Discipleship & Culture with Brian Daniel

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Dwayne McCrary, the team leader for adult and young adult group resources at Lifeway, about how and why church staff and group leaders should develop themselves in the principles of leadership. Dwayne shares his methods for selecting reading material aimed at leadership development and explains how church leaders can glean truth from leadership principles in contexts outside of the church. Dwayne also discusses how church leaders who are focused on continuing to learn and grow can produce a ripple effect that can benefit the entire church culture.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Bob Mayfield titled 6 Teaching Methods Every Small Group Leader Should Know, and Rick shares his list of 5 reason it may be the wrong time to multiply a group.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author of Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups.

GUEST: G. Dwayne McCrary is the team leader for Adult and Young Adult group resources at Lifeway, leads two weekly Bible study groups (one for empty-nesters and one for 4-year olds), serves as an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and carries 20-plus years of church staff experience. He is married to Lisa (both native Texans), and they have two children and one grandson. Find him on Twitter: @gdwayne.

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 @RickHowerton.

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Ken Braddy, Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies at Lifeway, about following up with visitors and guests after they attend church or a group meeting. Ken identifies five types of people group leaders should follow up with and offers some specific, practical advice for how group leaders can make these people feel important and valued so that they are likely to attend again. Ken also suggests some ways that these following-up practices can help churches stand out among other prospects that visitors and guests may be considering.

In addition, Rick and Brian discuss a blog post by Heather Zempel called Making Disciples … Not Hunting Them Down. Rick shares his list of What to Do When Just a Few People Show Up and offers some do’s and don’ts for handling this potentially awkward situation as a group leader.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author of Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups.

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 our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Chris Surratt, the brand manager for SmallGroup.com at Lifeway, about sermon-based Bible studies. Chris discusses the challenges for small groups pastors and small groups point people in creating a sermon-based curriculum unique to a specific church. Chris warns that what we put into the hands of our small groups leaders is critical to ensuring that small groups are fulfilling their function as not just a place for community but also as a place for foundational and transformational Bible study. Chris shares the benefits of SmallGroup.com as a tool to help small groups leaders access trustworthy Bible study content in a digital format that is completely customizable for an individual church or small group.

Brian and Rick also discuss a blog post by Ken Braddy entitled Should You Ever Drop Someone from Your Bible Study? Finally, Rick shares his list of the week, How Can I Get My Small Group to Be More Missional, an examination of how groups can look for opportunities to serve people and bring the gospel to them.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with over twenty-two years of experience serving the local church. Most recently, Chris was the Pastor Of Adult Ministries at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he oversaw and helped guide small groups and global and local good across five campuses. Before coming to Cross Point in 2009, Chris was on staff at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, for fifteen years, serving as a worship arts pastor, campus pastor and on the directional leadership team. Both Cross Point and Seacoast have been recognized as two of the fastest growing churches in the United States. Chris also works with Leadership Network in creating collaborative learning environments for churches across the world. He is passionate about helping people find their next steps toward God within the context of community. Chris’s first book, Small Groups For The Rest Of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes, will be released by Thomas Nelson on September 29, 2015.

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 @RickHowerton.

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Allan Taylor, the Director of Christian Education at Lifeway, about his years of experience as a minister of education. Allan explains how his tenure as a high school football coach impacts his understanding of leadership among Christian educators. In both situations, the first rule is not to play against yourself, and the second rule is to practice the basic fundamentals of the game. Allan also shares his concern about the declining significance of evangelism among group ministries and talks about how his new position at Lifeway enables him to connect with and assist ministers of education from all over the country.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Mark Miller titled Harry Piland’s Impact and examine Harry Piland’s nine tools for growing Sunday school classes. Rick also shares his list of the week: Three Types of New Group Members and How to Keep Them.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofAllan Taylor is the Director of Christian Education for Lifeway Christian Resources. Before coming to Lifeway, he most recently served as Minister of Education at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia, for 20 years. He also served London Bridge Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Beaver Dam Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Before entering the ministry, he was a high school football coach and Sunday School director at his church. He has been married to Linda for 37 years. They have three married children and three grandchildren. He can be reached at [email protected].

