than it is to share resources with other
churches. Why is it that the leadership
in churches is often far more reluctant
than the people in the church to unite
with other ministries? We know the devil
wants to tear down and divide the body
of Christ, but God wants us to guard
our unity (Ephesians 4:2-6). Let’s act
like the family that we already are and
remember that love includes sacrifices.
For decades, I have been longing to
connect with other pastors for more
than just fellowship, prayer, and an
occasional event (although those are
a great starting point). What if we
intentionally worked together to bring the
gospel to every man, woman, and child
in our cities? With doctrinal alignment
(The Lausanne Covenant), what if every
church equipped every person to go
into every place with the good news of
Jesus with words and action? Instead
of this being rare, what if it became the
new normal in every city? Our hope is
that the spiritual landscape will change.
We need an awakening that will build
a new and lasting culture for the next
generation in our country too. We need
form and fire.
There are over 100 churches and
ministries in Seattle that are now
participating in this movement
(saturatethesound.com). God is stirring
His people in many major cities in
America at this time. Here in the Sound,
we have formed seven initial cohorts,
and many more are on the verge of
launching, Lord willing. Cohorts are
communities of pastors and ministry
leaders who are learning together and
doing what the Bible says to do. Telling
our stories with Jesus as the hero,
gospel fluency, shifting from Sundays
12 • Solutions
to every day, and equipping well have
been some positive themes. There has
been a consensus that the measures of
success in ministry need to be far more
than attendance numbers, buildings,
and finances. Our passion is growing
for faithfulness, transformed lives, and
cities where followers of Jesus glorify
Him where they live, work, learn, and
play.
Every Group
Jesus gave us a great commission
(Matthew 28:18-20) and wants us to
make new disciples. When pastors
are transparent, many share that in
the churches they are leading, there
is a lack of disciples who are making
disciples. You can attend church, give,
serve, and join a Bible study but neglect
the mission of Jesus. The picture of
spiritual maturity is not for Christians
to live in a holy huddle or a deceptive
bubble. How many people have come
to know Jesus in your church this year?
The majority of churches in America are
declining or flatlining. The population is
growing much faster than churches. If
nothing changes, we are headed toward