Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
This podcast was intended to resource our Dream Teamers at LifePoint Church, with biblical fundamentals on worship, life and a variety of leadership principles.
Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
Empowering Leaders Through Connection
This episode explores the vital role that community plays in discipleship and spiritual growth. The hosts emphasize the importance of small groups for fostering genuine connections, accountability, and multiplying efforts within the church, particularly with the upcoming men's discipleship initiative.
• The significance of community in fostering discipleship
• Pastor Mike's three key take aways from Vision Sunday: the year of anointing, movement and multiplication, and finally - a year of ministry to our men.
• Personal testimonies about the impact of small groups
• The invitation for men to step into leadership roles within their families and communities
• The upcoming men's discipleship initiative and its goals
Hey, what's up everybody and welcome to Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative. My name is Elmer Canyas Jr and I'm excited that you are joining us today. My voice does sound a little different, but I'm just kind of getting over, a little head cold or something like that. But I got friends in the room. I muted their mics because they were loud. And so the one and only Willie C Simpson.
Speaker 2:Yo, yo, yo. What is going on? Everybody it's your boy in the hizzy.
Speaker 1:Hey, you like that song.
Speaker 2:I like it. That's the groove hey.
Speaker 1:Ah, yeah, yo.
Speaker 2:It's your boy, Willie C, up in LPC, up in here with Elmer, Elmer and Tiffany. We're going to talk today about some good stuff. It's going to get real tough, but you can't get enough Worship and leadership. We're talking about discipleship. It is fellowship. I'm around potato chips. He's the way, the truth and the life and I'm thankful. No strife, only peace with JC. Let's hit it.
Speaker 3:Let's go Three hours later. Wow, that was dope. Thank you, no problem.
Speaker 1:We have Willie C Simpson.
Speaker 4:We also have GSP, the grocery store princess, yes, come on Making a comeback. What's up? Let's go, chip, I don't have the whole like a rap, or? Like anything cool, but hey guys.
Speaker 1:Can you tell us what aisle the milk is?
Speaker 4:No, I'm the princess.
Speaker 2:It comes to her. That's right. We bring the milk to her. Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, can you get me the milk please? I love it.
Speaker 1:We also have with us someone really special.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And you might recognize her voice from her face. It's also on YouTube.
Speaker 2:Her face is on YouTube From Sunday Rewind.
Speaker 4:These are not Rewind noises. Bless you.
Speaker 1:It sounded like we were spitting. It did.
Speaker 2:It sounded like something was wrong.
Speaker 1:Something was wrong, emily. Hi, it's Emily. How are you?
Speaker 3:I'm great, hey, we're glad you're here.
Speaker 1:We're just going to, we're glad you're here and the awesome cameraman behind all the four cameras in this studio Come on Jacob Green.
Speaker 2:What's?
Speaker 1:up. Shout out to Jacob.
Speaker 2:He's got this camera y'all. I wish I could see it. It looks like a transformer, like that mug is going to transform into Megatron at any second. Autobots you are defeated. Decepticons unite.
Speaker 3:In like three months, jacob's going to have to say he's going to transform his arms for sure.
Speaker 1:He might have one big arm.
Speaker 4:He's going to learn how to be left-handed.
Speaker 1:Oh man, hey, we're glad you guys are joining us on the podcast. Like always, we're grateful and thankful that you take time out of the week to listen to the podcast If you're running, if you're exercising, you're at work and you're not working because you're listening. Thank you, you know. We're just glad that we get to spend this time with you. And, like always, this podcast originated as a resource for our Dream Teamers here at LifePoint Church, but it continues to grow and it's such an honor and we're thankful for the opportunity to be able to speak into your situations in life different leadership opportunities, circumstances and just to talk about life and just for you to hear the things that we get to discuss here while we get to serve in our roles at LifePoint Church. And a few weeks ago, pastor Mike he had an incredible sermon. It was on Vision Sunday here at LifePoint and he talked about three things.
Speaker 2:Let's recap those three things, okay, so the first thing that he talked about was that this would be a year of anointing and really keying in on man. We can't do God's work without God's spirit, without God's empowerment, without his enablement. Then he said it would be a year of movement and multiplication. Right, and I mean again, when we talk about vision, we're always believing that people have a next step to take, but then that's also kingdom language, again, in regards to multiplying the effect and the impact of the kingdom. Then, lastly, he said it's going to be a year of ministry to men. Come on somebody. And if there is ever a time when we need our men to step up and rise up and take their position in the kingdom, it is now. Yeah, that's right, and the great thing I'm excited about, what we're talking about today really talks about and flows through all three of those things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and last week we got I'm excited about what we're talking about today really talks about and flows through all three of those things, yeah, and last week we got to talk about the anointment, come on, the anointment of God, the Lord, and so if you missed that, you can go back and listen to that podcast. But I want to focus, and Emily and yourself, pastor Willie, you guys get to do, and even Tiffany in our creative spaces. Honestly, the three of you guys facilitate spaces and environments and curriculum to help us disciple people.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Because it doesn't happen on Sundays. A lot of people think I need to go to church and this and that and I'm being discipled by Pastor Mike. You're growing and learning, but discipleship happens in a different way and, Emily, if I could ask you, what does that look like for us here at LifePoint Church?
