What Hasn’t Changed
Five convictions that have only grown stronger.
A year ago, we launched this Substack with the hope of encouraging people toward simple, reproducible disciple-making and church planting.
Next week, I’ll reflect on what I’ve learned over the last year. But first, I want to start with what hasn’t changed.
Before starting this Substack, I had written and spoken extensively on building a culture of disciple-making. While my thinking continues to evolve on many subjects, there are core convictions that have only become clearer and stronger over the past year. I wanted to begin by naming those.
A quick note before we dive in: this Substack was an effort to surface some of these ideas in a more digestible and applicable way. It has been deeply encouraging to hear stories of how these posts have been a blessing. Thank you for the encouragement along the way. I’m praying that what we’re learning can continue to serve others. Please let your people know about livingsent.ca, or encourage them to subscribe, so we can continue to encourage simple, reproducible disciple-making and church planting.
So, where have my convictions remained unchanged?
1. The Future Is Bi-Vocational (or Co-Vocational)
Many of the posts this year have centred on the priesthood of all believers and the necessity of ensuring that leadership in the church is open to, and encouraged for, those who are full-time professionals.
The de-professionalization of church ministry is one of the key ingredients if we are going to see more people engaged in gospel activity in our culture, when ministry is reserved for the few, mission stalls. When leadership is shared broadly, mission multiplies.
While many churches embrace this principle by default, after all, most churches rely heavily on non-professional leadership teams, there is still significant room for growth. Too often, not every member of the body of Christ truly sees themselves as called to ministry. It has been both my prayer and my hope that every believer would receive a clear calling and a clear pathway to serve alongside their church family as a fully equipped minister of the gospel.
2. Clarity of Mission Is Essential
There is constant pressure to be all things to all people. We’ve faced pressure to speak on all kinds of tertiary issues flowing from politics or current events. I have long held that churches need a crystal-clear missional priority, one they can return to when the ebb and flow of culture threatens to push them off course.
Articulating a clear mission and running decisions through that simple grid is a big part of why we’re able to stay out of the frenetic. There are many interesting and important issues, but are they worth addressing in our effort to make disciples on university campuses? Often, the answer is no.
This simple test has prevented a world of hurt and enabled us to meet the needs of real people on the ground. This conviction has only been confirmed over the last year.
3. Devotions Are Essential
The basics of our faith, prayer, time in Scripture, and evangelism must remain central. It’s tempting to insert programs, strategies, or secondary initiatives that slowly replace the emphasis and energy required to root a church in these practices.
Even more specifically, the single most valuable thing we do as a church is our daily devos. I remain deeply convinced of this. By centring our rhythms around daily time in Scripture, there is a shared sense that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us together.
On a personal level, these community devotions keep me grounded, accountable, and rooted in Scripture beyond preaching and teaching. I love my time in the Word more now than ever.
Few things bring me as much joy as seeing disciples huddled together around Scripture, encouraging one another toward faithful obedience to Jesus. And few things are as scalable.
4. Intentional, Sacrificial Community Is Worth It
Viewing the church as a family isn’t just a nice idea; it’s a foundational theological conviction. As time goes on, I’m more sure of this, even though I’m no stranger to the pain, setbacks, and hardship that come with authentic community.
Choosing to live in proximity, share our burdens, and open our homes to church family and strangers remains one of the most grounding and life-giving commitments I have experienced. Yes, it’s challenging to call a community toward simplicity, integration, and proximity. Yes, we battle drift from our convictions. But when we gather and watch strangers become family, there are few things more beautiful.
I hope to continue casting vision for churches rooted deeply in the conviction that we live together as a family in Christ, on mission with Christ.
5. Church Planting Can Be Simple
At its core, church planting isn’t an explicit objective of the church, or even of Scripture, but a natural overflow of discipleship and evangelism.
I’ve taught this principle on stages across North America, and I continue to pray that we would truly capture this vision. When evangelism and disciple-making are the means by which new churches emerge, the result is healthy, reproducing, and sustainable gospel communities.
This fifth conviction is really the sum of the previous four: if everyone in the family of God catches a vision for a specific mission, invests in that mission alongside a church family, and prioritizes the basics, we will see the hope of Jesus spread to untold numbers.
As we head toward 2026 and into the Christmas season with all of its competing priorities, I pray that we, the church of Jesus, would listen again to his invitation: to join him in building his church through the sharing of the gospel and the raising of disciples.
It really is that simple.