Every Church Flourishing by the Great Commission Association

Today we've got Gateway Seminary vice president Dr. Kristen Ferguson for a fascinating conversation that ranges from women's ministry,  to being a pastor's wife, and concludes with a moving discussion of special needs ministry in the church AND special needs MINISTERING TO THE CHURCH. We will also have JC, the Cal Baptist Ministry student, back to review the World's Hottest Soda with us - does it live up to the hype? Does it injure us?  We also have a great Spanish language interview at the end with Dr. Chris Smith and Pastor Humberto Hernandez on the state of the Hispanic church in the West.   

Great pod today, with some fascinating topics and guest hosts and guest reviewers. We've got a review of a Scottish Soda - Irn Bru, made with steel girders, apparently, and a great guest reviewer there AND ALSO a listener question from Robin F., who asks about the Apocrypha - those mysterious books that are in some Bibles, absent from others, and are the centerpiece for tons of conspiracy theories about the church. What is the Apocrypha, and should you be reading it? WHY is it no longer in most Protestant Bibles? The Truth is out there…and today we begin a multi-part series on the Apocrypha. By the way - what Giant of the Reformation quoted a book from the apocrypha, and called the speaker, and the namesake of that book a "prophet" We will find out!  Before that, our main interview is with Dr. Chris Smith of the Great Commission Association, a former missionary to Spain, and current mission consultant with the GCA and president of the Great Commission Training Institution, which is an online training school that is VERY affordable for pastors and church leaders. Check out www.GCASBC.org for more. Dr. Mike Stewart, our co-host today and the senior director of California's Great Commission Association, and I will talk to Dr. Chris Smith about front-stage vs. Back-stage ministry, and also his favorite food from Spain, and - perhaps most importantly- the difference between Spanish tortillas and Mexican tortillas.  Our focus today is on The roots that nobody sees vs the flower that draws attention. If the flower isn't healthy, or it browns, or falls off - as long as the roots are healthy, the plant will be healthy, and that flower will grow again. But some flowers can persist for a time without any roots whatsoever - they can look healthy - for a time in a vase, or whatever, but their life is limited because their roots for accessing living water are gone. Similarly, there are times in ministry where leaders and pastors can have a healthy looking front stage or flower of ministry, but the back-stage or the roots are sick, failing or missing, and in that case, it is inevitable that a collapse will happen at some point. Most leaders pay more attention to the front stage - the flower of ministry - but we really should pay the far greater attention to our roots - our abiding in the vine of Jesus.  Our next two episodes are with Dr. Kristen Ferguson, VP Gateway Seminary, and we will discuss Christians and AI, Church leader education, online education, women in ministry and being a pastor's wife. Also coming soon: Dr. Cathie Smith on women in ministry and missions and missional complementarianism, Pastor Humberto Hernandez, and many other interesting guests. Stay tuned! 

Are you at the end of your rope? Today we discuss how to know you are close to running out of rope and what to do about it. PLUS: Preacher Myths. Will the lion lay down with the lamb? Did Paul fall of his horse on the Damascus Road? Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Did Jesus leave a coded message in His tomb with a folded napkin? Does sparing the rod spoil the child? We will cover these preaching myths and more!  Welcome to episode 14 of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast, sponsored by the Great Commission Association of California. If you are a California pastor or church leader looking for a home - get in touch with us through our website GCASBC.org - we would love to partner with you!  Today Senior Director of the GCA Dr. Mike Stewart and I interview Pastor Grant Combs of Lighthouse Baptist in Seaside, California.  In addition to pastoring Lighthouse, Grant is an ambassador to other pastors and church leaders, and he is going to help us know when disaster is coming, and some practical steps to avoid disaster in ministry.  We have upcoming episodes on women in ministry, with Dr. Kristen Ferguson Vice President of Gateway Seminary, mom, pastor's wife, lady in ministry, and expert on the Christian use of AI.  We will also be talking to Dr. Cathie Smith about women in ministry and women on mission coming very soon AND we are recording with Dr. Cameron Schweitzer, the director of Gateway Seminary's campus in San Liandro, this week, and we've got lots more great guests lined up also.  Lions lying Down with Lambs? The Danger of Preacher Myths and Urban Legends.    Credibility and integrity are important, and I don't think that any real Christian would disagree with that statement. Jesus spoke the truth, and identified Himself as a truth-teller in John 8. In fact, He noted that some of the Jews wanted to kill Him because He told them the truth. The truth isn't always popular. Today we examine five "preacher myths," that may not be true. 

