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
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