GA Baptist Discipleship

This broadcast will help church leaders see the need to utilize church management software as part of their efforts to make disciples. Boyd Pelley has been the Co-founder/Culture Architect at Churchteams since 2000. From 1990 to 2008 has served as discipleship, administrative and family pastor of churches in New Mexico, Nebraska, and Texas. Churchteams was born out of his passion for discipleship and team-building in the local church. Married for 37 years, he and Pam have two married, adult children who love and serve Jesus with kids of their own! In this broadcast we discuss:

Dan Williams formed Partnerships with a Purpose during the Olympics in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. He founded Sports Serve, where he devoted his time to leadership development through sports. Since 1993 Dan has been working with churches and organizations to make disciples in and through sport across North America. He is one of the founding members of the North American Sports Movement. Chris Weldon has been married for 31 years to Debby. They have 7 children and 3 grandchildren (number 4 is due in November). Chris has been in ministry for 32 years, with 10 of those years in Seattle as a Church Planter with NAMB. The last 5.5 years as a Co-Vocational Pastor at Emerson Church, a replant of a 150-year-old church, that is positioned next to the largest sport complex in Georgia. Chris has a BA in Biblical Studies, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctorate from SEBTS. In this episode we discuss:

Ken Braddy is the Director of Sunday School & Network Partnerships for Lifeway Christian Resources. He’s been the managing director of adult ongoing Bible studies such as Bible Studies For Life, Explore The Bible, MasterWork, The Gospel Project, YOU, and more. Through his team’s work at Lifeway, they served the Bible study needs of approximately 3 million adults each week. Matthew Gibbs has been the discipleship and evangelism pastor at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia for the past 15 years and has served in ministry over 25 years. He is a core piece of our discipleship team serving as discipleship consultant in our east central region and one of my close trusted friends. In this episode:

We interview Ken Adams, pastor at Crossroads Church Newnan, Georgia and President of IMPACT Ministries. Carl Johnson also joins us. Carl is the pastor of leadership development at Peace Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia and serves as a contract representative for our Georgia Baptist Discipleship Team in the West Central region. In this episode you’ll learn: FIGHTculture wins with everyone… every timeseek to build onramps and not cul de sacs

Dr. Allen Jackson currently serves as both a professor and pastor. For over half of his adult ministry life, he lived on the NOBTS campus and taught, researched, and spoke in the field of youth and collegiate ministry. Over the years, his interests expanded into other fields in Christian Education and Spiritual formation including leadership, administration, developmental psychology, risk management, and a heavy investment in the next generation. He has written extensively in adolescent, collegiate, leader training, and Bible teaching areas. Allen now serves as senior pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta and has been a constant source of wisdom and friendship in my life for over two decades. Ray Sullivan III serves as the Discipleship Consultant in South Georgia for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Because conversion is the starting line, not the finish line, Ray is passionate about helping pastors and churches take their next step in developing intentional disciple-making pathways that lead converts to become fully trained disciples of Jesus. Before joining the GBMB, Ray served as lead pastor in churches throughout Kentucky, Florida, and Georgia. In the episode:

Chris Trent is the Next Gen Catalyst on our Church Strengthening team. He served as a student pastor in churches in Texas and Georgia, most recently as student pastor at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church for 14 years. Jenni Carter is a Statewide Next Gen Consultant on our Church Strengthening team focusing on helping churches in Kids Ministry. She has served for over 10 years with the GBMB and is nationally recognized for her efforts in VBS training and for seeing thousands of children come to faith in Christ through VBS. Gen Z (born years 1997-2013) is easy to focus on the negative things society says about this generation. But on this broadcast, the team has a conversation on leveraging relational authority in the lives of this generation to see God using them in the local church. The team discusses:

Let's face it. We gather people and organize events in our church to connect church families and guests. But when we create events, are we doing them with a next step in mind or how "great" the event can be? We invite JJ Yount on the broadcast alongside Adi Coe, who both serve at First Redeemer Church in Cumming, Georgia. As a seasoned student pastor and associate pastor, JJ shares some of his processes for helping events be next-step generators in our discipleship pipeline throughout his ministry and as the student pastor at First Redeemer. Adi serves on the team with JJ connecting women at First Redeemer and the community in discipleship. In this episode, the team talks about the following:

Dr. Patrick Morley founded Morley Properties in 1973 and was one of Florida’s 100 largest privately held companies. He’s been the president or managing partner of over 59 different companies and has taught a bible study to over 5,000 men for decades on Friday mornings. He has written over 18 books. His book, Man in the Mirror has sold over 3,000,000 copies worldwide and selected as one of the most influential books of the 20th Century. Dr. Morley has a new book out entitled: A Man’s Guide to Spiritual Disciplines. In this episode, Patrick and Scott explore: Evangelism without discipleship is cruel.