Speaker 3:discipleship- yeah, so we have a whole small groups department because obviously discipleship happens in community, like that's the only way how it can happen. And in small community you have to get to know each other, you have to get to do so. We have specifically here at LifePoint, on Mondays and Tuesdays we have small groups that go through certain curriculum, but once again the magic sauce is in the group. I mean, the curriculum helps all of that, but the magic sauce is in the people, and so we offer that on Monday and Tuesday and almost every day of the week in homes outside of here. So that's really like man, that's Discipleship 101.
Speaker 2:Come on.
Speaker 1:Hey, isn't that something we're supposed to do?
Speaker 2:I mean absolutely. It's something we're supposed to do. It's called the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. Come on somebody. I need an organ. So when we think about discipleship, we're thinking about movement. Because now you're saying you're taking someone who doesn't know Christ and then you're again, you're praying and you're leading them to know Christ, and then now you're taking that same person and you're teaching and training them how to lead another person to Christ. So there's a multiplication. So it's movement and getting people saved right. And then it's multiplication and helping them to lead others to get saved. And that's how the kingdom of God propagates. It doesn't propagate through systems, through programs. It doesn't propagate through ideas or concepts. It propagates through people Christians. The fruit of a Christian is other Christians. That's how we multiply, yeah.
Speaker 1:And a lot of times you look at just the history of the church around the world probably more modern church, you know, because it's easier to in context of social media, it's easy to go back and look at certain things that are happening, trends over the last probably 10 years in churches and you've seen these churches just grow and just blow up in the numbers and a lot of times you think that it's attributed to what they do in their church, their music programs, the preachers, and when you dig deep it's because they have solid small group communities and they call different things live groups, connect groups, whatever but it's an infrastructure. If you look at the church outside of Western society, majority of churches that are thriving in Central America, south America and in Asia, they're all built on small group communities and so it's what's made the church thrive for thousands of years. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I think that's the case. I think the reason why God set it up that way, like the church as an organism, like the body of Christ, has to grow larger, because heaven and hell are divine realities, like we will spend eternity somewhere. So that's why we want the church as an organism to grow, like we want more people to join. But the church must go small because people matter, and one of the great needs that we have I know people talk about Maslow's hierarchy of needs One of the needs that we do have is the need to be seen and known, and that is what you find in a small group.
Speaker 2:You find a place to belong, but then you recapture, reclaim this dignity and this essence really of what it means to be human. You know, part of being human is that, as an image bearer, we're Trinitarian, like our God is Trinitarian. You know, mind, body, spirit and God, the Godhead, is Trinitarian, and that carries with it the idea of community and relationship. And so that's why those of us who are outside of any community for a significant amount of time, we struggle, we languish, because we're not designed to do life alone. We're literally not designed to do life alone. And so now you're really winning because you're in community, but then you're winning because you're being trained and taught and instructed how to invite others into that community as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Emily, can I ask you from your experience and what you've seen and you know been a part of yourself, how has that statement that you can find healing, you can find restoration, you can find a lot of things. You'll find God in a way that you could have heard it all your life, but you could only find him, you know, in a very special way when there's community. Not that God can't show himself if you're alone, but I'm just saying the power of community.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I mean, that's the thing. Not that God can't right, but why would God instruct you to go make disciples and use people if he didn't want to use people for you too, right? So it's almost like God uses people. He didn't want to use people for you too, right? So it's almost like.
Speaker 3:God uses people and I know for me it is. For me personally, it has just been through different season, through different season. I mean, even whenever I first decided just to go all in with Christ, it was through a small group, because I can sit through a large group all day long, I can sit and listen to Pastor Mike all day long. But the actual movement, the accountability, the breaking of somebody calling you out on a character defect or somebody breaking into your house because they have a key to your house, because you're just having the worst day ever and you just need a friend, it's not all the bad, it's the good too of them being there helping celebrate and stuff and honestly, that's how God moves, is through the other people, friend, it's not all the bad, it's the good too of them being there helping celebrate and stuff, and honestly, that's how God moves, is through the other people, and that's how you grow closer to Him, is when you see the fruits of other people that he produced.
Speaker 3:Hey, I also want to be better. God, make me more like that. So it's all push, it's all push and pull. And you know group, you know one group may last a lifetime or one group may last you just a little season, you know, and that's what God needed you to learn in that moment. And that's what I love, just about groups in general, for me personally, is that it can be a lifetime with the same people or it can be a short amount of time you know, as as yeah a season and it just, and it's constantly moving.
Speaker 3:It's constantly, it's the movement and that's what comes with and and then on the on the other side of that is multiplication, because with the constant movement that God has wanted you to do through his children, you know then from there it spreads Like you know, this once again, god's been doing this forever. This isn't new, but it's really fun for it to discover it.
Speaker 2:Right, right, that's fun. I love how you said that. Yeah, this isn't new. Yeah, to your point, like the whole groups model, I mean that's not innovative no it's not, I mean, that's biblical, it's God-given, it's God-inspired. So, tiffany, you know, in your role in the creative department, how have you been able to utilize our small groups, model number one and then number two, what are the blessings and benefits that you've seen and what's the fruit you've seen at Bayer?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so during our rehearsals we do break out into small groups and I think when you have such a large team, when you have, you know, so many people and so many, because you know we meet as a whole creative team, so it's worship, it's production, it's just a lot of people on a Thursday night and it's easy to just get lost in the crowd. It's easy to feel lost in the crowd. So, meeting as small groups and doing anything you know, like Emily said, the curriculum you know it's cool but, like, honestly, it's getting to know each other. It's getting to meet in a smaller group and get to know somebody who maybe when you just go through you know the process of rehearsal and Sundays and you're busy, you don't really get to know people. And then when you're serving on a Sunday with those people, like you know, it's just so much more free, it's so much more, um, you're able to worship up there on a stage.