2000 years of amazing preaching advice from John Piper to John Chrysostom, from Tim Keller to Augustine and Gregory the Great, From Martyn Lloyd Jones to Haddon Robinson to Gregory the Great to Thabiti Anyabwile, we've got ELEVEN fantastic tips to help YOU teach and preach the Word of God better. Not only that, but we have some amazing stories in this episode too, such as:  What preacher railed at his listeners for buying solid silver toilets? What preacher and future Pope tried to escape from the Roman Emporer in a wicker basket? What Evangelical icon preferred beer over water and NAMED HIMSELF after a dead dog? What famous pastor desired to be a doctor, but a severe bout with mononucleosis in college changed his mind, causing us to miss out on 2000 episodes of the possibly awesome Ask Doctor John Podcast?? You will find this AND MORE on this BONUD episode of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast.  This episode takes listeners on a fast-moving tour through nearly two thousand years of Christian wisdom on preaching and teaching, gathering counsel from church fathers, classic pastors, and modern evangelical voices. The central claim is simple: truly effective preaching has not fundamentally changed. Across the centuries, the best counsel still calls preachers to be prayerful, biblical, heartfelt, holy, and courageously faithful rather than clever, trendy, or applause-driven. The episode begins with Augustine, who reminds us that preaching is born first in prayer, not in performance. Before becoming "a man of words," the preacher must become a man of prayer, drawing deeply from God before attempting to pour truth into others. From there, Thabiti Anyabwile brings the same warning into the present: a preacher without a Bible has no authority, and a preacher must never go beyond what God has actually said. Scripture governs both the substance and the limits of faithful preaching. John Chrysostom adds a needed rebuke for every age: preaching must aim at pierced hearts, not amused intellects. Sermons are not meant to be religious entertainment or polished performances designed to win praise. Martyn Lloyd-Jones echoes that concern in a different register, insisting that preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire and that its goal is to give people a sense of God and His presence. Together, they remind us that preaching should be spiritually weighty, not merely interesting or impressive. Gregory the Great shifts the emphasis to the preacher's life. Those who teach others must first be corrected by the truth themselves. Hypocrisy in the pulpit is not a minor flaw; it is a scandal. Augustine returns later with another practical insight: do not drone on endlessly, and do not preach without real feeling. Preaching should be animated by genuine enthusiasm born from a heart gripped by the beauty and urgency of God's Word. The modern voices deepen the same themes. Tim Keller argues that a good sermon should cut to the heart like a sword, not club the will into external compliance. John Piper describes preaching as "expository exultation," joining exposition and worship so that the sermon becomes truth proclaimed with wonder. C.S. Lewis closes with a sharp warning against tailoring Christianity to public demand. The preacher's job is not to guess what people want to hear, but to faithfully proclaim what God has said. The bonus insight from Haddon Robinson then adds a practical challenge: sermons need clarity, unity, and focus, not scattered good ideas. Altogether, the episode argues that the best preaching across the centuries is not man-centered performance, but God-centered proclamation that is prayerful, biblical, holy, vivid, and aimed at transformation.

