Episode 0008 - Jeff Austen on Continually allowing God to Build into You and as a church you are only as healthy as the quality of your volunteers

Welcome to Episode 8 of the FOUR12 Canada Podcast

* NOTE: This episode was recorded earlier this year. *

Listen to the podcast and access the show notes here or search for FOUR12 Canada Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.

Jeff Austen is the Adult Ministries Pastor at Creekside Church in the Waterloo region. We had a great conversation about allowing God to build into you and how a church is only as healthy as the quality of its volunteers. Although this episode was recorded earlier this year, Jeff shared plenty of resources and ideas that you could use at such a time as this.

Connect with Jeff

 WEBSITE | EMAIL | INSTAGRAM 

Links from the Podcast

LifeGroupLeaders.ca

re:group Conference

The Global Leadership Summit 

Clay Scroggins on Carey Nieuwhof's Leadership Podcast

Recommended Resources

LifeGroup Leader Job Description

Recommended Reading

Cultural Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World by Paul M. Gould

Planning Small Groups with Purpose: A Field-Tested Guide to Design and Grow Your Ministry by Steve Gladen

Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue

 

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Adult Ministries and Small Groups

• Adult Ministries includes everything for adults outside of Sunday mornings
• Creekside's Life Groups (small groups) bring together around 10 people who are growing in their walk with God

Big on Volunteers

• A church is only as healthy as the quality of its volunteers
• Build into and support them so they can be successful in their roles
• An overall value for Creekside is to be in a group and on a team
• Share vision and show appreciation continually 

A few times a year, look for people to step up and lead a group

Coaches Team

• Come alongside group leaders
• Pray with and listen to them
• Provide resources
• Remind leaders that they're not alone
• Provide ongoing encouragement

Why Join a Group?

• As a church, clearly communicate the value and expectation of joining a small group
• God created us for relationships; we flourish in community

Act of Worship

• What you do is so important and vital
• We are created by God to serve

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)

Moving Forward

• Allow God to build into you by attending conferences, reading, listening to podcasts, etc.
• Take time to get refuelled, stay encouraged and get connected
• God loves you and accepts you as you are not because of what you do

Thanks for listening! We hope this episode has equipped you for greater influence through serving. We don’t want you to miss a single episode so if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Help us reach more people by writing a review for the podcast! The FOUR12 Canada podcast is a ministry of Faith Baptist Church in Huntsville Ontario. Explore everything FOUR12 Canada at four12.ca. Thanks for spending some time with us. See you next time!

 

Up Next Season 1 Episode 9: Joanna La Fleur on Church Communications, Helpful Tips for a Volunteer Social Media Team, and Practical Ways to Encourage Each Other as We Serve