Speaker 4:Especially when you're vulnerable in worship with people that you know and with people that know you, it just it just makes the team more of a family and and I think, um, yeah, and anytime you're serving the Lord, you know the enemy is going to want to stop that. So you have a team of people that are going to. They're going to call things out and they're going to celebrate with you and they're going to, you're going to be able to go to them and you're going to be able to talk to them and you're going to be able to just have this community. You know that you wouldn't have had we just done rehearsal.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 4:And not had small group and not focused on what the Lord is doing in your life outside of these church walls. It just builds community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great, yep. So let me ask this just for everybody in the room, just feel free to jump in. You know, looking at this year 2025, you know there's so much craziness that's happening. I mean there's there's great things happening, but much craziness that's happening. I mean there's great things happening, but then you look in the world and it's really easy to get rattled by news reports and all these different kinds of stories.
Speaker 2:So how does being a part of community help you navigate the ups and downs of life from a spiritual standpoint? Like, practically, yes, you're part of a team, you're part of a family, but from a spiritual standpoint, because there are yes, you're part of a team, you're part of a family, but from a spiritual standpoint, because there are people that I've met who just say, well, I don't trust people, I have trust issues with the people and I just rather go through life alone. I got me and the Holy Spirit, but spiritually, why is it good for us to be in a small group and to be in community, like, from a spiritual standpoint, why should everyone be in a small group instead of because of the Bible says so?
Speaker 4:Right, I think it's really easy to get focused on your own, on your own stuff, and everybody's got stuff and, yeah, sometimes you're going through something real big. But when you have a community that will fix your eyes on the Lord, that will constantly remind you of of who you are and whose you are and and what good he has and who he is, it's hard to keep your eyes fixed on your problems and it's hard to keep your self fixed inward. When you have a community who can lift each other up and it takes a community because everybody in that community is going to be going through different things, you know. So it kind of keeps you focused, you know, on Jesus and on the good and on his greatness, you know, when you have a community of people who are constantly doing that, Come on, that's good.
Speaker 3:I think. For me it's like I mean, yes, the Bible does say so, but like it's taking God's word of figuring out the first thing that he said wasn't good. But it was not good for a man to be alone.
Speaker 3:Now I know he was talking about having a helper and all this kind of stuff, but the fact of the matter is is God said it wasn't good for a man to be alone, and so why not have the enemy try to do the one thing that God said, hey, this isn't good to me if I were in that mind frame. Okay, cool, well, I'm going to do that. I'm going to try to separate them to where I can twist their brain, to where I can twist their hearts on things, to where I can start to make them believe something that is not true.
Speaker 3:And when you're in community with people like that. If God said it was good for people to be together, then let's be that, Because in those moments that I'm having a tough day, I can go to Tiff and say, hey, snap out of it. That is not what God calls you.
Speaker 4:Like you are a daughter of a king.
Speaker 3:Come on, like no, take those thoughts, like get out. But if you're alone you have no one to balance that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the echo chamber is a terrible place to live.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:My God, yeah, the echo chamber is a terrible place to live. Yeah, my god, man, last week, when you mentioned isaiah 6, bro, like that, that wrecked me. I'm still stuck on that. Yes, sir, that god could use you and then call you into something else. And then you still.
Speaker 1:And then you deny the, the calling upon your life, because you feel unworthy yeah for many reasons, yeah, but the fact that that happened to him after already having prophesied. And then you know an angel coming cleansing his lips and cleansing him from all guilt and shame. I think again, when you're, when you are alone, it doesn't matter how, what type of individual you are, character, you know your personality. It doesn't matter if you're outgoing, extrovert, introvert, if you're a pastor or engineered, you know, it doesn't matter. I think, just when you are isolated, that's where the enemy wants you and he wants the. The greatest battlefield is in our mind and that's when he can get us to believe the lies and even sometimes our own words.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's. That's a dangerous place and that's where being in community and having people that are going to encourage you and speak life yes. Not just any community. Like don't just go to the bar cause you want to be around people. Like they ain't going to speak life for you Like. Find a community that's going to. They're going to speak the word of God over you. What you, what God says about you, it makes a big difference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it makes me think through Hebrews, the chapter in Hebrews that says consider how to provoke one another to good works. And I think that's the key there. There's a lot of provocation going on. Like you said, you can go to your homeboy, your homegirl from high school and they'll provoke you. They will, they'll move you, but is it to a good work? Is it to confession, repentance, man, trust the Lord, breathe, pray man. Hey, you need to get in church this Sunday.
Speaker 2:So we're all being provoked. Are we being provoked to a good work? And that is the beauty and blessing of being a part of a small group. I do want to kind of switch gears and just think through practically, emily, for those that are listening, who are a part of our church or who aren't, but maybe a part of the faith community or have questions? Can you aren't but maybe a part of the faith community or have questions? Can you just kind of give a glimpse into, like how LifePoint, how we kind of run small groups here, like the offerings, the type of groups that we have that are available for people to join?
Speaker 3:Yeah, Name it, we have it Period. I mean, we laugh and I will, but honestly, you know the weight of the groups that we carry are in what we call our freedom and discipleship groups. The freedom groups are based around something that you are wanting to get through, right. You're wanting freedom from something, yeah. And then the discipleship groups are exactly that just community right and with a sole focus on getting closer to Christ in community yeah, and those are groups you know. The freedom groups would be grief, share, divorce, care, keys to freedom, all you know. Reboot, blended all of. We have a ton of them, just look them up.
