Todd Engstrom

Author: Todd Engstrom

  • Advocating for Justice | Jeff McWhorter’s Documentary

    I have a friend in need, and you can help!  Below is a call for action from my friend Jeff McWhorter: —- Here is the deal.  For my senior thesis at UT, I made a 10-minute documentary about young men growing up with incarcerated fathers in East Austin.  One of the young men (14 yrs…

  • Aaron Ivey – Between the Beauty and Chaos

    You for sure need to download this album if you haven’t already (click the image above or here).  Aaron has been leading our church in worship through these songs, and they speak powerfully to the greatness of God and call us to His mission in the world.

  • Discipleship | Part 5

    In this post, I’m going to focus on the basic tools I use to teach people. Tools Doctrine Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem has been especially effective for believers who need to grow in the understanding of God and worship of Jesus.  I hope to compile a typical “plan of attack” and the resources I…

  • Discipleship | Part 4

    Other posts in the series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Process Continued Demonstration As individuals are involved in my life and ministry, they are able to see how I am engaging in these disciplines myself, and applying them to life and ministry.  The consistent feedback I’ve gotten is that discipleship is more “caught, than…

  • Calling | TheResurgence

    I thought about posting an excerpt the following post, but it’s short and you should just read the whole thing. The Confusing Language of “Calling,” Part 1 | TheResurgence This goes in line with what I wrote in an earlier post commenting on Passivity in the Church. The root of passivity in the Christian walk…

  • Discipleship | Part 3

    Other posts in the series: Part 1, Part 2 In this post, I’m going to focus on the process of discipleship.  That is, over time, what does the relationship look like in stages.  This is the basic pattern subscribed in The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, which is an excellent book I would…

  • Pray for the Fatherless on Father’s Day

    My wife and I have been going through foster care training through Arrow Child and Family Ministries, and Father’s Day has given me such an awareness of the fatherless today.  I am praying that God would raise up the church in Austin to serve the 500 children in the foster care system, and that the…

  • Hyperlinks – 6.20.09

    Just a few quick links of sites I am currently benefitting from: Church Crunch – John Saddington consistently delivers great content on technology and church. What’s Best Next – Great tips on productivity with a biblical flavor. Exploring College Ministry – Benson Hines has been traveling the country studying college ministries, and this blog is…

  • Discipleship | Part 2

    As I mentioned in the first post, Matthew 28:18-20 presents a succinct calling to discipleship, and forms the basis of my methodology.  In this post, I’m going to give the overview of how I pursue discipleship in practice. Practice First and foremost, I disciple in groups, and secondly, we meet formally on a weekly basis. …

  • Tough Questions

    There is a huge difference between knowing an answer from scripture and applying it pastorally to peoples lives. The past few weeks, I have been wrestling with God’s word over the issue of remarriage, as I was recently asked to officiate a wedding for a couple with divorce in their past. I can honestly say…

  • Fighting for the Flock | TheResurgence

    I loved this quote from JD Greear, and pray that I continue to have the courage to fight for Jesus’ most prized investment… A Good Shepherd Fights A good shepherd takes on the wolves that threaten his flock. He fights. It’s never in self-defense, of course, but quite often, what is being threatened is not…

  • Discipleship | Part 1

    As I mentioned previously, I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at The Austin Stone’s Summer Conference called “The Kingdom is at Hand”, and the panel was a breakout for the practice of discipleship within the church. It was a little surreal to be sitting on a panel with Josh Patterson and Carrie…