Joe Steinke is, in a word, an apostle. As a member of the leadership team of the Boiler Room church network, he oversees a growing network of house churches; as a leader of the Antioch School, he’s a real New Testament church wiz. Talking with Joe is like talking with a dad, in pretty much the best way. He’s committed to the growth, maturity, and flourishing of church families under his purview, and he’s been at it for decades. We really like the dude, is what we’re saying, and in this conversation, we jump into the Utopian Slope, a model for understanding the life cycle of a community. If you’ve ever banded together with like-minded folks to share a vision, tried to reach that vision, failed, and then had to recover, this is the episode for you. Doubts and disappointment effect every community. The thing that matters, as you’ll see here, is what you do with them.