Speaker 3:That's why I was like we got one for everybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then the discipleship are our heaviest hitters. That most people hear about are the alpha-rooted and re-engaged. Those are our heavy hitters. But we have a dog-walking group, y'all.
Speaker 2:We have an axe-throwing group Shout out to Olin.
Speaker 3:I know right, that's my boy right there I know right, and I mean we have groups that just do whole books of the Bible. We do groups that I mean name it. Yeah, we have it, but that is the cool part is like so the curriculum and that's why, like, I love the fact that we offer scheduled-based and systematic curriculum right, because we have approved it. It is good, it is thick, it is what God says, but the whole premise behind these small groups, though, that we offer here at LifePoint is it points to Christ.
Speaker 2:Right, right.
Speaker 3:So curriculum's great. Freedom group is great. So if you're like I'm waiting for a freedom group, great, just jump into another group, because I can assure you we're going to talk about Christ. That's right, because we're going to talk about Christ in the freedom groups. We're going to be talking about Christ in the discipleship groups. We're going to be talking about Christ in the dog walking group.
Speaker 3:We're going to be talking about Christ in the, in the extra one. Yeah, that is one thing that I can say here at LifePoint is, like in any group that you jump into, we're going to be talking about Christ. That's right, because that is ultimately what moving towards discipleship and moving in that direction is.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is looking at Christ Come on. Is wanting to be a disciple of him.
Speaker 2:Come on somebody, so I love it. Come on somebody, I love it Thinking through the multiplication piece. So how do we practically help our groups think through multiplication? What does that look like? What's the model that we use? What program, what initiative do we have? If I'm leading a group, how do I multiply it?
Speaker 3:Help, me out, Emily. Kick people out of your group right now. Kick them out. No, we do.
Speaker 2:Kick them out of the nest, like it is time to fly.
Speaker 3:It is time to fly. I mean, you know, one of our core values is developing leaders. If you have somebody that has influence, just natural influence, in your group, right, we can help develop them, we can help develop all of that stuff, and then honestly I know you love them it's time to go.
Speaker 3:And we offer the leader training the second Tuesday of every month. Come, let us teach you how to lead a group and start your own, and don't get hung up on curriculum and on all of that. Once again, everything that we offer points to Christ. Right, if you want to lead, lead, do, but the multiplication comes from you. Honestly, if you are a current small group leader, kick people out the nest. Our multiplication comes from that. Is you raising up these leaders and saying it's time to go?
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, and I love the model. You know, and it's said many times in many different flavors, but Jesus did model it. And so if you're leading a small group, the best thing you could do now is leak leadership and just start, just sit that person down and say, listen, I see leadership in you and I'm going to help develop that. And so then you just use the model. You know I do you watch. So hey, next time I'm leading, make sure you're taking notes. See how I lead, how I ask questions, take notes. I do you watch, we talk, then it's I do you help, we talk, and then it's you do I watch, or you do I help we talk, you do I watch, we talk, and then you, and then you doing someone else watches. Can you say that backwards?
Speaker 3:I was just. I was just about to say that let's see you do.
Speaker 2:Someone else watches. You do I watch, we talk. You do I help, we talk. I do you help we talk. I do you watch, we talk. I did it Really. You know what? I'm going to chalk it up to my soothing baritone yes, Okay.
Speaker 3:I'm not going to lie, I totally stopped paying attention halfway through.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, that's cool, hey, fun fact.
Speaker 4:I'm going to give you a check mark, a check plus, for that hey.
Speaker 2:Pastor Willie, you do you Fun fact. Comestible means fit to be eaten or edible Suitable to be eating Eatable. Here's another synonym.
Speaker 4:Is eatable, really a word.
Speaker 2:Is this really a fun fact or is this just a fact? Miriam Webster defines it.
Speaker 3:Is this a fun fact or just a fact?
Speaker 2:This is a fun fact. Is it, though, because all facts are fun? Is it, though, because all facts are fun, is it? Though Listen. Another synonym for comestible is esculent, and if you don't know, is that fatuous. Is that what Factuous? Factuous Is that factuous it is, it is, it is truthical.
Speaker 4:I think it is fictitious, fictitious.
Speaker 1:I think you need Yahweh.
Speaker 2:Yahweh, uh-oh, I need Yahweh. I always need Yahweh, right, we all do. Always need Yahweh. Yahweh, oh man.
Speaker 3:Well, that was fun.
Speaker 2:That was a fun little detour. I have no idea where we're at what are we talking about?
Speaker 1:No, I'm kidding Multiplication, multiplication.
Speaker 2:So if you're leading a small group, go ahead now and invite that Just one. That's what I love about it. It just starts with one. Just invite that one person in your group that you see leadership potential. And one thing we say at LifePoint Church is everybody's a 10 at something. And so if you see that leadership potential in them, invite them.
