The Red Letter Disciple

085: Daniel Im on The Distinction Between Interested and Non-Interested Christians, How to Avoid Pandering to Consumerism, and the Problems with the Church Growth Movement

Oct 8, 2024

Daniel Im, a pastor and author of 'The Discipleship Opportunity,' shares his insights on the distinctions between interested and uninterested Christians. He discusses the challenges of avoiding consumerism in church practices and critiques the church growth movement's impact on community engagement. Reflecting on church dynamics in Canada vs. the U.S., he emphasizes the need for genuine relationships over mere attendance. The conversation offers a fresh perspective on adapting discipleship approaches to foster deeper faith connections.

01:01:31

Episode guests

Daniel Im

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The concept of 'Discipleship Opportunity' emphasizes the need for churches to create environments for both interested Christians and seekers to explore faith together.

Canadian churches may serve as a model for American churches by fostering authentic discipleship through recognizing their societal marginalization and openness to new ideas.

Utilizing data to understand congregational needs can help church leaders tailor discipleship programs that engage both interested and uninterested individuals effectively.

Deep dives

The Concept of Discipleship Opportunity

The notion of 'Discipleship Opportunity' is emphasized as a central theme, highlighting it as a significant chance for church leaders and their congregations. The discussion encourages churches to redefine the traditional understanding of discipleship, placing a strong focus on creating an environment where both interested Christians and non-Christians can explore their faith. This involves recognizing that engaging with seekers is crucial for church growth and revitalization. The podcast stresses the importance of fostering relationships that facilitate meaningful conversations about faith, rather than merely filling pews.

Intro

3min

Journey of Surrender and Leadership

13min

Contrasting Church Dynamics: Canada vs. U.S.

18min

Navigating Church Engagement in Changing Times

18min

Cooking Up a New Approach to Discipleship

2min

Embracing the Call: A Discipleship Challenge

4min

Engaging with Discipleship: Community, Challenges, and Upcoming Guests

3min

Daniel Im is a pastor, podcaster, and author of The Discipleship Opportunity, a brand new book. His goal in discipleship is friendship by investing time, money, and energy in others, but specifically stewarding his time well to reach both believers and unbelievers who are interested. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Dwelling 1:14. Led by Pastor Greg Finke, Dwelling 1:14 is a discipleship organization that comes alongside pastors and leaders to help them intentionally disciple their people. Greg has worked with hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of people. He has developed a year-long training process that helps your church produce greater disciples in their everyday lives. He’s an experienced practitioner and mentor, and he’s ready to help your church. You can contact him and learn more about this year-long process here.

Also, check out a webinar I had with Greg Finke in June of this year to help your church create a discipleship plan.

Let’s still include some Dwelling114 graphics, links, and webinar material here for when we post it on our website.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer

ImBetween Podcast: Marriage and Parenting Podcast

The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World by Daniel Im

The Making of a Leader by Frank Damazio

DanielIm.com

Key insights from the episode:

In Canada, the church knows it is in the margins. – Daniel Im

When the pews are empty, pastors don’t just think they are doing something wrong; we think we’re wrong. – Daniel Im

The church growth movement started out of a reaction to churches as country clubs. - Daniel Im

After the pandemic, we all became very possessive of our time. – Daniel Im

Christian consumers are those who say they “watch” you. – Daniel Im

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are some of the most spiritual, open generations we’ve ever seen. – Daniel Im

If you chase uninterested Christians, you are just pandering to consumerism. – Daniel Im

Daniel Im’s Challenge: Pray the prayer: “Here I am, Lord.”

Are you following Jesus?

Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.

In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will receive your results immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.

You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.

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