Barry Owen said God is multiplying his church’s ministry in ways he can’t keep up with.
And he can pinpoint the start back to a D-Life training event held at his church in 2017.
There were only 12 people at the meeting, but God had big things in mind, said Bill Wilks, D-Life founder and pastor of NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville.
He had traveled to the church where Owen serves as associate pastor — Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina — to lead a training event for D-Life, a method of discipleship he started about six years ago at NorthPark. The idea was to use reproducing small groups as a way to make disciples both inside and outside the church walls.
It worked so well he’s been helping other pastors start a culture of disciple making in their congregations too.
That’s what happened in Greensboro.
“Out of the 12 men who went through the training, eight started leading D-Groups in January of 2018,” Wilks said. “What began to happen in those eight groups became the talk of the church, and conversations were taking place about starting groups for women and students.”
He did another training there that March for students, young adults and women, and groups began to multiply throughout the community. In about a year, what started with eight men had multiplied to 50 D-Groups reaching more than 250 people, many of whom weren’t church members.
And this November, that congregation — Lawndale Baptist Church — will host a statewide D-Life Boot Camp for North Carolina on Nov. 2.
Wilks will also hold a Boot Camp in Kentucky on Sept. 21. The most recent Alabama boot camp was held at NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, on Sept. 16.
The goal for a boot camp is that attendees will be equipped to lead a D-Group. Churches interested in scheduling D-Life training can contact Wilks at bill.wilks@me.com or 205-602-2888.
For more information about D-Life Boot Camp or to register, visit livethedlife.com. (TAB)
Share with others: