By Pastor Robert Wendt
Fellowship Chapel in Sterling Heights, Michigan
What does the future look like for the NAB? There was a season in ministry when I was just asking, “What does the future of the church I’m serving look like?” Then, as time passed, I began to wonder not only about our local church but also about the hundreds of other churches in our conference.
In a world inundated with headlines about church decline, aging pastors, and faith deconstruction, it can be easy to get caught up in the latest negative news. Looking from afar, it can certainly seem as if the future is rather bleak. Yet, the words of Christ found in Matthew 16 continue to overwhelm my mind: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (vs. 18, ESV).
After attending a two-day regional cohort for emerging leaders, I witnessed the truth of Jesus’s words. Over thirty individuals gathered at Grace Community Church in Detroit, Michigan, to discuss topics like leadership development, the future of the church, and emerging leaders. They represented eight churches from the Great Lakes Association. The best part of it all was that many of the attendees were in their twenties and thirties.
During our conversation, we talked about cultural topics, such as the evolution of taking a picture on a Polaroid by pressing a button to the current day of using a smartphone. We also discussed more important issues, such as how we can work together to encourage, equip, and empower each other . . .
We are planning a cohort uniquely designed to reach emerging leaders, those twenty- and thirty-something women and men who are active leaders of our churches and who will continue to serve NAB churches for the decades to come.
This cohort will entail three, three-month modules, each reflecting the three modules in Blue Ocean. The goal of this experience is to develop and enrich the relationships of our emerging leaders, to provide instruction and conversation about the movement of God in the world and how we participate, and to deepen the preparation of our emerging leaders for the future of the NAB.
If you are interested in this new cohort, or know of someone who would be a great candidate, we are currently accepting applications through May 31, 2024.
In early May, the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, received four months’ worth of rain in just four days, causing the worst flood in the state’s history – killing over 100 people and displacing over 230,000. Entire cities and neighborhoods have been submerged under several feet of water.
In response to this catastrophe, the NAB has set up a special relief fund to help those who have been displaced by these floodwaters. All funds given will be funneled by NAB missionaries Lyndell Campbell-Réquia and Brandon & Marci Jones toward the churches and other organizations who are caring for those in need. Since the first call for funds went out on May 6, nearly $24,000 has been donated to these efforts.
Even as other organizations begin to step in the gap to support the ongoing needs of those who have been displaced, these funds will prove to be crucial in helping many get back on their feet in the weeks and months to come as clean-up efforts start overtaking the immediate needs of food and shelter.
Thank you for giving. Please continue to keep the nation of Brazil and its people in your prayers.
You can click on the links below to give. You can also click on the image above to find the most recent updates from Lyndell, including photos.
Triennial 2024 is coming up fast. Taking place July 11–14, 2024, there are only 8 weeks until we all gather together in St. Paul, Minnesota, for fellowship, worship, instruction, and connection. Don’t delay; register today!