Aaron Colyer: All right, Cory Thomas from Flat Creek Baptist Church. I'm on with you just to confirm it is all right if I record this conversation.
Cory Thomas: It is.
Aaron Colyer: Okay. Thank you very much. I want to let you know that, I really appreciate you filling out that survey. We had over 500 people invited to take the survey and roughly 130 have taken it. So you are, in the lead there helping the odds. I also appreciate you being willing to interview with me. The reason you were selected for myself is we have a six person research team and my area of focus is evangelism. You rated that as highly important on your survey. And so, the questions that you're going to have today are revolving around your church's revitalization experience specifically connected to building a culture of evangelism.
Aaron Colyer: I've got an ethics statement that I need to read just to fulfill our academic institution protocols. Let me read that real quick and then if you have any questions before we begin, you fire away. Here's our statement:
Aaron Colyer: Agreement to Participate: The research in which you are about to participate is designed to determine the critical elements of your church's recent revitalization. This research is being conducted by a six-man research team pursuing doctoral degrees at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for purposes of understanding and encouraging these elements among other churches. In this research, you will be asked to describe your church's experiences. During the interview portion of the research, notes will be kept for your specific church revitalization, which may appear in the publication of the research. If you desire any of the information given to remain confidential, please inform the
interviewer. Participation in this study is totally voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time. By your completion of this Interview, you are giving informed consent for the use of your responses in this research.
Aaron Colyer: Any questions about that my friend?
Cory Thomas: None.
Aaron Colyer: Okay, perfect. Well then let me tell you one more time before we get started. Thanks again for your willingness to participate. I want to give some direction to our interview. It's going to be about half an hour and I want to really press to keep it at half an hour to respect your time. I've got these five primary questions and there will be times when I kind of slow down and probe in and ask for more details and then maybe for the sake of time there, there might be a time where I say, that's okay, let's move on so I can get all five of these questions in. All right. Does that sound okay?
Cory Thomas: Yeah. Good.
of grow you guys out of that time.
Cory Thomas: I've been at the church as Pastor I began as interim pastor in July of 2011 and I became a permanent pastor in January of 2012. Previous to that, we as the church had, had a long run of about eight years of good growth with a strong pastor in his early to mid-sixties. We built a new sanctuary after he left in about 2007. There were two short term pastors there and the church had fallen down. When I got there in 2011, I'm going to say we were probably maybe running 40, 35 to 40 in Sunday school. And we have seen, well, it's kind of been an up and down the revitalization over the last say three years probably. We've really seen it and I don't know that it's complete. It's almost like we the Lord moving at random. I mean we've seen a move of it in the last six months and so I don't know that we are through with the revitalization.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah. Well, and that's why they call it a process, my man. So
revitalization process, I think even your healthy churches still need to be asking the same questions about what is the Lord doing? Are we focused on the right things? Do we have the mission in front of us? How are we executing that mission? Are we doing things for the glory of God or for other motives that are not going to be good ultimately for the kingdom.
So those are the questions every church has to ask. Let me ask
specifically to evangelism though, what was done to develop a culture of evangelism among the church membership these last six or seven years.
Cory Thomas: I guess through enhanced discipleship to begin with, and then just trying to transition from being the mentality of a rural community church to putting the focus outside of the walls of the church. Somewhat of a culture change. I wouldn't say a challenge, but a change that we had to reemphasize the focus to get outside of the walls of the church to do some things different and unique that had never been done before.
Aaron Colyer: Right, right. Can you give me some examples of those things?
Cory Thomas: We began a youth crusade four years ago that we did for three or four years. We did some special services in August, I called them the sizzling Sundays of August where we did just one. Suddenly the whole church went and we had a service at the nearby lake. We try to focus on everything being outreach from our fall festival that's coming up to our Easter egg hunt. We have an annual fish fry that we, it kind of just started out as what is the word I want use here? Just kind of started out as an idea of having a fish fry and maybe putting a speaker on the program.
And it just kind of manifested. We've been doing it for eight years now.
They actually did that a year before I got here. But we just took it and grew on it to try to become an outreach event for the church to lead people to Christ and to grow them as Christians. And see evangelism to me as a two-fold purpose. It is to call those in that are lost and hope the spirit speaks to them and saves them. But also for those that are within the church to continually to disciple them and grow them in the Lord.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's the full picture of the Great Commission. Go make disciples, baptize, teach them to obey. Right? So I appreciate your perspective there. Let me ask this and start a second question. What strategies or methods, identified for being used for
training the church members, tools to share the gospel. So you talk about even like the fish fry people going and sharing the gospel. How would they have been trained for those gospel conversations?
Cory Thomas: Predominantly by myself and some of the other leadership in the church.
