GA Baptist Discipleship

Tracking Disciples: Relational Church Software

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: * This isn't just a broadcast for nerds. * How church software can help you engage with a person for ministry. * How can software be relational? * How does a church that has never had software take its first step towards starting and building a church management software to be discipleship focused? * Software does not replace a human relationship. It can only enhance relationships to help churches align values, processes, and data track to accomplish their mission.

Equipping Travel Sport Families

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: * The cautions of travel sport commitments and the conflicts it creates in the local church. * How important our world view is when making travel sport decisions. * How anything can become an idol and specific guard rails we can utilize. * That disciple-making can happen where you live, work and play. * Tools to equip families who have chosen to engage in travel sports. * The importance or seeing ourselves as “in Christ” and not defined by a sport or job. * Who has the primary responsibility to disciple our children. * Making disciples requires us to think creatively and keep the priority of connecting with a local church. * How parents can know if they have crossed the line in priority. * Mindset shifts church leaders can make to increase gospel impact. * Three Key questions parents can ask to guide their decision whether to commit to a travel sport team.

Practical Ideas and Cautions When Choosing Groups Curriculum

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: * The general purpose of Sunday morning bible study and how this can be communicated. * How curriculum can help us achieve the purpose of bible study groups. * Curriculum is important because our behavior grows out of what we believe. * The pros and cons for giving your bible study leaders an option on approved curriculum vs a unified curriculum. * Practical ideas on how to choose what curriculum to use. * Why leaders must choose and communicate whether you have an open group vs a closed group when choosing what curriculum to use. * Trends and cautions when choosing curriculum based bible study or sermon based studies and the benefits. * One way to get a golf trip with Ken Braddy in the Swiss Alps!

Shifts Most Churches Need to Make to Become Disciplemaking Churches

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: * Craig Etheridge writes that US is now #3 behind India and China for the most number of people NOT professing to be Christian.  * One specific way to win a NEW 2023 IPAD PRO!! * A shift most churches need to make is to understand what their Win really needs to be. * The critical need to understand the church’s marching orders and why we do what we do. * How to FIGHT for a shift in culture. * Form a framily-friends & family * Identify and eliminate infections  * Give kudos (never miss an opportunity to praise leaders) * Hold high your core values * Take up for your lay and paid leaders * William Vanderbloemen says “culture wins with everyone… every time.” * Keys to create a mindset or programmatic shift. * Why regular and quality leadership meetings can be THE difference in your ministry. * Ideas to move your people from consumers to co-laborers. * 3 thoughts to help you make the above shifts including, seek to build onramps and not cul de sacs (credit: Aaron Hulse-First Fayetteville)

Connecting the Generations to Discipleship: Gen X and Millennials

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: * Learn the events and experiences that influenced each generation and why that matters as we seek to reach and retain Millennials and Gen X. * Millennials are the largest generation in the American workforce. * Gen X is the first generation to experience the full effects of divorce and both parents working outside the home. * Millennials are the first generation to be fully influenced by the cell phone becoming an everyday tool. * Gen X accounted for the majority of start-ups pre-pandemic and has incurred more debt than any other generation. * Millennials made popular long beards, flannel, and fedoras. * Gen X, well, they got parachute pants! * Millennials will experience the greatest transfer of wealth in American history so helping them learn to manage money is critical. * Gen X are caring for aging parents and local churches can offer caregiver support. * Note the pendulum swing regarding what becomes important from one generation to the next. * Millennials want to be involved. * Gen X are skeptical and need to see authenticity and moral integrity. * Listen to learn best practices churches are utilizing to engage both.