Breaking Through the Noise!

Have you ever wondered about an athlete's motivation to kneel in the end zone after scoring a touchdown? Or giving “glory to God” in the post game interview? In today's episode we talk with someone who has a definite influence on these behaviors. Teg Tegelar is the Athletes in Action Sports Chaplain for the University of Tennessee. Teg and his team has discipled student athletes from all sports at UT for the past 28 years. Teg talks with us about the challenges he faces with student athletes, their approach to discipling them, and some of the fruits they have seen in their efforts. ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com If you would like to support Teg's Ministry at UT, reach out to him: Teg's Email: teg@athletesinaction.org If you would like to learn more about Athletes in Action at a campus near you: Athletes in Action: https://athletesinaction.org/

In today's episode we have the first of hopefully many future conversations with church folks that are proactive in their own discipleship and disciple making. Mark and Charla talk with David Childress, Lay Leader of Middlebrook Pike UMC in Knoxville, TN. David shares the source of his passion and drive for following Jesus and walking alongside others on their journey. The point that David makes clearly and demonstrates often is that the key to discipleship is being in community with other followers. And along with that idea, he shares that the key to disciple making is building relationships. In both instances, we must be transparent and somewhat vulnerable to the people that we hold and hold us accountable in love. ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com Middlebrook Pike UMC: https://www.middlebrookpike.com/

Today's conversation highlights some new voices discussing Proactive Disciple Making. They reference Mark's book and some other sources for their conversation. Stay tuned until the end for Mark's reveals the identity of these guest hosts. We think you will be surprised! RESOURCES ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Notebook LM: notebooklm.google.com Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com

In today's episode, Mark and Charla have a conversation around a Christianity Today article on discipling the family today. What is the church's role in the spiritual formation and what does it look like are just a couple of the questions that our dynamic duo tackle. It's an important part of our mission as the church, to equip our parents and others to disciple their families and each other outside the church walls. Take a listen and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com CT Article https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/disciple-kids-help-parents-church-programs-family/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Immigrant%20Churches%20and%20Ministries%20Spin%20into%20Uncertainty%20%7C%20Trump%20Pushes%20Ukraine%20Deal%3A%20CT%20Daily&utm_campaign=CT%20Daily%20Briefing%20-%2001-28-2025&vgo_ee=TBPjZJCRJyjVipYbQo6puSNvd33ipQ5yYjf7kSCInTOjIQ%3D%3D%3ABqx0NgH4jAU6vg2xzH%2BTEmU09LWyuI%2F9 Designer Jesus: https://www.amazon.com/Designer-Jesus-Lifestory-Leonard-Sweet-ebook/dp/B0CW1FTHMH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12KGR0KEOM1J8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ytCx2QN8JoNqQdbxkTon3ZeFJGVAR97zAXVnBxcFtrhS3eozvy72WetqNu8cm0vCvUBHUfjF6qsOHNKSEYqQ0PVbBEROPcFSUr8YCmhFz6B42NSVSk4e-GSo5Dj57jRqGuOH_rB4Ljf-GkS4yEscX25hZK0tANcUtlEWxuzvsw8NXm0RbiJvOeQg9hlvrbkv.hCRIzPdG185QKO-VJtSmyGPg50Gjs2Ja7ieA1sOt3v8&dib_tag=se&keywords=designer+jesus+leonard+sweet&qid=1738691189&sprefix=designer+Jesus%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1

Since this is the first new podcast episode of 2025, Charla and I wanted to have a conversation for those of you who want to do some new things this year. We will ask and answer some of the questions you should consider if you are thinking about rebooting or reenergizing your discipleship mission. What are things we should consider to get started making changes or even just tweaks? Where do we find resources to support our efforts? And other pertinent queries to guide us and hopefully propel our churches into more engaged and engaging discipleship cultures. RESOURCES Find Practicing the Way, Designer Jesus, and Proactive Disciple Making on Amazon. The Rooted Network: https://www.experiencerooted.com/ ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Barna Research Group: https://www.barna.com/ UMC Discipleship Ministries: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com

