Colin Stoodley has gifted us a clear and urgent book. In a time when the Church desperately needs to rediscover its sentness, The Genius in the Kingdom reminds us that the core organizing principle of ecclesia is not programming, but discipleship. It’s grounded in experience, shaped by solid research, and offers practical insight for anyone serious about mission in today’s world. If you care about the future of the Church in the West, read this. Then read it again.

The Genius in the Kingdom is a great book that goes right to the core of the most essential ingredients necessary for successful church planting and multiplication. Based on Australian church planting research, Colin’s insights should be digested by anyone considering planting a church. I highly recommend this book!

The Genius in the Kingdom strongly reminds us that all we need to be the people of God in every generation is contained in the abiding journey of discipleship. Jesus teaches and models the way for us. The Spirit empowers us. Why is it that we often make the Christian journey or the church about other things? Colin Stoodley beautifully reminds us in this deeply considered work, borne of rigorous study and a lifetime of experience, that the Kingdom advances through the creation and replication of missional communities, filled with sent people, who journey in being the people of God together.

I believe The Genius in the Kingdom makes a critical contribution to church planting in Australia. Colin Stoodley combines practical research, insight and conviction to show that among the growing number of options and resources around planting, discipleship must be central. The spiritual health of church planters and the impact of the churches they plant depends on it.

In The Genius in the Kingdom, Colin Stoodley brings deep wisdom and practical insight into how discipleship fuels church planting and kingdom growth. His years of experience in leadership development and disciple-making shine through in this book, challenging us to move beyond programs and embrace a relational, Spirit-led approach to ministry. This is a must-read for anyone serious about making disciples who make disciples.

With reflection and insights into discipleship, growing biblically healthy team, developing leadership, identifying opportunities and nurturing unity Colin has provided a book here that is both an inspiration and a necessity for those who want to see the Kingdom expand in Australia. My team all have a copy and we keep finding more and more situations where Colin has hit the proverbial nail on the head. He has given context and understanding to many of the issues we have faced as we have seen our church plant grow and his study and conclusions have helped us tailor, navigate and define pathways into a more productive and God honouring future as we position ourselves to plant again from Riverside.

Some words and ideas are so big, when we hear them our body panics and we defer the task to braver souls than we. Church planting is one such idea. It’s a concept so big, most of us leave the task to greater mortals. Colin Stoodley shows us, in his book “The Genius in the Kingdom”, that church planting isn’t the domain of superheroes, but simple disciples. When we focus on making disciples who make disciples, church renewal and church planting are inevitable consequences. While the book does contain practical wisdom and insights from 30 years of church planting experience, most of it boils down to solid biblical formation. That is, not tricky marketing ploys, but a move of the Spirit, building a healthy team (aka a Christ like body) and engaging with your community (aka loving your neighbour.) Is there a better way to find inspiration and insights for church planting than from someone who has done it, researched it and coached others along the way?