Scott Sullivan and Carl Johnson interview Ken Adams, pastor at Crossroads Church Newnan, Georgia and the President of IMPACT Ministries. IMPACT Ministries has a full line of resources developed to help disciples make fully trained disciples. In this episode: https://impactdisciples.com/

Where does evangelism end and discipleship begin? That is an initial question in a discipleship resource called This is the Gospel. This is the Gospel was created to help new believers and undiscipled believers understand their walk with Christ, become grounded as disciples, and gain a basic framework for the Christian life. This resource was developed by Dr. Paul Gotthardt, formerly the founding and lead pastor of Life Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. After 18 years of ministry in Las Vegas, he was called as the sixth senior pastor at Sherwood in June 2021. Paul is a native of Savannah, GA, and he and his wife have been married for 27 years. Father of two college age daughters: Shana and Kaylee. John Lagrange is the Director of This Is the Gospel at Sherwood Church, and he was previously the missions and groups pastor at Life Baptist Church in Las Vegas. He is originally from New York and married to Virginia. They have three kids and are exploring all South Georgia has to offer! In this episode: This is The Gospel

Scott N. Smith is the Communications Director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board (GBMB). He was brought on the GBMB team in 2012 after he had built a digital consultancy for churches while traveling in full-time evangelism for 17 years. Scott's expertise in digital strategy and his broad engagement with hundreds of churches created an understanding of what churches need to use digital effectively. He recently did a series of Facebook live events in which his video on Artificial Intelligence went viral with high engagement. PJ Dunn was between two Scotts (Scott Sullivan and Scott Smith) on this broadcast as the team dived into AI and applied it to discipleship that advances the Gospel:

In this episode you’ll learn: BOLDthreatens the $670 billion college-industrial complex. It also threatens the traditional approaches to discipleship.”

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: Forevermarriage.org

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:

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

In this episode PJ Dunn and Scott Sullivan interview: Dallas White, GBMB Young Leaders Network Director and pastor at The Grove Church in Ackworth GA. Dallas has revitalized The Grove Church in many aspects, including designing and updating intentional spaces on a limited budget. Kyle Clayton is the pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Cartersville, leading their church through revitalization and facility updates. They have intentionally improved areas in their building to help create a disciple-making culture by utilizing volunteers for design and construction. • How do environments, decorations, branding, and renovations communicate? • How to utilize church members to make updates and what parts should we reserve for professionals? • Key budget-saving tips and ideas when renovating? • Main issues why churches do not update spaces and environments and proven solutions & principles to consider? • Winston Churchill, “success is moving from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” • How can intentional environments stir people’s affection for the Lord and help make disciples? • Six concepts to consider as you create intentional spaces:  Renovated people to match renovated spaces  Assess your current situation  Trust is the relational soil in which individual and organizational change happens  Start with a Holy Spirit breathed vision  Flexibility in implementation  Surround yourself with quality leaders  Build Momentum through member engagement  Make the process a fun and rewarding experience

We are excited to have GA Pastor, disciple-maker, and author of Grow Devotional Pathways Dr. Joey Rodgers in this curriculum review. Joey serves as the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Peachtree City, Georgia. He is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of Carson-Newman University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he earned his Master's and Doctorate degrees. Joey is married to Meg, the proud parents of four children. How to "Hit the Mark" in discipleship is something all churches must find to make disciples. Joey's devotional life discipleship guides are founded in Scripture and organized by topics. Learn more on this broadcast and at www.5marks.org