Today, Mark and Charla have a fantastic interview with Rachel Billups and Matt Rawle. The conversation centers around digital discipleship and how they help pastors and churches through their new platform Hub4Innovation. Matt and Rachel discuss the Hub as a place for pastors to experiment and play with new ideas and to fail safely and hopefully forward toward innovation success. Rachel shares that a great use for digital space is for prayer, i.e. hosting a prayer group in the metaverse. Matt leans in and unpacks the idea that our digital and social tools are most effective when used for “formation” and not just “information.” And the four talk about other tips and tools for seeking margin in our lives by leveraging digital tools. Take a listen, you can thank us later… Hub4innovation: https://www.hub4innovation.org/ In the Sandbox Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lhTWo6uPPjWh6dHM6VYmZ?si=d80bfeb6b0c940e6&nd=1&dlsi=36a931eece3d47c8 Substack: https://substack.com/@innovationhub/notes ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com

The hardest group of young adults to reach and engage are our college students! Many are from other places and most are trying to live into their new found freedom. How are we as the church positioned to disciple this transient and short-term population? Today we are talking with Khari Butler, one of the pastors that leads a college ministry that sees a thousand students a week. Khari shares their mission to reach these students and how they overcome the challenges this group presents. Check out this episode to learn how we disciple these kids by building relationships and teaching them how to love each other. ChurchCMO.com mark@churchcmo.com Sevier Heights Church: sevierheights.org The Walk: insidethewalk.org

The key to successfully making more disciples is committing to building relationships. On today's episode we talk with Dr. Mark Hicks a relationship counselor who has experience making disciples as a pastor and missionary. Dr. Hicks shares that we must first process grief in building a new or strengthening an existing relationship. He also discusses other aspects of relationships as they relate to our own discipleship. His book, Learning Love, will be republished in the Spring of 2025. ChurchCMO.com mark@churchcmo.com MarkAHicks.com

Why aren't people connecting with the Church's story? This is the critical question we need to be asking first in our local churches before we ask how do we get more visitors, volunteers, or whatever. Charla turns the table and interviews host Mark Wilson about his newly published book, Proactive Disciple Making, How to Craft a Strategic Discipleship Plan That Drives Engagement and Vitality. Charla and Mark discuss this question and others around Mark strategy for making disciples in any size church. How do we connect, engage, and then guide people on their discipleship pathway? Listen to Mark discuss these three parts of the strategy and how churches are living into proactive disciple making effectively and much more from the book. Amazon Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDY23VW6 ChurchCMO.com Mark@churchcmo.com

Today, Mark and Charla tackle the topic of the role of the Sr. Pastor in leading a proactive discipleship culture. Rev. Wil Cantrell, Sr. Pastor of Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN shares his experience and leadership ideas to lead and grow a healthy discipleship culture. Wil shares thoughts on casting a vision to engage everyone on their own discipleship pathway. There are a lot of helpful nuggets and insights, so take a listen to this conversation with Rev. Cantrell. Concord UMC: https://www.concordunited.org ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com

On today's episode, Mark and Charla welcome a new friend to the podcast. Chad Cronin is a regional coach with the Rooted Network, a firm dedicated to helping the local church connect and engage with more disciples. Chad shares insight about the Rooted Experience, a 10 week group experience where participants not only learn about 7 spiritual rhythms, but start living them out in practice with others. The goal of the experience is to introduce people to living a discipleship life and foster the growth of their personal Christian community expressed in a small group. ChurchCMO and Rooted are in the beginning stages of a relationship to support each other in their work with churches, so I invited Chad to join us and get better acquainted with our audience. Check out our conversation with Chad about the Rooted Experience… ChurchCMO and the Rooted Network are co-hosting a webinar to dive deeper into the Rooted Experience for churches on Tuesday, October 8 at 1:30pm EDT. Register for Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1o-P-bIfTaOCkb_zTlAJeA Rooted Network: https://www.experiencerooted.com/ ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Email Mark: Mark@churchcmo.com

On today's episode, Mark and Charla welcome a husband and father, an avid Tennessee football fan, and a United Methodist pastor focused on proactively making more disciples. Rev. Will Shelton is the Lead Pastor of Powell Church in Knoxville, TN. In our conversation today, we explore the focus Will places on developing a discipleship culture in his churches, and the opportunities for congregants to connect and engage. Will shares some tools and tips he employs in his team's efforts to make more disciples. Pay close attention to our conversation with Will… ChurchCMO Website: https://churchcmo.com/ Powell Church: https://powellchurch.com/ Gloo: https://www.gloo.us/ Email: mark@churchcmo.com

