theology, church planting, big ideas
Hi, I'm AJ Vanderhorst. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, home of the mighty Jayhawks, I currently live near downtown Kansas City. I'm married to the beautiful Lindsay, and have two rambunctious kids, Aidan and Asher. At the moment, my goal is to freelance write & get an urban church plant off the ground. It would also be cool to keep my hoops game alive and see a downtown Renaissance in KC.
This blog is where I think out loud about knowing Jesus, living out my theology, and making risky plans, so it has a personal, sometimes confessional flavor. We want to see a new, Jesus-exalting, culturally-focused work of God started in the urban arts district of KC. Feel free to contact me if something here sparks your interest.
Paraphrased from a Leadership class I’m taking that’s been a good learning experience as opposed to an ironic one:
Leaders should be Sunday morning types a little crazy and abandoned, putting it all on the line.
A few suggestions for leaders aiming to grow in craziness: espresso, make-it-take-it basketball, bridge jumping. 
Guest post by Robbie Phillips
There is one thing I need to mention before I actually get to the review. This has to do with my ties to the author. I’ve only met Mr. Keel once but we share some of the same friends and run in similar circles. In other words, I already knew some of the story and had preconceived notions about him and his ministry. That point is especially important because it has been my experience that when one knows an author one tends to be much more generous and less objective.
In any case, Intuitive Leadership is a glimpse into the personal experience of a man who finds himself called to ministry in a time of cultural transition. In this book, Mr. Keel takes the reader through his personal journey in ministry. Starting from his conversion up through the planting of the church he currently pastors (Jacob’s Well in Kansas City), he gives the reader insight into the challenges (and successes) that he has faced on his journey.
Overall, this book is a fine read. Probably the best aspect of the book is Mr. Keel’s use of local thinking. He constantly reminds the reader that much of what he’s done does not always translate into a global methodology. For Keel, and many other church planters, context is important. Yet for all that the book has going for it, it is not for everyone. If you are a person that has kept up with the emerging conversation or church planting then what you find in these pages will probably not blow you away. If you have already decided what you think about those who are involved in the emerging church this book won’t change your mind.
The ideal reader for Intuitive Leadership is someone who has an interest in gaining more knowledge about leadership, church planting, and theological issues in today’s postmodern context. Overall, I give this book a B (or 4 out of 5 stars or whatever the equivalent rating is in AJ’s system).
Steve McCoy writes about a series of sweeping changes he’s leading his church to make. I appreciate the fact that he’s giving guys like me a window of sorts into what it looks like to introduce big changes, sell your people on them, and push them through into the realm of reality.
