Welcome
I am a pastor, writer, and lifelong student of Scripture, people, and the ways God forms us over time. My work has been shaped by years in local church ministry, seasons living and teaching in China, and a life that still makes room for wilderness, endurance, and adventure. I have spent my adult life helping people follow Jesus in real communities, and I am always glad to share what I have learned along the way. If you are here, I am simply glad you found your way here.
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Three things I love to talk about
(And occasionally work on with churches, businesses, and leaders)
Discipleship Strategy
Churches almost always have good programs, and many make a real impact. But in a world saturated with endless curriculum, media, and ministry opportunities, it can be difficult to discern the specific path God is calling your church to walk. During the COVID shutdowns, our leadership team asked a simple but unsettling question: What is our discipleship strategy? At the time, we could not answer it clearly. We were doing many good things, but we could not explain how they worked together to form people over time. Over the next several years, we returned to that question, clarifying our theology of formation, our aims, and our overall discipleship vision. Once that vision became clear, we piloted, listened, adjusted, and built a core discipleship ministry aligned with what we believed transformation in Christ should look like in everyday life. I cannot promise the same outcomes for every church, as context matters, but I am glad to share what we learned and, if helpful, walk a few steps with your team.
Once a church clarifies its discipleship strategy and ministry vision, a new challenge almost always appears: mission drift. You know what you are called to do and why you are doing it, but competing priorities slowly fill the calendar and dilute focus. Over five years, my staff and I worked to redesign our weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual rhythms to keep our energy centered on the work of discipleship. I enjoy working with church, nonprofit, and business teams to help them discover and design powerful, healthy organizational rhythms.
Adventure Practice
In my mid-40s, I felt a familiar longing for more. With the help of close friends, I quickly recognized what I needed: more adventure. I was raised running through the woodlands of northern Minnesota, and my soul still needs time outdoors, challenge, and space where life feels real and immediate. Over time, I have come to see adventure not just as recreation, but as practice. Time in challenge, risk, and unfamiliar environments has a way of clarifying what matters, renewing energy, and keeping the spark of leadership alive. You may not find that in 50-mile days in the Grand Canyon or 100-mile efforts on the Colorado Trail, but I believe most leaders need some form of adventure practice to stay fully alive. I do a limited amount of coaching around leadership, life transitions, and sustainable challenge, and I am always glad to explore whether that might be helpful for you.