Writing
Essays and working ideas from more than fifteen years of writing about faith, leadership, discipleship, the church, family, and life in Austin.
Start here
New here? These four pieces offer a way into the writing: what shapes the church, how we lead, and how faith takes form in community. Begin with the recent essays, then explore the earlier work that helped shape those questions.
The church and the Spirit · 2026
The Organizing Principle of the Church
Start with a recent reflection on how spiritual gifts shape the church, and why I’m revisiting an old conviction about mission.
Leadership in practice · 2026
Leadership and Administration
Why leading people and bringing order to the work are gifts to recognize and steward, and what gets lost when we treat them only as skills.
Community and mission · 2013
What is a Missional Community? – Definition
A short introduction to the definition we used at The Austin Stone, and why a community of Christians is essential to a faithful witness.
Leading through change · 2013
Transitioning Your Church to Missional Communities
The opening of a practical series on our transition at The Austin Stone, with lessons about patience, learning, and the time real change takes.
For sustained explorations of a topic, browse the Selected Series.
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Missional community · Leadership · Christianity · Church · Personal · Austin Stone · Discipleship · Theology
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Discipleship and Training | TheResurgence
I really like the Resurgence blog. It always has great thoughts, including the one below on discipleship. The primary context for training should also be the church in situ. I find it strange that this assertion…
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Forgiveness in Marriage
I’ve been reading through This Momentary Marriage by John Piper in preparation for our Nearly/Newly Wed class at The Austin Stone. Although the content hasn’t been earth shattering, I’ve been reflecting on Ephesians 5:22-32, and specifically…
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Attractional and Missional | TheResurgence
Below is quote from a post a The Resurgence on the Attractional vs. Missional “debate”. People often set up attractional church and missional church as polar opposites. Attractional has a come-to-us mentality. It’s about drawing people…
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A Future and a Hope Conference
I attended and helped greet at an adoption conference this weekend with Olivia. There were three main sessions and a panel: Kristin Wong spoke on God’s heart for adoption from Ephesians 1 Julie Kouri presented myths…
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Reflections on the Ministry : Rick McKinley
This was a convicting message for me to hear from Rick McKinley of Imago Dei in Portland. The art of unbusyness and unneccesariness is essential to the being available to God. There is disaster awaiting the…
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adaptive challenges and the church | The Forgotten Ways
Really liked this quote from Alan Hirsch, and it speaks toward the movement we desire to see in Austin: When I am teaching TFW material, one of the constant questions that is raised is “do we…
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What Makes a Great Leadership Team? | Gallup Management Journal
Came across this at What’s Best Next from What Makes a Great Leadership Team? at Gallup Management Journal, and thought it was another helpful understanding of balanced leadership teams. As we worked with these leadership teams,…
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CGI | Austin Stone Student in the Statesman
This is why I love doing what I do…I get to watch amazing students do amazing things. Jackie Markovich is an intern in the College Ministry at The Austin Stone, and The Austin American Statesman printed…
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unChristian 7, 8, 9
I stalled in my review of unChristian because I lost some interest in the book as a whole. I occasionally do that… You can find my thoughts here: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6…
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Random Thoughts/Anecdotes on a Slow Day
Here are some random thoughts and anecdotes for Friday: GTB decided to go on sleep strike last night. He literally cried for five straight hours, and we have no idea why. He finally fell asleep at…
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Why do I do stupid things?
A lot of times I feel like the kid in this picture. I do things people tell me not to, ignoring wise counsel, just to see what will happen. Bottom line, sometimes you have to be…
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Mission First, Community Later?
I found this quote on our Missional Community blog from the Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch: “In a remark ascribed to Gordon Cosby, the pioneering leader of that remarkable community Church of the Savior in Washington,…