Disciple-making in Community with Ken Braddy

Welcome to the final episode of Season 3 of Disciple-Making Community. This season we have tackled the important topic of training group leaders in our local churches. If you're just joining us, be sure to go back to episode 1 of this season. On today's show Ken Braddy discusses the why, how, and applicable practices of training adult group leaders with Harland Cason and Allan Taylor.

Harland Cason has been a church planter, revitilizer, and church pastor earning degress from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Harland currently lives in Pensacola, Fl with his wife and three children. He currently serves as the pastor of Ministry of Education at Olive Baptist Church, the church where he grew up. Harland loves spending his off time in both the mountains and beaches.

Allan Taylor is the Executive Pastor at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tennessee. Allan has previously served as Director of Sunday School and Church Ministries at Lifeway. Allan conducts many Sunday school and leadership conferences nationally and internationally. Alan is also an author of several books and has been married for over 44 years. He's an avid football fam and loves cheering on the Vols on his free time!

Thanks for listening to Season 3. Be sure to describe and go leave us a review so other group leaders can find us! 

SHOW LINKS:
Connect with Ken Braddy
Sunday School Done Right
Forward From Here
Sunday School Matters
The Inspired Teacher 
Episode2 of Season 3

This season we've been tackling the topic of training group leaders. Over the course of this season we've exstablished the "why" behind training, shared free resources group leaders can take advantage of, and discussed effective strategies in training kids, adults, and small group leaders. On today's show, Chad Higgins and Cory Liebrum  join Ken as they discuss student ministry leaders training.

Chad Higgins serves as the cofounder of Youth Ministry Booster and is the Parent Ministry Specialist at Lifeway Students. Chad lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma with his wife and daughter. He has served the local church for over 20 years leading student ministry and adult discipleship, and as campus pastor. He enjoys watching the Red Sox and playing competitive chess. 

Cory Liebrum is the Youth and Family Ministry Specialist on the Discipleship team with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Cory has over 21 years of experience serving youth and families in the local church. He loves the Dallas Mavs and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Thanks for listening and sharing this episode with a friend!

SHOW LINKS:
-Connect with Ken Braddy
-The Gospel Project

Church leaders know how important it is to have well trained and equipped group leaders in our kids ministry settings. On today's show Delany Williams and Sandy Coelho join Ken Braddy to discuss the most effective ways they've trained leaders, how new technology can be helpful in training leaders, and practical baby steps in starting ongoing training in settings that currently have none.

Delany Williams serves as a Specialist with Lifeway Kids. She is a graduate of Baylor University and a master graduate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delany has served in kids ministry settings for over 20 years in Texas, Tennessee, and Wyoming. She currently teaches preschoolers in her church in the Nashville area and is  passionate about developing, equipping, and encouraging kids ministry leaders.

 Sandy Coelho is the lay Leadership Director of the Baptist Convention of New England. Sandy has served in leadership development since 1988. She is a first time guest to the Disciple-Making in Community. Sandy is passionate about equipping leaders and pouring into kids at her local church.

SHOW LINKS:
Connect with Ken Braddy
ETCH Conference
HyFi
Kids Ministry 101
Teaching Preschoolers
Wholly Kid

Welcome back to another great episode of Disciple-Making in Community. This season we're tackling the topic of training group leaders in the local church. The last few episodes have focused on the importance of training group leaders, resources to do so, and strategies around effective training. Today, Frank Monts and Keith Lowry, join me in discussing how to overcome obstacles that any church will face when implementing training. 

Frank Monts serves as the Education Director at Live Oak Baptist Church in south Louisiana.  Frank is a master's graduate and currently a doctorate student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married for over 30 years and is an avid Star Wars fan.

Keith Lowry serves as the Discipleship Pastor at Park City Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He's served in ministry for almost 50 years and has been at his current church for over 20 years. He and his wife have three adult children who are all over the world making a Kingdom difference. 

Thanks for listening to this episode and sharing it with a group leader! 

