In his book, Concentric Circles of Concern, Dr. Oscar Thompson says that the most important word in the English language, apart from proper nouns, is the word “RELATIONSHIP”! I believe his statement is true in a number of areas related to the church. Evangelism. Although I am not opposed to…
I recently hosted Dr. Gary McIntosh at the Kentucky Baptist Convention building for a conference that discussed assimilation principles taken from his book, Beyond the First Visit. Fortunately, while he was here, Dr. McIntosh unveiled the findings of a recent national survey he conducted. I’m going to discuss some of the findings…
The Kentucky Baptist Convention partnered with Ed Stetzer and Scott McConnell from LifeWay Research to conduct a formal study of the spiritual maturity of Southern Baptists in Kentucky. During the same period, LifeWay Research also conducted a similar study that focused on the Protestant Laity in America. The findings from…
In their Broadman & Holman book, Simple Church, Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Resources, and Eric Geiger, Executive Pastor at Christ Fellowship, encourage churches to “return to God’s process for making disciples.” In their research, Rainer and Geiger discovered that the healthiest churches in America tended to have a…
In a recent post called Offer Multiple Connection Points, I discussed the important role that Sunday School and small groups play in connecting newcomers and new members to the church. I also recommended other ways to connect people since some will not become involved in Sunday School or small groups.…
One day as Jesus and His disciples were walking along the road, a man boasted to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go!” In the answer Jesus gave to Him, I find the following three requirements of discipleship: 1. Mobility. A big part of discipleship is following Jesus. Bill…
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Col. 2:6-7 (NIV) As believers, our ultimate goal is to become like Christ. He is the bullseye.…
What is the most important spiritual discipline? What is the one thing that is paramount when it comes to maturing as a follower of Christ? I believe the Bible is the key. As a follower of Christ, I have discovered that my intimacy with Christ rises and falls in connection…
Is a person who teaches a Bible study class on Sunday morning a Sunday School Teacher or a Disciple Maker? I believe they are both! I commend men and women who faithfully teach the Bible every week in our churches. After preparation during the busy week, they share information from…
Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth as well as Director of Professional Doctoral Studies is a person I highly respect. He is thorough, consistent, relevant, and approachable. I have been privileged to have him speak in one of the churches where…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.
In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.