And you know I'll read a lot of evangestically . . . I'm a big advocate and a big fan of Tom Rainier. I subscribed to him and some of the other areas of that nature that I receive and I try to stay on the edge of, I don't want to use the word technology because we do believe in technology, but I like to stay on the edge of what's going on and new ways. I'm a big advocate of the gospel never changes, but our method to get people has to change whatever it takes. If it works, fine, let's keep doing it. If it's not, if it's a sacred cow, let's kill it and get rid of it and try something different.
Aaron Colyer: Absolutely. So one of the other guys I interviewed said, there's all kinds of methods, but there's only one message.
Cory Thomas: Yeah, that's it. Another area that we took on about, I'm going to say about probably halfway about three years ago, as we began, we have a very active Facebook community and we stream all of our services live to Facebook and that's been another huge outreach for us, for people to be able to see a presence in our church in a sense of community. Letting the community know that we're here. We're not just putting in a country club where people come and gathering and assemble, but that we're a part of the community. We, our church is located, we're in the middle of nowhere. We're 10 miles there are three cities that are exactly 10 miles from where we are. So we have three different markets that we can reach from and draw people in. That's what we try to do this, whatever unique ways. We've done festivals where we had a booth and give away balloons, give away tracks. Any time that we can be involved in the community to show the community that we care and are willing to meet needs. Those have been, I guess the bedrock of our outreach programs.
Aaron Colyer: So let me follow up on that. Training is when you said you train most people by yourself, what are you training them in? Are you equipping them with like a Roman Road. I know you said you follow Rainer.
You've probably heard a lot about 3 Circles. I mean, when I say tools, what are your go to tools when you're training somebody?
Cory Thomas: Roman Road is our main tool. I have used them. I have taught on 3 Circles. The Roman Road is probably our main focus seeing the lost saved. We have recently have been doing this, you belong here, the national back to church thing in the middle of the month. We ordered some custom printed postcards with all of our church information on the front. And then on the back we put the Roman Road to salvation. If someone that was inviting someone to church actually has the Roman Road to salvation on the back of the card. That they can easily clearly present the simple gospel.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah. So, then I think you would agree with this sentiment, it's not just the pastor's job to share the gospel. It's not bring him to church and I'll
Cory Thomas: And it's a continual repetitive cycle of I'm trying to indelve that in people's minds and in their spirit that the Great Commission is not just for pastors. We've got to be involved and if the church is ever going to fulfill its mission, then it's got to have the whole, every member working corporately.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah. That's good. Well, let me move on in, number three here. I'm curious how do you develop a system? You've been there for, going on six years, when you want to celebrate victories or wins in the kingdom where you see the Great Commission really be a priority in an
individual's life, what system do you have to celebrate those victories currently?
Cory Thomas: I would say encouragement is the most part. Letting people know because see, where I am is totally volunteer led. I'm the only person on staff. I'm bi-vocational and I'm the only person on staff. So I try to celebrate my people and even new Christians coming in, that are part of the body, I try to celebrate with them, their involvement in the body and continue to encourage them to be involved in the body. Because what I think that we're doing by that is we're creating a culture of discipleship in that because part of discipling is teaching people to be functioning members of the body,
Aaron Colyer: So this, this gift of exultation and letting that multiply. What about, are there intentional times of sharing testimony, anything like that?
Cory Thomas: Yeah, we do about once a quarter or maybe generally on fifth Sunday nights. We get what we call preparation and testimony. And then of course we do random testimony in other times, but we'll come in and we'll do the whole service is dedicated to, we'll sing a couple of praise songs and then we'll ask for volunteers to give a testimony of what Christ is doing in your life right now. When we do those. I'd say on maybe three times a year, probably need to do them more. But now I'm quick. If I feel like someone, if God is moving in their life and I feel like the church needs to know about it, I'm going to ask them, say, "hey, would you be willing to share this with the church?" Because I believe that that's how we grow and I believe that's how God gets glory and credit, but that's how we grow. People must see, they can hear me preach all day long, a simple message on salvation, but if they see lives changed in what God's doing in people's lives, that moves more people than all the preachers put together in the world preaching messages.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah. No, I agree with that sentiment for sure. So, if you're doing those intentionally quarterly, how often would you say someone gets up and gives a testimony about sharing the gospel?
Cory Thomas: I would say usually each time we do one. So usually each time we do one and then sometimes they'll share, like we have intimate groups on a Sunday night and Wednesday nights. We teach on those and in all the adults are in one area but it's a little more intimate than like Sunday morning. And sometimes, you know, they'll want to share then and if they ask, I'm most definitely never would never subdue anyone from doing that. And it actually occurred. You know we do that that at random.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah, I've seen that be very helpful in our groups is that they'll ask every week did anyone have a gospel conversation this week and even that simple question knowing that you're going to be asked, what it does is it gets people coming ready to share that story. And when they know they're going to be asking, they don't have a story. Then it's that reminder, hey, I, I need to have a gospel conversation. It's been a long time since I've said I've had one, you know.
