UNSCRIPTED with Dino Rizzo

“Prayer became more than an activity, it became our culture.”

Michael and Lorisa Miller started a prayer meeting in a small, upstairs office space overlooking downtown Dallas in April of 2010. From that “upper room” prayer meeting, God birthed a movement of prayer and worship in Dallas that continues to grow to this day, expanding into cities all over the world. Michael and Dino sit down to discuss their journey in what Michael affectionately calls “the most unconventional church plant we stumbled into.”

Their discussion includes: 

Michael also shares about the hunger in their community to experience the presence of God in a real way. Even though he was most comfortable in the suburbs because he understood the problems in “the burbs” and how to reach that community, he saw that prayer was the only strategy working in the downtown demographic, and God had called them there for that reason.

“They’re hungry. Cultural Christianity is not going to sustain us. Checking a box is not going to sustain us.”

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The Association of Related Churches (ARC) is a cooperative of independent churches from different denominations, networks, and backgrounds who strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus.

Since 2000, ARC has helped to plant more than 1,070 churches worldwide. If you have a dream in your heart to start a life-giving church and reach your city with the message of Jesus, ARC is here to come alongside you in the journey. Attending ARC Launch, a church planter training event, is the first step in planting a church with ARC. You will hear from ARC pastors, coaches, and staff as they share the nuts and bolts of church planting. Discover more and register for ARC Launch at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/launch/⁠⁠⁠. 

Don’t Do Ministry Alone - We need relationships to thrive. You need other people in your corner, who have gone through similar things that you’ve gone through, and believe in your dream. ARC provides opportunities for you to build relationships with others in ministry that will support and strengthen you in what God has called you to do. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/connect/⁠⁠⁠.

“Some of the greatest developing leaders in our church are still young.”

Milestone Church celebrated 20 years last fall. Pastor Jeff Little and Dino Rizzo tour Milestone’s new facilities and discuss the journey of pastoring through so many seasons, the importance of relationships, and being authentic instead of polished.“

You can go to a small church that feels cold or a big church that feels cold, it’s really about culture.” 

Jeff shares how Milestone is like a fusion restaurant, blending things together that are rarely together. He finds people appreciate the intentionality and excellence to serve them but they’re surprised by the authenticity and the family feel. And they’re even more surprised that as the church grows, Milestone still maintains the relational connections.

Dino and Jeff dig into some of the biggest themes of his pastoring experience including: 

Jeff explains how shepherding people is all about taking care of who you have through every season and how they’re working more intentional than ever to maintain the spirit and the culture that brought them to this point.They also discuss the importance of supporting and blessing church planters. When asked what encouragement he has for young pastors, Jeff advises, “don’t get so consumed with success that you miss the moment. Don’t be in such a hurry. Jesus builds His Church.” 

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The Association of Related Churches (ARC) is a cooperative of independent churches from different denominations, networks, and backgrounds who strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus.

Since 2000, ARC has helped to plant more than 1,070 churches worldwide. If you have a dream in your heart to start a life-giving church and reach your city with the message of Jesus, ARC is here to come alongside you in the journey. Attending ARC Launch, a church planter training event, is the first step in planting a church with ARC. You will hear from ARC pastors, coaches, and staff as they share the nuts and bolts of church planting. Discover more and register for ARC Launch at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/launch/⁠⁠⁠. 

Don’t Do Ministry Alone - We need relationships to thrive. You need other people in your corner, who have gone through similar things that you’ve gone through, and believe in your dream. ARC provides opportunities for you to build relationships with others in ministry that will support and strengthen you in what God has called you to do. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/connect/⁠⁠⁠.

“We started with honor and believe we’ve seen so much favor because of that.”

Earl and Oneka McClellan are the founders and lead pastors of Shoreline City Church based in Dallas, Texas. They started Shoreline with a Bible study in a nursing home in 2012 and have grown into multiple locations, services, and expanded internationally into Guatemala. They’ve been married for over 20 years with three children, and are both visionaries and dynamic communicators who are passionate about cultivating leaders.

Dino visits them in Dallas, where they unpack many aspects of Shoreline’s start as well as their commitment to a healthy marriage and partnership throughout all stages.

They talk about the beginning of their journey and how they planned to move to a highly unchurched area until they felt God’s call to Dallas. Through seeking counsel and honoring local pastors, they were able to find the right part of the city to plant Shoreline. Recognizing they are standing on the shoulders of so many pastors who plowed the ground before them, they committed to honoring local pastors in every step. They also celebrate finding the lost, doing life together, and not just finding people who are already in great communities.

The conversation covers many topics including:

They also talk about one of the displayed messages throughout their building which shows the heartbeat of their church:

You are loved. You are valued. You are believed in. 

