Must-Read: Add Gospel Fluency to Your Discipleship Resource List

Spent some time over the last couple weeks with a new book from Jeff Vanderstelt. Let me tell you, if you’re trying to make more and better disciples…you’re going to want to read this one. Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truth of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life is the latest book from Vanderstelt, the visionary leader for Saturate, the Soma Family of Churches and a teaching pastor at Doxa Church in Bellevue, Washington. The key for me, he is very much a practitioner and not a theorist.

What I really like about Gospel Fluency is its very basic approach in training us “to become more fluent in the gospel, so that together [we] will be able to lead others to find hope and help in Jesus in every part of [our] lives (p. 24).” In fact, like is not a strong enough word. I love that about this book.

I also like the fact that Gospel Fluency assumes the need for a primer and doesn’t assume that I know much beyond the very simplest things about the gospel, how to explain it. and certainly not how to live it. I don’t know about you, but so often I wish for resources that deliver the basics in a way that is transferable and portable.

This book is not a difficult read. Interspersed with very relatable stories, I found the toughest thing was slowing down long enough to mark a section or a quote that I know I’ll want to circle back and look over more slowly and carefully.

Gospel Fluency is packed with great nuggets, ideas and practices that will no doubt make it into my personal ministry. Too many to share well here, suffice it to say that I discovered a great set of questions, a good way of thinking about the big picture themes of the gospel, and several very memorable tools that will make their way into our group launch strategies.

If you’re looking for a resource to add to your disciple-making set, do not miss Gospel Fluency. I highly recommend it!