January-2019-Branches-Web_Production-Master

Moving Toward Shalom:
Transforming Lives &
Restoring Communities
Express Grace 2019 & One Southwood Family’s Story
January & February 2019 · southwood.org
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Huntsville, AL

Contents
1000 Carl T. Jones Drive | Huntsville, Alabama 35802
(256) 882-3085 | www.southwood.org
Christine Betts Assistant Director, Youth/Families
Robert Blevins Director, Community Development
Daniel Brown Print & Digital Media Specialist
Niña Cash Director, Children's Ministry
Rita Clardy Executive Assistant
Shannon Clark Administrative Assistant
Ron Clegg Associate Pastor, Discipleship
Ty Commons Youth & Family Intern
Janice Crowson Director, Facilities/Finance
Kim Delchamps Administrative Assistant
Terri Good Accountant/Bookkeeper
Derrick Harris Assistant Pastor, Shepherding & Young Families
James Parker Chief Musician
Peter Render Assistant Pastor, Youth/Families
Angela Sierk Assistant Director, Children's Ministry
Will Spink Senior Pastor
3
4
4
5
6
8
10
11
12
Pastor's Note
Session Update
Officer Nominations
Elder Candidate Andes Hoyt
Small Groups
I Feel the Need, the Need to Lead
Southwood Christmas 2018
Photo Recap
Moving Toward Shalom:
Transforming Lives & Restoring Communities
Express Grace Conference 2019
Domestic Mission Partners
Called to Equip the Saints
Ron Clegg
Contributors
Robert Blevins
Ron Clegg
Adam and Lisa Elmore
Derrick Harris
James Parker
Peter Render
Angela Sierk
Will Spink
13
14
15
January Parent Café
Small View, Big King
Peter Render
All That’s Fair
New Year’s Resolution
Photos
Daniel Brown Angela Sierk
Kim Delchamps Will Spink
Southwood Members
Feedback!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
Cover Photo
Sunset of
Downtown Huntsville
Upcoming Events
Express Grace Conference
Parent Café
Annual Congregational
Meeting
Jan. 26-27
Jan. 29
Feb. 3
Pizza &
Popcorn!
Family Movie Night
C4 Conference
Feb. 8
Feb. 26
Communicants Class Begins
Feb. 3
presents
P A R E N T
e s
t .
2 0 1 8
GUEST
SPEAKER
HOLLYWOOD
FILM
PRODUCER
HOWIE
KLAUSNER
Family Movie Night
Yeti or not...
Join us February 8
at 6:00pm
in the Lodge
$4 per person
$15 for families
Mass Media Madness in the
“Post Christian Era” Good? Bad? Ugly?
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019
6PM AT THE LODGE
See page 13 for
more information

