Natalie stood at a critical juncture in her
life and didn’t even realize it. Quite frankly, I’m not sure that others
realized it either. Natalie’s heart and passion were on the line, but all of
this could have so easily gone unnoticed. It was going to take someone who knew
Natalie well to see the importance of the decision she was about to make.
Natalie has an inviting spirit and wisdom
beyond her years. She naturally leads others, and has a sense of loyalty and
responsibility that defies her age. Although she is only 25 years old, she has
been a vital part of launching Thirdway Church. She has served in leadership
for more than five years and is loved and well-respected. And, this very love
and respect became one of Natalie’s biggest hurdles to following God’s call on
her life.
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| Daleen and Natalie |
Over the past five years, Natalie has grown
in her understanding of God’s call upon her life. She is a natural builder of
deep, intentional community among God’s people. She also has a love for sustenance
farming, and envisions bringing these two worlds together in an urban setting. As
clarity came and Natalie started pursuing her calling, an opportunity opened up
at a church in Illinois that runs a local farm. In this setting she could
continue to grow as a leader, and also gain invaluable experience working on
the church’s farm.
Natalie began to share about this
opportunity, and her desire to follow God’s leading. However, this began to
cause dissonance for the people who love and value Natalie. Of course they were
excited for her clarity of calling, but they certainly didn’t want her to move
away. People began trying to convince Natalie to stay in St. Paul. And, for
someone who is deeply loyal and responsible, this created a confusing
situation.
Enter Daleen
Daleen has been meeting weekly with Natalie
for the past 3 years. During that time, Daleen has listened to, prayed with,
challenged, guided, and encouraged Natalie in her walk with God, and in her
growth as a leader. With that foundation, Daleen was ready to step in and help
Natalie gain perspective, and navigate this transition into a new season of
life.
“...if I had made that choice, I think it
would have stifled me,
and snuffed out the fire in my spirit.”
Natalie recently told me, “As long as I have
known Daleen, she has encouraged me to GO. Not only physically, but to also go
towards God and to not let fear stop me…I have a tendency to think the “right
thing to do” is to settle down, and keep the home fires burning. But, if I had
made that choice, I think it would have stifled me, and snuffed out the fire in
my spirit.”
In the end, Natalie was able to embrace her
calling, and confidently move into this new stage of life and development. Not
long after Natalie moved, she wrote these words to Daleen:
You have certainly changed my life for the
better...You have encouraged me to dream of something better. You have helped
me to know my own freedom and confidence. You have spoken into and brought
forth the best of who I can be. You’ve helped me to realize who I am. You’ve
spoken about walking alongside women and I can attest to your gifts in that
area because I feel truly gifted by you.
We consider walking alongside leaders like
Natalie to be a privilege and a great responsibility. In a context where only 20%
of American Millennials (pre-teens to 30 year olds) believe that church
attendance is important, the role of these young leaders is crucial. Our goal
is to develop leaders, who are not only confident to move into their personal
calling, but are bold enough to lead the Church into its future as well.
