Breaking Thru the Noise

In this episode, we talk with Rev. Anna Lee, the Executive Pastor at Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville, TN. Anna shows us how Cokesbury is living out the Great Commission by inviting people to take their next step because everyone has one! Next steps look different for everybody and are not limited to individuals, churches have next steps too. Anna shares how Cokesbury Church over the past decade has made taking Next Steps a vital part of the embedded conversation in the conversation. It has become more than an invitation, it is an expectation that everyone always has their own next step. Hear Anna and I talk about how Next Steps got its start at Cokesbury and why it has become more than a promotion or a program. Cokesbury.TV @churchcmo [email protected] ChurchCMO.com

A few episodes back when we were talking with our friend Pastor Kristin about her journey embedding a Discipleship Pathway culture in her church over the past 7 years, she mentioned speaking to “spectators” in the congregation. We all have different labels for this group, but every preacher out there is picturing people in their congregation right now. When pastors and the leadership team seek to implement change such as a new culture of discipleship, what do we do about the spectators? I mean, they don’t work for change but they don’t work against change either, they just sit it out. Is that ok? Should pastors push or pull to get everyone in? What is our response to the apparent apathy of the spectators in our churches? Hear Charla and Mark explore ideas around engaging the spectators in your congregation.

In Episode 47, we continue our conversation with Dr. Leonard Sweet about his most recent book, Designer Jesus. Len shares with us his thoughts on how we are designed to be like Jesus. Our human identity comes from Jesus as he shows us how we are to be “fully human.” As followers of Jesus we have to be like trackers looking for fresh footprints to follow because Jesus is alive and in the world. We look for his fresh prints, where he is healing and saving people and join him in his work. Let’s continue our conversation with Len Sweet… Amazon Books: search Jesus Human and Designer Jesus or simply Len Sweet Books LeonardSweet.com Napkin Scribbles Podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

In this episode, we are privileged to talk with one of the great Christian minds of our generation, Dr. Leonard Sweet. Len’s two most recent books, Jesus Human and Designer Jesus combine to paint a picture for Christians how we are to be faithful humans and disciples. Jesus Human - Primer for a Common Humanity, explores how Jesus, in showing us the way to God, shows us the way to ourselves and the way to be human. Listen to the first half of our conversation with Dr. Leonard Sweet… Show Notes: Amazon Books: search Jesus Human and Designer Jesus or simply Len Sweet Books LeonardSweet.com Napkin Scribbles Podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

We are continuing my conversation with Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks and her work embedding a discipleship culture at her church. In this episode, we are going to talk about how we keep bridging the discipleship communication and perception gap in the congregation, 7 years into the process. Plus, we know the saying “what gets measured, get’s done.'' How does Forest Hills measure their effectiveness in their discipleship mission? Let’s jump back into the conversation with Rev. Kristen Clark-Banks… https://foresthillsumc.org/

I am so excited about our guest today, Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks, Sr. Pastor of Forest Hills UMC in Brentwood, TN. Soon after Kristin was appointed to Forest Hills 7 years ago, she began implementing a new discipleship culture called the Discipleship Pathway. In this episode, we are going to discuss how that culture has grown and how she has bridged the perception gap about discipleship in the congregation. We talked for so long, as she and I usually do, I split the interview into two episodes so you could digest the lessons we discussed from her experience. Part 2 will air in Episode 44. Forest Hills UMC - https://foresthillsumc.org/

In our last couple of episodes, we talked about what discipleship looks like from the pew, or from the perspective of members, attenders, and visitors. In today’s episode, we will look at 4 ways that we can embed a discipleship culture in the local church and not only bridge the perception gap, but get people walking over the bridge! ChurchCMO.com Proactive Strategy Accelerator Course: https://disciple-making-academy.getlearnworlds.com/1-click-sales Church Disciple Making Self-Assessment Survey assess your church’s readiness to proactively make disciples. Connect with Mark Wilson, Instagram: @markwvol @churchcmo, Facebook: /churchcmo, or email Mark at [email protected]

Today, I would like to build on the conversation we started in Episode 40 and talk about ways to bridge the perception gap between the laity and the church about what is discipleship. We roughly estimate 10-20 per cent have a clear view of discipleship and are actively engaged in discipleship. It would be an interesting exercise for a pastor or lay leader in the church to ask people of all ages in the church, “How do you define discipleship? What does it look like for you to engage in discipleship?” What else can we do as church leaders to bridge that gap…

Starting in this episode, Charla and I want to spend the next few episodes looking at discipleship from the pew, so to speak, from the perspectives of the member, attender, and even a visitor. It’s a fuzzy view. It’s a concept more than a Jesus directive that impacts our daily lives in what we say and do. It’s not like we don’t want to engage in discipleship. It’s that most church attenders don’t know what discipleship looks like or it’s not our radar. We will look at important questions like how does the church help clarify the laity's view of discipleship and translate it into their own lives among others.

Today we are going to talk about why we as church congregants should be investing in our own, proactive discipleship journey. The Church is full of people who came to know Jesus as Savior, yet were never taught what it means to actually follow Him. So I think we should start with what Jesus tells us about how we benefit from following in his path.