GA Baptist Discipleship

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Where preaching fits into a churches disciple making plan.
• Ideas to engage your church from the pulpit that leads to a next step in discipleship.
• How important it is to think and pray through the invitation, just like the rest of the message.
• That public proclamation (preaching) is not the only tool to make disciples.
• The art of engaging people and equipping them to serve.
• The digital footprint is now the first impression for many.
• Technology in church is a great avenue to involve young generations.
• The shift to hybrid worship (in-person and online) brings accountability in what we say and a stark reminder that many more people are watching than what you know.
• US is not #3 behind India and China in the number of people who profess to NOT be a Christian, Craig Etheridge in his book, BOLD.
• Outreach Magazine says that remote learning “threatens the $670 billion college-industrial complex. It also threatens the traditional approaches to discipleship.”
• Fight for relationship and the right to speak truth into another’s life, not just to assert your authority.

Scott Sullivan and Ray Sullivan conduct an incredible interview with Scott & Dawn Smith. Scott is the Discipleship Pastor at Lakewood Baptist in Gainesville, GA. Dawn is the Connection Director at Lakewood. Together, Scott and Dawn lead a podcast called, Forevermarriage.org.

In this episode we learn:

• The creative ways that Scott Smith and Sully proposed to their brides!
• Why the Smiths began the Forevermarriage.org podcast.
• Key insights for couples to finish well.
• The critical need for leaders to have people upstream (mentors & walking buddies) and downstream (those you invest in).
• Powerful relationship building principles like, “listening to your spouse to understand them not to change them.”
• To study your spouse and discern whether they are a red solo cup or a crystal goblet.
• Hear an important meaning of “passion” that can change your perspective of your spouse.
• Effective ideas to affair proof your marriage.
• Lessons for young parents including: “you can raise your kids and spoil your grandkids or spoil your kids and raise your grandkids.”
• Incredible personal rhythms to help deepen intimacy and gospel impact like fighting through awkwardness to learn to pray together.
• The most powerful marriage advice that Sully has ever heard.

We know we need volunteers, but are we willing to slow down and create opportunities and pipelines that build a volunteer framework to get there? 

Volunteer expert Mac Lake is a pioneering influence in the church planting movement. Through his partnership with West Ridge Church, they created the LAUNCH Network. The North American Mission Board adopted the LAUNCH Church Planting system in 2015, and Mac served at NAMB through implementation. Mac founded the Multiply Group in 2019, which is committed to helping leaders and churches multiply. He is the author of four books, including The Multiplication Effect. Mac and his wife, Cindy, live in Charleston, SC, and have three grown children and four grandchildren.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What Sarah McGlocklin has to do with reaching new volunteers
• Several current volunteer stats, including:
  • 1 in 4 Americans volunteers at least once in the past year, with women volunteering more than men
    • research.lifeway.com/2018/07/26/data-paints-a-picture-of-volunteerism-across-the-nation
• As the percentage of the churches staffing budget increases, the percentage of people volunteering decreases
  • theunstuckgroup.com/measuring-church-health-how-many-people-will-serve
• Post pandemic still waiting for volunteers to return, with only 35% of Americas serving, down 44% from the pre-pandemic era
  • christianitytoday.com/news/2022/january/church-ministry-volunteer-gallup-survey-lifeway-wr.html 
• 61% of people who volunteered in the last six months considered volunteering an act of generosity, and pastors disagree
  • barna.com/research/volunteering-giving
• Mac recaps his book, The Multiplication Effect - multiplygroup.org
• Ray talks first steps in addressing volunteer culture
• How discipleship is the backbone of your volunteer pipeline
• How to apply these principles to a church as small as 10 people
• What has it been like for Mac through and after the pandemic with the Multiply Group
• PJ’s experience as a Serve Minister
• How to implement a “white glove” experience for new volunteers
• A word from Ray that it starts with us and discipleship to change how we reach and engage volunteers

Dr. Josh Smith is the Pastor of Prince Avenue Baptist in Bogart, GA. He is the author of Preaching for a Verdict, co-author of the Psalm 1-50 volume in the Christ-Centered Exposition Series, his latest work, The Titus Ten. Pastor Josh has ministered in more than 30 countries, worked with international students at Duke University, and served as a missionary in central Europe.

FUN Facts: Josh has 4 daughters and wrote a book for MEN!! He was raised with a deep love for all things Elvis!

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/the-titus-ten-P005834421

In this episode, Josh and Scott explore:

Why men need to be grounded in the Word

• What is real success in local church men’s ministry and why the need for consistent “movement” among our men?
• The need for men to take dominion over 4 domains: the flesh, home, work, and the church.
• How men who have never been discipled learn to disciple others
• Keys to get men serving in your local church
• Why do men seem so hesitant to volunteer in most churches?
• Where do small groups or Sunday School classes fit into effective men’s ministry?
• Josh makes a bold claim that men cannot fulfill God’s design for their lives without being involved in the local church.
• Why delayed gratification may be the missing link in many of our men’s lives?
• And why YOLO may be the most important acronym for men in 2023!