Pastor's Note
Moving Toward Shalom
The night our family returned
home from Thanksgiving, I had
just drifted off to sleep when one
of our daughters came running
into the room sick to her stomach.
There would be no more rest the
remainder of the evening. Over the
next several hours, all three of our
girls woke up sick and took turns
keeping the rest of us awake. The
shalom of our home was shattered
by the stomach bug.
“Shalom” is a Hebrew word that
refers to the holistic wellbeing
God created us to experience
– intimate relationship with our
Heavenly Father, peace with those
around us, deep enjoyment of
God’s glorious creation. Sadly,
since the Fall we live in a broken
world where our own sinful
natures and the cursed creation
war against experiencing that
shalom God intends for us.
Every day in our world shalom is
interrupted by things much more
serious than a stomach bug. Gun
shots bring chaos into the lives of
many. Medical diagnoses shatter
dreams of others. Many battle
generational poverty, a lack of
good employment, and unjust
governmental systems. Others
struggle against mental illness that
leaves them depressed, confused,
or alone. Every day in Huntsville
betrayal wreaks havoc on
relationships. Every day in our city
parents struggle to feel the dignity
God created them to have, and
children struggle to experience the
love and support they need.
The good news of the gospel,
though, is that God is passionately
committed to restoring shalom. He
hates unrighteousness, injustice,
oppression, and sin – but through
Jesus Christ He has promised to
renew and restore his creation so
that death and all the other effects
of the Fall are defeated forever.
Even now He is working through
his Spirit and his people to bring
his kingdom to come on earth as it
is in heaven, and Jesus tells us we
must pray for, long for, and work
for that reality.
That’s why we’ve entitled our
Express Grace Conference this year
“Moving Toward Shalom.” The grace
of Jesus Christ brings shalom into
our lives and relationships with God,
and it gives us shalom to share with
our neighbors. As individual lives
are restored to their Creator and
others around them, communities
are transformed into places that
increasingly reflect the gracious and
peaceful kingdom of God.
“Moving toward shalom” is much
bigger than one conference or
ministry. You’ll read in this issue of
Branches about many ways God
is working here to create the kind
of true community only the gospel
can create. As we each experience
the grace of Jesus restoring our
relationship with our Father, we need
other brothers and sisters in small
groups, in the midst of parenting
battles, and in the struggles of
youthful years to help us live in the
shalom of God’s kingdom.
Then we can ogether share restored
relationships with a community in
need of transformation – personal,
corporate, and systemic. This is
the focus of our Express Grace
Conference – equipping and
mobilizing us to be the people
of God on the mission of God
particularly here in Huntsville. Our
heart is that we together would
be inspired and enabled to bring
kingdom shalom here so that
Huntsville would be more and
more like heaven – where we all
know God, rejoice in his glory, and
experience his goodness.
Gospel community is a community
on mission together – taking the
good news of a shalom-restoring
God to everyone around us. So,
while there are top-notch speakers
coming to Southwood for this
conference (see more inside), they
will leave Huntsville afterwards, and
we will be the ones God calls to
carry the gospel to our neighbors
and city day in and day out. Don’t
let anything short of a stomach
bug cause you to miss this chance
to pray, dream, and learn together
about what that can look like!
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org

Session Update
Having shared with you late last year some significant
financial needs we were facing, we want to praise God
for his gracious provision once again. While the numbers
aren’t final as of this mailing, giving for 2018 exceeded $2
million, which allows us to meet all commitments to our
mission partners and enter 2019 in a stable cash position.
While some necessary capital projects late in the year
have made cash flow slightly negative for the year, God
continues to amaze us with his generosity and increase our
faith in him. And while we thank him for this, we also want
to thank you for your faithful and generous support of the
work of God’s church and kingdom and thank our staff for
their carefulstewardship of our budgeted resources.
We will report final income and expense numbers for the
year at the Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday,
February 3, at which time we will also present the 2019
budget. With a full staff, active ministries, and additional
support of our mission partners in the new year, please
continue to pray for, depend on, and expect God’s
spiritual and material provision for Southwood.
That annual meeting after the worship service on
February 3 will also include times to pray together,
updates on the mission and ministries of the church, and
election of trustees and church officers. In particular, this
year we are recommending the election of Andes Hoyt
to the office of elder. Please feel free to talk with Andes,
read about him on this page of Branches, and pray for
him as he considers this calling. Please also pray with
us this year for Matthew Cruze, Reeves Fancher, Tripp
Pearson, Eric Sholes, and Blake Stuart, who have agreed
to participate in our Officer Apprenticeship Program.
This is an important time of training and consideration
for men you have nominated for service alongside our
Session or Diaconate.
Officer Nominations by Will Spink
The Bible makes clear through stories,
through negative examples, and
through direct instruction how vital
godly leadership is in the life of God’s
people. We believe that God has
gifted men and women in his church
to serve as leaders throughout his
body and throughout the world. In
particular, he has called some men to
the roles of elder and deacon in his
church, and we seek to be prayerful
and intentional in identifying them
and preparing them well for this task.
To this end, we receive every year
from the congregation nominations
of men they see who have godly
character and who are serving and
shepherding within the congregation.
Alongside these nominations are
several aspects of training that go
into helping these men develop their
gifting and discern the timing for them
to serve in these formal offices. Our
Leadership Training Class meets 14
times for two hours, and we also have
an Officer Apprenticeship Program, in
which men serve alongside the elders
and/or deacons to learn the realities
of the office and prayerfully consider
together God’s calling in their lives.
When men complete the class and the
apprenticeship, they are examined
by the Session and can then, if
appropriate, be recommended to
the congregation for election as
an elder or deacon. This year we
have one man, Andes Hoyt, who
has completed this process and is
being recommended by the Session
to the congregation for election to
the office of elder at the February
3 Congregational Meeting. Andes is
already an ordained elder in the PCA
from his time at a previous church,
and we are now recommending that
he be elected to active service on
the Southwood Session. Please pray
for Andes as well as for the new
group of apprentices who are serving
alongside the church officers this
year and considering God’s calling on
their lives to these important roles in
his Church.
CANDIDATE BIO
Name: Andes Hoyt
Age: 63
Spouse: Susan
Children: Jennifer and Christina (young adults out on their own)
Membership: 8 years
Service: Nursery volunteer; Men’s Table Talk facilitator;
Connect Community facilitator; Host Team; Short-
Term Mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico; Community
Development Committee; Property Steward
My heart for the Southwood family is for us to deeply know God and live in joyful
response as we never cease our pursuit of the prize of knowing God as the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit (Philippians 3:12-16). For Southwood going forward I think my
service as an elder will help us build deep friendships based on knowing God’s love
for us. I see these friendships as ones of prayer, caring for those in need, celebrating
special times, and having fun together. I really want to help Southwood be a family
where we know each other beyond small and Connect Community groups, across
stages of life, regardless of vocation, and through embracing of differences.
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 4 JANUARY 2019

