It's so hard to make friends as an adult. We want to remove obstacles to find connections. Use the your hobbies to build a bridge toward connection. Over the next 2-3 weeks we will be gathering leaders to lead a hobby group. To sign up to lead a hobby group click here.

We need trust to experience connection. Yet trust is hard to find. Craig and Luke walk through three things we can do to create trust, regardless of what others are doing.

Sign up to facilitate a hobby group here

Were we really made to evangelize? In this episode Craig argues that evangelism is NOT telling people about Jesus. Find out what it is, and how practicing evangelism can be one of the most life giving practices for followers of Jesus.

Serving is not doing things for people. We quickly head towards burnout when we define service as doing things for people. In this episode Craig and Luke discuss how coming along side others so they can find their purpose is better than filling gaps.

How do we close the gap between who we are and who we want to be? How do Christians grow? Today Craig and Luke discuss discipleship. Christians throughout the ages have disagreed on this topic. How does a Christian grow. Craig and Luke give two key ingredients that are essential to our growth: Joy and Hesed.

Craig and Luke then discuss thanksgiving plans. Luke talks about how he's learning to be with God in different seasons. Craig discusses surprising findings about folks who are spiritual but not religions.

We continue our mini series on the shared purposes of followers of Jesus with fellowship. We define fellowship as being present to another and being committed to their good. Luke and Craig also discuss Luke's trip to LA, what Craig did with Halloween candy he found on the street, and plans for 2026.

At Garden City we come along side people so they can: experience presence, discover their purpose, and be a force for good in the world. We're going to take a few weeks to talk about the second part: discover your purpose. What do we mean by that.

On the one hand all disciples of Jesus share a five fold purpose:

Worship

Fellowship

Discipleship

Ministry

Evangelism

And on the other each disciple of Jesus has an individual purpose.

Over the next several weeks we are unpacking the five fold shared purpose before we unpack the individual purpose.

Today Luke and Craig unpack worship. They define worship as an embodied response of reverence. They then discuss how we become what we worship.

In the To Know and Be Known part Luke and Craig talk fear of dogs, what they're both learning, Craig refuses to watch Christmas movies with Luke, and Craig tried to find out what grocery stores Luke will be visiting on his upcoming LA trip.

Hero makers come alongside others so they can be the hero in God’s unfolding story. Paul used hero making to build the early church. He celebrated the Thessalonians for spreading the gospel through Macedonia and into Achaia. They took the gospel farther than he did (1 Thess. 1:8).  

One tool Paul used to be a hero maker was vulnerability. He did not shy away from sharing his needs. He said he became like an infant to the Thessalonians (2:7). How do vulnerability and hero making go together?

A vulnerable hero maker embraces their limits for the common good. Heroes try to do everything. Hero makers know there are people who can do more than we are able.

Craig and Luke share 5 practices to cultivate vulnerability

1. Share weakness

2. Give away influence

3. Be more curious than closed

4. Lead from story not persona

5. Take a risk every day.

To learn more about garden city visit comogardencity.com

Motivation matters. Why do we do what we do? Luke and Craig discuss three motivations that may get results but leave us depleted. Shame motivates us with the message, "I'm not good enough. Try harder." Pride motivates us with the message, "I can handle this, and I'll prove it!." Fear motivates us with the message, "If I don't ____ then _____." Luke shares how belonging counters al of those messages.

Then in the "To Know and Be Known" Segment, Luke asks the "kinda deep" question, "What stories shaped your identity?" Craig talks about getting in trouble as a kid but also feeling affirmed. He tells two stories that propelled him to be a pastor. Luke shares his stories on his way to being a pastor.

 A hero maker is a leader who shifts from being the hero to making others the hero in God’s unfolding story. As disciples of Jesus we are called to be hero makers. 

Jesus made disciples through hero making.

And yet, we struggle to become hero makers. Craig and Luke discuss three objections: