Is your spiritual imagination up to the task of following Jesus’s vision for healing our broken world?
“Gradually, very gradually, we saw the great mountain sides and glaciers . . . until far higher in the sky than imagination had dared suggest the white summit of Everest appeared.” —George Mallory, 1924 Everest climbing expedition leader
The Jesus Climb crafts George Mallory’s quest to climb the world’s tallest mountain into a parable illustrating how Jesus trained his first students to summit the world’s greatest commandment. Like Mallory peering too low on the horizon to see Everest’s peak towering above him, the lack of Christlikeness in modern Christianity stems from our inability to imagine the impossible heights to which Jesus calls us.
The Jesus Climb draws upon the life and teachings of Jesus and the experiences of some of history’s greatest spiritual and physical mountaineers to map out eight “expedition camps” through which Jesus guides every student seeking to follow him.
We will never be able to join Jesus in his mission to heal our broken world until he transformed us into the kind of people who can love God and neighbor as he did—the kind of people he called “disciples.”
Gary David Stratton is a leading expert in the spiritual formation of students in educational settings. A Senior Fellow for the Association of Biblical Higher Education, Gary cofounded the Future of Hope youth theology institute and the award-winning website TwoHandedWarriors.com. Gary and his wife, Dr. Sue Stratton, have served as church planters, youth pastors, campus ministers, and professors at twelve schools in the United States and China. Gary is currently Professor of Spiritual Formation and Cultural Leadership and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Johnson University.
—David Kinnaman, CEO Barna, author of Faith for Exiles, Good Faith, and UnChristian
“With masterful use of a mountain climbing metaphor, Stratton has penned a spiritual formation classic. Every chapter ends with spiritual practices that will change your life. After forty years of discipling college students, I know no better book to help transform their lives.”
—Tammy McLeod, President of the Harvard Chaplains, author of Hit Hard
“Honest, personal, practical, wise. Using his knowledge of the Bible, stories of Jesus’s followers through history, fascinating accounts of attempts at Mt. Everest, and his own journey, Stratton brings real-life insight into what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.”
—Jay Barnes, President Emeritus, Bethel University; President, Christian College Consortium
“Gary’s book has the potential to revolutionize the life of an individual, family, and church by inviting us into a rigorous and ravishing vision for following Jesus and how we can genuinely shine his beautiful light in the world.”
—Peter B. Kapsner, PhD, Talk Show Host, Deeper Magic Media, Theology Professor, Northwestern University St. Paul
"The Jesus Climb represents the culmination of much of Gary’s life work. It should prove a powerful tool for educators and pastors seeking to connect discipleship to spiritual awakening in the lives of those they lead. I trust it will find a wide audience for promoting authentic discipleship in a new generation.”
—David S. Medders, Executive Vice President, The Association of Biblical Higher Education
“Gary David Stratton shines a light, bright and clear on the spiritual journey Jesus crafted for his disciples. The Jesus Climb engages the heart and the mind from start to finish. Rich in design, centered on scripture, full of inspiring examples, and transformational application, Stratton delivers within these pages what he has shared with tens of thousands of students in his classrooms and conferences. I am grateful for Gary’s mentorship and discipleship in my own life and thrilled you can join the Jesus Climb as well.”
—Scott Reitz, PhD, Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies and Director of Global Service Learning and First-Year Studies, Alliance University
“I’ve been privileged to learn from Gary’s lifelong journey and devotion to the Lord. The discipleship concepts in The Jesus Climb transformed my life as a student. Now they are transforming the lives of the students in my classroom. I trust you too will grow as you learn to follow our Lord Jesus as your TEACHER, and to live out Jesus’ teachings in your every area of your life.”
—Kirk McClelland, EdD, Professor of Service Learning, Director of First-Year Studies, Johnson University
