Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation
- Downloads：9814
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-21 14:31:31
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Peter Scazzero
- ISBN：0310109485
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The global church is facing a discipleship crisis。 Here is how we move forward。
Pastors and church leaders want to see lives changed by the gospel。 They work tirelessly to care for people， initiate new ministries， preach creatively， and keep up with trends。 Sadly， much of this effort does not result in deeply changed disciples。
Traditional discipleship strategies fail because they do not:
Slow down people's lives so they can cultivate a deep， personal relationship with Jesus。
Challenge the values of Western culture that have compromised the radical call to follow the crucified Jesus。
Integrate sadness， loss， and vulnerability， leaving people defensive and easily triggered。
Measure our spiritual maturity by how we are growing in our ability to love others。
In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， bestselling author Pete Scazzero lays out how to create an emotionally healthy culture and multiply deeply-changed people in every aspect of church life—including leadership and team development， marriage and single ministry， small groups， preaching， worship， youth and children's ministry， administration， and outreach。
Complete with assessments and practical strategies， Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you move people to the beneath-the-surface discipleship that actually has the power to change the world。
Pastors and church leaders want to see lives changed by the gospel。 They work tirelessly to care for people， initiate new ministries， preach creatively， and keep up with trends。 Sadly， much of this effort does not result in deeply changed disciples。
Traditional discipleship strategies fail because they do not:
Slow down people's lives so they can cultivate a deep， personal relationship with Jesus。
Challenge the values of Western culture that have compromised the radical call to follow the crucified Jesus。
Integrate sadness， loss， and vulnerability， leaving people defensive and easily triggered。
Measure our spiritual maturity by how we are growing in our ability to love others。
In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， bestselling author Pete Scazzero lays out how to create an emotionally healthy culture and multiply deeply-changed people in every aspect of church life—including leadership and team development， marriage and single ministry， small groups， preaching， worship， youth and children's ministry， administration， and outreach。
Complete with assessments and practical strategies， Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you move people to the beneath-the-surface discipleship that actually has the power to change the world。
Reviews
Kim Dodd
，
The subtitle was what appealed greatly to me。 In my work， I am daily working with others to help them develop deeper relationships with themselves and those in their lives。 This book was challenging， convicting， inspiring and applicable。 The author has clearly done an incredible amount of research and personal reflection。 Whether you have been through your own therapy or worked with a Spiritual Director or not， this book will meet you where you are at， and if you are willing to do the work， you The subtitle was what appealed greatly to me。 In my work， I am daily working with others to help them develop deeper relationships with themselves and those in their lives。 This book was challenging， convicting， inspiring and applicable。 The author has clearly done an incredible amount of research and personal reflection。 Whether you have been through your own therapy or worked with a Spiritual Director or not， this book will meet you where you are at， and if you are willing to do the work， you will grow both spiritually and emotionally！ 。。。more
Dylan Parry Jones
，
This is a very timely and transformational book。 Building of the author’s previous work this book presents a profound challenge to the way churches approach discipleship。 The hard， heart- and back-breaking work of developing and encouraging deep discipleship is presented here simply and unpretentiously - with personal and congregational resources to draw upon。For me it is the section on grief that is the most important。 The three steps of allowing a congregation to acknowledge a loss， live in th This is a very timely and transformational book。 Building of the author’s previous work this book presents a profound challenge to the way churches approach discipleship。 The hard， heart- and back-breaking work of developing and encouraging deep discipleship is presented here simply and unpretentiously - with personal and congregational resources to draw upon。For me it is the section on grief that is the most important。 The three steps of allowing a congregation to acknowledge a loss， live in the messy confusion， and then （and only then） allowing the old to birth the new。 This has had a profound impact on my approach to ministry。 。。。more
Nicole Wilson
，
