Search Results for: church

The principle is simple: healthy things grow. Just as a child or plant thrives in a healthy environment, an organization needs the right care and environment to grow. Unhealthy elements tend to wither away. In the context of a disciple-making church, the cornerstone lies in cultivating healthy people. A church is a collective of people,…

The point of being intentional is to do something with purpose and not leaving the outcome up to chance or fate. Being intentional means that you have a specific outcome in mind and that you are taking specific, logical steps in order to achieve that outcome. Therefore, we not only intentionally attempt to form relationships…

Ministry is all about relationships because ministry is all about connecting people to God. From evangelism to leadership, every step involves a relationship. While it might seem natural for every church to embrace this value, the reality paints a different picture. So, some churches are all about the building. Everything they do is tied to…

Chris Seidman has been the Lead Minister for The Branch Church in Dallas, Texas for 23 years.  He authored “Before Stones Become Bread: Becoming More Like Jesus by Resisting Temptation” and co-authored “Heaven on Earth: Realizing the Good Life Now,” an avid student of Scripture and is passionate about intentional disciple making.  We are thrilled…

Have you ever thought how many lives you touch each day? You touch your family, friends, co-workers, and all of the people who provide services that enable you to live your life before (and honoring to) Jesus. Have you ever considered the impact those “touches” have upon others? Without giving it much thought, you have…

Did you know that the Cape Buffalo is considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa to hunt? I have a good friend who just returned from an African hunt and was bestowing his wisdom to me on the African culture and species. He spoke specifically about the Cape Buffalo, and I…

Jesus did not invite the 12 disciples to a once a week meeting. He invited them into His daily life (and ultimately into His Kingdom and mission)!! So, the original 12 followed, watched, and experienced all of Jesus, and then we subscribe to a once-a-week, 60-90 minute meeting at a coffee shop or with a group…

t is both the job and privilege of every Christian to be a disciple of Jesus. And part of that job is the call to disciple others. You can disciple someone without holding a Bible degree – Jesus did a good job of demonstrating that by the men he chose to be his disciples. You…

I’m writing from Haiti, a country I’ve been traveling to for the last 20 years. I originally met Pastor Wiljean Compere at the Billy Graham Conference for pastors and evangelists, Amsterdam 2000. In 2008, we started a residential disciple-making training program for young leaders called SOYM (the School Of Youth Ministry). This week, I have 13 young leaders…

It is exciting to start the new school year when all our school-aged kids move to the next grade. You remember how that was—you spent the summer telling everyone you were no longer a fifth grader but a sixth grader now. Advancing to a new grade brought excitement, and some anxiety. I had an interesting…

Most Christians are intimidated at the thought of personally making disciples. “I do not know enough,” they say. Or “I do not know how to do it” or “what if I am too controlling or I let someone down?” For some, they are paralyzed by the thought that they will damage people or the cause…