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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Craig Etheredge, the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Colleyville, Texas. Craig shares seven bold moves for transforming a church into a more purpose-driven, disciple-making church. Craig discusses the effects of his church’s year-long study of the life of Christ and its implications for implementing disciple making into every ministry of the church. He also offers a four-step process for disciple making in the church: seeking people out, connecting them with a community, training them in spiritual maturity, and then deploying them to invest their lives in others.
In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Brian Proffitt entitled Don’t Answer That! Facilitating vs. Teaching, and Rick shares a post from his own blog about five things he learned from a recent meeting with Canadian small group point people.
The Groups Matter Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study expert from the LifeWay Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at LifeWay and author ofGUEST: Craig Etheredge is a gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher. Craig and his family moved to Colleyville, Texas, in July 2007 to serve as lead pastor of First Baptist Church, where he currently serves. In addition to leading the local church, Craig is involved in the local community, serving as the President of the Board of Trustees for Baylor Hospital, Grapevine. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Craig met his wife, Liz, in the fifth grade, and they have two daughters, Leah Beth and Abbie. You can follow him on Twitter at @pastor_craig, or visit disciplefirst.com for resources and information on upcoming conferences.
EPISODE SPONSOR: Today’s episode is sponsored by LifeWay Small Groups, which offers three resources for small group curriculum, each of which begins from a distinct starting point: topic, text, or the gospel. Bible Studies for Life is a DVD-driven Bible study that focuses on life issues and examines Scripture from the starting point of a particular topic. It is a perfect resource for new groups and new group leaders. Explore the Bible begins from the starting point of the text and examines the text and context of particular books of the Bible in depth. The Gospel Project is focused on the starting point of the gospel. It encourages group members to see Jesus throughout all of Scripture and drives them toward missional living. Search all three resources on lifeway.com/smallgroups for more information and free previews.
RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.
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