On today's episode, we take a look at a quote from prominent Christian philosopher and theologian, Dallas Willard, that he wrote in his book, “The Divine Conspiracy”. The quote was shared in a blog post from 2017 and basically Willard states, “Discipleship is not optional.” Charla and Mark take a few minutes to examine how that affirmation plays out in today's church. How do we re-orient our focus on discipleship as the primary focus of church and what is the impact it can have are a couple of the questions that they tackle in this episode. Blog post using this quote: https://ptv.org/devotional/the-test-of-discipleship/ Mark's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDY23VW6 Sample Chapters: https://46949761.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/46949761/Proactive%20Disciple%20Making_Sample-Chapters.pdf Connect: https://churchcmo.com/

On today's episode, Mark and Charla talk about the Gospel of Matthew as a disciple making manual for our use today. Jesus gives us much instruction in this Gospel for us as followers to guide other people along their path following Jesus. And we also discuss following the Holy Spirit's lead to introduce us to the people we need to guide. Churchcmo.com mark@churchcmo.com

Today's episode features the rest of our conversation with an old friend of our hosts. Rev. Paul Seay is the Senior Pastor at First UMC of Abingdon, VA and also serves Charles Wesley UMC. Paul was recently awarded the Denman Evangelism Award at the 2024 Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church for his work over the past year in growing his church. Paul shared a lot of great nuggets and ideas so we had to split it into two parts. Part two of our conversation in this episode focuses on defining church growth differently at his two distinctly different churches. Also, how they started focusing on the “why” of outreach and events as opposed to the what. This leads to the proposition that maybe we do the same event/class/project but in a different way! Listen to these and other ideas that we discussed with Rev. Paul Seay. AbingdonUMC.org ChurchCMO.com Interview with Jerry Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdSrZMYY5A

Today's episode features another conversation with an old friend of our hosts. Rev. Paul Seay is the Senior Pastor at First UMC of Abingdon, VA and also serves Charles Wesley UMC. Paul was recently awarded the Denman Evangelism Award at the 2024 Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church for his work over the past year in growing his church. Our conversation was so chock full we had to split it into two parts. Part one in this episode focuses on connecting with a new community and engaging people into the church community. Paul shares this experience and some truly inspirational tips for pastors and leaders in any size church or situation. Listen to part one of our conversation with Paul Seay. AbingdonUMC.org ChurchCMO.com

Where do you start building and embedding a discipleship culture in your church? A good place to begin is with your small groups. Mark and Charla talk about how small groups are a fertile ground for finding new disciples that want to be more proactive about their faith and for Proactive Guides that will help them. They discuss how to build on the next step people take to join a group into becoming intentional about their faith journey and following Jesus. And listen in as they discuss how the roles and responsibilities of small group leaders are distinctly aligned with disciple making. Got questions or ideas for future episodes: ChurchCMO.com mark@churchcmo.com

On today's episode we welcome back our friend Rev. Daniel Ogle of the Westside Table, a satellite campus of Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta. Daniel will recount the Table's humble beginnings launching online in the midst of the Pandemic to a thriving congregation receiving over 200 in worship a mere 3 years later. He gives us a glimpse into their true success, building an impactful community of Jesus Followers dedicated to loving their neighborhood. Check out this great witness to positive growth and discipleship. https://westsidetable.org/ https://www.instagram.com/westsidetable/

Our special guest on the podcast this episode is Father Chris Salamy, an Antiochian Orthodox Priest in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fr. Chris and I share a passion for making disciples and particularly helping people to unlock the Word of God for people to apply to their own lives. We look at the differences in worship experiences but the commonality of our shared commitment to the Great Commission. I also spoke extensively about a platform Father Chris and his team has created, Warrior Saints Academy. I think it is a helpful resource you can share with your people that are looking for a convenient, daily Bible study app to build their spiritual disciplines. Find the link below to learn more about their platform. Warrior Saints Academy: warriorsaints.org Also find them on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook ChurchCMO.com mark@churchcmo.com

