How Will We Recognize Faithfulness?
Acts 2:42–47
Look beyond easy measures to the recognizable fruit of faithful common life.
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← Formation
Formation · Conversations
Conversations that help communities listen well.
Structured questions and practices for reflection, relationship, discernment, and shared learning.
45 resources
What Kind of Community Are We Called to Be?
1 Corinthians 12:12–27
Notice what kind of community your shared life is forming.
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This Church Belongs to Christ
Ephesians 1:15–23
Receive the church as Christ’s, exercising responsibility without anxious ownership.
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Joining the Mission
Colossians 1:15–20
Begin by noticing where Christ is already at work and what it would mean to join.
Open resource →Before We Responded, God Acted
Luke 15:11–32
Receive the promise that God’s mercy moves toward us before we find the right words, and notice what becomes possible when grace speaks first.
Grace First
Open resource →What Story Are Our Practices Telling?
Exodus 20:1–17
Examine what our worship practices teach us about God, sin and grace—and whether their order tells the story we actually believe.
Grace First
Open resource →Grace Makes Room for the Truth
Psalm 139:1–18, 23–24
Explore how assurance creates enough safety to tell the truth without minimizing harm or defending ourselves.
Grace First
Open resource →Grace Is Not Avoidance
Luke 19:1–10
Distinguish grace from avoidance by practicing accountability, repair and honest attention to those who have been harmed.
Grace First
Open resource →Let Grace Speak First
Romans 5:6–11
Experiment with letting assurance speak before confession, then notice how grace changes the quality of truth-telling.
Grace First
Open resource →What Fruit Is Growing?
Galatians 5:13–26
Discern the fruit growing from our practices and imagine Christian communities formed by joy, honesty, courage and repair.
Grace First
Open resource →Who Is in Front of You?
The Ordinary Work of Christian Leadership In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples are confronted by an enormous crowd. The day is growing late, the people are hungry, and there is nowhere…
Open resource →005 We Become What We Practice
The Slow Work of Forming Healthier Christian Communities With assistance from Judy Mitchell and Josh Daum Why Doesn’t Anything Really Change? It happens almost every Sunday. Worship has ended. People gather around…
Open resource →001 Joining the Mission
Colossians 1:15-20
Foundation #1: God’s Mission “The good news of the Gospel is that the triune God…creates, redeems, sustains, rules, and transforms all things and all people.“ F-1.01 God’s Mission The work of ministry…
Open resource →001 When Barnabas Came to Town
Acts 11:19-26
Recognizing God’s Grace in One Another Most churches can tell stories about people who helped them become what they are today. Perhaps it was a pastor who faithfully served for many years.…
Open resource →Where Are You Seeing God Now
Luke 24:13–35
Building Relationships As we come to this fourth conversation, we turn to a story that feels strikingly familiar to many of us—the journey on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13–35. Two disciples…
Open resource →A Hard Season
Ruth 1:16-18
Building Relationships In Scripture, faith is not formed only in moments of clarity or blessing. It is often forged in loss, uncertainty, and the long middle where nothing seems to resolve. The…
Open resource →Who Has Shaped You
1 Samuel 18:1-4
Building Relationships In Scripture, we are rarely formed alone. Again and again, we see that who we become is shaped through relationships—through people who walk with us, challenge us, protect us, and…
Open resource →Story of Our Names
Genesis 32:24-28
Building Relationships Names Matter In the Bible, names are not just labels—they carry identity, story, and calling. Sometimes a name tells you where someone has come from. Sometimes it reveals who they…
Open resource →002 People Before Process
Mark 6:30-32
Preparing for ministry without losing the center When something important is approaching, ministry teams often become consumed with the work around the work. Messages need answered. Materials need gathered. Food must be…
Open resource →001 Mission in the Front Seat
001 Mission in the Front Seat: Keeping Vision and Relationships Ahead of Management and Structure A Leadership Conversation, 001 March 10, 2026 Church boards spend enormous amounts of time discussing budgets, staffing,…
Open resource →Living Faithfully in the Mess (Conversation)
psalms 13
Living Faithfully in the Mess (Longer Conversation) Order, Risk, and the Call to Follow Christ Our Instincts When uncertainty or discomfort arises in the church, what do I reach for first? structure?…
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