Overcome today’s cultural challenges by bridging the discipleship gap with an adaptive approach to ministry.

Discover a higher path to discipleship that rises above challenges, adapts to your unique context, and leads others on a transformative journey toward life.

Order Now

When the road ahead seems too challenging for a conventional approach, staying put is not an option.

This may feel like the reality of today’s ministry landscape. Helping others follow Jesus is no longer straightforward; the path often seems blocked by cultural obstacles.

But we cannot stay where we are.

What’s needed is a higher way—a path that rises above the challenges, strong enough to support your journey, yet flexible enough to adapt to the changing terrain.

In Crossing the Discipleship Chasm, pastor and consultant Matt Lake, draws from deep experience in ministry to introduce a transformative approach that revives the original mission of the church: adaptive discipleship. Grounded in thorough research and tested relationships, his method offers a way forward.

Too often local churches, in their anxiety, jump to quick, programmatic solutions to address the lack of discipleship happening in their settings. However, jumping to a solution that ignores the context and deeper issues of the problem only leads to surface-level, technical responses. It will never work in the long run.

His solution? How to apply an adaptive approach to the issue of discipleship through a series of life-giving “tensions”.

If you’re ready to bridge the gaps in your ministry, you need both a reliable path and a wise guide. With Lake’s direction, discover the confidence and courage to lead others on the journey toward life.

Order Now

Matt Lake

Matt Lake is a lead pastor and consultant who has decades of ministry experience. He is currently serving at First Church in Williamsport, PA (home of the Little League World series!). First Church is an urban congregation that consists of a mix of traditional, contemporary, and Fresh Expression worship experiences. First Church has spent years aligning around an intentional discipleship journey which simultaneously recognizes where people are in their discipleship journey and helps them grow into deeper discipleship moving forward to live out their God-given identity.

Matt is a graduate of Messiah College, has a Master in Divinity from Duke Divinity School and a Doctorate of Ministry centering on Semiotics and Future Studies through Portland Seminary. Matt has worked with a variety of churches, denominations, and traditions with Fresh Expressions U.S. and A.E. Sloan in order to focus upon adaptive leadership and congregational vitality. Matt is especially passionate about diving deeper into discipleship and desires to see God's Kingdom impacted through lives transformed in the love of Jesus Christ. Matt is happily in love with his beautiful wife Jennifer and does his best to keep up with his three amazing, and now grown-up, children--Alexandra, Josh, and Zach.

Crossing the Discipleship Chasm Reviews

What people are saying...

In this wise and exhilarating book, Matt Lake takes on perhaps the greatest challenge in the church today: the crisis of discipleship. Both a pastor and an adaptive leadership consultant, Matt brings a heart for the church, the boldness of an explorer, and the perspective of the innovator who has spent hours “on the balcony” learning from experiments. This book will both give words to the difficulties facing the church today and a way of approaching the challenge of discipleship that will inspire your own experimenting. This book will become a go-to guide for pastors who want to recover the lost art of discipleship.

Tod Bolsinger

Principal of AE Sloan Leadership and author of Canoeing the Mountains and The Practicing Change Series

Crossing the Discipleship Chasm by Matt Lake is a game-changing guide for today’s churches, offering sharp insights and practical tools to revitalize discipleship in a chaotic world. Based on years of ministry experience, Lake’s expert blend of timeless wisdom and innovative strategies will equip you to foster a dynamic, adaptive, resilient discipleship culture. Indispensable reading for anyone committed to deepening their approach to a discipleship that lasts, lifts up Christ, and multiplies.

Leonard Sweet

author (Designer Jesus), professor (Drew University, George Fox University, Northwind Seminary), preacher (preachthestory.com), publisher (salishsea.press), proprietor (sanctuaryseaside.com) and founder of SpiritVenture Ministries (leonardsweet.com)

Matt Lake’s book is a needed innovation in the discipleship landscape. The disciple- making tools of the last decade have largely focused on more individual approaches to
helping people follow Jesus. Crossing the Discipleship Chasm embraces a more church-centric perspective that is accessible to a wide range of churches and will help them make more and better disciples.

Chris Backert

Senior Director of Fresh Expressions North America

Crossing the Discipleship Chasm was written not from abstract theory, but from years of practical study and hands-on experience. This helpful resource is full of helpful content
and holds the posture of a shepherd’s heart and a practitioner’s mind that’s rooted in people’s everyday lives. If you’re finding crossing the discipleship chasm to be daunting in your context, this resource will help you bridge that gap.

J.R. Briggs

Founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Sacred Overlap and Fail

Matt Lake has offered both information and inspiration for those of us in the trenches of making disciples in a local church setting. His solid theology finds expression in
practical methods of using both formal and informal means to help our church members learn better how to follow The Jesus Way. Churches of all types will find the insights in this book helpful in answering the call from Jesus to make disciples!

