MH 005: Creating a Culture of Growth in Your Church with Josh Surratt, Brandon Cox, and Derwin L. Gray

Welcome to Episode 005 of the Ministry Hangout podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for Ministry Hangout on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, we learn from Josh Surratt, Brandon Cox, and Derwin L. Gray. Josh Surratt is passionate about helping people find God and grow in...

Welcome to Episode 005 of the Ministry Hangout podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for Ministry Hangout on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, we learn from Josh Surratt, Brandon Cox, and Derwin L. Gray. Josh Surratt is passionate about helping people find God and grow in their faith in his role as Lead Pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina. Brandon Cox is a leadership and marketing coach, an online community facilitator, and Lead Pastor of Grace Hills Church in Arkansas. Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead Pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community in South Carolina. The conversation is centered around discipleship and other practices and lessons these three pastors have learned about church health, growth, and culture.

Follow Josh Surratt: Twitter | Instagram

Follow Brandon Cox: Twitter | Facebook | Website

Follow Derwin L. Gray: Twitter | Facebook | Website

 

Takeaways From This Episode

Say no to “steroid growth.”

Derwin L. Gray mentioned that in his former profession with the NFL, players are sometimes caught taking steroids. Similarly, he said that churches who have “steroid growth” with large, attractional events and a lot of money being poured into Sundays at one time are like NFL players who are big and strong for a short season but not healthy when they get off of the steroids. Instead, choose holistic growth that equips the “team” (church) to go and “play the game” (live missionally).

What is your source of passion and inspiration?

Brandon Cox asks his team challenging, re-focusing questions such as: Is your passion coming primarily from outline sources or from Jesus? He said that first, the team leading the church has to make life with Jesus priority and remember that real passion for ministry comes from time spent with Jesus. Before you talk about what has to be done, talk about how life is. Discipleship, worship, and leadership formation happen in the midst of disappointment and everyday challenges.

Quantify beyond attendance

It’s possible and beneficial to quantify things beyond attendance and to do so for more than the numbers’ sake. Measure and monitor growth to get a snapshot of where people are spiritually and in their involvement with the church (good or bad). Look for stories and conversations that are happening online, in groups, etc. Who is getting into small groups, being baptized, going on mission trips, etc.? Sunday attendance doesn’t tell the full story.

 

Quotes from This Episode

Growth is a sign of health and the type of growth that we want is rooted in the Great Commandment and Great Commission. If it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us. [Click to tweet]
Inspiration and passion CAN come from leadership books and conferences, but REAL passion that drives us to go forward in ministry and growth is always going to come out of time with Jesus. [Click to tweet]
All of our systems and processes must be like an arrow to enhance what we believe God has created humanity to be. Then we need measurements to look at, but not to get dogmatic because only the Holy Spirit really knows who the people are who are growing. [Click to tweet]
Discipleship not only happens through teaching and conversation, but through general life and laughter. [Click to tweet] 

 

About Ministry Hangout

Greg Surratt, founder and pastor of Seacoast Church in South Carolina was regularly having conversations with ministry leaders when he realized that these discussions could provide value to more than just him. Thus, Ministry Hangout was born. Our simple mission to share conversations that matter. We’ll discuss a little bit of everything from lessons learned from churches doing something really well to the nitty gritty of how to develop leaders on your staff to how to use social media for your church to how to foster worship leader development. We want to cover it all and have more conversations that matter.

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