Articles for tag: Relational Discipleship

June 22, 2019

Jerry Harris

Considering Robert Coleman

By Jerry Harris Some people we cross paths with in life leave an indelible mark. Robert Coleman is such a person for me. A few years ago, I was part of a group of leaders who were preparing the speaking lineup for that year’s Exponential conference. The focus that year was on discipleship and its relationship to church planting. Jim Putman, a preacher whose life and ministry have been devoted to relational discipleship, was chosen as a featured speaker and also selected to help write that year’s accompanying book. He and Bobby Harrington were looking for a third person to

May 20, 2019

Christian Standard

Changing the Scorecards

What statistics really count in the church? Baptisms? Attendance? Or something much more vital? By Jim Putman I have been in many meetings over the years with so-called “big dogs” in the American Christian world . . . and I have left these gatherings feeling very dissatisfied. These meetings often sound spiritual and may even come from good hearts, but they often leave me feeling like something big was missed. The purpose of meeting usually is good: How do we win people to Jesus? Most everyone acknowledges our culture is falling apart, that many Americans are leaving the faith and

June 20, 2015

Christian Standard

Fail Safe

By Karl Schad After months of seeking God in prayer, we prepared to launch three worship services designed to better reach all the generations in our community. We would offer blended traditional, contemporary, and modern services on Sunday mornings, each designed with a specific demographic in mind. Every service would include elements handpicked to engage the generational diversity of our community as we identified the distinct needs of the different age groups and planned to meet them. Three service styles would allow our community to express their worship to God in the way that best connected them to the Lord.

June 14, 2015

Christian Standard

Why We Decided to Plant Churches Instead of Create Multisites

By Jim Putman Our facilities were jammed. Our leaders were overextended. Our growth was stymied. We had three choices: Build larger. Create multisites. Or plant new churches. This is why we chose the third option. Eight years ago the church I lead, Real Life Ministries, was averaging 8,500 people in five weekend services. We were far past the 80 percent rule in our main services (i.e., our auditorium was beyond 80 percent full; we wouldn”t grow any larger in those services). And the times of the other services were not convenient enough to be attractive to newcomers. Our staff and

May 7, 2015

Christian Standard

Growing Deeper

By Jennifer Johnson A look at how some growing churches are growing in ways difficult to measure but vital to achieve. ____ Jason Yeatts Executive minister, adults The Creek, Indianapolis, Indiana In our movement, I think the habits of the early 19th century are ingrained””that discipleship means giving people the right material or sermon. At The Creek, we have made an intentional shift from “informational discipleship” to a relational model. Four years ago we started a series of four classes called “Life on Life.” The idea was you”d move through them””from Belong to Grow to Serve to Engage””and be ready

April 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Megachurches: The Church of the Decade Is Real Life Ministries (Web-only Feature)

By Kent Fillinger Real Life Ministries is currently the sixth-largest Christian church/church of Christ in the country. Started by Jim Putman with only four families in 1998 in Post Falls, Idaho, Real Life has grown to an average worship attendance of 8,500. Real Life first appeared on CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s megachurch list in 2001 with an average attendance of 1,497. Real Life has remained focused on “making disciples in relational environments” and resisted chasing fads or shooting for “the big show” like some other churches. “The church should not be a gathering place, but a launching pad,” said Putman, who believes the

September 6, 2009

Christian Standard

Salt Lake City Church Planting

by Douglas J. Crozier In my 12 years of service with Church Development Fund, I have been blessed to participate in international missions in Chile and India. I have also been privileged to work closely with the team at Impact Canada to expand the kingdom north of our border. I am sold out for global missions that continue to expand the kingdom. But in late 2007, a phone call from Steve Edwards, executive director of the Intermountain Church Planting Association, opened my eyes to a mission field right in our backyard. I had never met Steve, but he challenged me

June 17, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with Bob Harrington

By Brad Dupray Bob Harrington has had a front-row seat in the “simple church” arena””as described and advocated in the book Simple Church (Broadman & Holman Publishers). The church where he ministers (Harpeth Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee) has embraced the simple church concept. As director of Church Planting Networks with Stadia East and lead trainer with Church Coaching Solution”s church planter bootcamp, he has trained many church leaders in implementing simple church strategies. And as a student, Bob studied under Thom S. Rainer, coauthor of Simple Church with Eric Geiger. Bob completed his DMin at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in

July 4, 2008

Christian Standard

Interview with Jim Putman

By Brad Dupray Jim Putman planted Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, nine years ago with a vision of a church whose relationships would exhibit the same passion as those of New Testament Christians. Real Life has grown to weekend attendance of 8,500, with 7,600 people involved in small groups each week””all in a town of 17,000 and a county of 120,000. Jim was a three-time All-American wrestler in college and he holds degrees from Boise State University and Boise Bible College. He and his wife, Lori, have been married 20 years and are the proud parents of three

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