Practicing the Way Together

In the practical playbook for pastors looking to bring spiritual formation to life, the director of church formation at Practicing the Way draws on his work with over 20,000 congregations to bridge the gap from theory to transformation. The modern church is experiencing a crisis of discipleship. While many Christians hunger for deeper spiritual transformation, they often find no “deep end of the pool” in their church communities. Pastors feel the tension acutely—they've read discipleship books, they've been moved by a vision of spiritual formation, but they lack access to proven models and practical tools to make it a reality in their context. Practicing the Way of Together fills this critical gap. Brandon Shields brings twenty-five years of pastoral experience, including thirteen years leading the transformation of his own church to a more deeply-formed community, combined with unprecedented access to case studies from numerous churches across diverse cultural contexts. The book guides readers through a two-part journey: Part One focuses on changing the pastor's interior architecture—personal transformation and renewed pastoral imagination. Part Two provides six practical elements for church integration: team culture, community rule of life, discipleship pathways, ministry design, small-scale community, and Sunday gatherings. Each chapter includes practitioner stories, practical tools, Scripture anchors, and actionable next steps. This book provides a guide for moving spiritual formation from trend to transformation.