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

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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

On this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, Doug and Erin sit down with Sean Kelly, Lead Pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana, for a candid conversation about succession, silos, and what it really takes to bring alignment back to a growing church.

Sean shares his journey in Ohio to stepping into a historic, multi-generational church, navigating a leadership transition. Together, they unpack why churches drift into siloed ministry, how misalignment slowly creeps in, and what practical leaders can do to realign their staff, systems, and preaching around the Great Commission.

From staff trust-building tools like the “Four Helpfuls,” to cross-functional VIP teams, to using preaching as a catalyst for radical alignment, this episode is full of actionable insight for senior pastors, executive pastors, and church leadership teams who want to move from good activity to unified mission.

If you’re leading through transition, or sensing your church has energy but lacks clarity, this conversation will help you diagnose misalignment and take your next faithful step forward.

New to Intentional Churches? Start here:

intentionalchurches.com

Timestamps

00:00 – “If we were fired tomorrow…”: why change feels harder than it is
00:22 – Welcome to the Intentional Churches Podcast
00:35 – Erin returns after a major generosity initiative
01:29 – Meet Sean Kelly: background, family, and pastoral journey
02:43 – Ministry context: Youngstown, Ohio and multi-campus leadership
04:28 – Why Sean said yes to Mount Pleasant Christian Church
06:18 – Leading through succession: what went right (and why it mattered)
09:47 – Context matters: understanding Greenwood & the Indianapolis area
11:43 – The Restoration Movement and Christian Church distinctives
13:11 – First impressions: culture, DNA, and early warning signs
16:47 – Why silos form—and how leaders unknowingly reinforce them
18:02 – The “Four Helpfuls” tool: right, wrong, missing, confused
21:49 – From good to great: aligning people, roles, and accountability
24:07 – What is a VIP (Very Important Project)?
26:45 – Building alignment through cross-functional teams
29:01 – Low-hanging fruit and momentum-building wins
30:08 – Using preaching to drive Radical Alignment (Erin’s approach)
34:23 – Sean’s preaching framework: mission-anchored sermons
37:21 – Aligning ministry programs with the pulpit
39:02 – Discernment rhythms and organizational focus
42:34 – Final encouragement + Radical Alignment book mention

Website: intentionalchurches.com

The Radical Alignment Book

Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog

YouTube: @IntentionalChurches

Facebook: Intentional Churches

Instagram: @IntentionalChurches

X/Twitter: @IntentChurches