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

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Michael Kelley, the Director of Groups Ministry at Lifeway, about Transformational Discipleship, a book he co-authored with Eric Geiger and Philip Nation. Michael discusses how the convergence of three key factors in group life—biblical truth, people in a humble posture, and godly leaders—can create the perfect environment that enables the Holy Spirit to work. Michael also shares his definition of the term “gospel-centered” and its implications for group life and daily Christian ministry.

In addition, Brian and Rick review a blog post by Joel Comiskey entitled Prayer Hindrances and Suggestions to Overcome Them, and Rick shares his list of Nine Responsibilities of the Small Group Point Person During a Church-Wide Camp.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife, Jana, and three children: Joshua (10), Andi (7), and Christian (5). He serves as the Director of Groups Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources. As a communicator, Michael speaks across the country at churches, conferences, and retreats and is the author of Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God, Transformational Discipleship, and Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by The Disciples Path series, a 6-session Bible study on systematic discipleship created for smaller groups of 2-12 members. The Disciples Path was created by a group of 14 disciple makers from churches of different sizes and different denominations across the country. Find more information at lifeway.com/disciplespath.

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

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Bill Search, a former groups pastor and senior pastor. Bill shares some practical advice for groups ministers about relating to and working with senior pastors. Bill discuss some often overlooked reasons why senior pastors might be hesitant to get involved in a church’s group communities and offers some suggestions for how groups ministers can invite senior pastors to promote and encourage group life with these concerns in mind.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post titled 4 Specific Things You Can Do to Make Your Group More Christ-Centered by Mike Mack, and Rick shares his list of five reasons a church-wide campaign can be helpful for a groups ministry.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Bill lived and studied in Chicago where he completed his graduate degree from Wheaton College. He worked in higher education before becoming a pastor in 1998. An avid reader and amateur historian, Bill is the author of Simple Small Groups. He’s happily married to Karyn, the most brilliant and beautiful woman he has ever met. Together they enjoy their three kids: Maegan, Emma, and Jack. Bill enjoys movies, all genres of music, and great coffee.

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 @RickHowerton.

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Jeremy Linneman about the often controversial practice of group multiplication. Jeremy discusses the theological basis of group multiplication and the pattern of calls to mission as detailed in Scripture, and he shares some advice for dealing with group leaders or group members who are resistant to group multiplication. Rick offers some insight about the benefits of group multiplication for smaller churches, and Brian and Rick discuss the stages of group life and the aim of multiplying at the optimum time.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Jim Egli titled Four Reasons Why Praying Leaders Have Faster Growing Groups, and Rick shares his list of the week about the four levels of relationship and why these relationships are important to group life.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Jeremy Linneman is pastor of community life at Sojourn Community Church, a diverse, multi-congregational church in Louisville, Kentucky. Jeremy oversees Sojourn’s family of more than 150 community groups and is active in preaching and counseling at its East Campus. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri (B.A.) and Southern Seminary (M.A.) and is a certified leadership coach. He writes on community and culture at jslinneman.com. He and his wife, Jessie, have three sons.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by The Disciples Path series, a 6-session Bible study on systematic discipleship created for smaller groups of 2-8 members. The Disciples Path was created by a group of 14 disciple-makers from churches of different sizes and different denominations across the country. Find more information at lifeway.com/disciplespath.

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

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Craig Etheredge, the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Colleyville, Texas. Craig shares seven bold moves for transforming a church into a more purpose-driven, disciple-making church. Craig discusses the effects of his church’s year-long study of the life of Christ and its implications for implementing disciple making into every ministry of the church. He also offers a four-step process for disciple making in the church: seeking people out, connecting them with a community, training them in spiritual maturity, and then deploying them to invest their lives in others.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Brian Proffitt entitled Don’t Answer That! Facilitating vs. Teaching, and Rick shares a post from his own blog about five things he learned from a recent meeting with Canadian small group point people.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Craig Etheredge is a gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher. Craig and his family moved to Colleyville, Texas, in July 2007 to serve as lead pastor of First Baptist Church, where he currently serves. In addition to leading the local church, Craig is involved in the local community, serving as the President of the Board of Trustees for Baylor Hospital, Grapevine. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Craig met his wife, Liz, in the fifth grade, and they have two daughters, Leah Beth and Abbie. You can follow him on Twitter at @pastor_craig, or visit disciplefirst.com for resources and information on upcoming conferences.

