Creating Space: Cultivating Environments for Disciples of Jesus to Thrive and Multiply

Why the church continues to decline in almost every metric is the great contemporary dilemma of pastors and church leaders.

One thing is certain: The root cause for the lack of impact and fruitfulness of the church is a shortage of authentic disciples of Jesus.

Growth requires discipleship-not just any form of discipleship, though, but passionate discipleship.

And passion is a function of environment.

We thrive when we fit, when we have a strong sense of belonging, purpose, and shared mission in a community. When the conditions of mission align, everything changes-instead of pulling and struggling along, we are practically propelled forward.

Creating the right environment is essential if you are hoping to thrive and multiply.

When we begin to discover environments where we can dream about our contribution to the world-when we begin to see ourselves as an essential part of God's plan-we find

passion and energy to live a deeper sense of purpose and calling. Our work becomes meaningful, and our relationships become powerful.

With Sims and Robertson as guides, discover the transformative power of discipleship environments. Creating Space offers practical guidance on how to create environments

where disciples of Jesus can truly thrive and multiply. Drawing from decades of ministry experience, the authors explore the challenges facing the modern church and provide a

compelling vision for nurturing authentic, passionate spiritual disciples who embody the love and mission of Jesus.

The book emphasizes the importance of deep listening, accountable relationships, and intentional disciple-making environments that can ignite a movement of spiritual renewal

within churches and communities.

Through biblical wisdom, powerful narratives, and actionable tools, Creating Space equips leaders and laypeople alike to shift from maintaining programs to fostering transformative relationships.

Bryan is the mobilization partner with Spiritual Leadership, Inc. (SLI) and has worked as a leadership and organizational change coach since 2001, where he has trained and coached leaders, teams, churches, and organizations over extended periods of time to bring spiritual awakening and missional effectiveness. He oversees coach training and serves on the SLI lead team providing strategic direction. He has coached in Anglican, Methodist, Free Methodist, Wesleyan, Baptist, Presbyterian, and nondenominational settings.Bryan is an Anglican priest and has been a professor of leadership and lay equipping at Asbury Theological Seminary since 2011. His teaching expertise relates to team leadership, equipping, leading change, adaptive spiritual leadership, and the link between leadership and discipleship. Bryan is a graduate of West Texas A&M University (1998) and Asbury Theological Seminary (MDiv, 2003) and has a PhD in organizational leadership from Regent University (2009). He is the author of Leading Together: The Holy Possibility of Harmony and Synergy in the Face of Change (100M Publishing, 2022) and authored a chapter in Leadership the Wesleyan Way (Emeth Press, 2016).

Craig is a founding partner and development director of SLI. This nonprofit organization began its ministry in June of 2000 and has walked alongside thousands of churches, their judicatories, and leaders. SLI has discovered, developed, and deployed hundreds of specialists and coaches who are serving across the world. Craig's role works to develop relationships and discover new areas where SLI's ministry can come alongside leaders to help bring transformation. Craig's project focus is on large regional areas and judicatories, coach and project development, and serving on SLI's lead team providing strategic direction to the organization. Craig's leadership experience includes founding and serving as president of Lightpath, Inc., an engineering systems integration firm. This company was purchased by one-time Fortune 500 company Ogden, Inc., an environmental engineering firm where Craig became the national technical director. He was then recruited to serve Ogeta Services, a geographic information services firm as chairman of the board and CEO. His passion for spiritual leadership and the pursuit of unity, alignment, and fruitfulness contributes to the worldwide effort of SLI to see spiritual leaders living their calling and working for transformation.