Gladhearted Disciples

Gladhearted Disciples: Equipping Your Congregation with Generous and Enduring Faithaddresses a critical need for church leaders and pastors: How can weguide people to live like Jesus and to draw others into that life? Thisis a book to study and with your leaders and teams. Gladhearted Disciplesstarts with an indisputable yet often ignored reality: In apost-modern, post-Christian world, we can no longer attract people byconvincing them of our ';truth.' We must instead embody the Gospel insuch clear and compelling ways that they will be attracted to our way oflife. This is the true measure of discipleship. Folmsbee provides a template for the spiritual formation of hopeful, grace-filled, kingdom-focused disciples who represent God's love in the world. Pastors, Christian educators, and small-group leaders will find here aninspiring new perspective to inspire and support their work.--Ann Michel, Associate Director, Lewis Center for Church LeadershipI recommend this book for faith communities and all who yearn for a new way of understanding our sacred calling as followers of Jesus.--DJ del Rosario, Sr. Pastor, Bothell UMC, Bothell, WAIfyou are seeking to guide others in following Jesus into the missionfield that exists right outside your front door, read this book. You'llencounter vivid stories and a theologically grounded, practical, and missional approach to discipleshipin a post-Christian world. --Sara B. Thomas, Chief Strategist for VitalCongregations, Discipleship Ministries, The United Methodist ChurchGladhearted Disciples takes a radically different and welcome approach to evangelism and discipleship. It is a winsome and accessible bookwith two audaciously important messages. First, Christian discipleshipis grounded in grace, characterized by humility, upwardly focused ingratitude, and outwardly-turned in compassion. Second, Christiancommunities should be marked by the same. Every church would do well toheed this prophetic yet hopeful message. --Robert K. Martin, Dean andProfessor of Christian Formation and Leadership, Wesley TheologicalSeminaryIf you seek a fresh way to understand and share our faithaway that makes sense in our current reality, I invite you to delve intothis book. May you be newly inspired! --Dottie Escobedo-Frank, authorof The Jesus Insurgency with Rudy Rasmus, from Abingdon Press