Dr. Noe Garcia is the lead pastor at North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona. He and his wife have four children. Noe holds a Doctorate in Ministry and Executive Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a passionate disciple-maker. Noe is an adjunct professor at Gateway Seminary and a writer for Lifeway Voices. Have you ever thought your life is beyond repair? Perhaps you asked, "How could God possibly use my brokenness for good?" We all tend to look for purpose in our pain, and we are broken people living in a broken world. Depression, anxiety, hurting relationships, unmet expectations, and discouragement make us question God, wondering if there is even a purpose to be found. In his book, Repurposed, Noe Garcia journeys through Romans 8, which many have called "The Greatest Chapter in the Bible." Noe shares his life story, including abuse, depression, and overwhelming hopelessness. He reveals how God has redeemed him, repaired his brokenness, and restored him to new life. Get the Book -> https://a.co/2a0Qabm Noe, Scott, and PJ talk through how there is purpose in the pain of being broken and dependence on the Lord. From that brokenness, the Lord can work in our life and multiply our disciple-making efforts. Invite a friend and join us live for this authentic chat on making disciples in 2023!

Join Ray & PJ as they co-host a talk on the first steps young adults (ages 15-25) take to own and grow in their disciple-making journey. We will have GA Baptist BCM leaders Beverly Skinner, Baptist Collegiate Ministry Director with the GBMB, David Williams, BCM Campus Minister at Valdosta State and previously FCA area director and pastor. On this broadcast, the team discusses: • The transformation from high school to college age to single adult regarding discipleship • Gen Z communicated in a recent study by Springtide Research that… o 52% have little to no trust in organized religion o 1/3 say a faith community is not important o 1 in 5 say they don't try to live out their beliefs  https://www.springtideresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/religion-and-young-people-overview.pdf • How David sees Gen Z interact regarding their faith and discipleship during his time pastoring and leading a successful local FCA • The way students age 15-20 change dramatically in asking questions regarding their faith • The importance of mentors to young adults • Beverly's "next step" that students take while at college • We need to know more about the person's life stage to relate to them first instead of building a program they need to join. • The difference for on-campus students, commuter students, and adults 18-22 not enrolled in college for disciple-making • The need for relationships at the center of any stage for young adults • Ray talks about his sons through this season of their life and the different ways the BCM supports students who don't even attend their events • Beverly breaks down the focus of the BCM and how they empower churches • David demonstrates the way local churches can partner with the BCM and the disciple-making process • PJ talks about when "adulting" happen and when someone identified as single • Adulting is primarily ownership of their life, surrendering their life to Jesus • The age for first-time marriage in America is 31 for men and 29 for women, churches that know their young adults are single will reach them

In This Episode: • Georgia Baptist Discipleship averages 16,000+ interactions monthly • Georgia Baptist Discipleship Facebook has grown from 60 to 3400+ members • Two ways to win FREE products and gift cards! • Implementing an intentional culture and an identifiable disciple-making plan are foundational (Broadcast: Brandon Guindon: Disciple-making Culture). • Why is strategic planning necessary for long-term church health (Broadcast: Leo Endel-Small Church Strategic Planning). • Keys to take advantage of significant energy & build attendance bumps (Broadcast: Levi Skipper- Riding the Waves of Attendance) • Challenge to train and empower lay leaders in 2023 (Broadcast: Steve Parr interview) • Ways to create a culture where everyone feels welcome and included (Broadcast: Mark Hearn interview). • Best practices: healthy churches need healthy pastors. Jim Putman shares how his pride almost upended his ministry. Jim also has the BEST quote of the year… the difference between wrestling and wrastling! • What leaders can do to reverse the trend of not being able to replace staff and fill ministry responsibilities. • Barna's study showed that 42% of pastors surveyed considered quitting, NOT just leaving but quitting. • 400-500 churches in GA without a pastor, and this is echoed around the nation • Virtual Reality discipleship. An example of leaders thinking beyond borders to thrive in the future church (Broadcast: Mike Wynn & team, PJ Dunn, Carl Johnson, Virtual Reality Discipleship) Lightning Round: • Best book read in 2022, in addition to the Bible? • Essential leadership qualities needed to win in the future church? • What was the top struggle you noticed in 2022 among pastors/staff? • Least talked about topic in discipleship that should be a headline? • Most creative solution and the problem it solved? *Listing with links to all topics and guests: Emotional Health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdRpsYWku5g Ride the Waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYksbhH_8oU Health in Disciple-Making: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6mqBQ4NDVA Disciple-Making Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGH54bjKFQk Current Church Trends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYq4_rYJDVI Small Church Strategic Planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEM4-Z_x5aE Calling Out the Called: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d07y1JF1A8 VR Discipleship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxo4RPWYmyE