Today Pastor Christopher Cole of the Great Commission Association and Dr. Chase Thompson discuss mental health among church leaders, how to lead without wearing people out, great preaching tips, helping people to tap into Jesus for rest, AND we review Dirty Dew Soda!  "He must become a man of prayer before he becomes a man of words." Augustine on preaching.  From this episodes great tips on preaching from ancients and moderns section. Is there a mental health crisis among pastors and church leaders?  In just a few years, the percentage of pastors self-reporting excellent emotional well-being dropped from 40 percent to 15 percent. What could explain such a fast and precipitous drop?  If you are a pastor or church leader, your calling FIRST AND FOREMOST is to help people tap into Christ, the Source of Life, as opposed to assimilating them into the life of the church. Both are important, and both are biblical, but abiding in Christ must come first and be foremost.  Jesus did not say, "Come unto me and get busy," He did say, "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest." If we aren't regularly sabbathing our souls, we are missing out on one of the great invitations of Christ.  How classical spiritual disciplines can be a key component of reversing pastor's mental and emotional health slides.  Andy Addis - Rhythms of Rest.  How pastors can overdrive and wear out church members, and how NOT to do that!  How thriving in ministry can sometimes kill your marriage when priorities are out of order.  You can NOT be great at EVERYTHING, because you are HUMAN, and humans have LIMITATIONS.  God is one who does not sleep - we MUST rest and we SHOULD rest and rest is a GIFT from God!    The dangers of being too busy for quiet times.  Lectio 365 - Morning noon and evening prayer  The biblical command for pastors and church leaders to enjoy life.  It is hard to have a healthy relationship with your spouse if you are overcommitted.    Wisdom from Ecclesiastes and the Psalms for Christians struggling with mental and emotional health, and how the Psalms are battlers of anxiety in your life.  How can pastors lead, encourage and exhort church members WITHOUT overdriving them or being a slave driver?? ( Healthy and Christ-honoring alternatives to pastors' guilt-tripping those who are already overwhelmed. 

"They don't need you to bandaid their gaping wound; they need you to be present in their grief." Dr. Michael Stewart, the head of California's Great Commission Association of Churches, and podcast host Dr. Chase Thompson interview Dr. Chris Smith, a former missionary and current leader of the Great Commission Training Institution, an online ministry training school, and Pastor Grant Combs, the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Seaside, California. We are talking about relationships in the church. How can pastors and leaders cultivate deep friendships inside the church, and how can pastors protect their families well inside the church?  The advantage of having great deacons. How can introverts in the church manage over-peopling? How can pastors and church leaders make deep friends that are safe to confide in?  Dr. Chris Smith: "If I'm not in a good place, if I'm not serving and ministering from the overflow of what God is doing in my life, and that includes the community of others and the love that I have for others, then it's not going to be real. And it's not going to be a place where we can truly see God work in a miraculous way that we have that genuine community that's around us." Podcast by the Great Commission Association. GCASBC.Net - NEW WEBSITE.  If you are a pastor looking for a team - a family - we want to hear from you!  In the second half of the podcast, we talk deeply about grief, and how to help those who are grieving.  Liquid Death Cereal Criminal Fruity Pebbles flavor. Upcoming: Cheerwine and Irn-Bru, the soda "Made in Scotland from Girders". But not tonight because caffeine. "You think you're about to be in Heaven, but then the aftertaste kicks in, and you realize you are in soda purgatory."  "They don't need you to bandaid their gaping wound; they need you to be present in their grief."  

We know about Good Friday...What about Saturday? What happened on that Silent Saturday as the disciples stewed in their hopelessness? They weren't waiting for anything, because it really appeared that they did NOT believe Jesus would be coming back on Sunday. Indeed, the only reason the women went to the graveside is that they needed to embalm and prepare His body for permanent burial, and they couldn't do that the day He died, because the Sabbath began that evening, and they didn't have time, and they couldn't work on the Sabbath.  Like the despairing disciples on the day before Jesus' resurrection, many of us are in the reality of grieving bewilderment. The reality of living in a very long, extended Friday, and a seemingly silent Saturday. We are believers in Christ. We trust Him. We look to Him. We believe His resurrection, but grief screams loudly in our lives. Sometimes - often - it is the only sound we can hear.  Maybe we've lost a child, maybe we've lost a spouse. Maybe we are overwhelmed by injustice in the world, or more likely, a terrible injustice in our own life, and like MLK, we begin to doubt. Our heart begins to slide away and become cold. We stare at the walls like the disciples did on Silent Saturday in deep and utter despair.   