Dennis R. Wiles

Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas

A powerful tool for pastors, youth directors, small group leaders, ministry students, professors, and Christian college presidents! Dr. Matthew Lake’s book brings clarity,
insight, and hope to the complex and challenging task of making disciples in a fast-changing world. Dr. Lake’s academic research and lifelong work in the trenches of local church ministry are evidence of his commitment to a thoughtful, pragmatic approach to discipleship. This work will inspire Christian leaders seeking innovative ways to reach the next generation of disciples for Christ. Dr. Lake lives and breathes the good news of Christ as he faithfully leads others in bringing people closer to God through 21st-century disciple-making.

Phil Greenwald

President of Mid-America Christian University

Matt Lake has interwoven the deep riches of the historical church with the practical experience of the local congregation to discover a discipleship pathway that isn’t just another church assimilation effort or plug-and-play program. With great appreciation for both the gathered and scattered church, this book guides you to embrace the multiple tensions that are necessary to help men and women become formed in the way of Jesus while embracing His mission in the world.

Lance Finley

Executive Director of Churches of God, General Conference

Unlike most "plug and play" discipleship strategies, this book asks the deeper questions that can help church leaders develop an intentional, yet nuanced approach to discipleship in their setting. With his typical pastoral heart, Matt offers the humble voice of one who has trod this road with his own congregation, as together they have discovered a more "authentic, rugged discipleship." Shannon Kiser is Director of US Ministries and Training, Fresh Expressions North America

Shannon Kiser

Director of US Ministries and Training, Fresh Expressions North America

Matt Lake's approach to discipleship is refreshing! He invites us to step out of what was and navigate the changing landscape of discipleship in our world. As he leads us to reflect on where we have been, we are challenged to embrace the tensions that exist in
church leadership and work together to fulfill our mission of making disciples.

Anne Bosarge

Director of Leadership Strategies and Local Church Resources of the South Georgia Conference, UMC

The church might be one of the few places that longs to change lives and yet somehow believes this change can happen when one person stands up, offers a 20-minute talk, and then assumes that the people listening know what to do next and will do it. Rather
than accepting this norm, Matt Lake developed a pathway in which individuals were invited to learn, discover their gifts, and put them into practice. In this much needed resource, he now offers practical wisdom and thoughtful questions designed to help you do the same. It can be used by any individual or community longing to help the church become the fullness of what Jesus intended.

Donna Claycomb Sokol

pastor of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.

We preachers often confuse preaching with disciple-making. There is no church without discipleship. But it is hard to make disciples, so we revert to making mere members. This accessible and inspiring book, born of Matt Lake’s hard-won wisdom in parish ministry, encourages us to embrace the tensions between church-as-usual and church on-the-edge. Let’s join him. Wouldn’t it be more fun to multiply disciples in communion than just to manage decline?

Jason Byassee

senior pastor of Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto, Ontario

Albeit clear, Jesus’ command to make disciples has proven to be anything but easy in a twenty-first century (Western) church and world. In this thoughtful, practical, and timely volume, Matt Lake helps us to re-imagine what faithful, fruitful discipleship might look
like today even as he encourages us to hear anew Jesus’ clarion call to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him.

Todd D. Still

Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean & William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures at Baylor University, Truett Seminary

Effective discipleship doesn’t come naturally to most churches. In Crossing the Discipleship Chasm, Matt Lake will guide you towards healthy approaches to discipleship deeply rooted in Jesus.

Luke Edwards

author of Becoming Church: A Trail Guide for Starting Fresh Expressions

Thank you for helping the body of Christ get back to its roots, and giving us tools to cross the discipleship chasm!

Dr. Dee Stokes

entrepreneurial minister, educator, consultant, author, and pocaster

The benefits of an adaptive discipleship approach like the one Matt Lake advocates include:

Resilience in Changing Contexts

Adaptive discipleship equips leaders to respond effectively to cultural shifts and challenges. Rather than being locked into a single method, this approach allows flexibility, enabling ministries to remain relevant and impactful regardless of external changes.

Deeper Engagement

By adapting to the specific needs and circumstances of individuals and communities, this method fosters more meaningful connections and engagement. It moves beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, allowing for tailored discipleship that resonates on a personal level.

Sustainable Growth

Adaptive discipleship encourages sustainable growth in both individuals and the life of a local church community. By being responsive and adaptable, ministries can cultivate long-term spiritual development rather than short-lived results.

Rooted in Tradition

Though adaptive, this approach is grounded in the early practices of the church. It draws from the original mission of discipleship, ensuring that while methods may evolve, the core message and purpose remain unchanged.

Empowerment of both Leaders and Followers

Leaders are empowered to guide effectively through uncertainty, while followers are equipped to navigate their spiritual journey with confidence. This approach builds a community that is strong, supportive, and capable of facing challenges together.

Longevity

Adaptive discipleship ensures that ministries remain relevant and impactful over time, capable of addressing both current and future challenges in a dynamic cultural landscape.

Take the first step into a new era of ministry.

Explore adaptive discipleship.

Order now