Serve: The core mission of the body of Christ: Six studies in Nehemiah

By Debra Green

Having been thrust into crisis and confusion, the Church is entering a season of change. Together, we need to restore, renew and rebuild. Nehemiah shows us how.

We need to restore our hearts, asking God to break our hearts for what breaks his. We need to renew our focus, allowing God to give us vision for the full ministry of Jesus. And we need to rebuild our world, looking out to the community around us.

Through six insightful Bible studies, Debra Green shows us how to practically apply the age-old wisdom of Nehemiah to the cultural moment we find ourselves in today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780281086818

Debra Green

Debra Green has always been drawn to good storytelling, especially historical novels and Broadway musicals. While motherhood, hospital administration, and community volunteering were all rewarding, none fulfilled her creative longings. A graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, when not writing, reading, or traveling, Debra can be found working in her ever-expanding vegetable garden. The Convention of Wives is her first novel. Learn more at www.DebraGreenWriter.Com She lives with her husband, David, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey where they raised their three children.

Book preview

Contents

Introduction

Possible session plan

Session 1 - Note the need

Session 2 - Seek the Lord

Session 3 - Bow the knee

Session 4 - Pay the price

Session 5 - Find the allies

Session 6 - Stay the course

End note

Dedication:

To the thousands of volunteers across the UK – thank you for

inspiring the insights explored in these chapters.

And, as always, thank you to my amazing husband, Frank, the

unsung wordsmith who refuses to be named on the cover!

‘We’re here for you’

During the first weeks when the impact of COVID-19 became clear and everyone was struggling to come to terms with the shock of it all, I was driving through a small town in the south east of England when I saw the message, ‘We’re here for you’ on a sign outside a church. Underneath was a phone number that anyone could call if they wanted someone to listen or to talk to, or needed practical help. In itself, this is not an especially remarkable thing; after all, isn’t that what the Church is all about?

As followers of Jesus, we’re called to embody his ministry. He came to demonstrate the love of God to everyone: unconditional, patient, kind, non-judgemental, listening, caring, compassionate love. He offers no-strings love, an active love. Love that gives and gives again. Love that proves itself in practical ways and points to deeper truth, opening the door for those who are ready to explore.

As the founder of a ministry that helps members of churches to engage with their wider community, you’d expect me to emphasize the high importance of reaching out in practical ways to meet people’s needs, but are you ready for the challenge that I will be offering in this book? It is that we need to redefine the core mission of the Church and act on it.

In my role as a church elder, I’ve been engaged in countless discussions over the years about whether the primary activity of the body of Christ should be evangelism, worship, prayer and so on, and I warm to many of the arguments for all these. However, I strongly believe that the core of our mission is to serve those outside our circle of faith. This not only means sharing the gospel with them in words, although that’s undoubtedly the most effective method of ‘fishing for men and women’, but also means helping to meet their human needs, as God cares about their suffering in these respects as well as their spiritual needs.

My husband loves to ask Christians this question: ‘In the words of Jesus in John 10.10, what word have I left out here? The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that ____ ____ may have life, and have it to the full. Don’t think about it – just say the word that comes to mind straight away.’

Did you say ‘you’? Most people do. All those who answered this question know how their lives have been enriched by following Jesus. We understand the concept that there’s even more for us to enjoy, both in this earthly life and into eternity. However, if you look up the verse, you’ll find that the missing word is not ‘you’ but ‘they’. Jesus wants everyone to experience the fullness of human life; that is, not just those who have responded to his invitation, but everyone else too.

True, this includes the spiritual element, but a full life means much more and it’s our responsibility, as the Church, to help those whose lives are affected by the activity of the thief. You don’t have to look hard to see the evidence of damaged lives. Satan’s influence rips people apart in every community. Our calling is to be the body of Christ to