Designed for More

God designed his body of believers to be a powerful force in the world. Yet today, God's great story of reconciliation has been crippled because its messengers are unreconciled. God has designed us for so much more, but disunity among Christians has dramatically held us back from our fullest potential.

DESIGNED FOR MORE calls every Christian to bring about Christ's daring vision for unity in the church, and through collective movement, impact the world like never before.

Successful leaders everywhere understand the power in collective movement. The most extraordinary sports teams, companies, and organizations are those who learned to bring together their diverse parts into one cohesive whole. However, collective movement still remains an incredibly elusive challenge, especially in the church today.

Thankfully, God has hidden in nature some incredible lessons for solving complex human problems. DESIGNED FOR MORE draws groundbreaking implications for how to achieve collective movement from new research on a jaw-dropping phenomenon of flocking starlings known as a murmuration. This marvel is one of nature's most spectacular sights; imagine hundreds of thousands of birds in motion, caressing the sky in unison as if it were their canvas. In the madness of the murmuration, the power of collective movement is on full display.

DESIGNED FOR MORE unveils the power of the murmuration and applies its principles to individual spiritual journeys and the Church as a whole. Join author Lucas Ramirez with co-author Mike DeVito as they cast a fresh vision for how you can unleash the potential of a united body of Christ. When believers, churches, and ministries lay hold of their inter-connectedness in Christ and learn to murmurate, our impact will be limitless.

“"To take a phrase from the latter part of Designed for More , this book is fused with 'radical optimism'. But don't mistake radical optimism for sentimental idealism. These pages give us a frank account of the challenges we face in being the unified Body of Christ. But, they also call us to practical, ministry-tested action steps that we can take as pastors, youth pastors, teachers and followers of the Lord who prayed that we 'might be one as [He] and the Father are one.' What in the world would happen if we read this book and took seriously it's splendid, big-dream invitation?"-- Duffy Robbins, Author and Professor of Christian Ministry, Grove City College, Grove City, PA”

"Designed For More brilliantly draws applicational truth from a rare phenomenon in the sky to everyday life in community."--David Nasser, Author, Pastor and Senior Vice President at Liberty University
"'Real change will come when we take the first step of changing the way we think.' Lucas Ramirez and Mike DeVito provide a fresh look at an old problem... the lack of unity among the Christian church. They do this by confronting head on the thinking that pulls the church apart and then provide clear pathways to drawing us back together for the sake of God's kingdom."--Brian L. Cress, Director of Denomination and Youth MobilizationINTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION
"A lot of us talk about the importance of unity, but few of us are given a practical guidebook of how to work towards unity. Lucas and Mike help expand the view of our flock, with the urgency unity requires. This message is not about compromising, this is about working past our fragmented and fractured 'playgrounds' for the unity God demands and desires for each of us."--Esther Fleece, speaker and author of No More Faking Fine
"After reading Designed for More, I feel more empowered than ever to implement change in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Using the starlings and their murmuration, God shows us, through his creation, how to do his work by unifying individuals into a cohesive and effective unit. Designed For More not only identifies our underachieving of God's goals but clearly lays out a game plan for each of us to get back on track. Great book and let's get started!"--Rich Seban, Former CEO Hostess
"As long as followers of Christ stay in their comfortable silos and tribes, the world will never experience the full power of the Church. Designed for More gives us a beautifully memorable and practical way forward to become the united body of Christ. Don't miss this book."--Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and Lead Pastor of National Community Church
"Few books inspire me to a second read. Not so with Designed For More. What a book! Lucas and Mike frame a picture of the beauty and power of the Kingdom: thousands of starlings in a sky ballet. Through biblical exegesis, science and years of experience, they chart a path to wholeness and redemptive power. I love it. Quite simply, it makes me want to grab the hands of a band of friends and say, 'Let's fly!'"--Dick Foth, Author, Dick and Ruth Foth, Known: Finding Deep Friendships In A Shallow World
"I am an enthusiastic collaborator. Advocating for unity is the song I want to sing as a member of the choir. So, I was honestly surprised at how much this book moved me; I didn't think I had to be moved! 'Murmuration' is a brilliant metaphor for how God's people can practice tactical routines of faithfulness that result in unity. Jesus Christ, the Word of Creation, reveals his awe-inspiring design skills in the beautiful movements of starlings. Now, may Jesus, the Head of his Church, choreograph our dance together for his resounding glory in the world!"--Dr. Dave Rahn, Senior Ministry Advisor, Youth for Christ USA
"I loved this book! Every chapter brought inspiration and hope. It caused me to crave the deeper unity that only Christ can give."--Jim Burns, PhD. President, HomeWord and Author of Understanding Your Teenager and The Purity Code
"In these hurried days of the toos-too little time, too little joy, and too little love from my foes, friends, and self -- Designed for More brought me back towards my God-granted peace and purpose."--Ron Kitchens, Senior Partner, Southwest Michigan First
"It is time we come alive to see that disunity in Christ robs the Church of its collective power. The change-makers of the future will be those who bring people together, and Designed for More give us exactly the vision ...to become the unifying leaders our world needs. Thank you Lucas and Mike for diving into this much-needed conversation."--Tyler Reagin, President of Catalyst and author of Life-Giving Leader
"Lucas writes like he speaks -- with a flair, passion, inspiration and insight. In Designed for More, Lucas and Mike fuel our desire for biblical unity. They expand our vision of how our spiritual gifts thrive in the context of 'one body.' The truths come down to earth with their practical applications and clarifying principles. Through the beautiful metaphor of how God unites starlings in flight, you find yourself dreaming of the revolutionary impact, if only the body of Christ followed suit!"--Paul Fleischmann, President Emeritus, National Network of Youth Ministries And Founder, Better Together Resources
"The spaces that separate people, communities, and cultures exist because of the historical patterns that shape our approach to one another. My friends Lucas and Mike guide us in expanding our mindsets into singular formations that eliminate the warfare of separation."--Fred Oduyoye, Founder of Reachable Reconciliation
"The world is waiting for the church to come together and be the interconnected movement that best offers God's love and grace to all. Designed for More offers you and I what we need: a compelling vision for why unity matters and practical steps for us to move forward."--Kara Powell, PhD, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of Growing Young
"This is no time for soft and isolated Kingdom work. These are post-Christian times and none of us is as good as more of us - in unity. Designed For More will awaken you again to Jesus' call to unity and give you the lens we all need for intentionally shaping collaborative Kingdom initiatives."--Dr. Larry Acosta, Founder and CEO Urban Youth Workers Institute
"To take a phrase from the latter part of Designed for More, this book is fused with 'radical optimism'. But don't mistake radical optimism for sentimental idealism. These pages give us a frank account of the challenges we face in being the unified Body of Christ. But, they also call us to practical, ministry-tested action steps that we can take as pastors, youth pastors, teachers and followers of the Lord who prayed that we 'might be one as [He] and the Father are one.' What in the world would happen if we read this book and took seriously it's splendid, big-dream invitation?"--Duffy Robbins, Author and Professor of Christian Ministry, Grove City College, Grove City, PA