This book provides a framework for Emotionally Healthy Discipleship。 Scazzero helps church leaders by showing them what can be and providing a path forward。 When I learn from Pete， I am always reminded that what is simple is often necessary and difficult。 I appreciate his challenge to follow the crucified rather than American Jesus and to live in a way that our lives are marked by love not numbers。 Convicting！
Melissa Stewart
，
Pete knocks it out of the park again with this one。 The book is simple to read with helpful， vulnerable stories and examples from his own life。 I love the challenge to move beyond Americanized Christianity that "is a mile wide but only an inch deep。" The call to dig beneath the surface and remove our mask so that we can allow God to deeply shape and transform us is powerful and worth the hard work it takes。 Please read this book thoughtfully and allow yourself adequate time to reflect and pray a Pete knocks it out of the park again with this one。 The book is simple to read with helpful， vulnerable stories and examples from his own life。 I love the challenge to move beyond Americanized Christianity that "is a mile wide but only an inch deep。" The call to dig beneath the surface and remove our mask so that we can allow God to deeply shape and transform us is powerful and worth the hard work it takes。 Please read this book thoughtfully and allow yourself adequate time to reflect and pray and seek God。 Do the gennogram and consider its relevance to you life now。 It may be scary to dig deep but the transformation to freedom and deeper relationg with God is so worth it！ 。。。more
Rick Silva
，
I have been a Christian for more then 20 years and have pastored for the last 17 years。 I have always struggled with the external behavioural activities that we encourage people to apply which translates into very little life change。 The transformed Christian life into the likeness of Jesus always seems so out of reach。 Pete， in his fantastic new book， "Emotionally Healthy Discipleship，" tackles this very issue。 It gives Church leaders like me， a blue print on how we can journey with our people I have been a Christian for more then 20 years and have pastored for the last 17 years。 I have always struggled with the external behavioural activities that we encourage people to apply which translates into very little life change。 The transformed Christian life into the likeness of Jesus always seems so out of reach。 Pete， in his fantastic new book， "Emotionally Healthy Discipleship，" tackles this very issue。 It gives Church leaders like me， a blue print on how we can journey with our people into a depth of spirituality that actually changes us from the inside out。 This is really the launch pad to the whole Emotionally Healthy journey。 It gives us a roadmap of what to expect on the journey。 I have been inspired to continue applying the principles learnt to my life and in how I lead in my local church。 Wherever you find yourself on this faith journey， I encourage you to start with this book！ 。。。more
Ian
，
This is a wonderfully researched and Spirit-led resource。 Scazzero has been writing this for over 20 years as he's pivoted through the many struggles of church leadership， marriage and life walking with the Lord。I love the analogy he uses at the end of the book about changing our operating system。 That's what the Holy Spirit does， doesn't He？ He transforms our heart， soul and mind （our O/S） so we grow and develop more like Christ。 As Scazzero outlines the traditional Christian and discipleship m This is a wonderfully researched and Spirit-led resource。 Scazzero has been writing this for over 20 years as he's pivoted through the many struggles of church leadership， marriage and life walking with the Lord。I love the analogy he uses at the end of the book about changing our operating system。 That's what the Holy Spirit does， doesn't He？ He transforms our heart， soul and mind （our O/S） so we grow and develop more like Christ。 As Scazzero outlines the traditional Christian and discipleship model has been built around the practices of prayer， bible study and service。 All good and essential practices。 But often， in participating in such practices， we're oblivious to the 'stuff' hindering our growth including the impact of our past and our family's past and the misguided notions of worldly models of transformation。After opening with 2 chapters of what's wrong with the current state of discipleship， Scazzero explores the 7 healthy habits of a new model。 And yes， as one would expect， there is a course that is available for churches to purchase in order to implement the new way。However， the core essence of the material in this book is relevant to all believers and is a timely reminder that the current state of the church is ripe for transformation。 Such transformation begins with its leaders but also requires willing believers to walk this road to encourage their leaders to adopt it for themselves and the churches they lead。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Karen Hurula
，
