@lukedsimmons Give them your brain, passions, drains, etc. They need insight into what makes you tick and what makes you waste.
They own your calendar completely. It protects you, your family, and your team.
They must be a bulldog, gatekeeper, conductor. Give them the responsibility to do it.
After a full week of talking to pastors in crisis, I have a word of encouragement to every pastor…get a hobby.
Every pastor needs a fun, life-giving activity that has nothing to do with your ministry. This matters. It really does.
And do it often.
STOP BELIEVING THESE DISCIPLESHIP MYTHS.
❌ Myth #1: Every individual Christian must be able to make another disciple
✅ Truth: The whole church is involved in disciple-making. It takes a "body." It's not about "disciples who make disciples" (as if it's up to each individual). It's about disciples who play their part in making disciples.
❌ Myth #2: Your church needs a step-by-step pathway for making disciples
✅ Truth: Most people don't grow in a linear way. And many people have worked through the "steps" or "pathway" and are still pretty spiritually immature. It's not about a step-by-step plan. It's about a vision, framework, and ecosystem that allows disciples to grow over time.
❌ Myth #3: If we get people in small groups, they will grow as disciples
✅ Truth: Small groups are an extremely valuable piece of the discipleship ecosystem. But they are not a silver bullet.
❌ Myth #4: Our church needs a Discipleship ministry
✅ Truth: Your church IS a Discipleship ministry. The whole church with the whole gospel making whole disciples. If there's something your church is doing that doesn't contribute to that mission, it's worth revisiting.
❌ Myth #5: Discipleship is overwhelming
✅ Truth: It only feels overwhelming because you've likely not figured out how to explain it in a simple way that people can engage with.
@ChandlerDonegan@lukedsimmons I’ve taken my staff the last 3 years. Highly recommend. They do it with excellence, fun, and scalable teaching (no matter the size of the org).
Some are worried that Christians supporting Trump and Republicans is “ruining our witness.”
Our witness to who?
I say prioritize your witness to God-fearers and reality respecters, not those hardened by false ideologies.
Not all soil is equally receptive.
I will say again that it is egregious to be showing trailers for R-rated movies during NFL games. I'm watching Chargers-Texans with my 7-year-old. He should not be confronted with a graphic trailer for a lurid horror film like "The Housemaid." Just stop it.
"We have got to stop scolding young men for virtually any drive, desire, or masculine instinct they have. Those are God-given, and should be harnessed for his glory."
Love this answer.