Church Planting Growth by Disciple Making {Discipleship vs Sunday Experience}

Brandon Hembree discusses the significance of disciple-making in church planting, emphasizing multiplication over mere attendance growth.

• He shares his experiences with Impact Church and advocates for community groups as the primary means of discipleship rather than traditional Sunday services.

• The conversation highlights the need for churches to focus on raising leaders and fostering genuine relationships to enhance mission work.

Highlights:

• Church planting should prioritize making disciples rather than just increasing attendance.

  • Adapt church methods to ensure engagement and resilience during societal challenges.

  • Reflect community diversity to foster a more inclusive worship environment.

• Enduring pain and facing suffering is essential for true discipleship.

  • Address destructive behaviors used to escape pain and embrace daily challenges as part of spiritual growth.

  • Confront personal sacrifices and honesty about struggles to strengthen faith.

• Job’s story illustrates maintaining faith amidst significant suffering.

  • His response to loss challenges conventional reactions and highlights unwavering trust in God.

  • Recognize that God’s goodness persists through both joy and suffering.

• Embracing pain in personal growth and forgiveness is key for spiritual development.

  • Developing intimacy with Jesus often involves discomfort but is crucial for deepening faith.

  • Effective discipleship requires leading families in faith and focusing on discipleship multiplication.

• True church growth involves focusing on making disciples rather than merely increasing church size.

  • Shift from traditional growth strategies to investing in developing leaders for multiplication.

  • Avoid relying on transferring congregants and instead focus on impacting communities authentically.

• Address misconceptions about the need for new churches and redefine what a church truly is.

  • Understand that church vitality isn’t solely based on the number of buildings.

  • Adopt a mission-driven mindset, treating congregations as mission teams.

• Church leadership should recognize and utilize the potential of all members in ministry.

  • Invite members to explore their leadership potential and overcome rigid definitions of church.

  • Address the need for pastors to avoid feeling indispensable and utilize all gifts effectively.

• Community groups should be the focus for deeper relationships and effective discipleship.

  • Measure church success by community group engagement rather than attendance figures.

  • Create diverse community groups to enhance learning and reflection.

• Churches should refocus missions beyond Sunday services, prioritizing true discipleship.

  • Evaluate and adjust church planning and outreach to enhance engagement and genuine ministry.

  • Consider different strategies for urban versus rural contexts to improve disciple-making efforts.

• Discipleship involves not just spiritual formation but also actively making disciples.

  • Balance teaching and accountability with high challenge and high grace.

  • Pastors should model active discipleship to influence new believers effectively.

• Empower individuals to make disciples rather than relying solely on church staff.

  • Equip members with necessary tools and reduce distractions for effective engagement.

  • Foster community and relationships to enhance discipleship efforts.