Discipleship & Culture with Brian Daniel

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Spence Shelton, the Lead Pastor of Mercy Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, about his transition from serving as a small groups pastor to becoming the lead pastor of a church plant and the benefits of infusing pastoring duties with a groups perspective. Spence discusses the ways in which senior pastors can enable and empower their groups pastor, as well as the ways in which groups pastors can support and pursue the leadership of their senior pastor.

In addition, Brian and Chris discuss a blog post by Eric Geiger titled Six Types of Dangerous Charisma.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Spence Shelton is the Lead Pastor of Mercy Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mercy Church launched in September 2015 with the vision of seeing a gospel awakening move through the people of Charlotte that is carried to the ends of the earth. Spence and a team of 45 adults were sent to Charlotte by the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, where he served as a pastor for 10 years.

Spence has had the privilege of publishing books and resources with several influential leaders in the church today, including The People of God, co-authored with Trevor Joy; Jesus The King, with Tim Keller; The Meaning of Marriage, with Tim & Kathy Keller; The Gospel Revolution, The Gospel according to Jonah, and Presence: Overwhelmed by God with his friend and mentor J.D. Greear; and articles and small group studies for multiple organizations, including Lifeway, Outreach Magazine, Right Now.org, Christianity Today, and more. Spence also regularly trains and consults for churches in discipleship methods and models.

Spence received a B.S. in business administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and an M.Div. in Christian Ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Spence and his wife, Courtney, have four children: Zeke (7), Ben (6),  Ellie (3), and Haddie (2). Follow Spence on Twitter: @spenceshelton.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like di...

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Allen White about his new book, Exponential Groups: Unleashing Your Church’s Potential, and the importance of increasing the percentage of church members who are not only involved in a group Bible study but are also involved in leading group study. Allen discusses his discovery that most people are already involved in connecting with a group of believers, whether in their church, their community, or their social environment. The best thing for church leaders to do is equip these existing groups with Bible study material and enable the leader to teach them well. Allen shares how church leaders can leverage existing relationships in a way that leads to more groups and to more people getting involved in groups.

In addition, Brian and Chris discuss a blog post by Michael Kelley titled Laying the Cultural Foundations of Your Church and the necessity of a church culture that develops small group leaders who can effectively disciple small group members.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Allen White has devoted the last 25+ years to helping people find Christ, make meaningful connections, grow in their faith, and find fulfillment in ministry. He has successfully launched hundreds of groups at two churches as the Associate Pastor: New Life Christian Center, Turlock, California, for 15 years and Brookwood Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina, for 4 years.

Additionally, in his work with Brett Eastman and Lifetogether, Allen has had the privilege of coaching hundreds of churches of all sizes and denominations over the last 10 years. He has taught workshops for local churches as well as speaking at the Purpose Driven Church Conference at Saddleback Church, the BASS Church Workers Convention, the Willow Creek Association–Canada, and many others.

Allen earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Missions and an M.Div. in Christian Education. Allen, his wife Tiffany, and their four children live in Greenville, South Carolina. Find more information from Allen at allenwhite.org at on Twitter: @allenwhite.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Will Johnston about the differences among churches in urban and suburban environments and how to serve people’s needs in both settings. Will shares some of his experiences to illustrate how socioeconomic factors can influence a congregation’s needs and wants when it comes to groups and community. He also discusses how to adjust an approach to recruiting and training leaders to suit a variety of environments.

In addition, Brian and Chris discuss launching a new groups campaign, including how to select a Bible study for a launch and how to follow up a campaign in a way that maintains participation and momentum.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Will Johnston is the Director of Build Community at Eastside Community Church in Anaheim, California. Will graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in theology, did a two-and-a-half year stint on Capitol Hill, and then joined the staff of National Community Church in Washington D.C., where he oversaw small groups.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Mark Howell, the Pastor of Communities at Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, about the nature of churches in urban and suburban areas and the difference between making acquaintances and building community. Mark suggests that the need to belong is the one of the strongest human needs and that churches who appeal to people’s need for belonging will find that strategy effective. Mark also discusses the recognition among small group environments of the desire to do more than just connect people: the purpose of groups, he argues is to connect people in such a way that they grow in their relationship with Christ.

