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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All writing
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Creating Environments for Launching Missional Communities – Part 1
Over the next few weeks, I will be featuring a number of posts from my teammates here at The Austin Stone on a variety of topics related to missional communities. This is a two part series…
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Forming a Strategic Team to Lead Transition
The Austin Stone didn’t begin as a church committed to missional communities. Through several years, we have transitioned our church from a traditional community/small group model to our current model of missional communities. This series of posts will help…
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Creating a Sense of Urgency
The Austin Stone didn’t begin as a church committed to missional communities. Through several years, we have transitioned our church from a traditional community/small group model to our current model of missional communities. This series of posts will help…
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Mobilizing Your Community to Sunday Service Teams
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked several members of our team at The Austin Stone to write on different aspects of missional community in different contexts and ministries. Today, Brendan Thompson is going to share some learning points…
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Two Ways to Transition Your Church
The Austin Stone didn’t begin as a church committed to missional communities. Through several years, we have transitioned our church from a traditional community/small group model to our current model of missional communities. This series of posts will help…
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Transitioning Your Church to Missional Communities
The Austin Stone didn’t begin as a church committed to missional communities. Through several years, we have transitioned our church from a traditional community/small group model to our current model of missional communities. This series of…
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Parenting, Education and Mission
Recently, I was chatting with a member of our church who has been intentionally living on mission for several years amongst unreached people groups in Austin. He has children that are similar in age to mine,…
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Suburbs and Missional Communities
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked several members of our team at The Austin Stone to write on different aspects of missional community in different contexts. Today, Jon Dansby is going to share some learning…
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College Ministry and Missional Communities
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked several members of our team at The Austin Stone to write on different aspects of missional community in different contexts and ministries. Today, Chad Kincer is going to share some…
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Implementing LTGs in a Small Group
In a recent conversation with a pastor from another church, I was asked: “Practically, how do you go about forming Life Transformation Groups in a small group that is used to meeting once a week?” I…
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Student Ministry and Volunteer Missional Communities
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked several members of our team at The Austin Stone to write about how missional communities integrate with some of their areas of ministry. To start with, my friend (and…
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Student Ministry and Third Place
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked several members of our team at The Austin Stone to write about how missional communities integrate with some of their areas of ministry. To start with, my friend (and…