In this episode: Dr. Levi Skipper is the Church Strengthening Strategist here at GBMB. He earned a Doctorate degree at Luther Rice, a master's from NOBTS, and Shorter University in GA. Levi served as pastor for over two decades in several churches, most recently at Concord Baptist in NE, GA. He saw baptisms grow 122% and SS grew 115% during his tenure. He is the author of "Resolved" and "Spiritual Avalanche" as well as "Marriage in the Red." Levi is a national speaker and a "has been athlete," not to mention having the best hair at GBMB! Dr. Skipper spent two years between his 1st and 2nd pastorate in Africa, establishing pastor training schools where he trained over 300 leaders in Southern Ethiopia. In this episode, you'll find: • One of the most significant challenges for local church pastors and keys to solve it • Why equipping must accompany the announcement of needs to a congregation • Levi identifies three naturally occurring attendance bumps that he calls "waves." • Scott and Levi talk about the necessity of long-range planning and goal-setting for pastors/leaders • Levi has a particular word of encouragement for bi-vocational and multi-vocational leaders • Dr. Skipper shares a new resource called "Ride the Waves" and helps leaders understand how to use the resource to maximize impact during these waves. • https://www.ridethewaves.church/start • Levi explains how the Ride the Waves resource can help churches go "next level." • Scott shares that God is NOT opposed to effort, but He is opposed to earning. He then gives three concepts to help leaders grow as a disciple leader.