Today Nancy Krause shares her Resurrection story.
Nancy Krause, in addition to being a small group leader, serves regularly with the Habitat for Humanity ministry, the Prayer ministry, with our partners at Community LINC.
John Dallam was a man of vision for many groups at Resurrection, but the one closest to his heart was Habitat for Humanity. He started and led this group for many years, and mentored many through this great ministry.
After he had handed over the leadership to Bob Meling, he still felt he heard God clearly telling him that He was not finished with him and wanted him to raise up the youth as builders. With the time John had left, he rallied leaders and started yet another group, the Youth Construction Skills Class. This led to so much more. One evening I asked John if I could bring some young people from Community LINC (a Resurrection ministry partner that “empowers homeless families by teaching them skills to win the battle against homelessness in a safe, nurturing and accountable environment”) to join the youth at Resurrection for this building class. John prayed and thought about this opportunity, and told me to bring the kids out. So my husband Ron and I picked these five young men up each Saturday morning bright and early so they would be on time for class. They had a great time learning from the wonderful leaders in this class.
After the six-week class, these young men wanted more, so on subsequent Saturdays we picked them up at Community LINC and took them to Grace United Ministries at 8th and Benton. There these same wonderful gentlemen continued to reach out to these young fellows. They taught them self-confidence, building skills and gave them the wonderful, immeasurable benefit of one-on-one man-to-man fellowship. Each Saturday morning there was no waiting around for these young men at LINC—they were eagerly waiting for the day’s adventure! Before long, the Builders Sunday morning group got involved with them, as well as with other young people and their families at LINC. One of the first students who worked with John Dallam is now a very successful second-year student at the University of Central Missouri, majoring in Construction Science Management, with much support and encouragement from the Builder’s Sunday morning group!
How many groups worked together, no one of them planning this kind of result? Does it matter?
I have found through my years at Resurrection, in my years of study in Disciple Bible Study and other small groups, that it is great to be open to what is going on around me. I have grown in my faith through these studies and times of fellowship. They have helped me venture out from my own comfortable surroundings and go with others to grow and learn just a few minutes from Resurrection in our own urban neighborhoods. Each and every journey out of my neighborhood and into these nearby neighborhoods has helped me to discover how easy it is to be what God wants me to be—one of His good workers. He has shown me that it doesn’t matter what age we are, or what gifts we have. God is ready to use all of us, once we are ready to hear the message, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
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