A disciple focused church focuses on the next step of the church and the individual to connect with Jesus and serve others. We see that lived out in the explosion of growth in the early church told in Acts 2: 41 -47. The first disciples devoted themselves to worship, prayer, sharing meals, study and to the community. As church leaders, we must also drive the next steps of the church and the next steps of individuals. Is one more critical than the other or is it a chicken and egg dilemma? How do our episcopal leaders and administrations, i.e. in Methodism our bishops and their annual conferences, support disciple making in the local church? Listen to Charla and Mark discuss these questions and other ways that we support proactive disciple making in and beyond the local church. Links: The Alpha Course: https://alpha.org/alpha-online/ Everything Happens with Kate Bowler: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/questions-of-meaning/ Mark@ChurchCMO.com

In this episode, we talk with Rev. Anna Lee, the Executive Pastor at Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville, TN. Anna shows us how Cokesbury is living out the Great Commission by inviting people to take their next step because everyone has one! Next steps look different for everybody and are not limited to individuals, churches have next steps too. Anna shares how Cokesbury Church over the past decade has made taking Next Steps a vital part of the embedded conversation in the conversation. It has become more than an invitation, it is an expectation that everyone always has their own next step. Hear Anna and I talk about how Next Steps got its start at Cokesbury and why it has become more than a promotion or a program. Cokesbury.TV @churchcmo mark@churchcmo.com ChurchCMO.com

A few episodes back when we were talking with our friend Pastor Kristin about her journey embedding a Discipleship Pathway culture in her church over the past 7 years, she mentioned speaking to “spectators” in the congregation. We all have different labels for this group, but every preacher out there is picturing people in their congregation right now. When pastors and the leadership team seek to implement change such as a new culture of discipleship, what do we do about the spectators? I mean, they don't work for change but they don't work against change either, they just sit it out. Is that ok? Should pastors push or pull to get everyone in? What is our response to the apparent apathy of the spectators in our churches? Hear Charla and Mark explore ideas around engaging the spectators in your congregation.

In Episode 47, we continue our conversation with Dr. Leonard Sweet about his most recent book, Designer Jesus. Len shares with us his thoughts on how we are designed to be like Jesus. Our human identity comes from Jesus as he shows us how we are to be “fully human.” As followers of Jesus we have to be like trackers looking for fresh footprints to follow because Jesus is alive and in the world. We look for his fresh prints, where he is healing and saving people and join him in his work. Let's continue our conversation with Len Sweet… Amazon Books: search Jesus Human and Designer Jesus or simply Len Sweet Books LeonardSweet.com Napkin Scribbles Podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

In this episode, we are privileged to talk with one of the great Christian minds of our generation, Dr. Leonard Sweet. Len's two most recent books, Jesus Human and Designer Jesus combine to paint a picture for Christians how we are to be faithful humans and disciples. Jesus Human - Primer for a Common Humanity, explores how Jesus, in showing us the way to God, shows us the way to ourselves and the way to be human. Listen to the first half of our conversation with Dr. Leonard Sweet… Show Notes: Amazon Books: search Jesus Human and Designer Jesus or simply Len Sweet Books LeonardSweet.com Napkin Scribbles Podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

We are continuing my conversation with Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks and her work embedding a discipleship culture at her church. In this episode, we are going to talk about how we keep bridging the discipleship communication and perception gap in the congregation, 7 years into the process. Plus, we know the saying “what gets measured, get's done.'' How does Forest Hills measure their effectiveness in their discipleship mission? Let's jump back into the conversation with Rev. Kristen Clark-Banks… https://foresthillsumc.org/

I am so excited about our guest today, Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks, Sr. Pastor of Forest Hills UMC in Brentwood, TN. Soon after Kristin was appointed to Forest Hills 7 years ago, she began implementing a new discipleship culture called the Discipleship Pathway. In this episode, we are going to discuss how that culture has grown and how she has bridged the perception gap about discipleship in the congregation. We talked for so long, as she and I usually do, I split the interview into two episodes so you could digest the lessons we discussed from her experience. Part 2 will air in Episode 44. Forest Hills UMC - https://foresthillsumc.org/