Speaker 2:You can start practically by saying, hey, the next time that we meet, when we close out, would you pray? Hey, and then, after they pray, hey, how was it? I was nervous, man. You did a great job, so I need you to. Would you lead the next time you're going to pray? And then you lead more leadership and say, hey, next time would you lead the discussion here, leadership and say, hey, next time would you lead the discussion? Here's the guy. I just got the sermon review. That's one of the resources we have for our leaders. All I got to do is ask the question. That's all you got to do. Ask the question. You don't have to give any answers. Oh, okay, I think I can do that. Now you're giving them more leadership and then it's constant Every time Jesus would do a ministry experience with his followers, he would bring them back and talk, and that's what it's just constant feedback.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's what the rabbi and the apprentice it's just you do the thing. Come back, hey, how did that feel you did great. Next time don't forget to include this thing. So now you have them praying and now you have them leading the discussion. Hey, would you send out the group text, you know, just reminding people of yeah, I think I can do that. Yeah, so now you're at levels and levels of leadership. I mean, you do that for three months and that person's going to be more than confident enough to lead their own group. And then you say you're ready to lead. Go to the training that's happening.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no. Do not give them an out, do not let them be lazy, be like. I'm going to go with you. There's that accountability.
Speaker 2:Mic drop. That's it right there. It doesn't sound like that. Mine sounded better. You're right. Yeah, yeah, we definitely should go with mine. If you push it more than once, it's going to go like yeah, mine sounded better.
Speaker 3:You're right, that's all this is going to be is who can make the better sound?
Speaker 1:effects I lose.
Speaker 4:I lose, but I love how you give people baby steps. It's not like, hey, you know what I think next week you're leading the small group, but I've not equipped you at all. I have not given you any steps on how to do it. You see leadership potential in somebody and you just throw them out of the nest.
Speaker 3:Shots fired. I'm not going to lie, I totally do that.
Speaker 4:I do that a lot of times. Some people can do it, some people can do it, but I think most people can lead a small group, I think some people just need a little bit more direction, and I love that that model of things you know. You're equipping people, I think.
Speaker 1:I'm guilty of that many times and probably some people listening to the podcast will be like, yes, you are, because I'll very much be, you know, seeing potential in people. And I'm like, man, these people could do this and that, and I'll just do that. I'm like hey, hey, willie, can you do this?
Speaker 4:And then it's like, okay, well, some people are willing and wanting to, but they need that, like you said, they want clarity.
Speaker 1:And so we say clarity is kindness, and so the more preparation you can do as you're moving people out of comfort. I think that's the key word. It's not just multiplying, it's the intent of multiplying, but it begins with movement. So, as you're moving people into leadership training, host training, as you're moving them into preparing them to lead the group I may just sound a fake, there it is, but may just sound a fake Puh, puh, puh, puh.
Speaker 1:There it is you know and as, but you have to move them and, as a leader, you have to be intentional and give the instruction that you tell yeah, but movement let's talk about this. How many people? Right now we have a lot of small groups. Yes, and it, it's amazing it honestly is.
Speaker 1:One million. We have one million. How awesome would that be One day, one day. But if people in our current groups were to just have that passion, just start like I will move. We're going to get out of our comfort zone. We're going to push people out of the nest type thing. Like how many, emily? Realistically? Realistically, I won't ask willie, he'll give me preacher numbers it's like the fishing stories. Yeah, yeah, yeah like how many more small groups would? We would hit around 1,000 small groups.
Speaker 3:Come on, Come on Like that's nuts. If just one person in your small group.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 3:Just one.
Speaker 1:Incredible thing Again, we don't track our attendance. We do. We have a team that they track attendance, but it's not the center of our conversations.
Speaker 2:Correct and we don't talk about it.
Speaker 1:But if we're averaging about 6,000 people collectively with our campuses a weekend and right now we have about 500 small groups, so you average about eight people a small group Like we're not at the we're not. Not everyone in our church is in a small group Right, and so we could double it. We're not just allowing everyone in our church to be part of it, but we're actually reaching people that are part of our church community to come and know Jesus.
Speaker 1:And so it's not just another gathering, but there's. There's the evangelical gathering, but there's the evangelical evangelism. I can't speak, I'm sorry. Evangelistic, evangelistic, come on. Oh, I'm not going to do it. It's the outreach side of it, where this isn't just for my Bible club. I want other people at work, I want people in my family to come and hear about Jesus, because they might not ever set foot in the church.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but they'll come to my house, yeah absolutely yeah, when we moved back here in 2017, it was one of the harder seasons of my life and we got connected to LifePoint in August of 2017. And before I went through growth track, before I jumped on a team, I joined a small group and when I tell you I mean it was like six months of like the hardest time of my life personally, professionally. It was hard. And I just remember, man, those guys Sam and Patrick and Sean and those guys I mean they just they just loved on me and they prayed with me, they encouraged me and it's so funny because I'm still good friends with most of those guys to this day.
Speaker 2:But I just remember I hadn't even formally met Pastor Mike yet, hadn't met most of the people like on the team that I serve with now, but I knew every single guy in that group and, more importantly, they knew me. That was the thing too. There wasn't this desire, not that it's a bad thing, but there wasn't this desire that I had or this need that I had to connect with the staff at the church because I was seen and I was known. And when I tell you those men, like when I it was, it was a legit prayer need, like a deep prayer need, and they were calling and texting every single weekend. When God answered, who do you think? The first person I went to, to be clear, pastor Mike knew some of the things that were going on, but the first person I reached out to I remember it was.
Speaker 2:Sam called him. I called Sam, I called Patrick, you know, I called Sean. Like I let those guys know hey, man, god has come through. You see what I'm saying. Like that's the importance of it, like I knew that I wasn't alone.
