S6 Episode 1: You Designed This… or Inherited It?

Vision Before Strategy Before Tactics You may not have designed the church you’re leading. But you can help shape what it becomes. Season 6, Designing for Multiplication, begins with a question every church leadership team needs to answer: What kind of person are we actually trying to form? Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps explore why choosing a curriculum, launching a program, or changing your groups cannot resolve an unclear vision. They lay out the order that guides intentional disciple-making: Vision first. Strategy second. Tactics third. This season also gives listeners an early look at ideas from the upcoming book Breaking the Addition Addiction by Brian Phipps, Craig Watson, and Ed Wilgus. IN THIS EPISODE • Define the destination: Fully Alive disciples growing in both character and calling • Explore the equation Character × Calling = Impact • Learn why culture change begins with a few leaders experiencing transformation themselves • Consider how Head, Heart, Hands, and Habits shape leader development • Examine whether your calendar, budget, and staff time support the disciples you hope to form YOUR NEXT STEP Take one sheet of paper and write three headings: • Vision: What kind of person are we trying to form? • Strategy: How are leaders becoming those people and helping others become them? • Tactics: Do our programs, calendar, budget, and staff time serve that strategy and vision? Bring those questions to your leadership team before redesigning anything. FIND CLARITY WITH MISSION MAPPING Need help finding clarity together? Mission Mapping helps your leadership team examine your current reality, clarify your disciple-making vision, and identify practical next steps. Explore Mission Mapping COMING SOON: BREAKING THE ADDITION ADDICTION Breaking the Addition Addiction by Brian Phipps, Craig Watson, and Ed Wilgus is an upcoming book for church leaders who want to move beyond simply adding more people, programs, and activity—and build cultures where disciples actually make and multiply disciples. The book is not available for purchase yet, but throughout this season we’re giving you an early look at the principles, stories, and practices behind it. Learn more and stay connected for future book updates and disciple-multiplication resources at disciplesmade.com. Follow the podcast for the rest of Designing for Multiplication. Next episode: Designing for Becoming—Intentional Disciple-Making Environments that help people grow.