January 23, 2017
We are Missionaries
What God has done to us, He wants to do through us. We have the Spirit of God in us so that we might be empowered, just as Jesus was. We are His missionaries, filled and anointed by His…
January 18, 2017
Pop Culture Catechism (Part 2)
Warning—if you haven't seen or if you plan on seeing Moana, there are spoiler alerts aplenty in this post! In part one of this series, I explained the why and how-to process of using the stories in movies to teach kids…
January 16, 2017
Pride and Prejudice
Change happens through relationship; the come-as-you-are, warts-and-all, Christ-like-love kind of relationship. One of humanity’s greatest needs is to know and be known, to be in deep relationships. God is a very relational God, and as image-bearers of Him we…
January 12, 2017
Curriculum, Tools, Modules . . . Oh My!
This week we released the first of this year's helpful tools, Annual Planning: Hopes & Dreams! Resource overview for 2017 The primary plan for this year will focus on making our current resources easier to use with new guides,…
January 11, 2017
What’s Next?
Filled with the excitement of making a covenant, they meet with their pastor who is also “coaching” them through this process. Their first question is, “What do we do now?” Imagine a newly launched missional community lead by a…
January 9, 2017
100% Funded in 2017, An Action Plan
(Part five in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part six here.) Our world needs you. Specifically, they need Jesus. But for some reason I’ll hopefully one day understand, He chose to use knuckleheads like us to introduce Him…
January 5, 2017
Did You Miss Something? (Plus a Giveaway)
We’re here. The new year—2017. What is one thing you hope to look back at this time next year and say, “Look at what God did!”? Answer this question in the comment section for the chance to win one of…
January 3, 2017
Reweaving What Is Torn
Where are the dry places that need life? Habakkuk 2:14 tells us a day is coming when the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord will fill the earth like the water covers the sea. Recently I woke early…
December 31, 2016
A Story of God’s Goodness
(Part four in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part five here.) I don’t know what the Spirit is desiring to speak to you through my story, but I want you to allow Him some space to speak to…
December 27, 2016
How Do You Train MC Leaders?
(You can read the next part in the How Do We Do It series here.) There are stories out of Dallas, Texas, of an infamous Young Life director who operated like a mafia boss. He was never in the…
December 23, 2016
Feasting at the Arrival of God to Us
(Enjoy the fourth and final part in our series called Celebrating Advent.) We anxiously wait for the powerful moment of hope’s arrival. Our most revered and treasured tradition is our Christmas Eve feast. This family tradition pre-dates our marriage,…
December 19, 2016
Just Give Them Jesus
But we fail if we don’t give them Jesus. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, states: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for…
December 16, 2016
The Arrival of Our Enough
(Enjoy part three in a new series called Celebrating Advent. You can read part four here.) We are servants to the Son who was born King. I ran my first 5K on Thanksgiving with my whole family: three kids and…
December 14, 2016
How is a Church-On-Mission Organized?
(You can read the next part in the How Do We Do It series here.) Life is the program, and everyday is the mission. At one of the recent Saturate Every Day events, Jeff Vanderstelt and I were answering…
December 12, 2016
Four Steps for a Successful Donor Meeting
(Part three in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part four here.) Let's turn our attention from the internal struggle of support-raising and look at a variety of specific pragmatics to help you get and stay funded. This time I…
December 9, 2016
Why Did God Have to Come?
(Enjoy part two in a new series called Celebrating Advent. You can read part three here.) “Why did God have to come, anyway?” Christmas is a magical time for kids as they see the glow of lights, trees in the…
December 7, 2016
Pop Culture Catechism, (Part 1)
Your kids need to see how the story of Jesus's redemption is distinct, unique, better, and greater. Taking stories from popular culture—especially movies—and relating them to the story of the gospel is one of the best forms of catechism.…
December 5, 2016
Despair in Funding
(Part two in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part three here.) When dealing with financial support raising, there's an arguably the more painful position: denial. Despair: Although similar to denial, this response emotionally could be called the “low-denial” where…
December 2, 2016
Preparing Room For God’s Arrival to Us
(Enjoy this first blog in a new series called celebrating Advent. Read post two here.) How will you prepare room in your heart for God this Christmas season? Christmas Tree Hunting In the early days of Advent we drive out…
November 30, 2016
Serve God By Serving Others
(Enjoy this first blog in a new series called Redeemed Work by David Achata. You can read part two here.) God changes our identity so our work is no longer about personal advancement. Recently I sat in a hotel bar with a…
November 28, 2016
Risk Aversion & Dangerous Dreamers
(Part eight in the Recovering Missional Moxie series from Alan Hirsch.) By and large the church as we know it tends to embody a culture of social restraint and risk aversion. We do not tend to think of “church” as a place…
November 23, 2016
Transitioning Teams of Missionaries to Missional Communities
Enjoy this final post in Todd's Engstrom's short series on how to turn a "small group" culture into a "missional community" culture with the same group of people. In the last post, we looked at the move from small groups…
November 21, 2016
Denial in Fundraising
(Part one in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part two here.) It’s hard to be effective in your role when there is a crushing fear in the back of your mind that you won’t be able to pay…
November 18, 2016
Unleashed For Mission
Focusing too early on what I think they should do can actually rob them of the creative thinking and self-discovery they actually need. One of my life’s great passions is seeing others unleashed for the mission of God. I find…
November 16, 2016
Transitioning Small Groups to Teams of Missionaries
Post three in a short series on how to turn a "small group" culture into a "missional community" culture with the same group of people by Todd Engstrom. Read part four here. In the last post, we looked at…
November 14, 2016
3 Roadblocks to Sustainability
(Part seven in the Recovering Missional Moxie series from Alan Hirsch. Read part eight here.) Much real life, relationships, and spiritual meaning can be added by simplifying our lives to engage more fully in life. Throughout many years of being involved in…
November 11, 2016
An American in Europe
We are all (regardless of nationality) prone to wander and seek our own security, approval, comfort, and control until we find our faith and trust in Jesus. Twelve years ago, I moved away from Europe, and yet it remains my…
November 9, 2016
Transitioning Community Groups to Small Groups
Post two in a short series on how to turn a "small group" culture into a "missional community" culture with the same group of people by Todd Engstrom. Read part three here. In the last post, we looked at…
November 7, 2016
Prayerful Planning for the Extrovert (and Introvert)
In the world of missional communities and church-planting, there’s a real misconception that to be effective you’ve got to be blowing the doors off your house every week. I wasn’t born a planner, but out of necessity I’ve gotten…
November 4, 2016
We Must Go Where The People Are
(Part six in the Recovering Missional Moxie series from Alan Hirsch. Read part seven here.) We know from research that within three to five years of a person becoming a Christian, he or she will have no meaningful relationships with anyone outside the…