In our last couple of episodes, we talked about what discipleship looks like from the pew, or from the perspective of members, attenders, and visitors. In today's episode, we will look at 4 ways that we can embed a discipleship culture in the local church and not only bridge the perception gap, but get people walking over the bridge! ChurchCMO.com Proactive Strategy Accelerator Course: https://disciple-making-academy.getlearnworlds.com/1-click-sales Church Disciple Making Self-Assessment Survey assess your church's readiness to proactively make disciples. Connect with Mark Wilson, Instagram: @markwvol @churchcmo, Facebook: /churchcmo, or email Mark at mark@churchcmo.com

Today, I would like to build on the conversation we started in Episode 40 and talk about ways to bridge the perception gap between the laity and the church about what is discipleship. We roughly estimate 10-20 per cent have a clear view of discipleship and are actively engaged in discipleship. It would be an interesting exercise for a pastor or lay leader in the church to ask people of all ages in the church, “How do you define discipleship? What does it look like for you to engage in discipleship?” What else can we do as church leaders to bridge that gap…

Starting in this episode, Charla and I want to spend the next few episodes looking at discipleship from the pew, so to speak, from the perspectives of the member, attender, and even a visitor. It's a fuzzy view. It's a concept more than a Jesus directive that impacts our daily lives in what we say and do. It's not like we don't want to engage in discipleship. It's that most church attenders don't know what discipleship looks like or it's not our radar. We will look at important questions like how does the church help clarify the laity's view of discipleship and translate it into their own lives among others.

Today we are going to talk about why we as church congregants should be investing in our own, proactive discipleship journey. The Church is full of people who came to know Jesus as Savior, yet were never taught what it means to actually follow Him. So I think we should start with what Jesus tells us about how we benefit from following in his path.

In today's episode we continue talking about how Jesus used his encounters with people to make disciples and those outcomes. And we segue to the Apostle Paul's conversion and his process for making disciples on his journeys. What was Paul's strategy that helped the Gospel message spread throughout the world? Charla and I will talk about the key parts of what made Paul an effective disciple maker. Spoiler Alert: it has to do with successful multiplication! Tune in for more details... Proactive Strategy Accelerator Course - $149 thru 11/27 - ChurchCMO.com/Academy (Use Coupon Code: district23) Email your questions or ideas to mark@churchcmo.com

In today's episode, Charla and I want to explore Jesus' disciple making process which was very proactive. We will look at the how, where, and when of Jesus' disciple making as well as the outcomes. Some examples we will discuss are Jesus calling Simon Peter, interacting with the Samaritan woman at the well, and with the Pharisee Nicodemus.

In today's episode, Charla and I discuss the obstacles that pastors and churches face when it comes to making more disciples. Charla shares her perspective as a retired UMC Pastor as well as a new perspective on two familiar New Testament stories.

In today's episode we talk to retired UMC Pastor Charla Shebakoff about life/career transitions. We extrapolate her experience to the challenges our congregants face in traversing their own transitions. We discuss the questions: what are the challenges you face? Where do I belong? Has my purpose that gives meaning to life changed or am I supposed to live it out differently? Transitions are a reality whether you are a pastor or pew sitter. They are not always difficult and some give us the opportunity to take a fresh look at our God-given purpose in life and how we are living out our purpose. Check out our conversation... Free Checklist: http://eepurl.com/h8raI5 Email mark@churchcmo.com to: 1) Pre-Register for FREE Workshop (August 2023) 2) Early Register for Online Course (20% Discount - September 2023) Church Disciple Making Self-Assessment Survey assess your church's readiness to proactively make disciples: https://form.jotform.com/230883642498165

Today's episode is a little different from our normal show. I had the honor and privilege of sharing a message with a client church, Second United Methodist in Knoxville. The pastor, a dear friend, was retiring and asked me to fill in a Sunday before the new pastor started. So, I spoke on what I know best, football, err no, discipleship in the church. In the show notes, I have included a link to get one of our free resources. It's called the Checklist and it's a guide to help you start implementing this strategy with your congregation. If you can't find the link in the show notes, simply email me at mark@churchcmo.com and tell me to send you The Checklist. The Checklist is a list of 10 steps to guide you through implementing this strategy. We won't go through each step in detail, but we will discuss the 3 groups of tasks that make up the list. Link to Checklist http://eepurl.com/h8raI5 Email mark@churchcmo.com to: Pre-Register for FREE Workshop (August 2023) Early Register for Online Course (20% Discount - September 2023)