Our focus today is on relationships in the church and the loneliness epidemic among pastors and church leaders. Hosted by Dr. Chase Thompson and Dr. Mike Stewart with guests Dr. Chris Smith of the Great Commission Training Institution, and Lighthouse Baptist pastor Grant Combs.  In today's roundtable, we discuss relationships in the church, and hit on some very important questions: Can pastors have deep friendships with church members? How are deep-rooted friendships made? There is a combination of factors that work together to keep pastors isolated…how can pastors and church leaders guard against that?  We will also talk about the loneliness epidemic among pastors, and how most pastors, who are generally men, and don't admit their problems and pains easily, usually just hero-up and pretend like everything is fine when they are starved for deep friendships and relationships. Finally, we will close out with a delicious soda review AND give you a top ten list of best quotes on the Resurrection of Jesus that YOU can use in your Easter sermon this week! 

This week we continue our talk with counselor Immanuel Marsh about burnout, and helping church leaders and pastors stay healthy spiritually and emotionally. Can pastors have deep friendships with people in their churches? How do leaders cover up their burnout? What are signs burnout is imminent? ALSO: Top online apologetics YouTube channels, how to defend your faiht during Easter season and a review of the mysteriously appearing Inca Kola - which got an astounding score! 

We have a great discussion today on a sneaky enemy of church leaders, a potentially delicious soda to review, a resource for church leaders that sells for $60, and we will tell you how to get it for free, AND, we will review the top 5 books on the resurrection of Jesus to get you ready for resurrection day - Easter - and also throw in a couple of bonuses.  "I've known that pastors kind of play things close to the vest in general.But I didn't realize how isolating that was. I thought that was just kind of part of the gig. That's just what you do." Should pastors be more private with church members, or more vulnurable and authentic?  "I like to be me all the time, for better or worse. I don't want to have to look respectable to the congregation and then be dying on the inside. or, you know, that's just my philosophy of ministry." "There's an unhealthy way to do it also, where you don't have any personal boundaries, but my bent is that openness is better."  "I don't think anybody is particularly helped by me looking like I have it all together. And so, but it varies. There are those congregations who will eat you alive if they have personal information, but I just, I don't know if I worry about that." "It is fatiguing. It is emotionally hard to try to put on a face, a front, and to act like you're some sort of a different person."

Would you like to listen to a podcast that features hosts with a combined six decades of church pastoral experience talking about church ministry and church health? A podcast that gives you practical tips for church renewal and church growth while also encouraging you and exhorting you in your role as a church leader or church pastor? A show that goes over the latest news and statistics in church life with cutting edge stastitical analysis on the latest trends impacting followers of Christ?   A podcast that also includes the following conversation:  "I think you would be an excellent X-Man." "Thank you, in fact, I got myself a pair of metal Wolverine claws for Christmas! Then have we got a show for you! Almost certainly, the ONLY podcast in the world that fits that bill is the Every Church Flourishing podcast, where we interweave about 80 percent joyful, helpful, wise and edifying content with about 20 percent  Should U.S. churches and the North American Mission Board of Southern Baptists consider planting and funding more churches in California?  66 percent of the tech workers in Silicon Valley were born outside the United States.  Is California a terrible place to try and evangelize? Should other, more Christian states, simply not worry about the so called Left Coast?  California is NOT a wasteland - the Body of Christ is alive and well in California. However, in some parts of California, like the Bay Area, you can still live in the United States and essentially be almost like a missionary to unreached peoples.  Tips for churches that are struggling.   #1 Don't try to do this alone.  Contact the GCA MAT team and Pastor Christopher for help with California Church renewal: https://www.gcasbc.org/contact  Whether you're in California or Cambodia, we want to equip you with everything you need to see your church flourishing.  We review an Austrian soda we can't pronounce properly and conclude, "I think this would be a brisk refreshing drink for any biblically faithful Victorian British pastor."  "I concur, I think Spurgeon would have enjoyed this." However, regarding another infamous soda, would we drink it if we were in the desert about to die of dehydration??  "I am pretty sure that dirt tastes better than ranch soda."    "I think you would be an excellent X-Man." "Thank you, in fact, I got myself a pair of metal Wolverine claws for Christmas!"  Superintendent of schools, "No way!" "Do you sing and dance like Hugh Jackman?"  "No, he is an incredibly talented man!"  What are the biggest challenges teachers face right now in early childhood education?  The power of teachers praying for their students and their student's families.  Best places to eat in and around Central California/Monterey Bay/Salinas What is the hardest thing about being a teacher right now? The answer will surprise you (unless you are a teacher!)  Closing discussion: You find a MILDLY magical ring one day, and it gives you one SLIGHT power. Not a superpower, not even a medium power…just a very, slight power. What mediocrepower would YOU choose?   