Pastor Pete Scazzero has written an amazing update and re-write to his Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book。 His insight and wisdom are desperately needed in the church today。 He reconceptualizes the value and importance of our emotional lives， and emotional maturity as intrinsically linked to our spiritual development and maturity。 If you still fall in the camp of "my emotions are fleeting and unreliable" and "emotions get in the way of hearing the voice of God clearly" then please read this b Pastor Pete Scazzero has written an amazing update and re-write to his Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book。 His insight and wisdom are desperately needed in the church today。 He reconceptualizes the value and importance of our emotional lives， and emotional maturity as intrinsically linked to our spiritual development and maturity。 If you still fall in the camp of "my emotions are fleeting and unreliable" and "emotions get in the way of hearing the voice of God clearly" then please read this book。 His voice is clear and convincing。 I recommend this book to all in the Christian faith。 。。。more
Cheryl Reinagel
，
Pete Scazzero speaks the truth， grounded in scripture， in every page of this book。 Yes， written with church leaders in mind， but are we not all called to be His disciples？ Pete reminds readers of what is required of us to become emotionally healthy in all aspects of discipleship。 What a powerful read！
Helen Connell
，
This is a very helpful book and having read it quickly because it is so easy to read; I know need to read it again to get the full meaning because it is so deep。 There are many points which resonate with me but also challenge me。The chapter on grief and loss （ch 6） this quote made so much sense to me: 'This tendency to view loss and grief as an interruption also happens in our churches。' Pete goes on to recommend how you can overcome this。 In fact， the entire book is written from experience and This is a very helpful book and having read it quickly because it is so easy to read; I know need to read it again to get the full meaning because it is so deep。 There are many points which resonate with me but also challenge me。The chapter on grief and loss （ch 6） this quote made so much sense to me: 'This tendency to view loss and grief as an interruption also happens in our churches。' Pete goes on to recommend how you can overcome this。 In fact， the entire book is written from experience and includes practical advice。I could sit here all day， writing about the points which struck me but I suggest you buy the book and read it for yourself！ 。。。more
David Parrish
，
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is a call for followers of Jesus to live a deeply transformed life。 All of Peter Scazzero’s books have challenged me to rethink what it means to follow Jesus by living the lifestyle of Jesus。 As I read this book， I frequently found myself wondering how much of the American church of the last century has missed some important emphases of the life and ministry of Jesus。Emotionally Healthy Discipleship begins with four shortcomings of traditional discipleship; the r Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is a call for followers of Jesus to live a deeply transformed life。 All of Peter Scazzero’s books have challenged me to rethink what it means to follow Jesus by living the lifestyle of Jesus。 As I read this book， I frequently found myself wondering how much of the American church of the last century has missed some important emphases of the life and ministry of Jesus。Emotionally Healthy Discipleship begins with four shortcomings of traditional discipleship; the result is that followers of Jesus don’t live much differently from the people around them。 The heart of the book shares seven marks of healthy discipleship。 This section explores topics that many churches and discipleship tracks ignore。 I was most challenged to prioritize being with God before doing for God and to view love as the measure of maturity。 The other marks of healthy discipleship are equally important。 A brief implementation guide follows this section。Scazzero’s voice is an important one for the church of today and tomorrow。 Throughout the book Scazzero authentically and vulnerably shares his journey toward emotionally healthy discipleship， including many examples of his struggles and immaturity in his leadership and relationships at home and in his church。 You’ll likely relate his struggles。 More importantly， you’ll find hope for a deeper relationship with God and the people around you。 。。。more
Emily Nelson
，
As an associate pastor， I lead the discipleship process for my church。 Pete Scazzero gets to the roots of a problem my friends and I in ministry talk about often， and wish to change。 This is not a book that simply points out the problem， or offers a few vague solutions。 This is a book born of deep humility， hard lessons and a long walk with Jesus。 Practical wisdom and helpful steps are what Pete Scazzero has to offer。 His own humility throughout， and the final chapter on leading out of vulnerabi As an associate pastor， I lead the discipleship process for my church。 Pete Scazzero gets to the roots of a problem my friends and I in ministry talk about often， and wish to change。 This is not a book that simply points out the problem， or offers a few vague solutions。 This is a book born of deep humility， hard lessons and a long walk with Jesus。 Practical wisdom and helpful steps are what Pete Scazzero has to offer。 His own humility throughout， and the final chapter on leading out of vulnerability and weakness were gold。 This book is a gift to me， and it will be a gift to my church。 。。。more