In today's episode we will meet a new colleague and friend of mine, Jessie Cruickshank. Jessie is a Harvard educated, neuroscientist, theologian, and outdoor adventurist. Our paths have crossed because she has spent two decades applying neuroeducation research to discipleship, ministry training, experiential education, and organization development. Jessie is respected globally as a leader in missiological thought and a church and denominational consultant. She is the founder of [Who]ology. Jessie's newest book, Ordinary Discipleship, was released in May 2023 from NavPress. Let's get to know Jessie Cruickshank… Ordinary Discipleship Link: https://www.tyndale.com/p/ordinary-discipleship/9781641587327 Ordinary Community Cohort (Fall 2023) https://www.whoology.co/ordinarycommunity Website: https://www.whoology.co/

So, we have talked about what Proactive Disciple Making is, and we have discussed the three components of the strategy - connecting, engaging, and guiding. In today's episode, we are going to talk about how we begin to implement this strategy in real life. In the show notes, I have included a link to get one of our free resources. It's called the Checklist and its a guide to help you start implementing this strategy with your congregation. If you can't find the link in the show notes, simply email me at mark@churchcmo.com and tell me to send you The Checklist. The Checklist is a list of 10 steps to guide you through implementing this strategy. We won't go through each step in detail, but we will discuss the 3 groups of tasks that make up the list. Link to Checklist http://eepurl.com/h8raI5 Email mark@churchcmo.com to: 1) Pre-Register for FREE Workshop - August 2023 2) Early Register for Online Course - Sept '23 (20% off thru 8/15)

The third component of the Proactive Disciple Making strategy is Guiding. I feel it is the most important part of the process. Because let's face it, when faced with a little adversity or difficulty, we humans are wired to quit and go in another direction, usually backwards. Disciple Making Guides in the proactive strategy are relationship builders, first and foremost. That is why I so confidently stated that you don't have to be a Biblical scholar to guide others on their spiritual journey...

In this episode, we are talking about the second phase of our Proactive Disciple Making Strategy. The Engaging phase has two primary objectives. First, it is identifying how best to help the newly connected disciples formulate their growth and fulfillment plan and take their logical, first step on that journey. The second objective of our Engaging phase is to build personal relationships with disciples. I heard recently a phrase from a peer that “Bible studies don't make disciples, people do.” The Guide community that we will discuss in the next episode is the means to building personal relationships with disciples to help them find resources and next steps as well as providing support and encouragement.

How do we connect with people inside and outside our churches to develop a deeper relationship? The answer goes back to the myth the church has been telling its people for years that we discussed last episode - we will meet you where you are? How do I know this is a myth, you ask... Go to BreakingThrutheNoise.com/episodes for show notes and links!

Today's episode is the first of a series of episodes that will define and describe the Proactive Disciple Making Process. This first episode is an introduction to the process and will give you an insight to why being proactive in our disciple making is critical to church vitality and growth.

Today's episode is a conversation I had recently with a former client of mine that is making a major paradigm shift in her church. Kristen Clark-Banks is the Senior Pastor of Forest Hills UMC in Brentwood, TN, a suburb of Nashville. She and I, along with her Director of Discipleship, Sarah Wheatly talk about shifting from a membership driven church to a discipleship focused church. We talk about what their culture looks like now, overcoming obstacles along the way, and what it means to intentionally make disciples in today's church.

