How do you move a congregation from attending church to owning the mission? Doug sits down with Cedric Payne, senior minister of Alondra Boulevard Church of Christ in Compton, California, to talk about exactly that.

Cedric started preaching at 14, went on to Pepperdine and UCLA Law, and worked as a public defender for almost 32 years while serving at Alondra. When his senior minister and close friend died suddenly in 2013, Cedric found himself leading the church. Praying in the empty sanctuary, he heard the Holy Spirit point him back to the Great Commission. That moment changed his preaching and his approach to discipleship.

In this episode:

The story of Alondra, the shifting demographics of Compton, and why commuters from 40 miles away still call it home.

A quick history of the Churches of Christ, the Restoration Movement, and the a cappella worship tradition.

How African American Churches of Christ planted 30+ congregations across LA.

Why evangelism and discipleship should never have been separated
Cynthia's story: one member, one apartment building, four baptisms, and a new Bible study.

The challenge of moving longtime members past an institutional mindset, and reaching a younger, post-COVID generation who see church as optional.

Why relational ownership of the mission beats model chasing
Cedric's practical tip: be "one-centric" in everything, and trim the events that don't serve your ones

Doug also shares the One More initiative and a 30-day devotional, and an 180-year-old Florida church that is on fire after adopting it.

Timeline
Time Topic
00:00 Cold open: Cedric on the mission to partner with God in transforming the world
00:13 Doug's welcome and IC updates: the new Executive Pastor podcast, this show's new direction, Activator small groups
01:28 Cedric's story: Los Angeles roots, preaching at 14, Pepperdine, UCLA Law, 32 years as a public defender
03:30 Joining Alondra 33 years ago, then the sudden death of his senior minister in 2013
05:44 Compton's demographic shift and the Monday feeding program
07:02 What is the Church of Christ? Restoration Movement, congregational autonomy, a cappella worship
10:24 How Black Churches of Christ planted 30+ churches across LA
12:14 A commuter congregation and the "church worth driving to" model; Compton as the Hub City
18:05 Doug on his own shift from institutional leading to personal ownership
19:20 Crying out in the sanctuary, the Great Commission, and discovering IC
23:33 Why evangelism and discipleship got separated, and what ownership does to the believer
24:23 Stories: Cynthia's apartment building and other members inviting friends
28:37 The greatest team sport; what Cedric is learning: "it's hard work"
30:31 Breaking the institutional mindset in older members; reaching younger generations
32:24 Doug's answer: relational ownership over model chasing; the One More initiative
35:12 The 180-year-old Florida church that flipped the switch
35:55 Practical tip: be "one-centric" and trim events to focus on your ones
38:17 Wrap-up and thanks
39:04 Outro: executivepastor.io

Season 11 opens with returning guest Drew Dickens for a state-of-the-union on AI and the church. Four months since the IC Conference ("forty years in AI time"), Drew catches Doug up on the summer of new models, the scramble around AI policy, and why survey numbers on pastor AI usage range from 10% to 78% (hint: we haven't defined what "using AI" even means).

From there, the conversation moves to what matters most for church leaders: the shift from generative to agentic AI, the sobering reality that counseling and spiritual formation remain the #1 use of AI worldwide, and what it means that congregants are taking their 3 a.m. existential crises to a chatbot. Drew shares practical steps (survey your people, talk about it from the pulpit, build an AI policy for your church and your families) alongside a real caution about "frictionless faith": when AI removes the friction, it may also remove the very thing that forms us.

In this episode:

• Drew's takeaways from the IC Conference: efficiency excitement from XPs, quiet fear from senior pastors
• The summer of new models: Claude Fable 5, ChatGPT 5.6, Opus V, Gemini 3.6, DeepSeek 4
• Why fewer than 10% of churches have an AI policy (and how to start one)
• Which conversations belong to AI, and which belong at the kitchen table
• Counseling, companionship, and spiritual formation: still 70-75% of AI use
• How pastors should preach when AI is discipling their people
• Agentic AI explained: your team of 20 admins that never calls in sick
• "Frictionless faith" and the spiritual risks of taking humanity out of the loop
• Why Anthropic is hiring philosophers and inviting spiritual leaders to Silicon Valley

Timestamps:

(00:00) Welcome back: Season 11 kickoff (00:25) IC 3.0 and the Radical Alignment Assessment (01:16) Drew's takeaways from the IC Conference (03:24) The summer of new models (05:45) AI policy, rogue models, and data centers (07:17) Beyond admin: how churches are using AI (09:59) Less than 10% of churches have an AI policy (11:02) Kitchen table vs. AI conversations (11:42) The #1 use of AI: counseling and spiritual formation (13:35) The 3 a.m. crisis: how pastors should respond (15:30) Will AI change the ecclesiology of the church? (16:45) Talk about it: surveys, forums, and sermon series (17:48) What is agentic AI? (19:43) Predictions on agentic adoption (21:50) Frictionless faith and spiritual risk (24:26) Philosophy, AI labs, and what's left for humans (26:54) Leading without fear + closing call to action

Resources:

• Take the Radical Alignment Assessment: https://alignmychurch.com
• Drew Dickens' AI & Spirituality podcast (weekly, on Substack): https://drewdickens.com

What would happen if every ministry, every leader, and every church became radically aligned around the mission of reaching the one?

In this closing main session from IC Conference 2026, Robbie O'Brien, Lead Pastor of Salty Church and founder of the Surf Church Collective, challenges church leaders to embrace the radical nature of Jesus and the radical alignment required to fulfill His mission.