I Feel the Need,
the Need to Lead
by Derrick Harris
The word “leader” means so many
different things to so many different
people. Tony Robbins writes,
“Leaders spend 5% of their time on
the problem and 95% of their time
on the solution. So, get over it and
crush it!” If you look the word up in
the dictionary, you’ll find at least six
different meanings, one of which is,
“the person who leads or commands a
group, organization, or country.” The
synonyms given for leader are “chief,
head, principal, commander, captain,
superior, headman, authority figure,”
and the list goes on. I don’t know
about you, but all of that sounds very
intimidating to me. It’s intimidating
because it makes being a leader sound
so authoritative, unattainable, and
almost other-worldly. I must admit,
though, that when I read the Bible, I’m
shown a completely different picture
of a leader. I’m shown a picture of
human weakness dependent upon a
supernatural strength.
In their best moments, the biblical
leaders were not “superior or chief.”
They were weak, failing, and humble,
yet trusting a power outside of
themselves. There’s no mention of the
Tony Robbins percentages breakdown,
and the only “crushing” I see is when
power is misused by kings or when the
True King Jesus crushes the head of
the serpent on our behalf. Again, that
happened in a moment of weakness
displayed on the cross coupled with
the strength of the Holy Spirit and
trust in God the Father. At their
lowest, Noah was a drunkard, Moses
was a murderer, and Abraham was
ruled by selfish fear. David was an
adulterer, Peter was cowardly, and Paul
sanctioned the killing of Christians.
Yet in their best moments, they gave
God glory, repented, and trusted,
and God used them to change the
world. The Bible shows us the truest
picture of a leader. A leader is a weak
and redeemed vessel who puts trust
in God’s supernatural strength to
accomplish His will through him or her.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 we read, “We
loved you so much. So we were happy
to share with you God’s good news.
We were also happy to share our
lives with you.” This verse teaches
us how the early church leaders
interacted with each other. Love was
at their core. There was a happiness
about sharing the good news of
Christ’s strength in the midst of their
weakness. They were intentional
about being present and sharing their
lives with each other. The result was
that their faith in Christ grew stronger
when it was shared and lived out with
others. They provided safe places for
one another through their presence,
listening, praying, and trusting in
Christ to do all that they could not.
They needed each other; they needed
community and so do we.
Small groups at Southwood exist to
help us find community as we connect
to God, to each other, and to our
neighbors. Connecting in small groups
requires consistency, honesty, safety,
presence. Connecting in small groups
also requires leaders. Being a leader is
not really that intimidating. A leader is
a weak and redeemed vessel who puts
his or her trust in God’s supernatural
strength to accomplish His will
through him or her. Do you appreciate
safe spaces? Do you know how to be
present in a conversation? Are you
able to listen to people when they talk
about their lives? Do you have the
ability to pray for your own needs and
someone else’s? Do you love Jesus? If
you can answer yes to these questions,
then you can lead a small group.
This January we have been taking new
sign-ups for our small groups. This
presents us with a wonderful problem.
Since most of our current groups
are full, we have the opportunity to
create new groups, but we need new
leaders to be able to do this. Would
you prayerfully consider whether God
might be calling you to take a step of
faith this year and lead a new small
group? Through leading a group,
you have the opportunity to grow in
community and to change lives as you
help others grow in their faith through
their connections to each other. If
you’re interested, please contact
me. I'd love to walk with you on this
exciting & important journey
(derrick.harris@southwood.org). A
BRANCHES 5 JANUARY 2019

