Intentional Churches Podcast

This episode focuses on the topic of alignment in church staff and governance boards. Erin and Doug discuss signs of misalignment, practical steps for achieving alignment, and the benefits that come from being aligned. They also share stories of both epic fails and success stories related to alignment. The episode concludes with a discussion on the first steps church leaders can take towards greater alignment, including leading effective meetings. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast! Learn more at: https://intentionalchurches.com Chapters: (00:00) Signs of Misalignment (01:12) Alignment in Church Staff and Governance Boards (08:43) Creating a Shared True North (09:29) DNA Statements and Values (11:54) Corporate Discernment (13:45) Benefits of Alignment (19:47) First Steps Towards Alignment (20:41) Leading Great Meetings

Explore the challenges of alignment in church leadership with insights on personal alignment to the Great Commission. Learn about practical tips and tools for moving towards alignment and avoiding institutional thinking. Hear alignment stories and examples, recent wins, and preview future topics and the Intentional Churches Conference.

Drew Moore, lead pastor at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, discusses the transition to a disciple-making church and the challenges and successes they have experienced. They define disciple-making movements and emphasize the importance of empowering individuals to make disciples. The conversation explores the shift from an institutionally focused approach to one that encourages agency and engagement from all members. They discuss the challenges faced during the transition and the positive outcomes they have seen, such as increased baptisms and volunteer engagement. The conversation also touches on the importance of thinking beyond individual discipleship and considering the impact on relational networks. To learn more, please visit https://www.intentionalchurches.com Learn more about Canyon Ridge Christian Church here: https://www.canyonridge.org Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Background (00:55) Defining Disciple Making Movements (03:17) Shifting Perspectives on Disciple Making (05:29) Transitioning to a Disciple-Making Church  (07:51) Unleashing Agency in Disciple Making (09:55) Challenges and Headwinds in the Transition (14:10) Overcoming Resistance and Change  (20:34) Fruit and Challenges in the New Approach (27:24) Challenges and Questions for the Future (31:12) Thinking about Relational Networks

This conversation explores the lost art of developing authentic friendships, particularly among the younger generation. The discussion highlights the impact of social media and technology on social connection and the rise of the loneliness epidemic. The importance of deep listening and powerful questions is emphasized as a means to address loneliness and foster meaningful relationships. The conversation also delves into the implementation of these practices in church leadership and preaching. Despite the challenges, there is hope for a culture that values and cultivates authentic friendships. To learn more, please visit: intentionalchurches.com   Chapters: (00:00) The Lost Art of Developing Authentic Friendships  (03:00) The Loneliness Epidemic  (05:44) Addressing Loneliness in Church  (08:37) The Power of Deep Listening and Powerful Questions  (11:19) Improving Questioning Skills (14:28) Implementing Deep Listening and Powerful Questions (17:46) The Impact on Preaching (20:41) Practicing Deep Listening and Curiosity  (22:23) Hope for Developing Authentic Friendships

In this conversation, Erin Johnston and Doug Parks discuss the influx of new people in churches and the need for intentional engagement. They explore the spiritual awakening happening in America and the importance of repentance and charting a new course for church leadership. They emphasize the need to start with the end in mind, focusing on the Great Commission as a personal mission statement. Practical steps for engaging new people include thinking like a church planter, building relationships, and tapping into the motivations and values of new attendees. They also highlight the significance of host moments and caution against antiquated thinking and strategies. To learn more, please visit: intentionalchurches.com   Chapters:  (00:00) Introduction (00:40) The Influx of New People (03:01) The Spiritual Awakening in America (06:21) Repenting and Returning to Scriptural Basics (10:36) Taking the First Step in the Direction of the Great Commission (13:07) Engaging Faces and Places (17:48) The Importance of Host Moments (23:23) What Every Church Should Be Doing (26:13) Guarding Against Antiquated Thinking (27:40) Conclusion

Doug Parks and Erin Johnston explore how churches can foster relationships in the modern era on this episode of Intentional Churches. They reference Truett Cathy and suggest creating space for people to engage with each other. They also discuss the example of Adamsville Road Church of God, which has seen an increase in attendance and baptisms due to its focus on relationships. Finally, they emphasize that personal relationships are the way forward for the church. Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast! To learn more, please visit intentionalchurches.com.    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Setting the Context (01:08) Defining Engagement in Today's Church (03:00) Flipping the Way We Lead (05:22) Relational Engagement and Loneliness (09:08) Creating Space for Connection (10:23) Discouragement and Exhaustion in Church Leaders (12:14) Learning from Chick-fil-A's Relational Approach (15:34) Experimenting with Non-Service Events (17:43) The Hunger for Authentic Relationships (20:33) Getting Back to the Basics (23:53) Church Experiences that Impact Daily Life (26:14) The Power of Personal Engagement

This episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast explores the concept of building a multiplication mindset in church leaders. The conversation highlights the difference between institutional multiplication and personal multiplication, emphasizing the importance of individual disciple-making. The hosts share their experiences at Canyon Ridge Christian Church and discuss the need for multiplication fluency and the M.A.W.L. process. They also discuss the Acts 1-8 model and the potential of multiplication in a church. The episode concludes with practical tools for developing a multiplication mindset.  Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast! To learn more, please visit intentionalchurches.com.  **The ChurchOS Conference is now the Intentional Churches Conference! Learn more and register you and your team at https://intentionalchurchesconference.com Chapters: (00:00) The Journey with Jesus and Transformation (03:00) Understanding Institutional Multiplication (06:00) The Transformation at Canyon Ridge Christian Church (09:00) Multiplication Fluency and Personal Disciple Making (12:00) Shifting Mindset to Personal Multiplication (16:00) Awareness and Engagement with People Far from God (18:00) Generational Multiplication and the Gospel (20:00) Simple Tools for Multiplication (24:00) Multiplication Mindset in Staff and Elders (28:00) The Potential of Multiplication in a Church (30:00) Practical Tools for Developing a Multiplication Mindset

On this first episode of the Intentional Churches podcast, Erin and Doug discuss what it actually means to mobilize our church people. Erin draws from her on-the-ground experience at Canyon Ridge to talk about how that church has pivoted from an inward-facing model to an outward one, all in the hopes of making disciples that make more disciples. Together Erin and Doug break down generational multiplication, why churches have become so reliant on their staff to steer the ship (and how to get away from that tendency), and what it means to cast a church-wide vision that’s people-focused, not content-focused. The episode ends with Doug’s challenge to church leaders to make the Great Commission a personal mission statement before it’s ever an organizational one. Want to hone in on how mobilization can radically transform your people? Don’t miss this conversation!  Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast! To learn more, please visit intentionalchurches.com. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Background (01:08) Defining Mobilization (03:04) The Importance of Getting People Moving (06:21) Understanding Multiplication in Church Context (07:40) The Institutional Mindset in the Church (08:39) The Impact of COVID-19 on Institutional Thinking (09:08) The Role of Church Staff in Mobilization (10:32) Institutional Thinking in Smaller Church Environments (11:24) Shifting the Focus from Institution to Individuals (13:44) Helping People Take Baby Steps (14:37) Building Awareness and Casting Vision (17:00) Celebrating Baptisms and Empowering Baptizers (19:18) Transitioning from Institutional Mindset in Host Moments (20:14) Creating Spaces for People to Find Their People (22:00) Developing a One-Aware Mindset (23:55) Sharing Transformation Stories (25:25) Transitioning from a Cruise Ship to River Rafts (28:51) Helping Church People Live Dynamic Lives (30:16) Building Awareness and Praying for Relationships (32:09) Conclusion

I'm a church leader just like you, and are you wanting to see more people in your community come to know Jesus? Are you wanting to fight the Christian consumerism that's emerged in all of our congregations? Are you tired of the same old books, conferences, and podcasts claiming to help with these very real ministry leadership challenges?Hey there, I'm Doug Parks , CEO and co-founder of Intentional Churches, and it's my personal mission to help shift your focus back to the basic blocking and tackling of ministry leadership, to call us all back to the basics of making the Great Commission a personal mission statement for every Jesus follower. Together, we want to multiply kingdom impact with intentional churches just like the one you serve in leadership. In fact, we built an entire church leadership system that we've now installed in over 600 churches nationwide, and we want to share those learnings and ideas with you and invite you into what's becoming the great collaboration between those church leaders. We're excited about season two of our podcast. We simply call it the Intentional Churches Podcast, and I humbly ask you to consider giving a listen to see what this back to basics call might look like in the church you serve.Together with my incredible co-host, Erin Johnston. And let me tell you, she's an incredible young millennial executive pastor in a great church. We promised to share thought provoking discussions and actionable takeaways that will resource you to help your people reach and grow the people in your community. So if you're ready to take the big step toward mobilizing and activating your congregation, we oftentimes say mobilizing your 99 to reach and grow their ones. Join us for season two of the Intentional Churches podcast we're launching in early 2024, wherever you listen to or watch your podcast. https://intentionalchurches.com/

Discover how Intentional Churches can partner with your church to activate the Great Commission and develop rhythms for greater Kingdom impact. Explore a different approach to church growth and engagement options with Intentional Churches. Learn about the vision for mobilizing churches and the role of ChurchOS in increasing church impact and community reach.