In this episode of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast by the Great Commission Association of California, hosts Pastor Christopher Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson interview the senior directors of the GCA, including Dr. Michael Stewart, Ms. Lannette Lozano and Dr. Se J. Won about topics ranging from prayer to mission fields, to prayer and great pastoral resources. Chase and Chris also taste test Lester's Fixins Ranch Dressing Soda and barely survive the experience.

In terms of what makes a church healthy and flourishing, there's no good answer to that question that doesn't begin with what Jesus said in John 15 about abiding in Him. - Chris Cole.

Open: What is working to bring church health and flourishing on the West Coast right now. Discussion includes Loving your culture without compromise, having a strong welcoming team and strategy, abiding in Jesus, being authentic and not hypocritical/actors.

"I've been to churches where there is an inauthentic, almost Stepford Wives too bright, too shiny kind of vibe where people greet you like you're their long-lost brother that they haven't seen in years…I would much prefer, rather than bright hot, gleaming and polished smiles, I would much prefer something more genuine, warm real and authentic. The way to make that happen is not a program, but to preach the Gospels, preach the epistles, and cultivate a people who value biblical humility, biblical serving, biblical gentleness and biblical warmth. There's no program or strategy that replaces the kind of outflow of the Fruit of the Spirit that should come from an authentic church with real greeters - that is massively important to reach your community. It may not grow you into a megachurch, but it will grow you into a place where people will come and feel welcomed and feel real warmth. "

"People don't want to be sold on Jesus. That's not the same as saying we don't want to invite them to a real-world encounter with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope that we have…When we center the gospel into the middle of authentic relationships, it should overflow into how we greet guests, do outreaches, and how we teach people to grow up into disciples of Jesus." Chris Cole

Resources mentioned: Thom Rainer's Becoming a Welcoming Church.

Daniel Henderson's Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word.

"There is a great need for spiritual renewal and awakening…for us to see something that can't be explained by numbers or logic, for us to see God move in such a way that we can only say that was God. If I'm not right with God, then what we do, doesn't really matter." Dr. Se J. Won.

Waking the Dead - John Eldredge (Dr. Stewart)

"Who we are matters more than what we do. We must have a good sense of our relationship with Christ, and who we are in ourselves and how we interact with other people." Chris Cole.

Steve Cuss - Managing Leadership Anxiety, Yours and Theirs

Peter Scazzero: The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World.

Dr. Se J. Won, "Many people go through unknown pains…unknown trials and challenges that they can't talk about or say outloud. Pain is not a curse." Paul Brand: The Gift of Pain.

YouVersion Bible App on Android or iTunes.

Chris Cole, "As an ex-missionary, I have put a lot of weird things into my mouth, and this Lester's Ranch Dressing Soda might be moving close to my top ten of weird things to put in my mouth."

"As a Baptist pastor, you would not know what a Pina Colada tastes like!"

Spontaneous baptisms, priming the pump, and baptism actors.

How one church baptized a record number for them. The UNsecret to baptizing more people. Hint: There's not a strategy, trick, or hack.