SHOW LINKS:
Connect with Ken Braddy
Season 1
Season 2
The Lot Project
CS Bible 
Lifeway's Best and Mostly Free Resources

A large study in the state of Georgia looking at over 2,000 churches produced answers to the necessity of churches training group leaders. This week on Disciple-Making Community, Ken Braddy is joined with Brian Filligim and Dr. Jeff Bowden to discuss the outcomes of churches who train their leaders, how they train them, and how the church is positively impacted by such trainings.

Brian Filligim is the Minister of Discipleship at Spring Valley Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Brian has his undergrad in Business and a  Masters of Divinity with a specialization in Christian Education. He is married with two children and loves taking his family camping on their off time.

Dr. Jeff Bowden is the Associate Pastor of Education at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff has served churches in Florida, Texas, Tennesse, and North Carolina. Jeff graduated from Carson Newman College with his Bachelors in Religious Education and continued his education earning a Master's of Religious Education from Southwestern Seminary. In 2013 Jeff earned his Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married with adult children who he loves visiting.

Thanks for listening and sharing this episode with a friend!

SHOW NOTES:
Season 1
Season 2
Ministry Grid
Connect with Ken Braddy

Too often leaders feel ill equipped in training their discipleship leaders. For reasons such as budgeting,  or the lack of knowledge of what's available to them, obstacles stand in the way of training and equipping leaders to truly make disciples. Well today we have good news for you! On today's episode Melita Thomas, Dwayne McCrary, and Zac Workun joins us to share some of Lifeway's best, free, and mostly free resources for every area, kids, students, adults, and more! This episode is rich with amazing resources and you can find all the links to them below! 

Melita Thomas serves as Lifeway’s VBS and Kids Ministry Specialist. Melita holds a masters degree in Childhood Ministry from Dallas Baptist University. A passionate advocate for kids ministry in the local church, Melita enjoys teaching kindergartners and preteens at Nashville First Baptist Church. She also enjoys cheering on Nashville's hockey team and spending time with her two nephews.

Dr. Dwayne McCrary serves as Lifeway's Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies. Duane teaches from preschoolers to adults at his local church and is an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his spare time you can find Dwayne on a date with his wife, reading books on history, playing with his grand kids, or riding his bike.

Zac Workun serves as the Student Ministry Training Specialist for Lifeway. Zac is one of the co-founders of Youth Ministry Booster, Lifeway Students’ collaboration and training network. He has served the local church in various youth ministry roles for over 15 years. He is a graduate of OBU with degrees in business management and religion and received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity with a certificate of Baptist Studies. Zac and his wife Karen have two wild boys—Isaiah & Gideon. Zac is an Okie, black coffee drinker, comic book nerd and an Enneagram 7. On Saturdays you can find him brunching outside or chasing toddlers across a playground.

We hope you are filled with confidence to train your leaders as you dig into these resources! You are not alone, and Lifeway loves partnering with you!

SHOW LINKS:
Farsighted
Building Leaders
KIDS Ministry training resources
Kids Ministry Blog
Kids Ministry Podcast
Kids Ministry Magazine subscription
Lifeway VBS
Lifeway VBS Director's Club
Lifeway Student Ministry
Youth Ministry Booster
The Student Ministry Podcast
His Glory Her Good Podcast
Adult Ministry
Group Answers Podcast
Adult Ministry Resources
Explore the Bible Podcast 

Welcome back to another season of Disciple-Making Community with Ken Braddy! We believe that the best discipleship happens in small groups and each season we tackle a different topic, from different perspectives. This Season we'll focus on training group leaders, and on today's show, Ken discusses with two friends the importance of training group leaders.

Bradley Linkins is the Assistant Director and Discipleshop Strategist for the Nevada Baptist Convention. Bradley has his MDIV from Northwest Baptist Seminary, and has been in pastoral ministry for 22 years. He's pastored in Seattle and Las Vegas and is currently a group leader at his church. He enjoys watching hockey, roasting his own coffee, and spending time with his wife and kids.