Speaker 2:I think one of the two biggest lies that the enemy tells us when we're going through hard times number one, things will never change. And number two, help will never come Right. Things will never change and you're all alone and in a small group. Both of those lives are destroyed and sent back to the pit of hell. Because you realize no, things will change, because you have other voices. Hey, no, this will not last always, god has a plan. I'm telling you God's going to work this out. And you realize you're not alone, because I literally have battle buddies. I have guys who have my six. They're calling, texting me, sending me encouragement. Hey, man, we got you, man, we're with you. Any change yet? No, not yet. Well, we're going to keep on praying, and that's what they told me every week. Any change? Nope, well, we're going to keep praying until there is.
Speaker 2:And sure enough, man, and again, that was in 2017. Someone still attend our church. Like that is the power of community. You're not alone. You push back against those lies. And then so now, when you walk on the other side of that, you share your testimony with someone else and people are driven. What I realized people are driven by stories of life change. That's why I love how part of the pre-roll it's just, it's testimonies, and then people look and say, okay, I want what they have. And so when we share this testimonies of small groups that's why I love our lead pastors.
Speaker 2:You know, I do coaching for churches that want discipleship and small group help and I say it starts with the leadership. It has to start there. And I say here's the key your lead chair must be a champion and not a cheerleader for small groups or for discipleship. And they say well, what do you mean? I say here's what a cheerleader says. A cheerleader says hey, guys, we are launching our small groups and you got to get in the group. It's good for you. I'm telling you, man, groups are awesome, they are great, it's really good for you. Here's what a champion does. Hey, let me tell you how my small group has been a blessing to me. They testify. That's what a champion does. And Pastor Mike does that constantly, constantly. Yes, he's mentioning small groups all the time, but he regularly shares stories. Pastor Stephanie is regularly sharing stories about how their own small groups are a blessing to them. It's not just that they're leading them, but they are also being led within those small groups. They're being blessed, they're being prayed over, they're being encouraged, they're being challenged.
Speaker 2:And you know John Maxwell talks about the law of the lid You'll never rise above the level, leadership level. Those who are following you will never rise above your leadership level. If I'm at a six, they'll never rise above a five. If I'm at a four, they're above three. And then one of our overseers, pastor Rod Loy, says what leaders do in moderation, followers do in excess. And so if you're those of you that are listening right now, if you're on staff at a church, you may be in a lead chair, second chair position. Can I just encourage you that you have to embrace and embody what you want to see in your church. If you want a discipleship culture, you got to embrace it, talk about it, testify about it. The Barnard Group has done research ad nauseum about this and you have to for your people. You have to give them the same message, same announcements, three Sundays in a row for everybody in your church to finally get it. So that's why we just say well, instead of doing it three Sundays, we'll just do it every Sunday.
Speaker 2:We do the vision every Sunday, every Sunday, sunday service, small groups, growth Track, dream Team. But it's because of our leadership. You know they're not just talking about it, they're living it. They actually embody discipleship and what that looks like and that use your word that's been part of the secret sauce too. So if any of y'all are in a lead chair, second chair position, you're on staff.
Speaker 2:You have to first say to yourself this is good for me.
Speaker 2:I'm telling y'all, before I joined the church, before I formally actually became a part of LifePoint Church, like I was in a small group, then Pastor Mike does this shift just by the Holy Spirit and says we're going to be a church of small groups, not a church with small groups. And then the language changes. You can't even say you belong to LifePoint Church if you're not in a small group, because we're a church of small groups. You see what I'm saying and it just catches fire. And you see it happening all over our community, other churches jumping, catching fire with it and recognizing man because all the negative things are going up anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, addiction, all these negative metrics are going up and people don't know how to deal with them in healthy ways. They're finding all these unhealthy outlets for doing that instead of getting in a small group where some people can say I don't know why you're believing that, but that's not the truth. I don't know why you're doing that because that's not God's best for you.
Speaker 4:Come on, and now they're finding freedom. Yeah, and I love how you said a champion like a small group isn't temporary. You don't join a small group to get through something and then you're done with small. I don't need a small group anymore. You know, I got through that. One thing I think the further you go in leadership, the more you need small groups and accountability. You know it is not a step, it's a lifestyle.
Speaker 1:And there's people that do that. And because immediately they'll run to the comfort of community.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey, I need help, I need to get through this and we've seen, we see it, oh yeah, and and it's. It is sad that when they stopped showing up because God answered their prayer or everything's resolved and they don't need the community anymore. And then they go back into being isolated. I hate seeing that myself and, and you know, and we're not going to force people into community.
Speaker 1:We're not here trying to imply that if you belong to our church that you have to it's not a mandate, but it's a very heavy part of our culture, because we believe this is going to benefit you as an individual if you attend LifePoint Church because, like Emily said, there's power in community. God intended it for a purpose, and so it is sad when people do pursue it and then just retract, and then you know.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and, and you know, like, like Emily said, some small groups are for just a season and then you, you know, you join a different small group or you have a different community. Sometimes you do kind of like you said your, your prayers are answered, and you retract and as much as you reach out to that person and say like, hey, you know, we miss you there, you know it is sad and they've moved on. But yeah, it's a lifestyle, it's not a temporary thing.
Speaker 1:And one of the things I know we're talking all things discipleship, and we've talked about these things in previous podcast episodes. Discipleship, and we've we've talked about these things in previous podcast episodes. If we could talk about the third part of what Pastor Mike talked about on Vision Sunday, so the anointing movement and multiplication, and then the third one was a year of ministry to men. Yes sir, and we are today's Monday. Tomorrow, tuesday. We will be gathering here at our church for the first time on Tuesday, kicking off something super exciting and I'll let you guys choose who's going to talk about it.
