FOR I AM ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING NEW. SEE, I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN! DO YOU NOT SEE IT?
I WILL MAKE A PATHWAY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. I WILL CREATE RIVERS IN THE DRY WASTELAND.
(ISAIAH 43:19 NLT)
When God took on flesh and was born to a young couple in the small town of Bethlehem, this was exactly the “pathway through the wilderness,” the “rivers in the dry wasteland” that Isaiah wrote about 700 years prior. God was up to something new in the person of Jesus; he was blazing new trails that would forever alter how mankind would relate with their Creator.
In our desire as the NAB to continue growing as people of God, following where he leads, we, too, have begun a new thing. The Year of Equipping is a new cohort uniquely designed to reach active members and leaders of our churches who are in their twenties and thirties. This first cohort consists of twelve men and women from five regional associations across the US and Canada. When you give to the Ministry Resource Fund, you are helping, in part, to support the work of engaging and equipping the generation who will continue to serve the Church, and the NAB, for decades to come.
Give in Canadian Dollars Give in US Dollars
Give in Canadian Dollars
Give in US Dollars
The Year of Equipping cohort consists of three, three-month modules, each reflecting the three teaching sessions in Blue Ocean. The first addresses questions of who God is and what he is up to in our world. The second module’s topic is spiritual formation: how we are (re)formed in God’s image. Module three takes on how Christian community flows from the first two in light of who God is and how we are formed. Each three-month module includes a monthly meeting, the first two of which are virtual while the third is in person. The first in-person gathering took place in October in Vancouver, British Columbia.
When describing their time together, Ai Hayashizaki, the administrator at White Cross Canada, said it was “a rich experience of seeing the big picture of God’s mission in a larger community than my usual engagement circle.”
Another member of this new cohort is Tony Engeler, the director of Summer Camps and Retreats at Camp Caroline. He said, “I felt challenged to rethink my approach to interpreting the Bible – making sure I’m not just pulling out information but allowing it to transform me.” Ai described her time in Vancouver similarly: “This process of learning together gave me the opportunity to humbly face my tendency to desire control over obedient participation in God’s work. Seeing his work in what has been dismissed or overlooked, my adoration of God is renewed.”
Beyond just a time of personal instruction and growth, the kind of engagement taking place in the Year of Equipping is growing roots that go deeper and wider than just the individual experience. Tony said, “I couldn’t help but share the lessons I’ve learned over the dinner table with friends.” More than that, he said, “It has already led to numerous conversations back home with my staff for changes and perspective changes we need.”
These kinds of shifts in perspective that lead to real-world changes in how we follow God on mission are exactly why the missional trainings in the NAB exist, whether it’s Year of Equipping, Blue Ocean, Ethos, or Discovery.
Would you consider partnering with us in these missional efforts by giving $50, $100, or more to the Ministry Resource Fund? Your gift will not only, in part, support the Year of Equipping, it will also go toward training churches and leaders across the NAB as they find ways to engage missionally with their cities, towns, and neighborhoods, sharing the story of a God who is up to something new in our world.
“I pray that the NAB’s support for younger leaders will continue to encourage our Church by touching those from a wide range of backgrounds, just as it has done to me,” Ai said.
Give in Canadian Dollars Give in US Dollars
Give in Canadian Dollars
Give in US Dollars