and one thing I learned from each. On my sabbatical a couple years ago, I spent a day reflecting on every (paid) job I’ve ever had, and one critical way each job formed me, as a way to trace and be grateful for God at work in constantly shaping me…

For weeks, I had nice visits at our ministry facility with a team of bounty hunters, armed to the teeth, always wearing bullet proof vests and tactical gear. We would share the same delightful interaction: “Do you know where he is?” They wouldn’t even bother to remove their sunglasses. “Nope.”…

Current creative trends in mission & evangelism. Maybe you’ve said it before, I certainly have. “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” (and no, it was not St. Francis of Assisi who said it.) I love the general sentiment of the quote. The slight problem is…

and critical counter-truths to hold on to. There is an ever growing interest in the concept of calling, and its many synonyms, in both the church and broader culture. This isn’t a new phenomenon (Purpose Driven Life was published almost 20 years ago), but I do think the conversation is…

This summer marks ten years of planting microchurches, developing microchurch networks, and collaborating with other network directors around the world. While taking some time off in May, I wrote a rambling reflection of some of what I’ve learned and noticed, in no particular order. 1- God’s people are ready to…

embracing the obscurity of the Kingdom while rejecting the lies of futility — “No one sees what we do. No one notices. No one cares. If we shut down tomorrow, no one would know.” She took a sip of her coffee as a way to distract from the single tear that just hit the table. She has been laboring for years to cultivate…

and 6 other innovative changes on the horizon at the Underground. The Underground Movement is made of two things: the Underground church and the Underground nonprofit. The mandate of the Underground church is to be a grassroots movement of microchurches led by called and qualified elders who listen to Jesus…

and why having nothing to do on Sunday morning can be a gift for the soul Whether you’ve been around the Underground for a week or a year, you know we’re serious about microchurches. We believe the church exists when followers of Jesus pursue both intentional community and Kingdom mission…

for the sake of my family and my missionary life I remember my first cell phone was a little Nokia pay-as-you-go phone with a tiny screen and T9 texting format. I racked up a $300 cell phone bill texting friends in between making sandwiches at Subway. I grabbed an extra…