Andrea Dalton
，
I had the pleasure of receiving an advance copy of this new book by Pete Scazzero。 I am really familiar with his previous books and courses， and loved how this book ties it all together with Biblical examples of discipleship。 I so appreciate his vulnerability in sharing what he has learned over his life and career， as well as the organization of the various components of discipleship。 I really felt motivated to make some changes in my own mindset and approach， and am excited to share my learning I had the pleasure of receiving an advance copy of this new book by Pete Scazzero。 I am really familiar with his previous books and courses， and loved how this book ties it all together with Biblical examples of discipleship。 I so appreciate his vulnerability in sharing what he has learned over his life and career， as well as the organization of the various components of discipleship。 I really felt motivated to make some changes in my own mindset and approach， and am excited to share my learnings with the ministry team I coordinate。 If you are looking to go deeper on your own discipleship journey， I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book to help guide you as you follow Jesus' example。 。。。more
Ben
，
This is what is needed for todayThis book takes us deeper into what is needed for the church today。 Getting us back to being with Jesus as foundation for our doing for Him and helping us to “enjoy” the Jesus we proclaim to others。 A Must read。
Sarah
，
This is a practical， how-to book on becoming an emotionally healthy person。 I loved how the author listed actual action steps， drawn from lots of study。 If you’re looking for an easy read that allows for a lot of self-reflection， this is the book for you！
Ava Perry
，
Peter Scazzero has captured my interior life。 In writing Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， he not only identifies current exterior unhealthy practices of leadership and discipleship within the church， but replaces these tendencies of church culture with the fruitfulness of ‘slowing down to be with Jesus’ transformative living。This powerful book has surpassed my expectations as it unfolded the hurried life I am living to attain to unspoken personal as well as church pressures instead of resting i Peter Scazzero has captured my interior life。 In writing Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， he not only identifies current exterior unhealthy practices of leadership and discipleship within the church， but replaces these tendencies of church culture with the fruitfulness of ‘slowing down to be with Jesus’ transformative living。This powerful book has surpassed my expectations as it unfolded the hurried life I am living to attain to unspoken personal as well as church pressures instead of resting in the loving embrace of Christ。 Paying attention to my limitations is now a huge part of my spiritual formation as oppossed to equating busyness with success。 I am experiencing the freedom to love God， love others and love myself through my God given limitations。Many on their discipleship journey will experience a new found freedom in reading Scazzero’s words of healthy Christ like living as they move from an attitude of strength and power to weakness and authenticity。 。。。more
Don Dafoe
，
I recommend this book to anyone interested in a very insightful look in to the need for emotional health as a leader。 This book will help you grow and develop spiritually on your life journey， whether you are 20 or 70 years old。 Theologically sound and so well researched by someone who has walked the walk， and not just writing about it。 You need to read this book prayerfully and apply the teaching to your life -- you will gain new insight in to yourself and become a more effective， loving， and d I recommend this book to anyone interested in a very insightful look in to the need for emotional health as a leader。 This book will help you grow and develop spiritually on your life journey， whether you are 20 or 70 years old。 Theologically sound and so well researched by someone who has walked the walk， and not just writing about it。 You need to read this book prayerfully and apply the teaching to your life -- you will gain new insight in to yourself and become a more effective， loving， and deeply changed disciple for your own benefit and for the benefit of others。 。。。more
Christina M。
，
