My Journey Toward Formation-Focused Leadership

Looking for a safe place to wrestle with the realities of post-Christendom North America—and come out energized to be a change agent? Bishop Todd Hunter, founder and leader of the Telos Collective, invites you to join him on his journey. 

by Bishop Todd Hunter

Many leaders tell me how rare it is these days to find a safe place to engage big ideas with our peers in ministry. They are not alone; I’ve felt this way too.

That’s why I created the Telos Collective and the Intersection Conference. My vision was to create meaningful conversations in compelling environments with compelling people. To me at least, that thoughtful and formation-focused leadership is imperative today. We no longer live in a cultural moment in which mere improved tactics of ministry are enough to facilitate seekers setting aside their own kingdom, rooted in their own desires, to follow Jesus and take up his kingdom agenda.

The issues today can be overwhelming: racism, gender, human sexuality, global financial ethics, medical ethics of all kinds, immigration and refugees, major church splits—and on and on. Thus, the chief goal of the Telos Collective and the Intersection Conference is to wrestle with our times in a kingdom, Holy Spirit and sacramental way. Our activities are designed to be both formational and actionable, equipping leaders to be change agents in their ministry context.

We wrestle with our times in a kingdom, Holy Spirit and sacramental way.

Will you join us May 16-18? We seek to equip leaders who are pursuing their own formation in Christlikeness, are theologically grounded and who possess Spirit-enabled confidence with reference to post-Christendom North America.

Significant change in our beings, in our hearts and minds, requires a certain intensity. You can’t take a shower one drop at a time—showers take a certain intensity of water. Getting away for three days and two nights with likeminded peers provides such a context. As Henry Nouwen says:

Your congregation needs for you to be away from them—to take creative absences; these are actually ways of being present; they are a service and a way of being a faithful and life-giving presence and a source of life-giving words…

I’m excited to focus on Missional Ecclesiology with an emphasis on the intersection of sacrament and mission. We will explore the ways in which Anglican spirituality can be leveraged for mission and discipleship. We have a gifted and godly lineup of speakers. You will meet encouraging peers and have career-shaping conversations.

We will explore the ways in which Anglican spirituality can be leveraged for mission and discipleship.

Here is a little taste to get you thinking about how much fun it will be to talk about missional ecclesiology in small groups and over meals:

No church without the reign of God…no reign of God without the church…Miroslav Volf

The church is the sent people of God…a body of people sent on a mission…to announce, demonstrate and embody the Gospel of the Kingdom…[acting as] a sign and foretaste…an agent and instrument of the Kingdom.

 The Gospel is more than a message to be proclaimed. It is the form of our participation in what God is doing in and for the world. George R. Hunsberger, Missional Church

We are not to achieve what Jesus achieved…our task is to implement his unique achievement (emphasis his)…the foundation has been laid…the garden has been planted…the musical score has been written…our task is now to build the house, to tend the garden, to play the score…as Jesus was to Israel, so the church is to be for the world. Tom Wright, The Challenge of Jesus

I want to experience this richness with you. Watching a “cult classic” movie with friends who love it too makes it that much better, right? For me, it’s a big buzz talking with peers about God, his kingdom, the church between Gospel and culture, and the church as sacramental, charismatic, and missionary.

Come on, let’s talk about it! Let’s form ourselves and our ministries around living into God’s intention for the Church.

Register now for the 2019 Intersection Conference.

Bishop Todd Hunter is the founder and leader of The Telos Collective, working alongside Anglican leaders to catalyze sacramental and missional churches to engage contemporary culture. Bishop Hunter is the founding bishop of The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others and founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is past President of Alpha USA, former National Director for the Association of Vineyard Churches and author of Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others, Giving Church Another Chance, The Outsider Interviews, The Accidental Anglican and Our Favorite Sins and Our Character at Work.