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Lizards vs. Toads: A Revolution in Church Discipleship

Today’s episode will help us reevaluate our approach to ministry, emphasizing proactive engagement over comfort, and inspire strategic planning rooted in biblical wisdom to foster a culture of effective disciple-making.

Join us for an inspiring session as we go into the fascinating dynamics of church leadership and discipleship, featuring speakers discussing the contrast between 'lily pad' and 'lizard' mentalities. Discover the pitfalls of comfort and complacency in ministry and learn how to embrace risk, creativity, and mission-focused outreach. This thought-provoking talk challenges traditional approaches, emphasizing the importance of planning and intentionality to cultivate a vibrant, disciple-making movement. Whether you're a church leader or a passionate follower of Christ, this session will inspire and equip you to transform your church culture and impact your community.

Check out Discipleship.org for resources on disciple-making: https://discipleship.org/resources/

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Key Takeaways

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

10:36 Revival and the Role of Lay Lizards

15:44 The Mission Beyond the Lily Pad

22:46 Guns and Faith: A Unique Retreat Experience

23:27 The Power of Your Sphere: Reaching Out

24:00 Avoiding Toadism: Staying on Mission

24:29 Introducing Hollis Half: Planning for Success

30:29 Biblical Examples of Planning

31:42 Wisdom in Planning: Insights from Proverbs and James

39:58 Innovations in Discipleship: Building a Culture

45:17 High Impact Events and Spiritual Battles

Resources on Disciple Making Culture

Disciple Making Culture Visual Introduction

Cultivating a Disciple-Making Culture at Your Church

Disciple-Making Culture

See below for a longer description:

The episode kicks off with a warm greeting from the speaker, acknowledging a group from Iowa for their collaborative efforts in church work, jokingly cautioning them about losing their zeal for Jesus amidst their success. He reflects on how topics like discipleship have evolved from being niche to central in today's conferences, signaling a renewed focus on God's work.

Moving on, the speaker introduces his co-speaker, Hollis Half, teasing their catchy session title aimed at drawing in the audience. The conversation shifts to a spiritual tone with a prayer expressing gratitude for knowing God and a commitment to disciple-making. The speaker uses an amusing analogy of 'toads' and 'lizards' to illustrate passive versus proactive approaches in ministry and outreach.

Exploring further, he describes 'toads' as those comfortable in their church 'lily pads,' focusing on internal comforts like facilities and attendance. In contrast, 'lizards' represent leaders who actively engage the community, prioritizing outreach and action over comfort.

Drawing from personal experiences, the speaker shares how his early ministry's growth led to a shift from active community engagement, when renting spaces, to a more complacent focus on maintaining a permanent church building.

He critiques the American church's tendency towards comfort and security, sometimes overshadowing the mission of outreach. Anecdotes illustrate how these mindsets can hinder effective ministry and outreach efforts.

Highlighting Jesus's approach to ministry, he emphasizes the need for dynamic, mission-minded leaders—'lizards'—who can spark revival and reach out beyond traditional church boundaries.

The talk lightens with personal stories, including encounters with unlikely evangelists and successful outreach movements like Promise Keepers, emphasizing the effectiveness of proactive engagement over internal church activities.

The discussion shifts to practical advice from Hollis Half on the urgency and strategy of ministry planning, drawing lessons from his extensive experience. He underscores the importance of intentional planning and strategic thinking inspired by biblical examples like Moses and Nehemiah.

In conclusion, the episode encourages churches to foster cultures that prioritize disciple-making and innovate relationally and symbolically to reflect God's strategic approach in their ministry planning.

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