Ethan Anderson

Imagine if you dropped your second grader off at school and were told the kids would be learning math, reading, and science in whatever order and to whatever depth they desired, with most of their learning time happening in peer-led small groups.

Nothing in Scripture suggests leadership formation is the task of only the impressive. The early church, with its makeshift gatherings and fledgling home fellowships, formed leaders precisely because they had no one else to rely on. Their conditions were worse than yours. Their resources were weaker. Their vulnerability was greater. Yet through... See more

Small churches are exactly the places where intimacy, visibility, and shared life make genuine formation not only possible but natural. Many of the church’s most remarkable leaders emerged from obscurity, not prominence.

a church does not drift into maturity. It drifts into convenience, and as leaders we can fall into this trap

Kelly would say it’s good to have an “illegible” career path—it means you’re onto interesting stuff.