Southwood’s 2
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 6 JANUARY 2019

018 Christmas
BRANCHES 7 JANUARY 2019

Transforming Lives &
Restoring Communities
One Southwood Family’s Experience of Listening and Learning in
Unexpected Places by Adam and Lisa Elmore
At the end of 2011, we moved into Lincoln
Village with grandiose ideas of bringing the
Gospel to the other residents and being a
witness of Christian living. We were completely
clueless about community development and how to
engage our neighbors, but we knew that the Lord
had brought us to Lincoln Village for a purpose. We
were quickly humbled by the Lord as we watched
our finances plummet at least $20k a year for the
first three years as Adam was going back to school
and I was pregnant with our boys. Suddenly, instead
choosing to live in Lincoln Village, we had no other
choice. I struggled with our financial situation for a
long time because I didn’t want people to look at us
and think that we were “less than”; we would try to
slip it into conversation that we lived there to help
the ministry and we weren’t like our neighbors. But
as we became friends with our neighbors, we realized
we were wrong. Many people in our neighborhood
already knew and loved Jesus and were serving Him
faithfully but were struggling financially. We were
“Suddenly, instead
of choosing to live in
Lincoln Village, we
had no other choice.”
able to experience the shame, fear, and anger that
our neighbors had experienced. When we sought
assistance through the food bank next to our house
in Lincoln, Lisa was sexually harassed as she waited
in line. We were denied assistance the Department of
Human Resources because we hadn’t hit rock bottom
yet. Those hardships began to change our point of
view on racial and socioeconomic issues, but it was
our relationships that really changed our hearts.
April and Chad were our next-door neighbors and their
daughter, Summer, loved to play with baby Silas. Small
conversations grew to daily cups of coffee, dinners,
and Alabama football games between our families as
our children played. The issues of racial reconciliation,
social injustice, and life’s hardships became regular
topics of conversation and we felt free to ask difficult
and uncomfortable questions., One example came
through an organization called Save Our Sons (SOS)
Huntsville, a ministry that April and another friend
of ours, Toya, had started in 2014 that to address
healthy, safe interactions between black youth and
the police. SOS became a more frequent meeting
of people, young and old, black, white, and Hispanic
as the number of police shootings involving black
men increased in 2016. We attended the meetings to
support our friends, but also to gain knowledge. At
the first several meetings, things were said that made
us feel defensive and we didn’t agree with the idea
that we were more privileged, but we decided that we
were going to be quiet and just listen. The Holy Spirit
began to break our hearts as precious image bearers
of God shared of the ways they had been hurt and
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 8 JANUARY 2019

