Who are disciples? What is a life of discipleship?

This book answers those important questions by looking at Luther’s Small Catechism as a field manual for how to live in faith and serve in love according to God’s commandments.

Lutherans have a unique view of discipleship. Disciples of Jesus Christ continue in His Word, living by faith in the promises of God and serving the neighbor with love according to God’s commandments. This is the essential aspect of a Christian’s vocation.

Author John Pless capitalizes on the Lutheran view of discipleship to equip pastors and laity to better utilize Luther’s Small Catechism as a guide for a life of discipleship.

Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.

Fall '24
Required FLBC textbook for Christian Education course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Spring '24
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Christ's sheep need shepherding. That's where you come in.
With more than 60 years of ministry between them, Harold Senkbeil and Lucas Woodford have come to understand that everything in ministry--even administration, leadership, and planning--revolves around the ancient tradition of the care of souls. Pastors are entrusted with the care of a flock by the Good Shepherd and are called to be faithful to this task. But pastoring seems to be getting more and more difficult.

Based on a sound theological framework, Senkbeil and Woodford present a set of practical tools for church leadership and strategy. Calling on their vast experience, they encourage pastors to protect, guide, and feed their flock as Jesus would, bridging the eternal wisdom of the word of God with the everyday practicality of hands-on leadership. Originally published as Church Leadership & Strategy, this revision includes a new chapter and litany.

Spring '26

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

SIT 2024
Recommended SIT textbook for Session A.
Pastoral Theology: The Care of Souls (Dr. Harold Senkbeil)

Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.

Spring '24

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions.
Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions:
Monday The Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Tuesday Conflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad)
Wednesday What Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre)
Thursday Leading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)

Spring '22

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. Spiritual Leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. J. Oswald Sanders, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are God-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of God. Let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how God works through you to do great things for His glory.

Spring '26

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '24

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions.
Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions:
Monday The Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Tuesday Conflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad)
Wednesday What Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre)
Thursday Leading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)

Spring '22

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '20

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship/Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine. There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ. Vine work is the Great Commission. And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth. What s the state of the trellis and the vine in your part of the world? Has trellis work taken over, as it has a habit of doing? Is the vine work being done by very few (perhaps only the pastor and only on Sundays)? And is the vine starting to wilt as a result? The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry: * What is the vine for? * How does the vine grow? * How does the vine relate to my church? * What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference? * What part do different people play in growing the vine? * How can we get more people involved in vine work? In The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne answer these urgent questions afresh. They dig back into the Bible s view of Christian ministry, and argue that a major mind-shift is required if we are to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.

Spring '26

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.

Spring '24

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '22

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '20

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship/Leadership course taught by Pr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.