EPISODE SPONSOR: Today’s episode is sponsored by Lifeway Small Groups, which offers three resources for small group curriculum, each of which begins from a distinct starting point: topic, text, or the gospel. Bible Studies for Life is a DVD-driven Bible study that focuses on life issues and examines Scripture from the starting point of a particular topic. It is a perfect resource for new groups and new group leaders. Explore the Bible begins from the starting point of the text and examines the text and context of particular books of the Bible in depth. The Gospel Project is focused on the starting point of the gospel. It encourages group members to see Jesus throughout all of Scripture and drives them toward missional living. Search all three resources on lifeway.com/smallgroups for more information and free previews.

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

 

 

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Daniel Im, the Church Multiplication Specialist for Lifeway and the leader of NewChurches.com, about the model for adopting mid-sized groups of 20-50 people into a church’s group ministry culture. Daniel shares how leadership teams can become cultural architects who create more natural, larger environments for connection, which can help appeal more effectively to both introverts and extroverts who are not already engaged in groups. Formatting these mid-sized group meetings can also lay the groundwork for smaller groups to extend from friendships formed in sub-groups of this community.

In addition, Brian and Rick share a blog post entitled 5 Common Small Group Myths by Steven Lee and discuss how addressing these misconceptions can make small group culture stronger within a church. Rick also shares his list of the week, The Five If’s of Discipleship, a model and a reminder of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Daniel Im leads NewChurches.com and is the Church Multiplication Specialist for Lifeway Christian Resources, working closely with Ed Stetzer and Todd Adkins. He is passionate about the local church and loves to be a part of creating the systems, strategies, tools, and resources to help new churches get planted, campuses get started, and multiplication to happen. Before coming to Lifeway, he served and pastored in church plants and multi-site churches ranging from 100 people to 50,000 people in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, and Edmonton. With his experience in both church planting and multi-site churches, he can provide others with insight to help take that next step. Daniel is also a Gallup Strengths Performance Coach and loves to help people discover their strengths to help them move further faster. You can follow Daniel on Twitter (@danielsangi), visit his website (danielim.com), or email him at [email protected].

EPISODE SPONSOR: This episode is sponsored by What Jesus Demands from the World Bible Study, a six-session Bible study based on the book What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper. This is a great title for group study that immerses readers into Christology and the demands that Jesus made for His followers. Both the book and the Bible study are available to order from lifeway.com.

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

SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Bill Donahue about his new book, The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together. Bill shares how Jesus’ ministry to the disciples in the upper room using three common tools—a table, a towel, and the truth— is a model for how churches should create a cultural environment for transformational discipleship. Bill argues that Bible study communities should aim to practice the truth in action, not just share knowledge, and that doing so is a way of fulfilling Jesus’ promises of community and fellowship. Bill can be contacted visiting his website at drbilldonahue.com or on Twitter @bdonahue80.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by John Piper entitled A Call to Small Togetherness, which introduces nine standards that should apply to all forms of small groups. Rick shares his List of the Week, entitled “Five Times Pastors Should Ignore Criticism,” and Rick and Brian discuss how and when pastors should take criticism into consideration.

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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Bill Donahue, Ph.D., brings energy and passion to developing leaders at every level in organizations. He is a popular conference speaker, author, and consultant building transformational leaders, groups, and teams for non-profit and for-profit organizations and churches. Dr. Donahue is President of the LeaderSync Group, a leadership development firm, and teaches at Trinity International University. He holds a degree in psychology from Princeton University, a master’s degree from Dallas Seminary, and a Ph.D. in adult learning from the University of North Texas.

Bill worked with P&G and PNC Financial Corp., and later served churches in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois. Before launching the LeaderSync Group, for 18 years he was Director of Group Life and Leadership at Willow Creek Community Church & Association, speaking and training leaders on 6 continents.

His resources include the best-selling Leading Life-Changing Small Groups as well as co-authoring Coaching Life-Changing Leaders (with Greg Bowman), Making Small Groups Work (with Henry Cloud and John Townsend), and Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry (with Russ Robinson). His newest book, The Irresistible Community, released in August 2015. He resides in Dundee, Illinois, with his wife and family.

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,