Insights that Will Change You and Those You LeadEmotionally Healthy Discipleship is a book that I will be rereading and referring back to again and again。 What I love is that this book centers on our relationship with Christ， and it is grounded in Scripture。 Emotionally Healthy Discipleship addresses four failures that undermine deep discipleship， and then the rest of the book focuses on what it means to be an emotionally healthy disciple of Jesus。 The author， Peter Scazzero， says an emotional d Insights that Will Change You and Those You LeadEmotionally Healthy Discipleship is a book that I will be rereading and referring back to again and again。 What I love is that this book centers on our relationship with Christ， and it is grounded in Scripture。 Emotionally Healthy Discipleship addresses four failures that undermine deep discipleship， and then the rest of the book focuses on what it means to be an emotionally healthy disciple of Jesus。 The author， Peter Scazzero， says an emotional disciple， “。。。slows down to be with Jesus， goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus， and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus” （p。 26）。 This shows that an emotional disciple is all about Jesus， and this theme of what it means to be a Christ-centered disciple who disciples others is developed throughout the book。 I would recommend this book to those who lead others both in a ministry context and those who are in the marketplace like me （I am a public school teacher）。 Although this concept of an emotionally healthy disciple is deep and complex （and hard to live out！）， the author has broken it down into seven marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and made them simple to understand through clear explanations of how to live out each discipleship mark as well as self-assessments， charts， illustrations， and quotes。 Even the footnotes are filled with helpful descriptions and are proof of how much time and research went into this book。 Also， it is apparent that the author embodies these marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and has often had to learn through his own suffering， life challenges， and personal mistakes。 Recognizing the four failures that undermine deep discipleship and applying the seven marks outlined in Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you grow into an emotional disciple that cultivates your relationship with Jesus and lets Him transform you so that your life shines and blesses people。 。。。more
Dawn Dishman
，
Many obstacles get in the way of deep transformational discipleship for many in the Christian faith。 Peter Scazzero identifies four of them that ring true and resonated for me in my ministry context。 1。tWe tolerate emotional immaturity。2。tWe emphasize doing for God over being with God。3。tWe ignore the treasures of church history。4。tWe define success wrongly。 The author defines and describes seven marks of healthy discipleship:1。tBe before you Do2。tFollow the Crucified， not the Americanized， Jesu Many obstacles get in the way of deep transformational discipleship for many in the Christian faith。 Peter Scazzero identifies four of them that ring true and resonated for me in my ministry context。 1。tWe tolerate emotional immaturity。2。tWe emphasize doing for God over being with God。3。tWe ignore the treasures of church history。4。tWe define success wrongly。 The author defines and describes seven marks of healthy discipleship:1。tBe before you Do2。tFollow the Crucified， not the Americanized， Jesus3。tEmbrace God’s gift of limits4。tDiscover the treasures buried in grief and loss5。tMake love the measure of maturity6。tBreak the power of the past7。tLead out of weakness and vulnerabilityPeter challenges the belief that success is measured in numbers and warns against quick but shallow growth。 Deep transformation of lives continues over a lifetime which is what is needed in the church and parachurch organizations today， and that Christ offered to his followers。This book， like others Pete has written， is filled with his own journey of learning these deep truths and how his leadership has been transformed and passed on to those he leads。 Pete writes with grace， humility and hope。I have worked for an interdenominational Christian organization for 35 years and think this is a must read for any and all who are involved in spiritual discipleship of others。The book emphasized， “Let your doing for Jesus flow out of your being with Jesus，” and “we need to enjoy the Jesus we share with others。” 。。。more
George P。
，
American Christianity has often been described as “a mile wide but an inch deep。” In other words， there is a mismatch between the quantity of believers and the quality of their discipleship。 The rise of the “nones”* has narrowed American Christianity’s adherence since the 1990s， and Peter Scazzero worries that its discipleship has become even less deep over the same period。 In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， he outlines both the cause and cure of shallow Christianity。According to Scazzero， tra American Christianity has often been described as “a mile wide but an inch deep。” In other words， there is a mismatch between the quantity of believers and the quality of their discipleship。 The rise of the “nones”* has narrowed American Christianity’s adherence since the 1990s， and Peter Scazzero worries that its discipleship has become even less deep over the same period。 In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship， he outlines both the cause and cure of shallow Christianity。According to Scazzero， traditional discipleship programs operate on the thin surface of people’s lives。 Church leaders assume that if people convert， attend church， and participate in the congregation’s ministries with their time， talent， and treasure， they will impact the world。 Multiple studies — most famously Willow Creek’s Reveal — call that assumption into question。 Program participation does not necessarily result in deep change。Why？ Scazzero traces the answer to “four fundamental failures”:1。 