____________ 

The Association of Related Churches (ARC) is a cooperative of independent churches from different denominations, networks, and backgrounds who strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus.

Since 2000, ARC has helped to plant more than 1,070 churches worldwide. If you have a dream in your heart to start a life-giving church and reach your city with the message of Jesus, ARC is here to come alongside you in the journey. Attending ARC Launch, a church planter training event, is the first step in planting a church with ARC. You will hear from ARC pastors, coaches, and staff as they share the nuts and bolts of church planting. Discover more and register for ARC Launch at ⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/launch/⁠⁠. 

Don’t Do Ministry Alone - We need relationships to thrive. You need other people in your corner, who have gone through similar things that you’ve gone through, and believe in your dream. ARC provides opportunities for you to build relationships with others in ministry that will support and strengthen you in what God has called you to do. Learn more at ⁠⁠https://www.arcchurches.com/connect/⁠⁠.

“I never played for the fame. Once I became a believer, I knew this was a platform God had given me and how I used it would be a reflection of my love for Him.”

Kevin Mawae is a football coach and former professional player who played in the NFL for 16 seasons, most notably with the New York Jets. Mawae played college football at LSU, where he was a first-team All-SEC, and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. After joining the Jets in 1998, he received six consecutive Pro Bowl selections and five-first All-Pro honors during his eight seasons with the team. Mawae spent his final four seasons as a member of the Tennessee Titans, extending his Pro Bowl selections to eight and his first-team All-Pro honors to seven. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and is currently the head coach at Lipscomb Academy.

Dino and Kevin’s friendship started when Kevin and his wife attended a service at Healing Place Church in search of answers. Their spiritual hunger and desire to understand the ways of God in a deeper, more personal way led them to commit their lives to Jesus and live passionately for Him.

Dino and Kevin sit down at Lipscomb Academy and have a wide ranging conversation including:

You’ll also witness a never-been-done-before moment on Unscripted when Dino takes a snap from a Hall of Famer.

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Kicking off the much-anticipated Season 3 of "Unscripted," Dino sits down with Mark Pettus, Highlands College President, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. After 13,000 students gather at the Motion Conference, they discuss a wide range of topics about reaching the next generation.

“If there’s anything that’s a long game, it’s building Student Ministries.” Dino asks Mark thought-provoking questions about student ministry. They unpack the challenges this generation faces, what needs to change in student ministry, and how authentic relationships mean more to students than the platform. 

“Students are more connected, yet disconnected than ever before… I love LED’s and all the bells and whistles, but the greatest evangelistic tool you have right now is real relationships.”

Mark expresses the importance of focusing on small groups and how that led to more growth than any service or event. He explains the framework of their ministry and how they follow it at large events by making sure there is connection in small groups. 

They discuss more about: 

You’ll also see some behind-the-scenes footage at Motion Conference as Dylan Rizzo interviews different youth groups, leaders, students, and the pre-service rally.

Unscripted is back with a fresh season full of inspiring interviews you don’t want to miss. Join Dino as he sits down with some dynamic guests from church planters to seasoned pastors. Conversations span a broad range of topics between leaders of the next generation, an influential prayer and worship movement, and an NFL Hall of Famer turned coach. One thread between all these impressive guests - they are driven by a shared mission to create a meaningful and lasting impact. 

“If you know who God created you to be, you can overcome anything.” Toby Slough, pastor and mental health expert, shares hard-earned wisdom about turning your own mental health struggles into a powerful tool in your life to help others. 

On the heels of thousands of students attending the Motion Conference, Dino interviews Mark Pettus in the Legacy Arena to unpack ministering to the next generation, their mental health struggles, and building a leadership culture. 

(*use pic)

“If Jimmy Evans can succeed in marriage, any human being can succeed in marriage.” Pastor Jimmy Evans shares openly about his struggle as a selfish, dominant husband and how God transformed their marriage and ministry. Hearing his honest, raw perspective is a reminder no situation is without hope. 

These guests along with Jeff Little, Earl and Oneka McClellan, Michael Miller, and Kevin Mawae, generously share their experiences, struggles, ideas, and wisdom. You will laugh, cry, and be inspired through all these interviews.

“We ‘beat the odds’ - our original launch team was on the team and staff for 7-8 years because we pastored them from day one. We do it for the one.”

Davey Blackburn is a church planter, coach, author, speaker, podcaster, and founder of Nothing is Wasted Ministry. In 2015, four years after they moved to Indianapolis to plant a church, his pregnant wife of 7 years was murdered in their home during a break-in. 

“Our hope is that we can disciple and teach people how to leverage their influence to pull others up and push them forward. We want our city to experience the victory of Jesus Christ.”

“If God pours out His Spirit and no-one ever does anything, then we just had a good church service. What we need is more workers.”