Jeffrey Derico joined the White Oak team in January to serve as Executive Pastor, with his initial areas of focus being leadership development, planning, strategy, and assessment. We’ve invited him to write this week’s Momentum article.
Around 20 years ago, my wife Carrie and I served in the White Oak nursery on Sunday mornings—that is, until 2004 when we moved to serve on staff at a church on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Not surprisingly, a lot has changed for my family since then. We now have three children (who are now 23, 20, and 15), we survived a doctoral program, and we added two decades of ministry leadership in churches, at Cincinnati Christian University, and in faith-based nonprofits.
Also not surprisingly, a lot has changed for White Oak since 2004. There are lots of different faces, there are now multiple White Oak campuses, and COVID forever altered the rhythms and realities of ministry. It is a blessing, while also being a bit surreal, to have the opportunity to serve here again—mostly because even with all the changes that have taken place for everyone involved, White Oak is still focused on helping people find full life in Jesus.
There are several topics that I geek out over, a couple key examples being the preeminence of Cleveland sports teams and The Ohio State University football. I love theology, I love organizational leadership theory and practice, and more relevant to the purpose of this article, I love to help people understand what it means to have full life in Jesus and why it is important to engage in a lifelong pursuit of spiritual growth—or what we refer to around here as formation.
That is something that you’ve been hearing about a lot lately. You have been challenged to spend time with Jesus, to become more like him, and to do the things that he did. You are hearing stories of people whose lives have been transformed by rooting out the selfishness and pride that so commonly drive sin, by taking steps to better reflect Jesus in their day-to-day activities, by abiding in a deepening personal relationship with God, and by mentoring others in the faith.
But those outcomes don’t just appear out of nowhere. They require planning, they require diligence, they require some insight, and they require the right tools. This raises some good news and bad news. The bad news is that the world we live in is full of things that distract, deceive, and derail us. The good news, though, is that we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and that the insights and tools we need are readily available to everyone.
Let’s pause to consider a person who is 2,000 feet above the ground…1,500 feet…1,000 feet…it seems that we should get on with this. So, our main character is in freefall, but it’s okay because strapped to the very conscious and alert person’s back is a perfectly packed parachute. With that in mind, would it surprise you if I ended this story with the skydiver smacking into the ground at full speed? Of course it would! What kind of crazy person, after all, has the right tool (say, a parachute) and doesn’t use it?
I suppose we could ask why the ripcord wasn’t pulled. Maybe our hero got distracted binge-watching a Netflix series. Maybe no one explained how the parachute worked. Maybe time just got away from the skydiver in an attempt to get click-worthy Instagram footage. “But no!” you may object. “No skydiver would allow that to happen. There is so much at stake!” And…there it is—our pivot point. Have you ever considered why White Oak is so passionate about helping people find full life in Jesus?
Full life in Jesus gives purpose, it brings peace, it ascribes value, and it is the basis of our hope today and for eternity (Romans 6:1-10). And on the flip side of that coin, people who don’t enjoy full life in Jesus are at extreme risk of aimlessness, anxiety, shame, and despair. White Oak cares about helping people find full life in Jesus because there is so much at stake! But again, full life in Jesus doesn’t just happen. You must have access to the proverbial parachute, and you must choose to use it.
You may be wondering what tools the parachute represents, and how each of those tools can facilitate formation. Over the next months, you will be hearing more from our Formation Pastor about how full life in Jesus can fuel your lifelong pursuit of spiritual growth. In the meantime, join a life group and dedicate some time to discussions about how to avoid smacking into the ground—spiritually, that is.
Blessings,
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Derico
Executive Pastor