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, LUCAS RAMIREZ emigrated to the U.S. as a child with his family. After graduating from Eastern University, Lucas' professional focus has been developing the next generation of leaders and seeing today's church unify as the body of Christ. He incorporates this passion and focus in his work as the Executive Director of The Gathering Place, an innovative student mentoring and Christian leadership development organization impacting over 10K students annually. Lucas is a non-profit expert with more than 11 years of full-time ministry experience, both in local church context and as an executive in the non-profit ministry space. He lives on the southern coast of Georgia with his family.

MIKE DEVITO is a ministry veteran with more than 40 years of full-time ministry experience, both in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California. Mike frequently speaks and serves as worship leader for camps, conferences, and youth events. Because of his expertise in networking ministries, Mike is also a sought-after advisor and consultant to groups and pastor networks. Mike currently serves as the Southwest Regional Coordinator for the National Network of Youth Ministries overseeing networks in five states; he also serves as the Ministry Outreach Coordinator at Biola University in California.

God designed his body of believers to be a powerful force in the world. Yet today, God's great story of reconciliation has been crippled because its messengers are unreconciled. God has designed us for so much more, but disunity among Christians has dramatically held us back from our fullest potential. DESIGNED FOR MORE calls every Christian to bring about Christ's daring vision for unity in the church, and through collective movement, impact the world like never before.Successful leaders everywhere understand the power in collective movement. The most extraordinary sports teams, companies, and organizations are those who learned to bring together their diverse parts into one cohesive whole. However, collective movement still remains an incredibly elusive challenge, especially in the church today.Thankfully, God has hidden in nature some incredible lessons for solving complex human problems. DESIGNED FOR MORE draws groundbreaking implications for how to achieve collective movement from new research on a jaw-dropping phenomenon of flocking starlings known as a murmuration. This marvel is one of nature's most spectacular sights; imagine hundreds of thousands of birds in motion, caressing the sky in unison as if it were their canvas. In the madness of the murmuration, the power of collective movement is on full display. DESIGNED FOR MORE unveils the power of the murmuration and applies its principles to individual spiritual journeys and the Church as a whole. Join author Lucas Ramirez with co-author Mike DeVito as they cast a fresh vision for how you can unleash the potential of a united body of Christ. When believers, churches, and ministries lay hold of their inter-connectedness in Christ and learn to murmurate, our impact will be limitless.

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