We asked pastors of some of the nation’s largest churches to share their thoughts on church growth, discipleship, outreach and faithful ministry.
Adam Bailie, Lead Pastor
Christ Church
Gilbert, Arizona
We emphasize a clear, simple and urgent culture rooted in a vertical engagement in every meeting, a relational connectivity to every level of human interaction, a genuine communication in every public leadership moment, and a redeemed ambition that drives the church family forward on mission in our life as a church, in our community and around the world.
God is in the planning just as much as he is in the execution of the plan. With all of the intentionality of our preaching calendar and worship service plans, multiple weekends in the last year were marked by major crises in our church family. The perfectly correlating songs and Scriptures in our services ministered powerfully to our people and our guests.
I have learned that the best spiritual leadership is servant leadership that seeks to give away what has been entrusted and seeks to mobilize the leadership gifts in others. As leaders serve and reproduce, a mosaic of servant leadership permeates the life of the church on mission in the community.
Ministry moves in seasons, which demands persistent rhythms in the ministers. Rhythms sustain leaders through the seasons, when balance is a futile pursuit or pace of ministry changes suddenly. Worshiping in services, living in groups, serving on teams and learning in studies are rhythms of discipleship that must be applied across all seasons and paces of ministry for leaders and non leaders alike.
Leaders are listeners and leaders are readers. I seek to keep my ears and eyes engaged with better minds, more mature disciples and proven spiritual leaders who can help me understand and apply the Word of God to my life and ministry.
The gospel is the supernatural remedy to divisions and hatred. In the gospel every people group, ethnicity, socioeconomic category and unique human creation finds value and precious unity in love. Where the church is informed by the true gospel of grace through Jesus Christ and radically living it out as a faith family, there is a strong counter-cultural testimony of peace, hope and love that we all desperately need.
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Twitter: @AHBailie
Website: ChristAZ.org
Founded: 2012
Denomination: Nondenominational
Locations: 3
A 2019 OUTREACH 100 CHURCH
Attendance: 1,614
Fastest-Growing: 6
