Many of us would probably agree that our discipleship methods within evangelicalism for the last half-century or more have fallen short of our desired outcome. We were told that the mind shaped our character, and to see character transformed required a transmission of intellectual knowledge. We were told that if we simply knew the right ideas we would live the right kind of life. And yet, a discipleship approach built on the transfer of knowledge has felt inadequate and left us wanting more.

This is not to say this method was wrong, but rather incomplete. Many lives have been shaped by this methodology, but too many others have simply been left untouched. This gap points to an insufficiency within our approach: a missing awareness of the fundamental way that our brains (and thus our lives) are actually changed. You see, our lives are shaped much more profoundly by what we love than by what we know.

Therefore, we need a reimagined approach to discipleship that taps into the way character is wired into our brains. We need an approach that emphasizes deep seated aspects of hesed love, mutual mind with God, immeasurable trenches of pure joy, and intimately connected relationships with others. We need methods of doing life together that bring out shared experiences, powerful memories, and a fresh awareness of God’s continual presence with us. Before we can know what to think, we have to know how to love–and we learn to love from the One who first loved us.

We believe that becoming enchanted with Jesus is the most important thing any of us will ever do. Our hope is to develop a clear vision and new habits with Jesus that rewire our thoughts and desires, transform our emotions, and increase our creativity and capacity for loving action toward others. And we want to do this together with others.