Offer a Map, Not a Menu
Some church leaders offer the people in their churches a menu—a menu of all the programs, studies, activities, and events that the church programmatically offers. Essentially the message is “Here is what we have; choose what you want.” With this approach, churches have expanding menus as something can always be added. Churches with menus grow […]
Creating a Discipleship Culture in the Local Church
The following is a guest post by Pastor Robby Gallaty. He is the author of Growing Up, a book about discipleship, and the senior pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also a good brother in the Lord, a strong leader, and wisely appreciates good New Orleans seafood like I do. I am grateful for Robby and how […]
2 Unintended Consequences of the Idea That “Anyone Can Lead a Group”
Over a decade ago, many small group pastors began to communicate messages such as “Anyone can lead a small group” and “If you can press play and make coffee, you can lead a small group.” For some of these churches, these messages were a way to help change the perception of what it takes to […]
2 Essentials for Effective Ministry to New Believers
A local church is on the planet to make disciples, not merely help people “make decisions” for Christ and then leave them alone and uncared for. Sadly, in some churches people are led to “receive Christ” but are not challenged to grow in their new journey with Him. In these churches, leading someone to faith […]
3 Benefits of Launching New Groups
Every Fall churches across the country gear up to kick off a new season of small groups (or Sunday school classes, life groups, etc.). While many agree that these groups and classes are an important part of their church’s ministry, we often fail to realize the importance of new groups in light of a church’s […]
4 Essentials in Ministry to Men
Not every healthy church has a formalized “men’s ministry,” but every healthy church ministers to men. Ministry to men must be a priority and a passion, not merely a program. If a formalized “men’s ministry” works best in a specific context, then the leaders should implement it, but it is possible to minister well to […]
Groups and Groups Studies Matter
In my most recent book Transformational Groups, which I co-wrote with Ed Stetzer, we share that research strongly indicates the people in your church who are in a group are more likely to serve more sacrificially, share the gospel more frequently, give more generously, and repent more regularly than those not in a group. For […]
Groups Matter: An Interview with Ed Stetzer on Transformational Groups
The following is an interview with Dr. Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of LifeWay Research. Ed and I recently co-authored a book, Transformational Groups. Ed, you and I worked on this book together, so I know a little bit of your thoughts on groups and community, but why did you see a need for a book on […]
The Power of Consistency
The following is a guest post by Michael Kelley, director of discipleship at LifeWay Christian Resources. Imagine a leaky faucet. Regardless of how you hard you twist the knob, it still drips. One drop at a time. Incessantly – drip, drip, drip. The consistency becomes an annoyance pretty quickly. But put in the right environment […]
What happens when your discipleship pastor goes missing?
Leaders and organizations make decisions all the time. They choose a direction, allocate resources, and execute. Often there are unintended implications, sometimes good and sometimes bad. The unintended implications don’t necessarily reveal themselves immediately but are often more understood as time passes. In the last 6-8 years, the role of “minister of education” or “discipleship […]