Leading Beyond The Walls

Debi Nixon is the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship and Catalyst Ministry

Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10 NIV

On January 12, a 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti crumbling buildings and inflicting a catastrophe upon the lives of the people of one of the world’s poorest nations. It has left some asking, “Why, God?” while mourning the loss of so many lives (including servant leaders and missionaries from our own United Methodist connection). But in Isaiah, we find words of great reassurance from a God whose love is unfailing, unshakeable, and unmovable even when all around us seems to be crumbling.

At Resurrection, we have initially responded to the crisis in Haiti in the following ways. We have taken a special offering, sent financial contributions to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and collected items for health kits. This week Pastor Adam is in Haiti to explore next steps for the long term engagement of our congregation.  On Friday, 1/29, Adam will share a report about his trip at our Annual Church Conference and Gathering. You can watch the gathering live from 6:15-8:30 pm CST at www.live.cor.org. Also, at the request of many of our congregants, we reposted a sermon series from our archives entitled “Where was God When? The Problem of Evil and the Providence of God, and Adam addressed briefly the problem of suffering and evil during an informal time we hosted after the 5:00 pm Sunday worship service. We have provided links where you can view both of these videos.  As church leaders, times like this compel us to be even more passionate and diligent in reaching into our communities sharing a message of hope that can only come through Jesus Christ, sharing the message of a God of love and compassion. What is your local church doing to bring hope to your hurting community and helping people grow deeper in their faith?

We are currently in the midst of a sermon series entitled “Who is this Man?” The goal of the series is to strip away perceptions and help our congregants get to know Jesus more deeply through the eyewitness accounts of those who actually knew him. What an exciting journey as Adam walks us through the gospel of Luke!

Challenging congregants (and even more importantly, inspiring them) to take next steps to grow deeper in their faith is one of the greatest joys and challenges we face as church leaders. Too often, our congregants (and sometimes we personally) become complacent, satisfied to be on the shore and not venture deeper. In this edition of Leading Beyond the Walls Journal, several Resurrection Staff members share one of the ways their particular ministry area is intentional about moving an individual deeper.

My husband recently experienced the benefit of moving from the “shore” into deeper water. Each year, my extended family takes the week after Christmas to gather in Destin, Florida. This is a special time because we intentionally set aside our computers, cell phones, and the distractions of home, and instead focus on one another. During this week, we always grow deeper in our relationship with one another.

While in Florida, my husband loves to deep sea fish. In the past, writing that my husband loves to “deep sea fish” was kind of an overstatement, because he was standing on the shore throwing in his fishing line. His normal daily catch was 2-3 fish that we enjoyed for our evening meals. This year, he decided to charter a fishing boat so he could go farther out and fish in the deeper waters. This year, on his day of “deep sea” fishing, he and the other family members who accompanied him caught not 2-3 fish, but 75 fish. The thrill experienced by going deeper has inspired him to get off the shore. Deep sea fishing has taken on new meaning and commitment.

What will you do to inspire your congregants to move away from the shore and take a next step with Jesus Christ to deepen their faith?  These articles shared by Resurrection staff are meant to be a catalyst for your own creative ideas and strategies as you think about taking people deeper especially as you prepare for Lent.

Debi Nixon is the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship and Catalyst Ministry and is the author of CATCH: Connecting and Attracting Visitors and Catch a New Life, a book written specifically to help new members to take their next steps as they connect with your church.