Dr. Joseph Brasher, or "Dr. J,” is the Adult Pastor at New Vision Baptist Church near  Nashville, Tennessee.  He oversees groups and ministry for adults from young families to senior adults. He enjoys bass fishing, duck hunting, and any kind of sports in Tennessee. He has his Ph.D. and loves discussing and teaching the Bible. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, kids, and dog!




Mentions:
Breathing Life Into Sunday School
Connect with Ken Braddy
Breakthrough

Starting new groups in Kids Ministry has always been tough, but since COVID-19 churches across America have struggled more than ever to recruit and retain small group leaders in Kids Ministry. As leaders we know how important it is to the safety and discipleship of kids to have the right volunteers. On today’s episode I sit down with three Kids Ministry experts as we discuss the challenges around recruiting volunteers, starting new groups, and how churches can practically support the Kids Ministry needs.

Delanee Williams serves as Content Editor for The Gospel Project. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delanee has served in kids ministry for over twenty years and is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders.

Jennifer Howington is part of the Texas Baptists’ Center for Church Health as the Preschool and Children’s Ministry Specialist. She brings nine years of experience in children’s ministry and previously served as Minister of Preschool/Children’s at Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne. Jennifer helps minister and resource Children’s Pastors all over the state of Texas. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and earned a Master of Arts in Children’s Ministry from Dallas Baptist University. She is in pre-residency for a doctorate in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Lisa McCrary is the Preschool Ministry Associate at Northside Baptist Church in Tennessee. She’s been in the role for over 6 years. Lisa is an expert in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers in Kids Ministry. Lisa also consults churches around the southeast and gives helpful and practical advice on how to improve the overall safety and discipleship process for kids attending children’s ministry. 

Links:

My Hyfi

Connect with Ken Braddy

Disciple-making In Community Season 1 – Enlisting and Onboarding Group Leaders

From Moses to Jesus we see life happening in small groups all throughout the pages of scripture. Starting new groups are crucial and beneficial to the overall health and growth of the church. On today’s episode I discuss with Dr. Dwayne Parker and Daniel Edmonds 6 major benefits to starting new groups.

After years of experience on the pastoral level at youth, education, and missions, Dr. Dwayne Parker now serves as the director of the Discipleship/Sunday School Department at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He holds a doctor of ministry in pastoral care degree from Southeastern Seminary.

Daniel Edmonds is the Director of the Office of Sunday School and Discipleship for the Alabama State Board of Mission. He has served in pastoral ministry in many roles ranging from pastor for education and youth, to associate pastor, and several state convention conference leaders. He holds a Master of Divinity and Religious Education from Southern Seminary. 

Links:

Connect with Ken Braddy

Disciple-making In Community Season 1 – Enlisting and Onboarding Group Leaders

One of the most strategic things a leader can do is to invest in future leaders. Whether your church’s primary discipleship model is Sunday Schools or small groups, raising up apprentices can be a determining factor in a church’s ability to multiply additional classes or groups. I’m joined today by two men who have served “in the trenches” of discipleship and leadership development.

Dr. Todd Tanner is a graduate of Texas A&M University. He has a Masters in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor in Education degree from Southern Baptist Seminary. Additionally, Dr. Tanner has more than 20 years of vocational ministry experience, including as the Senior Pastor of two churches.

Jason McNare serves as the State Missionary for Strengthening Churches in the Utah-Idaho Convention. Recently he served on the VBS Preview Team as Guest Trainer.

If you desire a thriving pipeline of growing and multiplying leaders, apprenticeship is the key. Jesus modeled this by choosing twelve men who didn’t appear “qualified,” but whom he trained and then released for great kingdom work. It is always “less about us and more about what he does through us.”

 Links:

Connect with Ken Braddy

Disciple-making In Community Season 1 – Enlisting and Onboarding Group Leaders Bible Studies for Life