Last week, we started a new seven-week series at my local church: Through the Lent season, up until Easter, we’re going through the foundations of the Christian faith, using the Apostles’ Creed as our guide.
As I’ve sought to build connections over this study and plan more for the future, it’s been a busy week. I’ve been so grateful for it, and I wanted to take time to journal a few ministry moments that have stood out as gifts to me from God.
After reading through the curriculum for this study, a church leader (who has experience in my position, among many others) reached out to me, saying of the workbook, “It is very informative, thought provoking and goes deeper than previous study guides. I don’t know if you had anything to do with the writing of this but it is a job well done! It will serve our congregation well and I think they will respond and grow from it.” She asked if we could connect over coffee or food sometime, and I quickly agreed.
We met for a 10am breakfast at First Watch, and we connected immediately. I asked question after question about her experiences in ministry and leadership, and she was kind enough to share both her wisdom and her self. It was really clear to me that I was having a conversation with a leader, and I wanted to absorb all I could. I asked for specific advice on relationships to pour into and structures to develop, and she was ready with answers and ideas. She even kindly invited me to get involved on her teaching team, so I’ll be teaching out of Deuteronomy at our women’s Bible study in April. By the time our “breakfast” finished at 1pm, I felt energized and motivated to work together. “I’m here to support you, if you’ll let me,” she said. Let you? I thought. What a gift! I felt so grateful that God had put it on her heart to reach out to me, knowing I longed for some mentorship.
The next evening, I visited a small group.
For context: There are currently roughly a hundred small groups at this church, meeting in members’ homes, in the church building, or at cafes or restaurants. There are groups for young families, for singles, for men, for women, for retirees, for people involved in a specific ministry together, for parents who have children with special needs… There’s a great variety here. For the past six months, I’ve been going around to visit different groups, so I can get to know our people and get a better sense of where they are in their spiritual walks. The more I know, Lord willing, the more effectively I can serve them.
Every time I visit a small group, I am so blessed by the authentic conversations that happen there. People aren’t afraid to ask hard questions, or to admit when something is hard for them to grasp or embrace for themselves. It’s a space for vulnerability, and a space to work through ideas with others who have been walking in the Way for a long time.
The small group I visited that day just started in October of last year, and it’s already a wonderful little safe space. The group leader (a natural! so thankful God put this ministry on his heart) came prepared with notes, and most members had taken the time to complete the personal study section in the workbook. I loved hearing how different people read and understood the questions I’d written. Some had answers I hadn’t anticipated, and some made me think, “Man, I wish I could go back and work that in! That’s great!”
I’m always humbled by how much people will open up and be vulnerable even with a visitor like me in the room, and this meeting was no exception. I left hoping that the group’s members were blessed even half as much as I was (and wishing I could attend all our groups every week). I’m already eager to check in on them in the future, and I wondered if that’s not how the Apostle Paul sometimes felt when he’d write to check in on the churches he’d planted. What a gift to share in those sentiments!
On Sunday evenings throughout this Lent season, some church elders (formal leaders and teachers) are hosting prayer services in our chapel. They open in worship, and then they have a guest speaker share a devotional tied to that week’s lines from the Apostles’ Creed, and finally they move into a time for corporate and individual prayer. They thoughtfully curate prayer prompts straight from Scripture, also incorporating the ideas from that week’s study focus.
I attended this Sunday because I was asked to give the devotion. This week’s sermon (linked below) focused on the person of Jesus Christ. Mark Ordus, the Director of Students at Ward, focused on the word “Christ,” meaning Messiah, “anointed one.” He demonstrated how Jesus perfectly fulfilled the three Old Testament anointed offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. I used this message as a springboard for the devotion, focusing on how Christians are called to serve in those roles today.
Most importantly, I said, we can learn how to better serve in those roles by “knowing the story” of the Bible. Jesus is on every page of that Bible, and the better we know it and embrace it in our hearts, the more wisely we’ll be able to lead in our communities, families, and relationships. I shared with the room my hope of fostering in our people a love for the Story, and my intention to be a part of that by consistently producing strong biblical curriculum for our small groups. In a room of strong believers and faithful servants, I expressed my sincere desire to strengthen each other’s hands for good work.
After the devotion, we split into groups of four for prayer. One of the prompts was directly from an email I’d sent expressing my prayer to the elders:
One of own prayers for small groups is that God would continue to raise up the leaders He knows our people need. May our people be moved, like Ezra, to set their hearts on knowing the Word, to live their lives by it, and to lead others to do the same (Ezra 7:10). May He put a hedge of protection around our leaders, guarding their personal holiness, so that our shepherds can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). I’d ask that prayer for myself, too!
I was very much moved by their inclusion of that prayer on their brief list of prompts. What a gift it was to be in prayer with other leaders over this, and to know there were other groups in the room doing the same thing. Once again, I went home energized by the strength of the people here and the potential for us to partner together in ministry.
Earlier that same day, I’d attended another small group–this one led by elders and attended entirely by formal and informal leaders. The group is made up of four couples who meet every other week to have lunch together and sink into a deep chat. I’d reached out to the elders to ask if anyone wanted to get lunch with me after church and before the prayer service (in part so I wouldn’t have to drive back and forth to the city). They’d warmly reached out and invited me into their home, which was very unexpected.
Once again, it was an absolute pleasure. As we sat down over lunch, I let them know how palpable their leadership was. I was so thankful that this space existed for leaders to pour into each other, encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and just enjoy doing life together. I found myself hoping I could be a part of such a group someday. Not to mention, the potluck food was fantastic, and I was served very nice coffee in a handmade mug that I bonded with.
I don’t know how to emphasize enough how wonderful small groups are, and I’m amazed that I have a job that allows me to be so connected to them. If you’re so moved, I’d love to be joined in prayer for the work God has for us here. May he bless this ministry and use us, should it be in his will, to carry forward the work of the Kingdom, for his Name’s sake.
If you’re following along with the study, you can find the second week’s workbook material here. The accompanying teaching video is here:
Finally, this week’s message was given by Mark Ordus, the Director of Students at Ward. His message is here:
Detroit, Reformed. 
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