Speaker 1:I don't want to get caught in the crossfire.
Speaker 2:Listen first, I got it Tag, I'm in. So tomorrow, february 4th, 6 pm, here at Rossview, we are launching a nine-month men's discipleship initiative called Strong Men's Discipleship. Come on, jesus. We're meeting the first and third Tuesday of the month and Pastor Mike's leading the way on this. He's caught fire about this and the Lord has shown him. This is the year that we're doing this.
Speaker 2:And listen, the goal is we want men to reclaim the rightful place in the kingdom as disciples of Christ and disciple makers of Christ. That is the goal. We don't want men sitting on the sidelines. We don't want men feeling like they're on the back burner. No, man, I am calling you right now. I am calling you to rise up, to stand up and to get up and take your rightful place in the kingdom. Okay, listen, being masculine is a good thing. Being male is a good thing. God has used you to be a solution to a lot of the world's problems. How do we know this? Because God himself became a man to solve the world's problem regarding sin and separation from God. So God has used for you. It is good to be a man and we want to show you what it means to be a godly man.
Speaker 2:We're going through an awesome curriculum, an awesome study. We're going to be in large groups, we're going to be in small groups. So all of us none of us has this thing figured out. There's no single book on what it truly means to be a man, but there is an example. There is an example and his name is Jesus. So we're going to spend nine months examining who Jesus is, the way that Jesus led. We're going to talk about the character and attributes of a godly man and out of that, what we're going to do is launch you same men out. Okay, to go and help other men become followers of Jesus Christ. Guess what? You know what else is going to happen. You're going to see marriages healed. You're going to see families restored. You're going to see addictions broken. You're going to see family trees and family dynamics turned around and redeemed. You're going to see our cities and our community, our nation, our world be healed when the men stand up and rise up and they take their place in the kingdom as leaders.
Speaker 3:I know, as a female, I'm pumped for this. I'm serious, like I mean speaking like as a female and if I can talk to any lady that is listening. If you are offended in any way, shape or form, I pray that you go to God's word and you read God's design for male and female. It's God's design that the man be the head of the home. It is God's design for the man to lead, to take charge, to protect all of the things Right Come on.
Speaker 3:It's that so. Please, if you are offended, call Pastor Willie.
Speaker 2:Come on Now, my first. I will say this my first name is different, so the email to reach me is emilyheims at lifepointchurchtv. Crazy, it's weirdtv.
Speaker 3:Crazy, it's weird.
Speaker 2:It's weird.
Speaker 3:Like when I got hired on for some reason they want to use my maiden name.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3:But no but I mean honestly as a female. I am very excited about this 100% because, coming from so, I was a single mom searching out, trying to find a godly man right, like that was my heart's desire, like I wanted to get married and all those kinds of things. And let me tell you, it was hard and confused, and so then the roles started to switch. The women started to become more of the provider, the protector, right, right right.
Speaker 3:Just through culture. And so now it's one of those things that we're just kind of looking at our church and going, hey, no, we're going to take this back and we're going to start walking in God's design for who we should be. And, like I said, it was tough, and I mean I have now have an awesome godly man. Come on, that's going to be a part of this. Come on, whether he likes it or not, no, he likes it. He's excited about it too. He is, he's pumped about it, but he's pumped about it, but no, like it. Just, I mean, it's exciting. What's your thoughts?
Speaker 3:on the men's ministry-ish men's discipleship.
Speaker 4:I think it's so needed. I think women love to gather, Like women are like oh, let's do more women's things.
Speaker 2:You know, let's do all the gathering. We're good at it too, and we're great at it yeah.
Speaker 4:But there's not much instruction or you know there's not much available for men to do that and have that. You know like that place to go and that outlet and that group of people, and just you know what does it mean to be a godly man? You know how do I lead my house and all of the things, and I think that's so good and yeah, women should celebrate that because you know like they're getting instruction on how to lead a household.
Speaker 2:We're going to benefit from it.
Speaker 3:And gosh a man that looks like Jesus, you know like come on, you know, sign me up.
Speaker 4:So you know, I think it's great, I'm excited, yeah.
Speaker 2:Come on, Jesus.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Come on somebody. Yeah, I'm excited for our church, for our community. We are in a really diverse city, diverse city, and one of the things that makes our church very unique is that you see a lot of men in our church, yeah, and attending our church, serving on our teams, but out of the ratios of how many, the ratio of how many men attend and how many men are serving, like you know, you always want to see more involved and stuff, and so, leading them into their kingdom purpose, leading them into what God's called them, the design on how to lead their homes, how to lead themselves and how to walk this journey out as disciples of Jesus. I'm excited for this, honestly, and we've been talking about it for over a year, like what is this going to look like? And now here's some legs to honestly, and we've been talking about it for over a year, like what is this going to look like? And now here's some legs to it.
Speaker 1:And here we go, and so I'm pumped man. Even if I don't seem like it. The medication kicked in, but I'm excited. We need like a lullaby. Where's your?
Speaker 3:buttons.
Speaker 4:We need like a lullaby sound.
Speaker 3:now how about this one right?
Speaker 1:here, oh wrong.
Speaker 4:Oh no.
Speaker 2:Hold on, hold on, hit that thing again. No, no.
Speaker 1:Come on somebody. This one's for Emily, right here Ready.
Speaker 2:Come on somebody.
Speaker 3:Why is this mine?