Episode 6 of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast features Pastor Chris Cole and Dr. Chase A. Thompson interviewing Dr. Se J. Won the Director of Mission Operations for California's Great Commission Association.  Here's some random shownotes, quotes and a list of the resources we discussed. Check out www.EveryChurchFlourishing.com for a transcript!  You Ain't Got This - I Need Help. Learning from failure. Needing God for everything - even the practical things like leaky faucets. The dangers of trying to succeed with sheer effort in ministry. There are 400 Pastor Kims listening to this podcast! "There's many dead people that I've read that have helped me, but these are the mentors that are still alive."  There are a lot of pastors out there who are lone rangers. Can pastors not be friends with people at their churches? Togetherness and partnership in ministry are not the only keys but are HUGE keys to avoiding ministry horror stories.  Sometimes you just have to go out and find a seasoned leader and say, "Hey! You're going to mentor me!"  Would you rather take a cruise with a bunch of prominent pastors, or worship leaders, Prominent Christian authors, denominational leaders, or Christian singers/entertainers?   Pastor Se J.: "Worship is the missing element in many of our churches…if we don't prioritize worship, which I believe is the precursor to prayer, then we're all dry…something's off, and you're not connecting with God at the right frequency. Worship is crucial for me because that is how I connect with God." God doesn't need our worship, but He does deserve our worship.  "Some of my best friends are pastors, and some of the most annoying people I've ever known are pastors."  Will the willy-nilly soda stealer in the GCA offices ever be unmasked and brought to justice?  Resources Mentioned:  Daniel Henderson: Old Paths, New Power - an excellent prayer book Jim Cymbala: Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire - a book that SHOWS the impact of a church that abides and prays intentionally.  Paul Miller: A Praying Life, Connecting with God in a Distracted World - Highly recommended by Pastor Chris Cole.     About Dr. Se J. Won: Oversees the systems, processes, and logistics that support mission work. Dr. Won ensures that operations run smoothly and efficiently— from project coordination to administrative support. His role enables our mission teams to serve with clarity, structure, and excellence.

On today's episode, we interview Great Commission Association Dr. Michael Stewart, the second longest serving director of missions in the entire United States, and we talk to him about church planting on the West Coast...should Christians invest more money into planting churches in California, given the crazy costs of housing? We also discuss taking care of pastors, spiritual formation among church leaders, and why a church would want to join an association.  We discuss artificial intelligence and the church, and one of the best tools that pastors and leaders can use without cheating or letting the machines take over.  We also review the fiery fizzy soda that never plays it safe, AKA "The Baptist Beer!"  From the show:  This here is Old Jamaica ginger beer. And it says that it's made with authentic root ginger. Nice. Right? Authentic root ginger. It also says this isn't just a drink,  This is a lifestyle. Okay. Wow. Now, I don't know what that means, but it says it's spices, it's boldness, it's fiery fizz, it's taste that doesn't play it safe. And it's asking, do you play safe? Not always. Not always, right? Yeah. Apparently, we're going to be taking quite a chance drinking this. Now, this is made in the UK. Okay.Despite its Jamaica name. I'm surprised to hear that, honestly. Yeah, it's manufactured in the UK, but it's closely made with the authentic thing, real root ginger.  

