About Us

Lasting Divergence exists to encourage parents and churches to partner together as they present the whole counsel of God to children (Acts 20:27).

As a pastor who has worked with children, students, and parents for over 20 years, I am greatly burdened by the number of students who are abandoning their faith, who lack biblical literacy, and who are not prepared as they enter into adulthood. I believe a major contributor to these issues is the fact that we have forsaken a biblical model of discipleship and spiritual formation. These problems have become more disconcerting as all three of my children have transitioned into my student ministry.

God's word is very clear in these areas and our responsibility should not be abdicated or conveniently tossed aside because we feel times have changed, we are too "busy" to search the scriptures, or our traditions are more entertaining.

The family and the church are the two biblical institutions to which God has given the purpose of discipleship.

Family - Deuteronomy 6:4-9: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates."

Church - Matt 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Co-Champion Model - Acts 2:42-47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

I pray that parents and pastors alike are encouraged as they partner together for lasting biblical ministry so that God's great fame is known to all.


What is "lasting divergence"?

Word by word... lasting (adjective) - continuing or enduring; permanent; durable

divergence (noun) - the act of moving in different directions from a common point

Putting it all together...

Most of the research coming to us points to a serious problem that churches must face. The consensus is that the majority of church-raised kids are abandoning the faith in which they were raised. Something's not right. Can we stay on the course we are currently on? Many churches are changing courses. They are diverging. They have decided to leave the path of ministry that isn't producing lasting fruit. Parents are the primary disciplers of their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-9) and the church must develop true partnerships with parents that equips them, exhorts them and admonishes them to accept this God-given privilege. Doing ministry "On His Terms"--- that's lasting divergence.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

from "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Seven Principles...Below are seven principles which could shape your church's, family's, or perhaps just your own vision of family, ministry and generations to come.

1. Centrality of The Gospel - John 3:30: "He must increase, I must decrease." When believers are in awe of the majesty of God and consumed by the "Good News" of what Christ has offered us through His death and resurrection we realize the whole of life is about declaring His fame and making Him known.

2. Inerrant/Eternal Truth - 2 Timothy 3:16&17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." As though God were your personal instructor, His Word inspires and equips believers for life and eternity. Theology and sound doctrine are essentials as our daily decisions (right or wrong) are directed by correct or poor theology.

3. Our Family - Genesis 1:27-28: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.'" This first God-given institution was designed for love and care, protection and Spiritual formation of children. Its purpose as primary Spiritual developer is seen in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 78:1-7, Ephesians 6:4, Luke 1:7, and 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

4. Family of Faith - Acts 2:42-47 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." This second institution was established by Christ Himself. Believers should with fervent love run to this institution as God has given it the purposes of exaltation, edification and evangelism. Acts 2:42-47 gives great clarity to the partnership which should exist between churches and families as they both seek to disciple future generations.

5. Prayer - 1 Peter 3:12: "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer." Our prayer life in an outside indicator of what is going on inside spiritually. The amount of time we spend in prayer reflects how dependent we are on God.

6. Our Assignment - 2 Corinthians 5:19-20: "That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." Because He died so that all would have eternal life, we have been made Christ's ambassadors both locally and globally.

7. His Grace - Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Since you and I have been showered with the goodness of God's grace, let's stand ready to extend grace, demonstrate grace, and speak grace at all times. Let's serve as grace agents especially to those whom seemingly might be least deserving as Christ extended His grace to us while we were still sinners.