This summer has certainly been an adventure, and I have witnessed God’s fingerprints in so many places and on the furniture of so many lives. Thank you for the privilege of sharing this journey with you. Following Jesus is the most exhilarating and demanding—the most exciting and challenging experience a person could ever embrace—and it is meant to be shared with others.
Brad Brisco offers the following call for the Church of Jesus Christ to embrace a new overstory, which is actually two millennia old. In essence, he is pointing us toward following Jesus. Here is the FREE resource that I hope you will utilize and share in your circles of influence
Jesus’ call to discipleship was an invitation to choose a direction—“follow me”—and not a command to adopt a doctrinal manifesto or align with a set of religious rites. ~ Reggie McNeal
I believe that the key to the health, the maintenance, the extension, and the renewal of the Church is not more evangelism, but more discipleship. ~ Alan Hirsch
Mission is more than and different from recruitment to our brand of religion; it is alerting people to the universal reign of God through Christ. ~ David Bosch
Despite what people think, within the Christian family and outside it, the point of Christianity isn’t “to go to heaven when you die.”
~ N. T. Wright
“In his 2024 book, Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering, Malcolm Gladwell introduces the concept of the “Overstory” to explore how dominant cultural narratives influence societal behaviors and the spread of ideas. Sometimes, creating a new overstory is necessary to challenge deeply ingrained assumptions and shift collective perception. When a long-standing narrative no longer serves or reflects the current reality, introducing a fresh, compelling overstory can help people reframe what they’ve taken for granted, opening the door to transformation and progress.
We need a new overstory when it comes to the way we understand evangelism and discipleship. In most church settings, people think of evangelism as something you do with lost people, while discipleship is for those who have already decided to follow Jesus. This binary approach has led to a fragmented understanding of spiritual formation and mission. A new overstory—one that sees discipleship as beginning before conversion and continuing as a lifelong journey—can help reframe how we walk with people toward Jesus and beyond, integrating discipleship and evangelism into a single, holistic movement of spiritual companionship.”
Still In ONE Peace,
Jon (the Methodist)
Photo Credit: Jon Strother