Archive for the ‘Discipleship’ Category

College Football & Discipleship

By: Jock Ficken

College football finally gets started in a week. The Nebraska Cornhuskers play Northwestern in Ireland in what’s termed Week 0! Most know that in Nebraska, there are two seasons: football season and off season. Off season has seemed particularly long this year. It can be that way when you only won 3 games the previous … Continue reading →

What Can Discipleship Training Look Like?

By: Jock Ficken

Last fall I was in Appleton, WI. The pastors there had gathered a group of young adults…not married, married, married with little kids, etc. to invite them to join 1,000 Young Leaders. Phil, our 1,000 Young Leaders director, asked each person to introduce themselves and share why they had come. What happened next caught me … Continue reading →

Discipleship in Uncertain Times: An Interview with Sarah and Micah Greiner

By: Jock Ficken

Several years ago, as Gail and I would give updates at PLI learning communities, we would challenge leaders that the church in America needs pioneers. Leaders who are willing to dare and try and risk with no confidence that the outcome will be preferred. Leaders who are willing to experiment for the sake of the … Continue reading →

The Clock is Ticking

By: Jock Ficken

The clock is ticking down on 2020. Most of us would say that it couldn’t come too soon. And most of us would say that while taxed and tired, our faith has been strengthened and we’ve been reminded that God can be trusted to protect and provide. Thanks for leading and following Jesus with integrity … Continue reading →

Stop Setting Up Leaders to Fail

By: Jock Ficken

The door to a vibrant, future church in 2030 swings on the hinges of relational discipleship! Here are 4 thoughts: I came into leadership in an era of “if you can preach, you can lead!” Most folks today still equate a good talker with a good leader. (Being a good talker is still…good…but not synonymous … Continue reading →

Don’t Go It Alone

By: Jock Ficken

These simple words were spoken to a room full of young pastoral couples. They were well seasoned words marked with wisdom, insight and experience! Here’s the essence. See if there’s a good word or two for you today! “Don’t go it alone! “People…leaders…get off track when they go it alone. “They become legends in their … Continue reading →

Discipleship: Three lessons I learned from playing Simon Says

By: Sarah Greiner

Do you or your people feel useless?

By: Jock Ficken

There’s a growing trickle of churches that increasingly engage their communities. They invest in the baptized people of God to become shepherds/missionaries where they live, work and play. This is no small task for most church leaders! People often see themselves as unable or disabled to be real participants in God’s mission. They’re good people…they … Continue reading →

Disciple Me First

By: Sarah Greiner

Chances are, you’ve been discipled. At some point along your faith journey someone took time to disciple, or pour into you. It probably happened unintentionally in the casual moments of life. Maybe it was the “ask your pastor any question” time in confirmation, conversations in the car with your dad, or at the dinner table … Continue reading →

Discipling is not for Experts

By: Sarah Greiner

When I asked Tricia Foster, PLI alumni and discipleship huddle leader, what things Jesus taught her about discipleship through leading huddles, the first thing she said was “You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to have a disciple.” This is a bit earth shattering. Jesus had disciples and I’d say he was an expert. … Continue reading →