The KC Underground Podcast

In this episode, Cory and Brian walk through a tool called "Moving from a Discovery Group to a Microchurch." This has been a helpful tool for groups of people as they identify and affirm themselves as a church based on the activities and characteristics described in Acts 2:36-47. We want to emphasize that church is not a program, but an identity, and that this tool helps groups understand what it means to live into that identity. We also discuss how this tool can be used with different group sizes and contexts, and how it can help groups think through multiplication as well. 

In this episode, Brian and Cory reflect on the podcast series we've been in for the last year where we've explored the 15 observations in urban disciple-making movements, a study conducted by TwoFourEight. This episode is a look back over the last year and highlighting some key-learnings from the interviews. It's been incredible to see how many of these are such a high value for us as a network, and to see how many in which we still have room for growth. We hope these have been helpful episodes and encourage you to listen back through this past years worth of podcasts on this series if you're just jumping in with us. 

In this episode, Brian and Cory discuss the importance of creating intentional and consistent rhythms of connection in disciple making movements. This is observation #15 from TwoFourEight's document on the 15 Observations found in urban disciple-making movements. TwoFourEight discovered in their interviews the need for consistency at every level of engagement, from individual disciples to microchurches and networks. We highlight the challenge of maintaining consistency in a busy and individualistic culture but stress the importance of fighting for it. We also explore the idea of healthy family rhythms and how they can be applied to disciple-making. 

In this episode, Cory Ozbun interviews Mark Thrash, president of NOVO, a band of creative missionaries sent to multiply movements of the gospel and mobilize the church for that mission around the world. Cory and Mark discuss the concept of team in the context of disciple-making and highlight the need for shared goals, accountability, and celebration of both big and small wins. Most helpful in this conversation is the introduction of the concept of Cave-Table-Road rhythms, which emphasize intimacy with God, community, and ministry engagement. 

In this episode, Cory and Brian interview Jessica Harris as she shares her journey of discovering her identity in the Kingdom and how it transformed her approach to ministry. Jessica emphasizes the importance of being filled with God's love and allowing it to flow through us to others. Jessica and her husband have created a space in their home where they host community groups, Bible studies, and worship nights, fostering authentic and vulnerable connections. They have a vision to build a community center in their front yard to serve their neighborhood. Jessica encourages listeners to embrace their identity as beloved children of God and approach ministry with childlike faith and trust.

In this episode, Brian and Cory walk through the nine paradigm shifts that are necessary if we want to see a disciple-making movement. We have included these shifts in our Missionary Pathway Primer as well. These paradigm shifts challenge traditional approaches to evangelism, discipleship, and many of our western church forms and encourage a more holistic and movement-oriented perspective. We aim to share how these are grounded in Scripture and have formed us as a movement in Kansas City. 

In this episode, Cory and Brian walk through the relational circles of Jesus and how it can be applied to disciple-making. Jesus was a master at relationships and he didn't try to move between multiple contexts like we often do in our daily life. He aligned his relational context to maximize the time with those He was discipling. There are five primary spaces in which Jesus lived his life: the crowds, the 72, the 12, the 3, and the one-on-one time He shared with His Father. We emphasize the importance of integrating one's life and relationships, rather than having segmented and disconnected relational worlds. We also discuss the need for intentional spaces where relationships can happen naturally and spiritual conversations can emerge. This tool helps us move from scattered to focused in one missional context. 

In this episode, Cory and Brian walk through a tool that we use regularly in the Missionary Pathway Huddle that we call The Matthew 28 Exercise. This tool helps us explore the four commands that Jesus gave within the Great Commission and is a fast way to help people consider what we've been called to do as followers of Jesus versus what our church paradigms in which we've existed have done instead. This exercise is not intended to criticize everything we've done. We know that we need many of the activities that the church has leaned into. However, these activities don't help us live into a movement mentality. The Matthew 28 exercise helps us begin the process of shifting paradigms into disciple-making movement mentality. 

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore observation number fourteen from TwoFourEight's research on the top 15 observations from urban disciple-making movements. This observation emphasizes the importance of creating ongoing team learning environments with application and reflection in disciple-making movements. We reflect on our own experiences and challenges in implementing this practice and highlight the need for consistent rhythms of learning together. While we haven't been amazing at this rhythm, it is something we're paying attention to in this next season. If we're going to see the Gospel flourish in our city, we The must have intentional collaboration and the continual adaptation of disciple making strategies to meet the changing needs of the city and the times in which we live. 

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore observation number thirteen from TwoFourEight's research on the top 15 observations from urban disciple-making movements. This observation makes that point that we should not look for the silver bullet in disciple-making or focus too much on repeating programs. We should look for the underlying biblical principles and then build adaptive practices. We won't always be able to use the same tools and models in every context, but we can pay attention to how biblical principles are repeated from context to context, utilizing new tools and practices based on those principles. We explore how we've seen this occur in the KC Underground in some of our main ways of disciple-making through the last five years.