Every year since I have been in the role of Lead Pastor here at White Oak, I have taken a month out of the office to pull away and retreat. To be totally transparent, I spent most of my days at various coffee shops around the city. I’ve called this my study break. During that time my intent is to read, study, pray, seek God’s voice, write, and to plan for the next season at White Oak. Did I mention that this takes a lot of coffee? Typically, I do this in the summertime to focus on end-of-the-year plans and to plan for the following year.
I wanted to share with my White Oak family some of what I did during that time and a few pieces of where I sense God is leading us as we approach 2025 in just a few short months. I want to share this with you because I am excited for the direction I sense God is taking us.
One thing I have sensed over this past year is the need to have a staff member to come alongside me to aid me in accomplishing our vision and executing strategies which we believe will move us closer to doing so. Many churches like White Oak bring onboard an Executive Pastor for this reason. The role of this person is to work closely with the Lead Pastor. They take the vision and help the staff live it out in their ministries. We see this role as a resource for our entire staff as they seek to grow ministry impact and look for refreshed ways to accomplish our mission. This role seeks to discover the gaps in our ministry operations and works to fill those gaps so that we are better connecting people to full life in Jesus. We have begun our search and preliminary interview process to fill this role. We have been working consistently throughout the summer asking God to lead the right person to White Oak. We look forward to updating you soon!
We are rounding out our second year of our Shaken initiative in just a few months! This two-year journey has borne some incredible challenges and stories for so many here at White Oak. The path toward deeper surrender, trust, and generosity with God is not an easy one. It is, however, incredibly rewarding! I have been touched and sometimes moved to tears as I have listened to the stories of people here at White Oak who are being formed by Jesus toward more obedient disciples. We have also seen two of our most generous giving years ever here at WOCC! Thank you! We have seen a lot of progress in paying down our debt for the Ross Twp. Campus building. We have also made great headway in reimagining our Colerain Twp. Campus building for use by our community. We have refreshed our third-floor spaces so that the outside ministry and community groups who come into our spaces have the quality and attractive environments they need. We get to send the message that we care and are ready for them. A team has been meeting to plan for partnerships with outside ministry groups. We have some great relationships forming with some groups and look forward to some bold movement soon! God owns it all. He’s waiting for us to realize it so that we can lay it at his feet and watch him do more than we can ask or imagine in and through our lives. This summer we have been planning for the culmination of our Shaken initiative for the end of the year. It’s going to be a worshipful and formational time for us!
During this study break, I read a lot of books. I felt God nudging me toward two areas of study. One was leadership. I read books entitled Leadership Pain, Leading from the Second Chair, and I’m hoping to finish one called Traction. I also spent much of my time studying and reading about spiritual formation. I listened to a wonderful podcast called Rule of Life and read books with titles such as Emotionally Health Spirituality, Practicing the Way, and The Deeply Formed Life. I share this with you because I feel a strong sense that God is leading us to reclaim what Jesus says it means to truly be an apprentice of his. I am praying. I am seeking God in these plans. There is so much I want to adopt into my own life. There is so much I want to share with you about the things I am sensing and learning! I’ll be sharing those things soon.
Thank you for allowing me the time and space to study and to seek God’s vision for our church. I encourage you to consider what God is putting on your heart. There are more things in the works, and I am excited to step into this next season with you. We want to connect people to full life in Jesus! Thank you for joining me on that mission.
With you,
Nathan
Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor
White Oak Christian Church