Enduring Churches Podcast with Alan and Trent

Episode 219: 6 Shifts to Consider in Disciple Making

1. From surface belief to conviction
   • "We are not transformed by facts and information, but by what we believe in our bones" - Jessie Cruickshank
2. From instruction to imitation (observation then imitation)
   • walking in the steps of Jesus
3. From programming to identification
   • I am learning disipleship versus  I  am  a disciple
4. From corporate to individual
   • Individualized rather than a one size fits all
   • mentor as guides ( a life to observe)
5. From option to expectation
   • we often make discipleships sound optional
   • Are you willing to be discipled? If not willing to make a commitment  and give the time - then you are not a follower of Jesus.
   • discipleship is a culture
6. From passive to active
   • do we just hope for results or do we see results?

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 218: When You Say Yes To VBS

1. Find and train a VBS director (could be sports camp...)
2. Select the optimum time and dates for your context
   1. early, mid, late summer
   2. am or pm
   3. M-F, Tu-Sat, Su-Th, once a week for 5 weeks....
3. Train and support your workers
4. What is the role of the pastor?
   • whatever you want it to be
   • Be involved
   • Be available
   • Be evangelistic
5. Some of our best suggestions
   • Alan: Pray with your workers before the day begins
   • Alan:  I often was the funny skit guy
   • Alan: get down on a kids level to talk with them
   • Alan: mingle and talk with parents when they are picking up their kids. (we did not allow for drive by pick ups)
   • Trent: lead music and teach actions
   • Help with video and audiovisual
   • Help with registration
   • Lead in pledges
6. Follow up on decisions; keep family information for other events (get their permission)
7. Schedule baptisms soon

 

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 217: Shuffling Shepherds and Sickly Sheep

 

Does Shuffling of  shepherds produce sickly sheep? Churches and denominations have developed a bad habit of shuffling shepherds.  This has lots of effects on churches   Discipleship is cut short Teach them to observe  (great commission KJV) Vision is cut short churches continue the same bad cycles and never move forward. The sheep suffer: Bad shepherds are moved to new locations and continue to kill the sheep The shepherd is not trusted: Trust is never developed You don't become someone's pastor till . . . Wolves move in: Other bad intentioned and selfish leaders move in - wolf in sheep's clothing. Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

7 ways to boost attendance:   Be evangelistic and see people baptized. its the evidence of a fruitful ministry Always be on mission!  local and beyond! Have  a vibrant, multiplying small group ministry. small segments grow more quickly Talk about the importance of regular church attendance> if we don't address it, what should we expect? avoid guilting Build a sense of expectation. a culture of high expectations is not a negative Expectation = excitement = I want to invite my friends Use special emphasis. not as successful as they once were, but can be successful Reach out to first time guests quickly The quicker you respond to a guest's visit, the more likely they are to return. Make connecting easy don't ask for too much don't speak as if everyone knows everything you are talking about. Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 215: Responding to a New Pastoral Life Cycle

 

Thom Rainer and Church Answers have revised the pastoral life cycle:   https://churchanswers.com/blog/the-life-cycle-of-a-pastor-updated/   Honeymoon: 0 to 6 months.  Challenges and conflict: 6 months to 4 years.  Acceptance and stability: Year 4 to year 7.  Inflection point: Year 7 to year 10.  Mystery: After year 10   Some reactions to this:   Honeymoons are shorter and might not even exist bad processes in finding a pastor unhealthy pastors moving from church to church distrust of organizational leaders Inflection points will the church move in a positive or negative direction connection to other pastors willingness to re-evaluate one's own leadership habits of personal spiritual health Mystery of the long tenure no pattern larger church versus smaller church rural versus urban versus suburban "fire in the belly" or "just hanging on" Must re-establish your leadership every 2-3 years rather than every 4-5 years Everything is sped up.   Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 214: Summertime   Summertime is a time of opportunity   To experiment try some new things especially in outreach allow new people to explore new leadership roles To eliminate To establish momentum To evangelize To enjoy   Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 212: What We've Been Reading

 

Alan's List RARE Leadership by Wilder and Warner brain science and leadership (Fast track versus slow track) identity is fast track, but we tend to try an grow spiritually on the slow track) Remain Relational Act Like Yourself Return to Joy Endure Hardships Well why accountability fails -its fear based Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte organizing and gaining more productivity out of ourselves through leveraging technology The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership by James Hunter Several Books about WWII A Higher Call - Adam Makos Taregt Tokyo  - by James M .Scott Race of Aces - John Bruning Valley Forge by Drury and Clavin   Trent's List  I am a terrible reader but listen to audio books on audible - subscription holds me accountable Made to Stick   Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die By: Chip Heath, Dan Heath Winning the War in Your Mind  Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life By: Craig Groeschel The Ruthless Elimination of HurryHow to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World By: John Mark Comer What Got You Here Won't Get You ThereHow Successful People Become Even More Successful By: Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter Any book by Jon Gordon The Energy Bus Training camp The Carpenter The Seed Canoeing the Mountains Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory By: Tod Bolsinger Getting ready to start Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People  Over 325 Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases for Working with Challenging Personalities By: Renee Evenson Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 211: Blind Spots in Preaching

 

1. We fail to get their attention
2. We fail to include and explain doctrine.
3. We fail to include apologetics.
4. We fail to call for action.
5. We mis-read our audience.

• overestimate their spirituality
• underestimate their spirituality

We are unbalanced in our preaching.

• all Bible genre's
  • short series, we tend to focus on our "pet" subjects
  • long series, we tend not to get into other portions of the Bible
• multiple style and methods

We preach too often.

 

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 210: Moving On Up, Pt 2

When moving a person internally, consider....   Evaluation Evaluate the relationship between this person and church and you as leader Evaluate the ministry Evaluate the gifts for a different ministry Conversation Are they interested in a change Do they love the church   Timing If everything is positive from your view from the potential person of change's view from the church view   Then what is the best time to make the change? Are there times of business that need to be avoided? youth - summer Are there church events that need to be planned for?   Music - Christmas program Are there training opportunities that you want this person to attend?   Major principles Lots of prayer lots of open communication - no one likes to feel that they have been left out of the loop or that you're trying to get rid of them. Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website