Cory Thomas: Well, and one of the things that I face as a challenge that you may not, you're in New Mexico, right?
Aaron Colyer: New Mexico. Yes sir.
Cory Thomas: One of the things that you may not face out there, as a matter of fact I read an article recently where Dr Michael Capp was referring to
Colorado. We have a lot of cultural Christianity here. If you follow what I'm saying, most people self-identify as a Christian maybe because mom and dad was a Christian or because of the area we live in. I mean, they just naturally assume that they're a Christian and in essence, I mean if the truth be known, their name is not in the Lamb's book of life. So that's a battle that we face. I'm trying to overcome that cultural Christianity and one of the focuses that God is really directed towards in the last little while is to make sure that we understand and Christianity through osmosis as well. Well, mom and dad were saved, so you know, I'm, I'm a Christian.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah. And you're in Georgia right? So there's that deep South,
Cory Thomas: South Georgia too, you know what I mean? I'm, I call it the buckle of the Bible belt, but still our state association, they feel like that roughly 90 percent of the state is lost. And we're the buckle of the Bible belt.
Aaron Colyer: The buckle of the Bible belt. That one is probably going to be quoted in my thesis. Thank you for that sir. And you mentioning some of those challenges leads us to our fourth question about roadblocks, right? So what roadblocks are there? And I appreciate you saying that Cultural Christianity. But even more specifically when you're trying to get your average church member to have a weekly might be a little strong, but just often, right? Often and frequent gospel conversations. What excuses might you hear or roadblocks might you hear to, Oh, pastor, you know, I know that I'm supposed to do that, but this is why I'm not going to . Cory Thomas: Excuses I've heard have been I'm introverted. If you want to know the
truth of what I feel in my spirit is the largest is apathy. Apathetic, too busy. I really think apathy is one of the largest. I'm okay. My immediate family's okay. You know, I like to come to church and I like the worship.
I like to fellowship with other students. But, and here again, here's, this is another stereotype of southern rural churches, preacher, that's your job.
Aaron Colyer: Oh yeah, man, I tell our church all the time, it is not just the preacher's job. If you are a Christian, you have a ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old is gone,
reconciliation. And that means if you're a new creation, you also have a ministry of reconciliation. And yeah, we're teaching that a lot here. So then let me ask you this. Apathy, business, introversion, my family taken care of. What do you do then to fight that excuse. You know, what are you doing as pastor shepherding these people at Flat Creek to say, no, we're going to go beyond those excuses.
Cory Thomas: Continue to continue to preach and teach. I try to gear my, see I teach, I preach on Sunday morning and then I teach Sunday night and
Wednesday night and I try to pick studies that we can do that will motivate them to not only live lives that are more pleasing to the Lord, but do fulfill the Great Commission. And, and I try to remind them and I do it through the preaching and through teaching and even in all of the outreach efforts that we do. Listen, it's not about you being proficient in being able to stand here and preach, just tell someone what God has done for you through salvation. He saved you, but where you've come from and what he's brought you through in your life. But it's a repetition. It's a continual, I don't want to say a battle, but it's just a continual, repetition of preaching and teaching. We must do the outreach. And again, and I don't know if this is part of Culture Christianity in the south. We have to reeducate people. What I said before, we've got to get outside the walls.
The church is not just inside of the confines of our little box of the four walls that are sanctuary is in. We come here to be refueled. We come here to be encouraged and energized and to worship God. And then we get outside and take the cross to the world. And, and I think part of that is a mindset. I mean, it's maybe over the course of the last 40 years
historically that churches in the southern, I think they have become country club churches to a degree.
Aaron Colyer: We have to battle that for sure. You know, you are not the first person who has talked about we have to get outside the walls. I think we're at about, six interviews and maybe four or five of those guys have already said we've got to get outside the walls. We can't expect our church to be gospel focused if we don't get outside the walls.
Cory Thomas: Yeah. Our church needs to mirror our community.
Aaron Colyer: Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Well, then that leads me to my final question, when you think about specific stories of success, specific victories, what are some areas you want to give God the praise for during this season of, and it's a process up and down, but this season of revitalization. Are there specific things that you would say, man, when God changes the
individual's heart or when God just started, we really turned the tide when we saw this happen because God was doing this. What, what would you praise God for in that moment?
Cory Thomas: Probably the fact that God brought in some visionary people and God changed the hearts of some people that were entrenched in the status quo of the church and he changed hearts and attitudes to be more vibrant and want to do things differently because they were tired of the status quo, always getting the same results. And it meant changing not only the culture of the church, but changing people's vision in how they saw things being done. That's probably the biggest success is the people that he's brought in. And the wave of change that he has brought about in