Speaker 2:Go ahead and preach Pastor Emily.
Speaker 3:Go preach.
Speaker 2:Come on, Bishop Emily.
Speaker 3:Are we going to do like popcorn preaching? What?
Speaker 2:are we going to preach on? Just you. You got it. It's just you preaching. Just one pop. Come on, just one pop.
Speaker 3:Just one pop.
Speaker 4:I'm like popcorn pop, Just one pop. We're passing it around like kernels.
Speaker 2:Just you pop. You're going to pop one kernel.
Speaker 3:Just one pop, that's it, that's it, that's all you got.
Speaker 1:That's all you had.
Speaker 3:That's it.
Speaker 1:You missed out.
Speaker 3:I did it was fun. It was fun, it was a good try. It's going to be awesome. Yes, sir, it's going amazing.
Speaker 1:We're so honored that God has chosen us in this season to lead and to be able to see this come to pass. And, like Pastor Mike always says, the church, god's church, is going to be here. It was here before we got here. It's going to be here after we're gone. And so, just to be part of a seed of what the future will look like, not knowing what's going to come out of this, you know there's, there's families, there's, there's marriages, there's legacies, there's grandparents, grandkids that we will not know how they will be impacted, but just the initiative, the intentionality.
Speaker 1:You know, emily, I know you won't be part of the groups, but the preparation that has taken place in the background, that you have been a part of, all of the conversations you've had, pastor Willie, with the men that have chosen to decide it, and they're going to step up and being leaders. All of these things matter because it's the beginning of something that's going to be bigger than anything we can imagine on our own. So I'm excited for the hand of God upon it. Imagine our own. So I'm I'm excited for the hand of God upon it. And so, um, we just ask those of you that are listening to the podcast. Um pray, just pray for this, and is there anything specific that you're wanting to ask prayer for?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, pray, pray, for tomorrow night it's going to be bananas. Pray for sanity.
Speaker 3:That'd be great, yeah Cause yeah, I'm telling you there, there's going to be hundreds of men here. We're excited about that. But Just pray for sanity, That'd be great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm telling you, there's going to be hundreds of men here. We're excited about that, but pray for our leaders, pray for Pastor Mike, pray for the anointing. Specifically, though, pray for men's true identities to be revealed the devil. He is terrified of the day that a man wakes up, looks towards heaven and says Okay, god, that's who you created me to be. That terrifies the enemy.
Speaker 1:A man with purpose and anointing, he's an unstoppable force for the kingdom. My pastor used to say growing up, the devil's not scared of your past. We get caught up with our past but, he's scared of our glorious future. Come on what God has for us.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:And we easily get caught up with. Well, I've done this Right, and the devil wants us to keep our attention on those things.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:So God's forgiven us. He sent Jesus for all of that, and so we want to point them to Jesus. Amen, like Emily said, come on, well, let's pray. I think this is you know. Let's take this moment right now. If you would join us in praying, I'll ask one of you to pray, if you guys don't mind, and then we'll wrap up today's podcast. Yes, sir. So, tiffany, would you want to pray? Yeah?
Speaker 4:Yeah, lord, thank you. Lord, thank you that you didn't just create one person, lord, that you created us for community. Lord, thank you that you did create helpers. Lord, that you did make us to have relationships. Lord, that there are others that lift our eyes towards you.
Speaker 4:Lord, I pray for anybody that feels isolated right now, for anybody that feels alone right now, lord, that they would see the people that you are putting around them, that they would lean into it, that we would lean into it, lord, that we would be an unstoppable community of Christ followers. Lord, that we would be an unstoppable community of people with their eyes fixed on you. Lord, I pray for the men's community happening tomorrow night, for the men's discipleship, lord, that you would, first of all, if there's any doubt, if there's anything leading up for tomorrow night, lord, that you would clear their minds, that you would give them peace, that you would give them purpose, that you would give them godly direction to show up, lord, and maybe that's the hardest step, lord, that they just show up tomorrow night. Lord, that they would lean into you and what you have for them. Lord, thank you in advance for the families, lord, that are going to benefit from this.
Speaker 4:Lord, for the community that's going to benefit from this. Lord, as you are glorified. Lord, as families fix their eyes on you, lord, as marriages are restored, as relationships are restored. Lord, as men go into their workplaces, into the community, lord, and share you and who you are, lord, in our light of you, Lord, lord, we thank you, lord, we thank you that you created us, that you see us and you love us, lord, and that we get to be a part of your good, good plan, lord. I just pray that we see more of you this week, lord, that we seek more of you this week, lord, and we thank you and we love you and we worship you and we honor you In Jesus' name, we pray.
Speaker 2:Amen Amen.
Speaker 3:Wake up, pastor Omar, I'm awake.
Speaker 1:I'm awake, I promise. Thank you, lord, oh man. Once again, thank you guys for being part of the podcast. Emily, thank you. Tiffany, thank you so much. You want to close that?
Speaker 2:Hey, thank you all for tuning in to today's episode of the Worship and Leadership Podcast on Discipleship. I forgot the rest of my script.
Speaker 1:If you have any questions, or you have any any answers, I guess you can hit us up, do our our our email Just send us a message.
Speaker 2:Just send us a message. Yeah, we have Instagram. We have all the socials. We have Instagram at. We have all the socials. We have Instagram At LifePoint Creative.
Speaker 3:And Three hours later, Like come on.
Speaker 2:God bless you all and have an awesome rest of your week and to all a good night. And to all a good night, peace.
