This powerful opening session from IC Conference 2026 features Dr. Carlos L. Kelly, Senior Pastor of Beulahland Bible Church, sharing how God transformed his church through a renewed commitment to the Great Commission. Drawing from Luke 5, Dr. Kelly challenges church leaders to leave the shallow waters of comfortable ministry and launch into deeper waters where disciple-making becomes the priority.

Through practical lessons, personal stories, and biblical insight, he unpacks three essential challenges for every church seeking greater Kingdom impact: making ourselves available to Christ, modifying our attitudes to trust Christ, and moving forward in total obedience to Christ. Leaders will be encouraged to examine their systems, release sacred cows, embrace alignment, and trust God to produce fruit as they pursue the mission of making disciples who make disciples.

Whether your church is just beginning the journey of alignment or continuing to deepen its disciple-making culture, this message offers encouragement, challenge, and a compelling vision for reaching the one.

Episode Timeline

00:00 — Welcome and Personal Introduction
02:26 — How Intentional Churches Changed Their Church
03:24 — Luke 5: Launch Out Into the Deep
05:42 — The Call to Go Deeper
09:42 — Make Yourself Available to Christ
12:03 — Small Acts of Obedience Lead to Big Miracles
13:55 — Building the Discovery Team
14:25 — Why We Make Ourselves Available
15:44 — Modify Your Attitude to Trust Christ
17:00 — The Need for an Attitude Adjustment
19:05 — The Church OS Assessment Wake-Up Call
21:18 — Leaving Egos Outside the Room
22:55 — Sacred Cows and Stubborn Attachments
24:02 — “Nevertheless, At Your Word”
25:16 — Move Forward in Total Obedience
26:36 — What God Did at Beulahland
28:25 — The Five Marks of a Disciple
30:05 — Churches Helping Churches
31:12 — From Attendees to Disciple Makers
31:55 — Closing Prayer

What happens when churches disconnect discipleship from evangelism?

In this episode, Doug, Bart, and Vince unpack why so many believers never share their faith, how churches drift away from personal ownership of the Great Commission, and why relational evangelism may be one of the most overlooked drivers of real discipleship growth.

Vince shares his unlikely story of becoming a Christian before ever meeting one, powerful stories from church planting in Las Vegas, and practical insight into how churches can equip believers to naturally share life, stories, and Jesus.

If you've ever wondered why evangelism feels forced, why believers struggle to engage missionally, or how churches can build lasting Great Commission culture, this conversation is for you.

New to Intentional Churches? Start here:
intentionalchurches.com

Timestamps

00:00 — The evil clown who came to destroy a church… and forgot to do it
01:26 — Welcome + introducing Vince Antonucci + Alignment Workshops
02:39 — Vince's background: Jewish mother, gambler father, America's Most Wanted story, and discovering Jesus without ever meeting a Christian
05:33 — “I held a meeting of all the Christians I knew… it was just me.”
06:30 — Why relational evangelism became Vince’s lifelong passion
07:26 — Why the Great Commission is still the one thing Jesus clearly told us to do
09:06 — How did the church drift away from personal ownership of evangelism?
12:30 — Why close friendships with lost people change everything
13:33 — Church planting in Las Vegas: the rookie pimp story and unexpected transformation
16:48 — The evil clown story: from sabotage plan to salvation story
19:31 — The collaboration behind The One More Initiative
22:22 — Vince’s journey creating an evangelism campaign for churches
25:26 — How The One More Initiative fits into Radical Alignment strategy
27:28 — Discipleship vs evangelism: why churches often separate what Jesus joined together
30:08 — Why living on mission accelerates spiritual growth
33:27 — Why many church leaders have given up hope that believers will share their faith
33:52 — Forced evangelism vs natural evangelism
35:14 — The story of Destiny: from never sharing Jesus to leading friends to faith
37:11 — Evangelism Explosion, control, and what happens when mission becomes overly scripted
41:53 — The One More Book: guidebook, devotional, inspiration, and practical equipping
45:56 — Practical next steps for church leaders
46:42 — Vince’s challenge: Are we equipping people to actually know what to do?
48:30 — Bart’s “Relational Reach Zone” exercise
50:07 — Why the Great Commission was always meant to be a team sport

What actually happens when a church fully embraces radical alignment to the Great Commission? In this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, Doug Parks, Bart Rendel, and Erin Johnston unpack the disruption, tension, and transformation that come when churches begin aligning every layer of ministry around reaching “The One.”

From staff culture shifts and elder board challenges to personal conviction and congregational change, this conversation explores why lasting Great Commission momentum takes patience, honesty, and a willingness to rethink how we lead. Doug and Bart also walk through practical tools from the Radical Alignment framework, including assessments, heart-mind-strength alignment, and how churches can begin building a culture where mission becomes everyone’s responsibility.

If your church is wrestling with change, struggling to stay focused on mission, or wondering how to create lasting alignment, this episode will encourage and challenge you.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why radical alignment is disruptive
01:08 – The Alignment Workshop and starting the journey
01:44 – The myth of “quick and painless” church alignment
02:16 – Why Great Commission transformation takes time
03:33 – Playing the long game in church leadership
05:05 – How radical alignment disrupts church culture
07:05 – Losing people while staying committed to mission
08:15 – Early churches that embraced radical alignment
09:59 – Why churches resist ongoing focus on “The One”
11:17 – The fulfillment and joy that come from mission
12:39 – Practical first steps toward radical alignment
13:08 – Getting to the “last 10% of truth”
14:15 – Casting vision and creating healthy tension
16:30 – Seeing the church through a Great Commission lens
18:03 – Stories of “The One” and collaborative mission
19:46 – Understanding the Radical Alignment Chart
21:13 – Heart, mind, and strength alignment explained
24:09 – Evaluating calendars, budgets, and attention
25:54 – The Radical Alignment Assessment and coaching insights
27:19 – Alignment across elders, staff, volunteers, and congregation
29:41 – Learning to lead the church differently
30:35 – “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it”
31:39 – Why groups align at different speeds
33:24 – Why staff and elders may struggle most with change
34:10 – Understanding disruption and organizational change
36:33 – The challenge of knowing where people really are
37:51 – Why believers often don’t want to engage missionally
39:22 – Sincere friendships and reaching “The One”
40:07 – Why self-discovery matters more than behavior management
42:13 – Encouragement for church leaders staying the course
42:51 – Resources, tools, and next steps from Intentional Churches

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