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Scotty Smith grew up in North Carolina. He planted and pastored Christ Community Church in Franklin Tennessee for 26 years. He’s now the teacher in residence at West End Community Church. He also serves as adjunct faculty for a bunch of seminaries. He and his wife of 41 years, Darlene, continue to live in Franklin, close to their two adult children, Kristin and Scott, and their one grandchild, Finn. Scotty is the author of Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith and Every Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of Life, among other. He enjoys photography, fishing, cooking, and exercise. Bob Thune is a Christian, a husband, a father, and a pastor, in that order. He grew up in Omaha and founded the Coram Deo Church Community in the fall of 2005. He and his wife have four children who keep them honest and teach them much about God’s grace. He’s the author of The Gospel-Centered Life: Study Guide with Leader’s Notes, The Gospel-Centered Community: Study Guide with Leader’s Notes, and Gospel Eldership: Equipping a New Generation of Servant Leaders. In his spare time you can find him on the basketball court, in the coffee shop with a philosophy book in hand, at home hanging out with his wife and kids, or in the garage working with his hands.

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Park Renew Website

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John is a pastor and elder at Fellowship Memphis, a multicultural church he helped found in Memphis, Tennessee. He also served on the board of Acts29 and is a partner with Fellowship Associates.

He is the lead writer and co-presenter of 33 The Series with Authentic Manhood. John travels the country consulting and investing in churches, leaders and great ideas.

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Show Notes

2:45 – The 90 second John Bryson story (in case you aren’t familiar with him)

5:17 – Why he decided to plant in Memphis

6:10 – The three things he fights every single day

7:25 – Challenges he’s overcome in planting a healthy, multiethnic church

8:58 – Practical advice for planting a healthy, multi-ethnic church

11:25 – What advice he’d give to a pastor of a larger, homogenous church who desires to be multiethnic

14:35 – The two or three pieces of advice he’d give a church planter today

16:42 – What the Acts 29 network is all about

18:30 – Why you must get in touch with your emotions

21:25 – How to get in touch with your emotions

23:42 – Where we’ve learned to shut out our emotions

25:55 – Favorite book and TV show he’s read or watched recently

28:15 – How to think about the upcoming election season

Resources

Helpful books on how to pursue diversity

Authentic Manhood

Fellowship Memphis

John Byrson

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A recognized leader in the multi-ethnic church movement, Dr. Mark DeYmaz planted the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in 2001, where he continues to serve as Directional Leader.

Mark has written five books on the subject of the multi-ethnic church including, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation, which was chosen as a finalist for a Christianity Today Book of the Year Award.

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Show Notes

2:53 – His answer to the question, “If the kingdom of heaven isn’t segregated, why on earth is the church?”

5:32 – What multi-ethnic churches looked like in the New Testament

7:52 – How explosive growth can lead to internal focus with churches

10:28 – What “the Gospel of gentile inclusion” is, and why Paul preached it.

12:33 – Why Paul got jailed for preaching against racism

15:40 – The biggest obstacles he’s overcome whilst building and leading a multiethnic church

20:44 – What advice he’d give to a pastor of a large, homogenous church who desires to become multi-ethnic

25:04 – The difference between assimilation and accommodation

27:54 – “If a church isn’t intentionally seeking to be multi-ethnic, is that church acting unbiblically?”

34:58 – Why “It’s just too hard” isn’t a good excuse for failing to pursue multi-ethnicity

37:34 – Favorite recent book and TV Shows

38:42 – How to think about the upcoming election season

Links

Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation Leading a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Seven Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them (Leadership Network Innovation Series) Multiethnic Conversations: An Eight-Week Journey toward Unity in Your Church

Mosaic Church

Mosaix Conference 2016

Mosaix Global Network

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Wesley Hill (PhD, Durham University, UK) is Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

He is the author of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality, and Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian.

He has written for Books & Culture, Christianity Today, and First Things. He co-founded and writes regularly for SpiritualFriendship.org.

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Show Notes

7:12 – Why he wrote his first book, Washed and Waiting

10:01 – Why he decided to come out in college (and who he told)

12:45 – What “the gift of going second” is, and how to give it to others

14:23 – The history of the term “ex-gay” (and what’s unhelpful about it)

16:25 – Why he identifies as a “gay, celibate Christian”

23:05 – How the church can disciple those who are same-sex attracted

26:05 – Why he wrote his second book, Spiritual Friendship

28:27 – The two options he thought he had as a 20-year-old (and the third way he’s discovered today)

30:55 – How to find friendship after college

37:44 – When it might be appropriate to end a friendship

41:57 – How the culture views friendship vs. how Christian history views friendship

42:55 – Favorite book he’s read recently, nerdiest thing he’s into right now, and who he’s planning to vote for

Links

Mark Yarhouse

Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith

Why 30 is the decade friends disappear – and what to do about it

The Lake of Darkness

Stranger Things

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Mike Cosper is the Founder and Director of the Harbor Institute for Faith and Culture, where he works to develop resources for Christians living in a post-Christian world. Prior to that, he served for 16 years as the Pastor of Worship and Arts at Sojourn Community Church, a multi-site church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of Rhythms of Grace (Crossway), The Stories We Tell (Crossway) and the forthcoming Recapturing the Wonder (Intervarsity Press). Mike is married to Sarah, and they have two daughters, Dorothy and Maggie. They live in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Show Notes

7:05 – Practical changes they made at Sojourn to “retell the Gospel story” on Sundays 9:30 – The difference between a building and a church 10:30 – The three categories of engaging with the arts as a Christian 12:30 – How they went multi-site (and why they no longer call them campuses) 15:45 – The one piece of advice he’d give to a church planter today 17:45 – What The West Wing and church planting have in common 23:30 – Favorite movies of all time 25:00 – Best TV show he’s seen recently 27:15 – Best book he’s read recently 29:45 – The first thing you need to do if you want to see change in your life 32:00 – A daily rhythm that you should start tomorrow (only five minutes a day) 34:00 – Why you should through your journal entries away 37:00 – What is new (untitled) book is about (and when it comes out) 39:00 – What he’s doing with The Harbor Institute for Faith & Culture 41:00 – The nerdiest thing he’s into right now, whether he liked the new Star Wars movie, and who he’s voting for

Links

The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth The Godfather 2 Blazing Saddles Billions Yellow Blue Tibia Rhythms of Grace: How the Church’s Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business The Psalm of the Day The Harbor Institute The Thing Itself