Today's episode is a conversation I had recently on Knoxville radio station, Joy620AM with the Church Mechanic. My old friend, Rev. Pat Polis hosts the show and we talked about proactive disciple making in the local church and how we live into the Great Commision. Pat and I will talk about the challenges pastors face in their churches today and how we are called to address them. We both agree that if we live into the command Jesus gave us to make disciples, this will solve most of the issues we face in the local church! But how do we truly make more disciples? I will discuss with Pat my strategy for proactive Disciple Making and what it can look like in your church. For links to resources and guest information, go to our website at: https://BreakingThrutheNoise.com

Today, Mark and Laurel discuss a book written just before the pandemic called Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins. Mark was immediately struck by the fact that the concepts and ideas the author presents speak directly to the local church and its capability to be the most human company. How does this rebellion impact the church you ask? Listen to this episode and see for yourself. Join the Cohort: email mark@churchcmo.com Buy the book: Find it on Amazon - Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company wins

"How should we be using social media in the church?" is a question Laurel and I are asked regularly! We church folk, or at least us old ones, like a good, catchy formula to simplify strategies. One way to encapsulate the strategy for using social media in our vernacular is to call it an iStrategy: inform, interpret, and invite. Here is that iStrategy on how we use and plan our social media in a church setting. In my opinion, there are three purposes for using social media in business and we will translate them into our use in the church.

Are you struggling to produce impactful videos for your church? Testimonials are most effective videos you can use to engage and impact the lives of your congregation and community. They aren't difficult to create, but there are some tips you need to know to produce quality testimonials. Join me as I interview Terrie Winkle of Cokesbury Church about how she produces great testimonials. That One Thing Adobe Premier Rush Quik (GoPro) LumaFusion (iOS only) Contact Us: Terrie Winkle, Supervisor of Creative Media, Cokesbury.tv Connect with Laurel and her social media management business Laurel's Socials @Laurelsocialsofficial , or by emailing her at laurelsocials@gmail.com. Connect with Mark Wilson, Instagram: @markwvol @churchcmo, Facebook: /markwilson1965, or email Mark at mark@churchcmo.com

Pastors are always asking us how can we get more people to engage with our content which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the first thing we tell them is to start creating more videos. But that's when their eyes glaze over, because they aren't really sure how to even start creating videos, much less making them engaging. That is why today's episode we are going to share 4 tips to help pastors and churches get started making compelling and watchable videos. And that involves a lot of planning and preparation. And our That One Thing segment includes inexpensive and easy to use ideas for recording your videos. Boya Wireless Microphone: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/boya-dual-channel-wireless-receiver-with-two-transmitters-microphone-kit/6395267.p?skuId=6395267 Contact Mark and Laurel: mark@churchcmo.com laurelsocials@gmail.com

The past two years of the pandemic have really accelerated our media consumption online and in my opinion, the church needs to adapt to new ways to present its message to a digital culture. The main media that is driving this content consumption is video. Do you know what the fastest growing social media channel is right now... TikTok statistics and trends https://www.omnicoreagency.com/tiktok-statistics/ Connect with Laurel and her social media management business Laurel's Socials @Laurelsocialsofficial , or by emailing her at laurelsocials@gmail.com. Connect with Mark Wilson, Instagram: @markwvol @churchcmo, Facebook: /markwilson1965, or email Mark at mark@churchcmo.com

Why do I hear from pastors regularly that they are struggling to get viewers of their YouTube videos? The explosion of video represents a huge opportunity for churches. If you want to connect with more people, expand your reach into the community, and ultimately generate real growth, you should be using video marketing. But churches are struggling to understand the platform and how it works. On today's episode we will get some expert advice and insight from a successful YouTube creator that also works with churches and nonprofits. Karis Hortin has built a following over 25k subscribers to her YouTube channel that provides life coaching to teen girls. Karis gives the church some great advice as we push further into to the realm of video marketing and YouTube. Connect with Karis online: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLNkrc1FXiyvs- Connect with Karis Online: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@teentips.co?lang=en Website - https://www.karishortin.com Personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karishortin/ Teen Page Instgram - https://www.instagram.com/teentips.co/ Connect with Mark Wilson: mark@churchcmo.com

The Pandemic of 2020 was really difficult for churches to navigate. But imagine trying to build a core following for a church plant in the middle of Atlanta, GA. That is exactly what my friend Daniel Ogle and his team did at the Westside Table. Hear how Daniel and his team not only kept their group in tact, but actually grew it to a critical mass so they could launch in 2021.

Scaling is one of those buzzwords that you may have heard frequently over the past 18 months. It's a fancy way of saying it's how we grow our business by leveraging resources exponentially. Or, its getting max production from a minimal addition of resources. In today's episode we will break down ways to look at and approach scaling in your business.