The following links provide more information about the issues discussed in this episode:

* GroupLife Southwest 2017

* My Top 10 Favorite Posts on Small Group Coaching

* Top 10 Posts on Discipleship and Making Disciples in Groups

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Mark Howell is the Pastor of Communities at Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada and the founder of SmallGroupResources.net, offering consulting and coaching services that help churches across North America launch, build and sustain healthy small group ministries. Mark is also a writer, contributing to the Pastor’s Ministry Toolbox, SmallGroups.com, Small Group Trader, and ChurchCentral.com and blogging regularly at MarkHowellLive.com and StrategyCentral.org on a variety of topics including church growth, strategic development, leadership, alignment, and innovation. Find Mark on Twitter @MarkCHowell.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Eddie Mosley, the Pastor of Disciple-Making at LifePoint Church, about developing community in a church with a hybrid discipleship model that includes both traditional, on-campus Sunday School classes as well as off-campus small groups. Eddie speaks about how important it is for church administrators to train group leaders and communicate the expectations for both Bible study and community within groups. Eddie also shares about how the pastors and staff of his church seek opportunities to become involved in local sports organizations and other community events and how these efforts allow the church to facilitate culture for the purposes of ministry and evangelism.

In addition, Brian, Chris, and Eddie discuss how the model for small groups has changed in recent years, and Eddie shares some advice for new small group ministers.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Eddie Mosley is the Pastor of Disciple-Making at LifePoint Church, serving the multi-site campus in Smyrna, Tennessee, since 2005. His enthusiasm for seeing life change happen in the lives of individuals in his church, neighborhood, and community is infectious. He is a sought-after speaker for small group ministry and neighborhood impact. He is the author of Connecting in Communities, Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups. He has written numerous articles for SmallGroup.com and Lifeway Church Resources. He has also served as Regional Point Leader for the Saddleback’s The Small Group Network. He blogs often at eddiemosley.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @eddiemosley. Mosley is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where he received a Bachelor in Business Administration degree. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Seminary. When not immersed in the small group world, Eddie spends his time coaching baseball. Mosley and his wife, Lisa, have two sons and reside in Middle Tennessee.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Ken Braddy, Manager of Lifeway’s Adult Ongoing Bible Studies, about the renewed focus on evangelism and reaching out to new people in small groups and Sunday School programs. Ken discusses how many of us might feel that the practice of evangelism is best left to the “experts,” but small groups can encourage and facilitate group members to reach out to their community in practical, evangelistic ways.

In addition, Brian and Chris speak with Ken about his list of ten things guests need from small groups leaders when they visit a group for the first time. (Read Ken’s list here: part one and part two.) He notes that church leaders who have not visited a new church in a long time may forget how much anxiety this process can induce. But reevaluating with fresh eyes how their groups greet guests can help church leaders make small changes—like using simple, stick-on nametags—that can make a big difference in making guests feel welcome.  

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Ken Braddy is Manager of Lifeway’s Adult Ongoing Bible Studies and has served as an education pastor for 18 years, prior to his role at Lifeway. He leads a weekly Bible study at his church, blogs regularly on the topic of Sunday School and small groups, and co-authored the books 3 Roles For Guiding Groups and Teacher: Creating Conversational Community. He has written hundreds of leadership articles and trained group leaders across the country. Ken is a native Texan, loves tex-mex, and wishes he had his 1978 Camaro back. Follow him on his blog at kenbraddy.com.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on the Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Aaron Armstrong, the brand manager for The Gospel Project at Lifeway. Aaron shares how studying theology, the starting point for The Gospel Project curriculum, can heighten a group’s awareness of the impact of the gospel in every facet of our lives and can change the focus of a group’s discussion in several significant ways. In addition, Brian, Chris, and Aaron discuss their strategies for reading widely and efficiently on the topics of ministry, leadership, and social and cultural issues.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by The Gospel Project. The Gospel Project takes adults, students, and kids on a chronological, Christ-centered journey through the storyline of Scripture. Find more information—and preview one month free—at gospelproject.com.