We tolerate emotional immaturity。2。 We emphasize doing for God over being with。3。 We ignore the treasures of church history。4。 We define success wrongly。Each failure is worth considering， but in my experience， the fourth is the one that trips people up most。Too often， Christians think of authentic faith as something that leads to more when it comes to money and better when it comes to health。 That is why the prosperity gospel is so prevalent in American Christianity。 We have “Christianized” the American dream。 Ministers are not exempt from this more-and-better mentality。 Too many of us use buildings， dollars， and people in the pew as metrics of our success， as if quality could be measured by quantity。For Scazzero， this more-and-better mentality is not a biblical one。 “Success， according to Scripture， is becoming the person God calls you to become， and doing what God calls you to do — in his way， and according to his timetable。” In other words， success is being like Jesus。 Scazzero writes， “An emotionally healthy disciple slows down to be with Jesus， goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus， and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus。”What does this with-by-for-Jesus life look like？ Most of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is devoted to explaining and putting into practice seven marks of healthy disciples。 They are:1。 Be before you do。2。 Follow the Crucified — not the “Americanized” — Jesus。3。 Embrace God’s gift of limits。4。 Discover the treasures hidden in grief and loss。5。 Make love the measure of spirituality maturity。6。 Break the power of the past。7。 Lead out of weakness and vulnerability。What these marks do well is identify things that are necessary to produce deep change in the lives of individuals and congregations。 The first mark may be the most important。 Too many churches focus only on the spiritual， but humans are not merely spiritual beings。 As Scazzero puts it， “wholeness certainly includes the spiritual aspect of who we are， but it also includes the physical， emotional， social， and intellectual dimensions as well。” Emotionally healthy discipleship addresses all five dimensions of human being。What these seven marks do not describe is the totality of a church’s discipleship program。 They assume that a church engages attendees with Bible teaching， doctrinal instruction， and training in corporate and private worship。 Moreover， they assume that certain systems are already in place。 As Scazzero notes， “each of these marks falls within this larger biblical framework of community， including life-on-life discipling relationships， small groups， and serving。”If church leaders want to produce emotionally healthy disciples， then， they need to use Emotionally Healthy Discipleship as a supplement to （and/or corrective of） existing programs， not as a total replacement。 According to Scazzero， Emotionally Healthy Discipleship （the book） and The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course （a training program） address what was “missing in present-day discipleship。” They do not outline a complete program。I have not reviewed the discipleship course， but the book is excellent， and I recommend it to church leaders。 If you are a pastor， read it with your leadership teams。 It will no doubt lead to important and constructive conversations and， I hope， a better， deeper practice of Christianity in your church。Book ReviewedPeter Scazzero， Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation （Grand Rapids， MI: Zondervan， 2021）。* The term “nones” names people who claim no religious affiliation whatsoever。 For more on them， read The Nones by Ryan P。 Burge， which I reviewed here。 I also interviewed Burge for the Influence Podcast here。P。S。 If you like my review， please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page。P。P。S。 I wrote this review for InfluenceMagazine。com。 It is posted here by permission。 。。。more
Conrad
，
Scazzero does it again - one of my favorites from Pete！ Will read this again in the future。
Heidi
，
Pete Scazarro writes “We lead out of who we are more than what we do or say。” This is the crux of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship。 I have most of his Emotionally Healthy books but this by far is the best and most challenging。 Each chapter made me want to go deeper in my walk with Jesus。 The chapters “Follow the Crucified， Not the Americanized， Jesus” and “Discover the Treasures Buried in Grief and Loss” challenged and resonated with me。 I will definitely go back and read through those chapters Pete Scazarro writes “We lead out of who we are more than what we do or say。” This is the crux of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship。 I have most of his Emotionally Healthy books but this by far is the best and most challenging。 Each chapter made me want to go deeper in my walk with Jesus。 The chapters “Follow the Crucified， Not the Americanized， Jesus” and “Discover the Treasures Buried in Grief and Loss” challenged and resonated with me。 I will definitely go back and read through those chapters again。If you really want to grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus and are willing to do the hard work of it， I strongly recommend you read this book。 。。。more
Daveta Brown
，