Drawing from Luke 15, Luke 19, Matthew 28, Acts 1:8, and his own journey from surfer culture to church planting, Robbie reminds leaders that a busy ministry is not always an obedient ministry. Through powerful stories, practical challenges, and compelling illustrations, he calls churches to move beyond managing religious consumers and instead mobilize disciples who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become witnesses to the ends of the earth.

This message is a passionate reminder that radical alignment isn't simply a strategy—it's a commitment to the heart of Jesus and His mission to seek and save the lost.

Episode Timeline

00:00 – The Story of “The One”
03:09 – Why Radical Alignment Matters
04:29 – The Meaning of Radical
05:20 – Surf Culture and Following Jesus
07:12 – Jesus Was Radical
08:12 – Luke 15 and the Heart of God
09:05 – The Mission of Jesus
10:45 – The “No Socks” Story
12:25 – Deny Yourself and Follow Jesus
13:45 – Busy Doesn’t Mean Obedient
15:15 – Acts 1:8 and the Power of the Holy Spirit
17:20 – Witnesses, Not Consumers
19:25 – What It Means to Be a Witness
20:00 – The Beach as the Ends of the Earth
21:10 – Planting Salty Church
22:05 – Surf Church Collective
25:10 – Rochelle and Stefan’s Story
28:20 – Recognizing a Prodigal on the Way Home
29:00 – “I’ll Go”
30:00 – Isaiah’s Response
31:00 – Your Ends of the Earth
32:30 – Closing Prayer and Commissioning

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

Get started with Intentional Churches

In this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, Doug, Bart, and Erin unpack one of the most critical chapters in Radical Alignment—what alignment really means and why so many churches struggle to achieve it.

From consensus-driven mediocrity to the hidden forces of individualized preferences and institutional thinking, this conversation gets to the root of why churches drift—and how to lead them back to clarity and momentum.

You’ll hear real stories from church leaders, practical insights on identifying misalignment, and a powerful reminder that alignment doesn’t start with strategy—it starts with personal ownership of the Great Commission.

If you’ve ever felt like your church is busy but not moving forward, this episode will help you diagnose the real issue and give you a path toward true alignment.

New to Intentional Churches? Start here:
https://intentionalchurches.com/radical-alignment

Timestamps

00:00 – Why consensus decision-making leads to mediocrity
01:00 – What “alignment” actually means in the church
02:30 – Alignment = mutual ownership of the Great Commission
05:20 – The two forces driving misalignment in every church
08:30 – Real example: programs creeping back post-COVID
10:40 – Institutional thinking vs. mission-driven decisions
12:00 – The hidden danger of language drift on your team
14:00 – Why alignment must be constantly tended
16:30 – The myth of “arriving” at alignment
18:00 – Symptoms of misalignment leaders often ignore
19:30 – Unity vs. consensus: what the Bible actually teaches
21:00 – Why healthy tension is a sign of alignment
22:30 – Stop solving problems—start managing tensions
24:00 – Finding your “true north” as a leadership team
26:00 – Thinking vs. outcomes: what alignment really measures
27:00 – Personal alignment before church alignment
29:00 – Why Great Commission ownership must start with leaders
31:00 – Mind, heart, and action: the alignment framework
33:00 – Tools and assessments to measure real alignment
35:00 – Philippians reimagined through a mission lens
38:30 – Final advice: why alignment is worth the cost
40:00 – Daily practices to sustain alignment
42:00 – Invitation to Alignment Workshops

In this episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast, we shift from challenges to encouragement—and what we’re seeing right now across the Church is incredibly hopeful.

While many narratives suggest decline, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Churches are growing. Young people are showing up. Leaders are leaning in. And something deeper is beginning to take shape.

Doug, Bart, and Erin unpack some of the most encouraging discoveries emerging from churches that are aligning around the Great Commission—and what it means for your church, your leadership, and your future.

You’ll hear real stories from churches across the country, insights from the first-ever Partner Church Summit, and practical ways leaders are rediscovering the life-giving power of personally owning the mission of Jesus.

This conversation will challenge the narratives you’ve been hearing—and replace them with something far more powerful: hope rooted in action.

If you’ve been wondering whether the Church’s best days are behind us… this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 – Is the Church really in decline? Challenging the narrative
01:15 – Introducing Radical Alignment and the Alignment Workshop
03:00 – Why church leaders need encouragement right now
04:00 – The Partner Church Summit: unity across diverse churches
06:00 – A spiritual awakening and what’s happening beneath the surface
08:30 – The danger of fear-based church narratives
10:00 – Why the future of the Church is brighter than you think
11:00 – The opportunity with the next generation of leaders
14:30 – What younger leaders are really looking for in older leaders
16:30 – The untapped power of multigenerational leadership
18:30 – The turning point: It starts with you
19:30 – Why owning the Great Commission is life-giving
21:00 – Real stories of churches seeing transformation and growth
24:30 – Practical ways to integrate mission into everyday life
26:30 – Staff vs. personal ownership: breaking the mindset barrier
27:30 – Simple practices: prayer calendars and relational rhythms
29:00 – Preparing to share your faith naturally and consistently
31:00 – Low-cost, high-impact ways to lead your team into alignment
33:00 – Final encouragement for church leaders

Website: intentionalchurches.com

The Radical Alignment Book

Blog: intentionalchurches.com/blog

YouTube: @IntentionalChurches

Facebook: Intentional Churches

Instagram: @IntentionalChurches

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