How to THRIVE as a Disciple-Making Leader
Welcome to the blog space of the Alliance of Reformed Churches. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been continuing to grow and develop who we are along with welcoming partner congregations. Just this week 20 congregations from California to Pennsylvania, who have applied to join, had congregational votes supervised by their denomination, and who have joined or expect to join the Alliance after their release at the fall classical gatherings, were accepted into the Alliance.
As we’re growing in partner congregation numbers, we’re also growing by learning from those congregations about their journey, their ministry and what they are doing right now to grow as followers of Christ. This learning has us thinking about our future around equipping, encouraging and empowering congregations. So, we’re taking some first steps to introduce you to what we are calling “preferred providers.” These are folks with reformed theology who provide contract ministry services to individual congregations and their leaders. Over the next few blogs, we want to introduce you to Jeff Allen and his Thrive Coaching Network. Each week, we’ll present a leader testimony adn Thrive Coaching Network contributed that journey. Finally, we’ll offer you links that you can follow to “dive in” and discover what Thrive offers.
We believe God has called us to provide introductions between congregations seeking to follow God more fully and people who have the calling to help them follow that calling. Let’s take our first steps together as we hear and are challenged by what God is doing in the ministry of Jeff Allen. As you read these, feel free to send feedback to Dan Ackerman about whether these blogs are helpful and how we can serve you further as we think about and develop a “preferred provider” approach to ministry.
TESTIMONIAL | Meridian, ID
Vinnie Hanke is the Lead Pastor at Valley Life Community Church in Meridian, ID.
In 2019 I experienced a great transformation in my approach to leadership and discipleship.
I had recently arrived at a church as the new lead pastor. I was given the task of re-planting after a two-year pastoral vacancy. As I sought to return the gospel to the center of everything we did as a church, I knew a simple reshuffling of the latest programs and “church growth” strategies wasn’t going to cut it. This is where the blessing of the Thrive Coaching Network made all the difference. I had real first-person training, teaching, and transformation.
Three years later, the tools and time we have invested in discipleship are bearing fruit across ministries in the congregation. In particular, our leadership team meetings now reflect a deep commitment to the mission of Jesus to make disciples. The conversations we have are centered on the mission of making disciples and less on managing the status quo of the business of the church.
Read more of Vinnie’s story here.
Photo / Valley Life Community Church in Meridian, ID
DIVE DEEPER
The journey from Survive to Thrive as a Disciple-making leader is a narrow road. One that you shouldn’t walk alone. To Thrive, you don’t need sage on the stage - you need a guide on the side. It reflects a paradigm shift as a disciple and leader moving from scarcity to abundance, and from being fed to bearing fruit!
Living into our Mission
From Survive to Thrive is one of the key lessons in the Core Practices of Following Jesus.
Tap the video below to glimpse this and other disciple-making, culture-shaping resources available.