A Step-by-Step Pathway for Wholehearted Christians To Study, Connect, and Grow

Our courses integrate Biblical theology, spiritual formation, practical wisdom, and apologetic insights.

Collectively, they are designed to empower you to develop a customized plan for spiritual growth.

Some courses focus more on knowing God (12 Steps to God, First Love, God's Uncommon Pursuit, and Together), others focus on building healthy daily habits (Daily Reflections, LookUP), and others equip us for mission (Embracing God's Mission, The Fruit of the Spirit Online, Go & Tell, and StartUP).

The Gift of Advent is a devotional series that prepares us for The Gift of Christmas; we intend to add other seasonal devotionals.

Each course represents innumerable hours of research, writing, editing, and prayer.

After extensive experimentation and listening to feedback from many participants, I developed each module to fit into your busy lifestyle. 

Each course is broken down into a series of short modules that can be completed in 5-10 minutes. 

Of course, some participants tell me that these materials motivate them to spend many hours thinking, studying, and writing! But that's 100% your decision.

Some courses are designed to be completed in as little as a week. Others are more comprehensive, and can take up to six weeks to finish.

But it all depends on how much you want to get out of each experience, and how much time you can regularly dedicate to learning.

We're grateful for the many educational resources available to us. 

Typically, graduate programs are far more expensive (one course can cost $2000). But, they offer in-person lectures and discussions with the professor, graded assignments, and eventually, a degree. In The Uncommon Pursuit Academy, I translate what I've learned in my M.Div. and D.Min. programs into intellectually rigorous, but more accessible material. 

Churches often host small groups that study the Bible together. However, sometimes the group's discussions can focus more on our feelings than the truth or teach completely false ideas. In Uncommon Pursuit, we curate Biblically faithful, practically useful resources.

Weekend retreats can give us "a mountain top high" as we intensively connect with God. But how do we keep the momentum going the rest of the year?

Weekly sermons are usually inspiring, Biblical, and highly relevant. Pastors invest hours to study and teach God's word with faithfulness. We supplement their work by providing structured, step-by-step pathways for your spiritual growth on a daily basis.

Would you like to know more passionate Christians?

Would that help you follow Jesus? 

Then you will enjoy being a Community Partner.

On a practical level, each course includes discussion prompts so you can discuss what you learn with your family and friends. 

Additionally, you also have the opportunity to discuss each module with Christians from around the world. 

Active members keep participating because we've realized that by developing the habit of writing down our thoughts and discussing them online, we're much more prepared to discuss these issues in person.

Yes, 100%. We've invested in one of the best online learning platforms available. 

All of our courses are fully accessible on your phone, tablet, or computer.

If you don't like the courses, I'll be surprised! 

But you have an ironclad guarantee to get a full refund at any point in the first ninety days after you register.

That's more than enough time to take a few courses, join a Community Partner Zoom call, and interact with everyone. 

We respect that everyone's budget and preferences are different. 

Some people like the affordability and focus of signing up for the Annual package. It's a great way to invest in your spiritual growth.

If you're more confident that we're a long-term fit for you, the Lifetime option is a much better deal! You'll get access to all of our existing and future courses - forever - and never have to worry about paying a higher price.

I regularly add new courses, so this will become an even better deal over the next five to ten years!

Either way, we're here for you and excited to support you in your spiritual growth.

The Uncommon Pursuit Academy is designed for every Christian who wants to deepen their understanding of God, the Bible, and their faith.

Whether you're just starting your spiritual journey or you've been walking with God for decades, our courses are created to support and nurture your growth.

Here's what you can expect from the Academy:

1. Opportunities to learn and grow: Our courses are designed to help you explore your faith, ask questions, and gain new insights into God's word. Whether you're engaging with the material on your own or discussing it with the community, you'll deepen your understanding and grow as a Christian.
2. A supportive community: When you join the Academy, you're in. Share your insights and struggles with us - and we'll do the same. 
3. Flexibility and accessibility: We know that everyone has different learning styles and schedules, so our courses are designed to be flexible and accessible. You can engage with the material at your own pace, on your own time, and in the way that works best for you.
4. Biblical faithfulness: Every course in the Academy is rooted in the Bible. I typically consult multiple commentaries and specialized books while preparing a lesson. 

If you're ready to invest in your spiritual growth and deepen your relationship with God, The Uncommon Pursuit Academy is here to support you.

Yes, our generous donor community allows us to offer scholarships.

We understand if you are going through a difficult experience.

We also understand If you live in a country where our prices are out of reach. Please get in touch and let's talk.

You can reach out with your request at this link (click here).

Yes, if you would like to get access for more than ten people, please reach out to us with your request.

One of our prayers is that The Uncommon Pursuit Academy could become a training platform for many churches and their staff, volunteers, and members.

We'd be glad to discuss your specific situation and create a customized approach that enables your group, church, or organization to take these courses together.

If you're a small group leader, and you'd like your group to take one of our courses together, we'd love to hear from you as well.

Our contact form is available at this link (click here).

To accommodate an active, global community of Christians, we've designed every course to be self-paced.

So the lessons are ready for you as you soon as you sign-up.

In addition to the courses, we also host a live Zoom call for discussion, prayer, and Bible study on Tuesdays at 12 pm Eastern.

