Writing
Essays and working ideas from more than fifteen years of writing about faith, leadership, discipleship, the church, family, and life in Austin.
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A few essays that introduce the questions and convictions behind this site.
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Individualism and Community
I think, therefore I am. One simple phrase that Descartes penned helped define a worldview for a future generation. No longer would humanity be fettered with group-think, old wives tales, and crude explanation. No, we would…
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Missional Community Practices – Life Transformation Groups
A Life Transformation Group is two or three believers of the same gender meeting outside the community gathering to hear and obey, repent and believe, and consider and pray. Neil Cole got this right, and it…
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Top 5 Posts for March
For the month of March, these are the most visited posts here: A Philosophical Reason for Missional Communities A Theological Reason for Missional Communities What is a Missional Community? – Other Definitions What is a Missional…
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Missional Community Practices – The Family Meal
If obedience means acting like a family, the question is what families actually do, and families share life around a meal. So we asked leaders to host a meal rather than prepare a lesson, which frees…
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Missional Community Practices – Different Kinds of Gatherings
We build different kinds of gatherings because the aim is obedience rather than information transfer. Practices without the gospel underneath them produce self-righteousness or self-loathing, so this post answers how rather than why.
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Missional Community Practices
Missional communities at The Austin Stone gather three ways: as a family over a meal, as disciples in a Life Transformation Group, and as missionaries in a third place. Here is the overview, with a story…
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It’s a…
BOY!!! It’s my great joy to introduce to you Owen Ryan Engstrom! He is 7 lbs, 1 oz, and 19.75 inches long, and completely healthy! We are praising God and rejoicing in His goodness to us!…
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What is a Missional Community? – More Than a Bible Study
A missional community is not just a bible study, a fellowship group, a social action club, a support group, or a weekly meeting. Over time it includes all of those things, but underneath it is a…
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Four Kids – Jim Gaffigan
As we prepare for the arrival for baby #4 tomorrow, we’ve been doing plenty of work. We’ve also been asking friends with four kids about what to expect, and we received a ton of wisdom. I’m…
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What is a Missional Community? – Pocket of People
A pocket of people answers who the community exists for. A neighbor is anyone you cannot avoid, or anyone whose needs you have the resources to meet, which may be the people next door, the people…
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What is a Missional Community? – On Mission with God
On mission with God means participating in what God has always been doing, establishing his kingdom and making disciples. That works out two ways in every community. We demonstrate the gospel tangibly by meeting the real…
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Interview on Discipleship with Eric Geiger
My friend Eric Geiger interviewed me on his blog on the topic of discipleship recently. Below is an excerpt: Discipleship is meeting someone where they are, and taking them where Jesus wants them to go. This…