The Whole Disciple Podcast

The question is not if every follower of Jesus should be a member of a local church but simply which one. God’s design for our lives as disciples is to be members of a local church. It’s a nonnegotiable in what it looks like to be a disciple-making disciple.
1 Timothy 3:15–16 reminds us that all the instructions about what a local church is and how we should act in one are rooted in the gospel and in God’s mission to make disciples of all nations.
Local churches are characterized by a combination of components:
Right preaching of the gospel according to the Scriptures

Right observance of baptism and communion 

Leadership and service of the elders and deacons

Covenant commitment of the believing members to God and one another

God designed us to live our lives in a web of familial relationships of covenant commitment—making a promise to God and one another to grow as a worshiper, family member, servant, steward, and witness. And we live that out as we baptize one another, share in communion, follow the leadership of the elders and be cared for by deacons, go tell the world about Jesus together and celebrate when new brothers and sisters join our family, and encourage one another toward hope as we wait for Jesus Christ to return again in glory and lead us to eternal life in the new creation.
Resources:
One in Christ
Summit Church Membership Covenant
Start the Membership Process at The Summit Church

Discipleship happens in relationships, and we want to help! We’ve put together a discussion guide for you to facilitate conversations just like this one with the biblical community in your life!
Family Member Identity Conversation Guide #1–God Made Us for Family

In this episode, Christy sits down with Lesley Hildreth, John Muller, and David Talbert for a conversation about living with the local church as family. Each guest shares their own journey to living with the local church as family, and then gives pointed and practical advice on how to take your next step to living with the local church as family. Then, we land the plane by each of them sharing how people can join in the family community at the Summit Church through small groups, women’s and men’s discipleship.

To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, you must live your life in and with a church family because God made us for family and made a family for us.
God made us for family, and specifically to share in his communion of love. Romans 8:5-17 explains how we have received the Spirit of adoption, and we cry to the eternal Father, as our Father and because of that, we know and the Spirit knows that we really are now children of our Father, God. Children, we share in the benefits of his Son, Christ, with whom we are now heirs.
God made a family for us–the church. The Bible’s story of God creating a family starts way back with God’s promise to Abraham to be the father of many nations that was fulfilled in Jesus. That by faith in Jesus, we join God’s family.
So, when we believed in Jesus, we received everyone else who has trusted him as brothers and sisters, and ought to live that out by living with the local church as family.

Thank you so much for listening to Season 2 of The Whole Disciple Podcast! We hope this podcast is helping you grow deeper spiritually and also as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Share these episodes with family and friends to help them grow as well!
Season 3 of The Whole Disciple will be back early next year with our Family Member season! Stay tuned!

Discipleship happens in relationships, and we want to help! We’ve put together a discussion guide for you to facilitate conversations just like this one with the biblical community in your life!
Worshiper Identity Conversation Guide #6

In this episode, Christy sits down with Josh Ingram and Gus Pacheco for meaningful conversation about baptism and communion. They talk through why baptism and communion are some of the most exciting practices in the church, as well as discussing practical tips for how everyone can engage in a way that helps us all grow together to be more like Jesus.