Big Churches are Growing, Small Churches are Shrinking. Is this good? Literally rich churches are, on average, getting richer, and poor churches are, on average, getting poorer, budget-wise.  Trends in the church, diagnostics, growth. The Walmartization of the Church. Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer - big churches are growing, and smaller churches are, by and large, plateaued and shrinking.  The trend in the U.S. of senior citizens going to church less, and how the church should mobilize its seniors to ministry and not just forget about them, or bench them. Why older people coming to church less is dangerous to the overall health of the church, how to run older people off, and why it is a terrible idea to do so.  "The Church is not the NFL - these church members who are older still have a ton of value to contribute to the church." The story of Ms. Eulyne Fulton - the Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle of Valley Baptist Church. A perennial all-star and MVP, even in her 80s.   "If you lead the church like you can live without seniors, you will." - Chase  The encouraging revitalization story of a church - First Baptist of Nipoma - that was down to six senior adult ladies, and a few years later is now thriving with a large youth group and tons of baptisms. HOW did it happen??  "Here's some good news: We believe in a God who brought His Son out of the grave. The hope of church renewal is not found in the perfection of human methods or our own strengths or our own wisdom, but the same God who's resurrection power is at work within the lives of the people who are inside our churches. That resurrection power that took us from spiritual death to spiritual life is at work in our churches to this day, and I believe that God wants to see our church to come to not only a place of surviving but thriving, and growth and missional engagement so that we can see the world and the communities around us transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ through that power. That is our hope here on the Every Church Flourishing podcast." - Chris Cole.  Dandelion and Burdock Soda. Ben Shaws Dandelion & Burdock is a classic, traditional British carbonated soft drink made from infusions of dandelion and burdock roots, offering a unique, slightly sweet, earthy, and licorice-like flavor.  Why did Ben Shaw make a tea out of two different flowering weeds? Dandelion tea doesn't taste nearly as good as Milo's sweet tea…how will Ben Shaw's Dandelion and Burdock Soda taste? (Surprisingly good, it turns out!)   "It definitely has that sort of herbally flavor, but I feel like I'm drinking purple." "The sucralose and the saccharine are doing some heavy-lifting here."   "I'm going to assume our upcoming review of Bacon soda - which we have - will not be suitable for our vegan and vegetarian friends."   "I'm going to ask my friend Dr. Google, "Can Vegans drink Coke Zero?" (The astonishing answer awaits you in this episode!)  "It doesn't have the bite I look for. I want a little bit of burn…it wakes you up, shakes you up…but this goes down smooth."  Church growth statistics analysis and discussion. Small church vs. Big church - enemies or potential partners?    How to keep your church seniors engaged, thriving, and coming to church.  Turnaround church - How FBC Nipomo went from a church of six senior ladies over 55 to a thriving church of 70 or so on a Sunday morning, and baptized 18 souls last year.  Resource for church revitalization: Diary of David Brainerd.  "Ministry has tons of wins and tons of losses"   

This week's episode features discussion of diagnostic ways of measuring a church's health. How can you take the pulse and vitals of your church? What are the signs of health and warning signs? How can you know whether or not your church is healthy?  Chase and Chris became senior pastors in their 20s and were clueless.  Lester's Fixins Peanut butter soda - 2 Spurgeons from Chris, 2.5 Spurgeons from Chase.  + Is Tab the WORST Soda ever??  Chris Cole, "Jesus' first miracle was at a party, and after His resurrection, when He shows up with His disciples, He even makes them breakfast, and throughout His ministry you see Him eating with the Pharisees and the tax collectors, so try and get people to come over to your house and [feed them] and use that time to do some listening."  Jordan Raynor - Redeeming Your Time. https://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Your-Time-Principles-Purposeful/dp/0593193075   

In this episode of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast by the Great Commission Association of California, hosts Pastor Christopher Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson interview the senior directors of the GCA, including Dr. Michael Stewart, Ms. Lannette Lozano and Dr. Se J. Won about topics ranging from prayer to mission fields, to prayer and great pastoral resources. Chase and Chris also taste test Lester's Fixins Ranch Dressing Soda and barely survive the experience. In terms of what makes a church healthy and flourishing, there's no good answer to that question that doesn't begin with what Jesus said in John 15 about abiding in Him. - Chris Cole. Open: What is working to bring church health and flourishing on the West Coast right now. Discussion includes Loving your culture without compromise, having a strong welcoming team and strategy, abiding in Jesus, being authentic and not hypocritical/actors. "I've been to churches where there is an inauthentic, almost Stepford Wives too bright, too shiny kind of vibe where people greet you like you're their long-lost brother that they haven't seen in years…I would much prefer, rather than bright hot, gleaming and polished smiles, I would much prefer something more genuine, warm real and authentic. The way to make that happen is not a program, but to preach the Gospels, preach the epistles, and cultivate a people who value biblical humility, biblical serving, biblical gentleness and biblical warmth.There's no program or strategy that replaces the kind of outflow of the Fruit of the Spirit that should come from an authentic church with real greeters - that is massively important to reach your community. It may not grow you into a megachurch, but it will grow you into a place where people will come and feel welcomed and feel real warmth."  "People don't want to be sold on Jesus. That's not the same as saying we don't want to invite them to a real-world encounter with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope that we have…When we center the gospel into the middle of authentic relationships, it should overflow into how we greet guests, do outreaches, and how we teach people to grow up into disciples of Jesus." Chris Cole Resources mentioned: Thom Rainer's Becoming a Welcoming Church. Daniel Henderson's Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word. "There is a great need for spiritual renewal and awakening…for us to see something that can't be explained by numbers or logic, for us to see God move in such a way that we can only say that was God. If I'm not right with God, then what we do, doesn't really matter." Dr. Se J. Won. Waking the Dead - John Eldredge (Dr. Stewart) "Who we are matters more than what we do. We must have a good sense of our relationship with Christ, and who we are in ourselves and how we interact with other people." Chris Cole. Steve Cuss - Managing Leadership Anxiety, Yours and Theirs Peter Scazzero: The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World.  Dr. Se J. Won, "Many people go through unknown pains…unknown trials and challenges that they can't talk about or say outloud. Pain is not a curse."  Paul Brand: The Gift of Pain. YouVersion Bible App on Android or iTunes.  Chris Cole, "As an ex-missionary, I have put a lot of weird things into my mouth, and this Lester's Ranch Dressing Soda might be moving close to my top ten of weird things to put in my mouth." "As a Baptist pastor, you would not know what a Pina Colada tastes like!" Spontaneous baptisms, priming the pump, and baptism actors. How one church baptized a record number for them. The UNsecret to baptizing more people. Hint: There's not a strategy, trick, or hack.

On this inaugural episode, hosts Dr. Chase Thompson and GCA Assistant Director Pastor Chris Cole discuss the importance of ministry TOGETHER, and interview the directors of the Great Commission Association of churches located in North/Central California.   Rational Ministry Topics covered:  Interview with the senior directors of the Great Commission Association, including Dr. Mike Stewart, Dr. Se J. Won, Pastor Christopher Cole and School Superintendent Ms. Lanette Lazano.  A move of God at a local church in Salinas, California that took the pastor by surprise.  Free ProPresenter program called FreeShow: https://freeshow.app/features  Review of FreeShow, a free alternative app to ProPresenter  Living in Indonesia and visiting Singapore for medical care as a missionary.  Great prayer resources Crazy, Beyond The Pale. Topics covered:  Chupa Chups Bubble Gum Soda Tasted and Reviewed on a scale of 1 Spurgeon (gross!) to 5 Spurgeons (The Prince of Sodas!)  Medical Halitosis.   

In this trailer for the ECF Pod, you will hear several clips from the first four episodes, including discussions of church revival and renewal, as well as a discusson of California as a mission field, and the most disgusting soda ever made.  The Every Church Flourishing podcast is all about helping churches, leaders, and pastors find health, encouragement, practical advice, soul care, and resources that work together to build up your local fellowship and the broader Kingdom of God. Join hosts Pastor Chris Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson from the Great Commission Association, led by Dr. Mike Stewart, as they explore the frontiers of ministry and aim to make every church flourish! Broadcasting from the North-Central Coast of California and the beautiful redwoods, We will focus on church growth, pastoral health, church leadership, evangelism, discipleship, denominational news, West Coast church news, California Baptists, apologetics, prayer, and other facets of church health and flourishing. In addition to church health, every show features a semi-rare and interesting soda review, choosing soft drinks from all around the world.