The biggest challenge to new church start leaders is sustainability. But, these problems are not for church planters to solve alone says Scott Hagley, Karen Rohrer, and Michael Gehrling, editors of the book Sustaining Grace: Innovative Ecosystems for New Faith Communities. In our conversation, we talk about the book, why judicatories ned church planters even if they don't become self-sustaining, and why the metric of "sustainability" needs to be interrogated and cast aside.

Scott J Hagley is Associate Professor of Missiology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He is the author of Eat What is Set Before You: A Missiology of the Congregation in Context.

Karen Rohrer is the director of the Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Before coming to Pittsburgh, she was an organizing co-pastor at Beacon, a new faith community in Philadelphia.

Michael Gehrling serves the Presbyterian Church (USA) as an associate for the 1001 New Worshipping Communities initiative. Before coming to this role, he was an organizing co-pastor of the Upper Room, a new faith community in Pittsburgh.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.