In this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, we shift from challenges to encouragement—and what we’re seeing right now across the Church is incredibly hopeful.

While many narratives suggest decline, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Churches are growing. Young people are showing up. Leaders are leaning in. And something deeper is beginning to take shape.

Doug, Bart, and Erin unpack some of the most encouraging discoveries emerging from churches that are aligning around the Great Commission—and what it means for your church, your leadership, and your future.

You’ll hear real stories from churches across the country, insights from the first-ever Partner Church Summit, and practical ways leaders are rediscovering the life-giving power of personally owning the mission of Jesus.

This conversation will challenge the narratives you’ve been hearing—and replace them with something far more powerful: hope rooted in action.

If you’ve been wondering whether the Church’s best days are behind us… this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 – Is the Church really in decline? Challenging the narrative
01:15 – Introducing Radical Alignment and the Alignment Workshop
03:00 – Why church leaders need encouragement right now
04:00 – The Partner Church Summit: unity across diverse churches
06:00 – A spiritual awakening and what’s happening beneath the surface
08:30 – The danger of fear-based church narratives
10:00 – Why the future of the Church is brighter than you think
11:00 – The opportunity with the next generation of leaders
14:30 – What younger leaders are really looking for in older leaders
16:30 – The untapped power of multigenerational leadership
18:30 – The turning point: It starts with you
19:30 – Why owning the Great Commission is life-giving
21:00 – Real stories of churches seeing transformation and growth
24:30 – Practical ways to integrate mission into everyday life
26:30 – Staff vs. personal ownership: breaking the mindset barrier
27:30 – Simple practices: prayer calendars and relational rhythms
29:00 – Preparing to share your faith naturally and consistently
31:00 – Low-cost, high-impact ways to lead your team into alignment
33:00 – Final encouragement for church leaders

Website: intentionalchurches.com

The Radical Alignment Book

Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog

YouTube: @IntentionalChurches

Facebook: Intentional Churches

Instagram: @IntentionalChurches

X/Twitter: @IntentChurches

In this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, Erin Johnston sits down with Doug Parks and Bart Rendel to talk about their newest book, Radical Alignment.

After more than a decade of working with over a thousand churches, Doug and Bart share the surprising lessons they’ve learned about why alignment in the church is much harder than they expected—and why it matters more than ever.

The conversation explores the hidden challenges many churches face: the pull of Christian consumerism, the difficulty of collaboration between churches, impulsive leadership decisions, and the growing disconnect between evangelism and discipleship.

Doug and Bart also explain why Radical Alignment serves as a “prequel” to their earlier work—laying the biblical and missional foundation for what it truly means to be an intentional church.

If you're a church leader trying to move your church from an inward focus to mission-focused disciple making, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the Podcast
01:57 – Why Write This Book Now?
04:30 – The Journey of Learning from 1,000+ Churches
07:05 – Why This Book Is the Best Starting Point for Leaders

08:26 – When Big Vision Meets Real Challenges

11:17 – Why Collaboration Between Churches Is So Difficult

13:10 – The Role of Theology, Mission, and Church Identity

14:11 – Leadership Impulsiveness and “Not Invented Here” Thinking

17:40 – The Dynamic Work of God in Reaching People

22:10 – The Challenge of Christian Consumerism

25:00 – Institutional Thinking vs Personal Mission

27:10 – Why Staff Culture Often Reinforces Consumerism

31:00 – Real Examples of Institutional Thinking in Churches

36:49 – The Dangerous Divide Between Evangelism and Discipleship

39:17 – Rediscovering the Biblical Model of Disciple Making

41:17 – Measuring Spiritual Depth the Right Way

43:11 – The Adventure of Owning the Great Commission Personally

45:00 – How Leaders Can Start Moving Toward Alignment

Website: intentionalchurches.com

The Radical Alignment Book

Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog

YouTube: @IntentionalChurches

Facebook: Intentional Churches

Instagram: @IntentionalChurches

X/Twitter: @IntentChurches

On this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, Doug and Bart kick off Season 10 with a candid and energizing conversation about what’s happening beneath the surface at Intentional Churches.

Yes, there’s a little “Storytime with Bart” (including airline boarding chaos and a mysterious food allergy, but the heart of this episode is much deeper.

Doug and Bart unpack why Radical Alignment and personal ownership of the Great Commission is proving to be one of the most transformative discoveries of their entire ministry journeys.

This isn’t about adding another program.
It’s about rediscovering the fundamental mission of the Church.

If you’re a church leader who feels tired, stretched thin, or stuck maintaining complexity, this episode may reawaken something in you.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – A surprising confession: parenting differently because of Radical Alignment
01:10 – Welcome to Season 10 of the Intentional Churches Podcast
01:26 – Why 2026 feels like a turning point for Intentional Churches
02:00 – Storytime with Bart: Southwest airline boarding chaos
06:46 – Entitlement, culture, and what airlines reveal about society
09:13 – Bart’s unexpected (and serious) allergy scare
12:13 – Transition: Why Radical Alignment is reshaping everything
13:16 – Bart reflects on 20 years of ministry models and what’s changed
16:30 – The discovery: There isn’t one model — there are biblical fundamentals
17:12 – How personal ownership of the Great Commission transforms everything
19:06 – Why many discipleship pathways miss heart transformation
23:28 – Macro strategies vs. micro relational mission
26:24 – Evangelism: From transactional to transformational
30:47 – Why this moment feels urgent in a rapidly changing culture
32:35 – Introducing the Radical Alignment Assessment
34:00 – How simple meeting changes are unlocking momentum
37:58 – A powerful story of conviction and mercy in action
40:22 – 18 churches fly in for 24 hours — what that signals
41:30 – “This is beyond us now.” A movement forming
43:27 – Encouragement for tired church leaders
44:40 – Season 10 preview and what’s coming next

Website: intentionalchurches.com

The Radical Alignment Book

Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog

YouTube: @IntentionalChurches

Facebook: Intentional Churches

Instagram: @IntentionalChurches

X/Twitter: @IntentChurches