GUEST: Aaron Armstrong is the Brand Manager for The Gospel Project. Outside of Lifeway, Aaron is the author of a number of books, including Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty, blogs daily at BloggingTheologically.com, and has written for a number of websites, including The Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk.com, and ChurchLeaders.com. Prior to joining Lifeway, Aaron worked for Compassion International’s Canadian office in London, Ontario. He now lives in the Nashvile area with his wife, Emily, and three children (Abigail, Hannah, and Hudson).

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Lynn Pryor, a team leader for adult resources at Lifeway, about how the Bible Studies for Life curriculum starts with topical life issues as an entry point into God’s Word. Lynn discusses how this starting point can encourage and facilitate groups to invite new members and encourage evangelism efforts—particularly in the studies titled Unvarnished Truth and Unstoppable Gospel. Lynn also shares some insight about how Bible Studies for Life resources are created with the needs of a variety of group members in mind.

In addition, Brian, Chris, and Lynn discuss a blog post by Chuck Lawless on thomrainer.com titled “10 Ways to Make Your Small Group More Evangelistic.”

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Lynn Pryor is a team leader for adult resources at Lifeway. He and his wife, Mary, lead a Bible study group for young adults and have survived raising two sons to adulthood. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, Lynn has previously pastored and served churches in Texas. Follow him on his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Dr. Todd Engstrom, Executive Pastor of Ministries at the Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas, about missional community as the centerpiece of church discipleship. Todd shares the theological, philosophical, and practical goals that his church pursues in an effort to meet people where they are and then lead them to a missional purpose. Todd also discusses how to train leaders in a discipleship program focused on missions and evangelism.

In addition, Brian and Chris discuss three ways to enact a new strategy of missional community in a church’s current discipleship program.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Dr. Todd Engstrom is the Executive Pastor of Ministries at the Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, TX. He also directs the efforts of the Austin Stone church planting, which includes training, resourcing, and appointing church leaders to glorify God wherever they are. He regularly speaks, writes, and consults with churches on the topics of missional community and organizational leadership. He is husband to Olivia and father to five kids and serves as a missionary in his neighborhood. You can connect with Todd online at toddengstrom.com or on Twitter at @toodus.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by Disciples Path: The Journey, a yearlong program of discipleship working toward maturity in Christ. It’s a purposeful process covering four volumes, 13 sessions each. The Journey was created to nurture believers into disciples who make disciples. Find more information at lifeway.com.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Chris speak with Ben Reed, a small groups pastor at Saddleback Church, about his experience with small groups and discipleship in a variety of ministry environments. Ben discusses how important it is for churches to determine their own benchmarks for a healthy and balanced discipleship ministry and to aim for those measures of health over any attendance goals. Ben also shares some practical ways to encourage and grow participation in small groups ministry and addresses some challenges faced specifically by young leaders in discipleship.

The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Small Groups For The Rest Of Us.

GUEST: Ben Reed is a Pastor on the Small Groups team at Saddleback Church in southern California and is the author of the book, Starting Small. He’s also been on staff at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Nashville, TN, and Grace Community Church, a church plant. Ben is married with a son and daughter. His interaction with small groups, recruiting small group leaders, training and shepherding them is broad, and his heart beats for healthy, authentic, biblical, Jesus-focused community. He knows that without a healthy system, you can’t replicate what you do with any efficiency. Visit Ben’s blog at benreed.net.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @ChrisSurratt.