The Church Lobby Ep 110: Healthy Goal-setting and Helping The Big Church Feel Small, with Luke Simmons
6 snips
Aug 28, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Luke Simmons, Pastor of Ironwood Church in Mesa, AZ, shares his innovative plan to connect with 1,000 church members through one-on-one coffee meetings. He dives into the challenges and strategies of maintaining intimacy in a large congregation while fostering discipleship and fellowship. Luke emphasizes setting numerical goals that align with deeper spiritual objectives. Listeners will appreciate his insights on visionary planning, financial stewardship, and the importance of personal connections in enhancing church community life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Core Leadership Is Size-Independent
- Leadership essentials stay the same regardless of church size: integrity, Bible teaching, heartfelt community, and neighborhood concern matter most.
- Size mostly changes secondary systems and complexity, not the core of faithful ministry.
Church Planting From A Sending Church
- Luke described planting Ironwood Church in 2009 with about 50 adults sent from their sending church.
- The plant grew slowly and steadily and taught him leadership lessons at each new phase.
Growth Shifts Pastor's Influence
- Growth brings grief because leaders can no longer know every person deeply and lose the quick lever to enact change.
- Larger size creates layered systems where the lead pastor often feels less direct power despite greater responsibility.