However, you can still fully participate in the community and take all the courses without joining the weekly Zoom call. 

I grieve the pain that survivors of church abuse are experiencing. 

After resigning from RZIM in January of 2021, it took me years to recover, and sometimes, I still have difficult flashbacks.

I am not a trained or licensed psychologist, doctor, or lawyer. We aren't equipped to provide counseling, medical care, or legal advocacy. I understand these resources are an important part of the journey to recovery, and they are beyond our capacity to provide. 

However, I know that one of the most painful parts of spiritual abuse is how it destabilizes our relationship with God. Ultimately, I found that God still loved me and that his care for me helped me to get better again. There are no simple fixes or easy answers, and everyone's journey is different.

If you are currently recovering from spiritual abuse, I'd be honored to provide a scholarship for you to take our courses and participate in the community. We want to be a safe and supportive environment for you.  

Please reach out with a request and I'll be in touch (click here)

I started building online communities for Christians in 2012. Since then, they've helped hundreds of thousands of people grow in their walk with God.

From this experience, I studied mainstream social media platforms to understand how they work. I wanted to know why social media is so harmful.

According to the Pew Research Center, "About two-thirds of Americans (64%) say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today."

Likewise, Axios reports, "In study after study, teens say social media is making them stressed and depressed. But the time they're spending online keeps rising."

The most important realization was to understand how significant it is that the major social media platforms depend on advertising to make a profit. The implications of this business model are massive. In particular, to show more ads, they need more people spending more time using their services.

How do they do this? They learned through trial-and-error that they make the most money when their technology shows us the most emotionally intense content. In other words, they make money by getting us to react to toxic content.

Uncommon Pursuit takes a completely different approach.

First, we don't depend on advertising.

Instead, we are sustained by donations and membership revenue. This incentivizes us to produce the highest quality content we can.

Second, we're clear about who is invited to join: wholehearted Christians who want to actively participate in God's mission. To clarify what we mean by Christian, we adopted two widely accepted statements of faith: The Nicene Creed and The Cape Town Commitment.

As a final layer of protection, we actively moderate the discussions according to our Community Standards (available in the next question). Trained moderators work to ensure that our community's discussions consistently follow our guidelines.

By designing our community in this way and continually relying upon God's help, we feel that we can consistently build a unique environment for spiritual growth.

To develop a spiritually healthy community, we have adopted the following Community Standards:

Ephesians 4:15-16 reads:

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Our Community Standards are intended to protect and grow an incredibly friendly, respectful, and valuable community.

The following are prohibited and cause for removal:

• Disrespectful/inconsiderate tone towards other people or points of view
• Spam
• Memes
• Self-promotion of your own blog, website, book, events, or products
• Plagiarized, defamatory, illegal, abusive, or offensive content
• Sharing other people’s personal information or personal contact information (email addresses, phone numbers, etc.)
• Directly or indirectly requesting financial support or assistance
• Content not appropriate for a global, family-friendly audience
• Partisan political discussions (e.g., advocating for/against a certain party)
• Requesting or providing specific medical/healthcare-related advice

We expect all members to agree with and abide by our Statement of Faith and Terms of Service. To avoid favoritism, we do not issue refunds for paid members who violate our Community Standards.

The Uncommon Pursuit Academy represents an incredible value for your spiritual growth.

Here's what you're getting:

1. Curated content: While much of the information in the Academy is available for free elsewhere, it would take a significant amount of time and effort to find, organize, and create a cohesive spiritual formation process. We've done the hard work for you, providing a carefully designed, step-by-step program that facilitates your growth in Christ.
2. Accelerated learning: The Academy condenses decades of research and practice into an accessible format. Instead of spending years searching for the right resources and methods, you can access a proven pathway to spiritual maturity in one place.
3. Community insights: As a Community Partner, you'll connect with other dedicated Christians who are pursuing spiritual growth. It's worth joining just to belong to the community.
4. Cost-effective investment: Seminaries charge anywhere from $9,000 to $16,200 for one semester of courses. Many weekend retreats include four or five talks for a few hundred dollars. By comparison, the Academy offers eleven courses that include 300+ modules. Plus, you're getting ongoing interaction with a global community of likeminded Christians. It's a comprehensive spiritual formation program at a fraction of the price.
5. Necessary expenses: Providing high-quality courses involves various costs, including technology fees, graphic design, research materials, and compensation for our highly trained moderators. Your investment in the Academy helps cover these expenses and ensures that you receive expert guidance and caring support.
6. Convenience and flexibility: The Academy's online format allows you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule. Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, you can easily access the courses and modules from any device, anywhere, at any time. This flexibility makes it easy to integrate your spiritual growth into your daily life, without the need to attend classes at fixed times or locations. 

I believe that investing in your spiritual growth is one of the most valuable decisions you can make.

We're committed to providing an accessible, comprehensive, and transformative program that helps you deepen your relationship with Christ and grow to maturity in your faith.

Since starting Uncommon Pursuit in 2021, I've created three to four courses a year.

As we've become more established, there's now a long-term plan to create dozens of courses. 

Each course is a distillation of decades of research, teaching, and practice as a Christian leader.