoods, schools, city halls, and local nonprofits. These are the places where life is messy, complicated, and often desperate for hope.

The question is: how do you move from good intentions to real impact? It’s actually far more simple than we might realize. You go to the people who are already shaping your city and you show up.

Step 1: Start With Relationships

You can’t build a community partnership with an email or a flyer. Relationships are forged over tables, coffee, shared stories, and honest conversations. That means scheduling time with people. People like:

  • Your mayor or city council
  • School principals and superintendents
  • Local business owners
  • Police and fire leadership
  • Nonprofits already serving the community

And when you sit down, don’t pitch. Don’t lead with, “Here’s what we can do for you.” Lead with:

  • “Where do you see the biggest needs in our city?”
  • “What challenges are keeping families or neighborhoods from thriving?”
  • “How can a church like ours come alongside the work you’re already doing?”

The answers will be a roadmap and frankly a wake-up call.

Step 2: Listen, Then Act

Listening isn’t passive. It’s the first step toward kingdom-aligned action. When you hear the heartbeat of your city, you start to see patterns: maybe youth need mentoring, single parents need support, or elderly neighbors are isolated.

From there, you don’t just talk about helping. You actually mobilize your church. That might mean:

  • Launching tutoring programs or after-school activities
  • Hosting community service days or neighborhood cleanups
  • Partnering with local nonprofits on food, clothing, or mentorship initiatives
  • Providing space for civic meetings or family workshops

Each of these steps isn’t just community service. It’s the Gospel in action. People see Jesus in the care, in the presence, in the hands willing to serve.

Step 3: Be Consistent, Not Opportunistic

A one-time event doesn’t build trust. Showing up consistently does. The church that wants to see Jesus’ love transform a city absolutely has to:

  • Keep showing up at the right tables
  • Follow through on commitments
  • Celebrate wins with community partners
  • Keep learning and adjusting based on the needs of real people

Consistency communicates: we’re not here for headlines. We’re here for people.

Step 4: Invite Others to Join

The power of the church is not in one pastor, one planter, or one congregation. It’s in the body of Christ moving together. Invite your leadership team, small groups, and members to participate. Mobilize volunteers with a clear purpose, not just busywork.

  • Encourage people to use their gifts: carpentry, mentoring, teaching, cooking, or simply listening
  • Make service personal: connect volunteers directly with real families, kids, or neighbors
  • Share stories: when people see the impact, they’re inspired to engage even more

Step 5: Measure Kingdom Impact, Not Just Attendance

Church planting (church in general) and community work isn’t about filling pews. It’s about transforming neighborhoods and lives. Ask yourself:

  • Are families more supported?
  • Are kids thriving?
  • Are neighborhoods safer and stronger?
  • Are people seeing Jesus in tangible ways?

If the answer is yes, your church isn’t just existing. It’s advancing the Kingdom.

A Bold Challenge

Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for the perfect program. Stop waiting for everything to line up.

Go meet your mayor. Sit with your principal. Show up where the people are. Ask questions. Listen. Serve. Repeat.

When you lead this way, your church won’t just be a building on a corner. It will be a force for transformation, a living expression of Jesus’ love breaking into your city, one relationship at a time.

This is post three in the series Church On The Corner. Check out post one where we navigated real questions that garner partnership with civic leaders. And post two that dealt with posture in community partnerships.

Why the Church Needs to Show Up in the Community

September 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

When’s the last time you sat across the table from your mayor, city council member, or school superintendent not to complain, not to lobby, but simply to listen?

Too many churches talk about “being the hands and feet of Jesus” but never step into the very community where those hands and feet belong. If the Church is going to matter in 2025 and beyond, we have to stop hiding inside our sanctuaries and start showing up in city hall, school board meetings, and local events.

And here’s the kicker: it starts by asking the right questions.

The Wrong Approach

Most pastors and church leaders walk into meetings with city officials ready to pitch. Here’s our program. Here’s our event. Here’s why you should support us.

It’s well-intentioned, but it puts us in the driver’s seat of a conversation we shouldn’t even be steering. Civic leaders don’t need more pitches. They need partners.

The Right Approach

Instead, what if we walked in with genuine curiosity? What if our posture was, “We want to hear your heartbeat for this community, and we’re here to ask how we can serve”?

That shift in posture changes everything. It says:

  • We’re not here for power. We’re here for people.
  • We’re not trying to use the community to grow our church. We’re trying to serve the community because we are the church.
  • We’re not coming with all the answers. We’re here to listen.

Five Questions That Open Doors

If you want to build real relationships with community leaders, you need questions that unlock their vision and invite collaboration. I recently met with the leaders in my community and here are five questions that I used:

  1. “From your perspective, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing our city right now?”
    (This honors their leadership and gives you a pulse on the community. It also shows you as a leader where the biggest needs are through the eyes of the very men and women leading the charge.)
  2. “What are some of the priorities you’re most passionate about for the future of this community?”
    (This digs beneath the job title and into the heart of the leader. You can hear their heart come through. This question helped let the guard down. The response wasn’t a cookie cutter answer but really opened the heart.)
  3. “Where do you see gaps in community life? What are some areas where families, kids, or neighborhoods could use more support?”
    (This helps you identify where the church could step up and fill a need. Remember the posture of the church isn’t to be the savior or even have all the answers. Our posture should be that of a strategic partner to help lift the arms of the community leaders to support the work they’re already doing.)
  4. “How can local churches come alongside the city to help strengthen the community?”
    (This signals you’re not just asking what’s in it for us. Instead, you’re asking what’s needed from us. This is a partnership kind of question instead of a church as hero kind of approach.)
  5. “What would you like to see more of from civic organizations, nonprofits, or churches in town?”
    (This opens the door to expectation-setting and future opportunities.)

Why This Matters

Look. Jesus didn’t sit in the synagogue waiting for people to wander in. He walked into villages, sat with community leaders, dined with tax collectors, and asked people questions. If our Lord Himself thought it was important to sit at tables of influence and listen, shouldn’t His Church do the same?

When we show up and ask good questions, walls come down. Strangers become partners. Leaders stop seeing “the church” as a disconnected institution and start seeing us as allies in the work of building a thriving community.

The Challenge

Here’s the bold truth: the Church is irrelevant in a city where leaders don’t know our names.

So go schedule that meeting. Sit down with your mayor, your school principal, your police chief. And don’t go in ready to pitch your next event. Go in ready to ask better questions.

Because the future of the Church in your community won’t be built on programs or platforms. It’ll be built on relationships. And relationships start with a question.

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