The Heart Behind Radical Alignment, with Bart Rendel

Nov 13, 2025

Bart Rendel, a senior leader and writer within the Intentional Churches movement, discusses his new book, Radical Alignment, which delves into the heart of church mission alignment. He shares fascinating stories, including a unique ice-bath baptism and a Tennessee church mobilizing hundreds to reach their 'One.' Bart emphasizes the importance of personal Great Commission ownership and how urgency and clarity are transforming churches. This conversation inspires leaders to rethink evangelism and reconnect with core church missions.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Ice Bath Baptisms Spark Unexpected Conversions

Cy Huffer's new church in Naples used an inflatable 'ice bath' baptistry and baptized 31 people during their anniversary service.
Thirteen baptisms were spontaneous and three were first-time guests, showing surprising Gospel momentum.

ADVICE

Plant And Water — Trust The Outcome

Plant and water; trust God with the growth instead of trying to close the deal yourself.
Empower people to start relationally investing and then let the Spirit do the outcome work.

ANECDOTE

One Life Commitments Shift Church Culture

The One Life project led 597 people in a Tennessee church to commit to praying for and pursuing one lost person.
That represented about 60% of average weekend attendance and aimed to shift long-term church culture.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

On this episode of The Intentional Churches Podcast, Doug and Bart unpack the heart behind Radical Alignment: The Surprising Journey of Becoming an Intentional Church—the brand-new book that takes church leaders inside the “why” behind the IC toolbox.

Together, they share the behind-the-scenes story of how the book came to life—from early church interviews and the conference book challenge to the powerful stories that emerged along the way. You’ll hear about ice-bath baptisms in Florida, a thousand-person Tennessee church mobilizing 597 members to reach their “One,” and the connection between personal Great Commission ownership and lasting church alignment.

Doug and Bart also explore how urgency, clarity, and obedience are reshaping churches across the IC network, why Radical Alignment serves as a prequel to the original Intentional Church book, and how every leader can reframe their calling through the lens of the Great Commission.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make evangelism personal again—or how to help your church rediscover its core mission—this conversation will encourage, challenge, and reorient you to what matters most.

New to Intentional Churches? Start here:
intentionalchurches.com

00:00 The Gathering Church and a 70-Year-Old’s Ice Bath Baptism
02:04 Doug and Bart Catch Up on Life, Travel, and Nicknames
05:12 Florida Church Plant Stories: Courage and Obedience
09:51 When Baptism Becomes a Movement
13:06 Planting, Watering, and Trusting God for the Growth
15:23 Inside the “One Life” Project and Culture Change in Churches
18:50 Writing Radical Alignment: The Story Behind the Book
20:53 The “Why” Behind the IC Toolbox
23:08 How IC’s Learning Community Shaped the Book
26:07 Why Radical Alignment Is a Team Study, Not a Solo Read
27:30 The 25 Foundational Beliefs and IC’s Secret Sauce
29:27 Church Stories that Prove Great Commission Alignment Works
31:21 The Hope for Church Leaders Who Read Radical Alignment
34:17 Doug’s Challenge: “Relational Evangelism Is the Football”
35:26 From the Road: Nashville’s Airport Gridlock Story
38:33 Travel Chaos, Grace, and Gratitude
39:30 Closing Thoughts and Book Details

Website: intentionalchurches.com
Get The Book: Radical Alignment
Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog
YouTube: @IntentionalChurches
Facebook: Intentional Churches
LinkedIn: Intentional Churches LinkedIn
Instagram: @IntentionalChurches
X/Twitter: @IntentChurches

Join the conversation and tell us how you’re leading your church toward Great Commission alignment.