It is about relationships

Nehemiah had families build the wall as families and to rebuild the walls in front of their own homes. This is a great leadership move in that there was ownership of the project. Leaders often fail to get ownership of the process because they fail to connect the movement of God relationally. God is all about people and renewal is not about the church doing better or growing or whatever. Renewal is about people connecting with God and each other. Families building together created opportunities for conservations, care and deeper connectedness. Remember the process of renewal it is personal renewal then relational. Maybe the key to renewal of the North American church is found in the renewal of families. if the church functioned as a family and the family was an extension of the church then relational renewal would be natural and normal. Remember God was rebuilding a people, the walls were secondary to what God was doing. So often we get caught up in the task of doing chruch that we forget to be the church and the church is a family.


God used all kinds of people to get the wall rebuilt. God does not care about training or background. He cares about heart, attitude, and willingness. In the process of renewal He will use everyone who is willing, not just pastors. Remember Nehemiah was a cup barer to the King. He was not trained in leadership. God equipped him and used him when he gave his life to the cause of God. The most powerful prayer we can pray is "Jesus, I am yours". When we surrender to the Lordship of Christ everything changes.