“From [the tribe of] Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command”
1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV
In every church, there must be people who have discerning wisdom about the right path forward for the health and vitality of the whole community. The wisdom of heaven is not lodged in any one person, but in groups of people who seek out Holy Spirit-inspired direction. This direction is often in consideration of the temperament and climate of cultural realities on the ground. Collective wisdom, like the 200 chiefs from the tribe of Issachar is what every church needs to flourish.
Our fall on-site church consultation with Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber will help us to engage in such collective discernment about our community and the needs of potential ministry. But we must all do our preparatory homework. Dr. Barber assigned us (as a congregation) to take weekly jaunts into unfamiliar places and peoples within our larger Oak Harbor community to “listen and learn” about the needs of our community.
One of the penetrating quotes from our Quest book study on becoming a more externally focused church is, “Don’t go to start a church…go to serve a city. Serve them with love, and if you go after the people nobody wants, you’ll end up with the people everybody wants.” This wisdom was spoken by Pastor Steve Sjogren of the Vineyard Community Church of Cincinnati to a class of church planters. The million-dollar question before our church is this: What will be our big SERVE that adds value to this community that would be missed and lost if we disappeared?
To answer that question, we must hit the streets to listen and learn. We must gather to share and discern. That is what the Nehemiah project is (read Nehemiah 2:11-16). We go throughout the community to inspect and discern, then we gather to plan and prepare. Here’s what I have been up to so far:
• Interviewed 20-year ex-navy resident who works at Toby’s
• Called Police Chief Dresker to learn about our community. Applied for Citizens Police Academy (starts in September)
• Met with Gideon Caufman – OH Archeologist, to learn about indigenous iconic art/story in Oak Harbor and the opportunity to advocate for a greater, more dignifying and accurate portrayal of this region’s true history
• I am meeting this week with Shawn Morris – Community & Family Health Manager for Island County Health Department (Coupeville), to help me understand the broader health needs of our community and how non-profits play a role in those needs.
• I have contacted the Navy Child Development Center on Regatta and asked for an appointment to learn about childcare needs in our broader community, and am hoping for an appointment soon.
Here’s the script for us all: Engage, engage, engage! Ask, listen, discern, take notes, seek, knock, watch, and come to know something you didn’t know about our community and its needs. Report your findings to Council and participate in the all-church efforts this fall to discern, decide, and devote ourselves to the next chapter of our church’s community ministry life. Why?
Nehemiah Project Update
“From [the tribe of] Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command”
1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV
In every church, there must be people who have discerning wisdom about the right path forward for the health and vitality of the whole community. The wisdom of heaven is not lodged in any one person, but in groups of people who seek out Holy Spirit-inspired direction. This direction is often in consideration of the temperament and climate of cultural realities on the ground. Collective wisdom, like the 200 chiefs from the tribe of Issachar is what every church needs to flourish.
Our fall on-site church consultation with Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber will help us to engage in such collective discernment about our community and the needs of potential ministry. But we must all do our preparatory homework. Dr. Barber assigned us (as a congregation) to take weekly jaunts into unfamiliar places and peoples within our larger Oak Harbor community to “listen and learn” about the needs of our community.
One of the penetrating quotes from our Quest book study on becoming a more externally focused church is, “Don’t go to start a church…go to serve a city. Serve them with love, and if you go after the people nobody wants, you’ll end up with the people everybody wants.” This wisdom was spoken by Pastor Steve Sjogren of the Vineyard Community Church of Cincinnati to a class of church planters. The million-dollar question before our church is this: What will be our big SERVE that adds value to this community that would be missed and lost if we disappeared?
To answer that question, we must hit the streets to listen and learn. We must gather to share and discern. That is what the Nehemiah project is (read Nehemiah 2:11-16). We go throughout the community to inspect and discern, then we gather to plan and prepare. Here’s what I have been up to so far:
• Interviewed 20-year ex-navy resident who works at Toby’s
• Called Police Chief Dresker to learn about our community. Applied for Citizens Police Academy (starts in September)
• Met with Gideon Caufman – OH Archeologist, to learn about indigenous iconic art/story in Oak Harbor and the opportunity to advocate for a greater, more dignifying and accurate portrayal of this region’s true history
• I am meeting this week with Shawn Morris – Community & Family Health Manager for Island County Health Department (Coupeville), to help me understand the broader health needs of our community and how non-profits play a role in those needs.
• I have contacted the Navy Child Development Center on Regatta and asked for an appointment to learn about childcare needs in our broader community, and am hoping for an appointment soon.
Here’s the script for us all: Engage, engage, engage! Ask, listen, discern, take notes, seek, knock, watch, and come to know something you didn’t know about our community and its needs. Report your findings to Council and participate in the all-church efforts this fall to discern, decide, and devote ourselves to the next chapter of our church’s community ministry life. Why?
Because people matter!
Pastor David 😊