144. Is the Church Failing to Make Disciples?, with Tod Bolsinger, Executive Director of the Church Leadership Institute

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Tod Bolsinger is the Executive Director of Fuller Seminary’s Church Leadership Institute and the author of five books, including Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience.

In this episode, Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson reflect on the reality that many people have not returned to the church in our post-pandemic world.  Is there anything about how we have done church in the past that has failed to form the kind of people who are committed to living a life of discipleship in community with other Jesus-followers?  And if so, what can we do differently now?


THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Tod Bolsinger is the Executive Director of Fuller Seminary’s Church Leadership Institute and the author of five books, including Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience.
• Tod shares how the pandemic disrupted his work with the Church Leadership Institute and how he had to adapt.
• The pandemic revealed a crisis of discipleship within the church.
• Tod Bolsinger argues that many people haven’t returned to church after the pandemic because the church doesn’t feel that different from the world to them.
• According to Tod Bolsinger, many churches have confused discipleship with training people for church ministry.
• Tod Bolsinger says we have confused institutional service with spiritual formation.
• Leaders and pastors need to embrace the humility of not knowing.
• Transformation in churches starts with the leader, but the leader can’t do it alone.
• Spiritual Life and Leadership will be adding new short 6-10 minute episodes every other week.  These episodes will be called “Quick Conversations for the Long Haul of Leadership.”
• Each of these episodes will be a brief conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson focusing on a single quote or question or thought.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Books mentioned:
  • Canoeing the Mountains, by Tod Bolsinger
  • Tempered Resilience, by Tod Bolsinger
• Fuller Seminary Church Leadership Institute

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