produce change. Adam has discovered
that as a white man, he has access
to people that our minority brothers
and sisters don’t have, and I am able
to interact with close to one hundred
children, their families, and teachers
in some of the most disadvantaged
schools in Huntsville. We can’t change
hearts, but we can lead by example.
how they wanted their pain to matter to their white
brothers and sisters in Christ. The heartbreak that
Michael Brown, Philando Castile, or E.J. Bradford’s
family and friends have endured hits much closer to
home now as our perspective has changed because
so many of our loved ones are black.
Another step came this past November, when we were
able to attend the Christian Community Development
Association (CCDA) Conference. The sessions there
affirmed many of our developing instincts about
racial reconciliation while
opening our eyes to new
issues. The subject of
lament was brought up
several times and we never
fully grasped its meaning
until we entered into
the pain minorities have
experienced at the hands
of those in power. We
have seen how the world
works and it is disturbing,
infuriating, and utterly
heartbreaking; we are far
from Eden. Lament isn’t
only a deep mourning, but
a crying out to the Lord.
While we pray for God to
move in our church and
our city, we have felt led
to start conversations to
Because we have these goals, some
of our friends have asked us why we
don’t attend a church that is more
economically and socially diverse.
We have explained that we don’t
want to leave Southwood because
we don’t believe in finding a church
that serves our needs and comfort.
We stay because we realize that while
Southwood appears to be very wealthy,
this is not the reality for all who attend
here. We also want to see Kingdom
diversity grow by encouraging others
to recognize bias we may harbor and
move beyond our comfort zones. We
want to participate with the body
of our church in uncomfortable conversations. We
want to support others on the journey of racial and
socioeconomic reconciliation and learn to engage
our community in healthy ways that maintain and
restore dignity to our brothers and sisters throughout
Huntsville. We want Southwood to do the hard work of
giving time and not just money to various ministries.
Establish relationships with people who are different
from you. Those relationships will stretch and maybe
break you, but they will bring to life the beauty that is
the body of Christ.
We should embrace the
differences that God has
established, whether
in appearance, musical
style, or culture. That is a
way we can experience a
piece of heaven on earth.
We understand that this
article may make people
uncomfortable or even
angry. Please, come talk
with us! Come over for
dinner and let’s start the
conversation. We love you
and are praying for God to
move among us. A
THE ELMORE FAMILY
ADAM, LISA, AMELIA, ELIJAH, & SILAS
BRANCHES 9 JANUARY 2019

Moving Toward Shalom
Transforming Lives and Restoring Communities
by Robert Blevins
Conference
Schedule
JANUARY 26-27, 2019
SATURDAY
9AM to Noon
Leadership Training with
Michael Rhodes
Michael will discuss how
we can express grace more
intentionally in our daily lives.
5:30PM to 8PM
Family dinner & teaching
session with Brian Fikkert
Dr. Fikkert will share principles
from his book, When Helping
Hurts. Free tickets for the
dinner are available.
SUNDAY
9:30AM
Worship Service
Dr. Fikkert will preach.
11:00AM
Connect Hour
Local missions partners will
join us to share opportunities
to be a part of what God is
doing in Huntsville.
Other Opportunities
C4 Conference
Tuesday, February 26
8:30AM to 2:30PM at
The Jackson Center
R.E.A.C.H.
MNA Mercy Conference
March 29 & 30 at
Southwood
Randy Nabors, Tony Myles, and
Scott Moore speaking
PLUS 15 different workshops
A friend of mine is a business owner
and deacon at a large affluent church.
A few years back he started looking
around his community and was struck
by the amount of economic disparity
among his neighbors. At his church,
he saw wealth, skills, and business
connections. He asked, “How can we
leverage our resources so that our
neighbors flourish both spiritually and
financially?” Today the church runs
a ministry that teaches financial and
Biblical literacy to their neighbors,
with the goal of welcoming them into
fellowship. One of their first graduates
was hired to run a part of the program.
I share my friend’s story not to
propose a model for ministry, but as
an example of what happens when we
look around. When my friend looked
around, he and his team connected
resources with opportunities, resulting
in shalom (peace) in the community.
When you “look around” in your circle,
what resources and opportunities do
you see?
This year our Express Grace
Conference is titled “Moving Toward
Shalom: Transforming Living &
Restoring Communities.” We’ll hear
from two authors who specialize
in economic discipleship: Brian
Fikkert (When Helping Hurts) and
Michael Rhodes (Practicing the
King’s Economy). Our ministry
partners (organizations that serve the
community) will share how Southwood
congregants can get involved through
volunteerism and prayer.
More than just a single event, we want
to catalyze the conversation about
how we get to express grace in our
everyday lives, through our individual
lives with people around us, or as we
serve with our partners. For the past
year, our Community Development
Team (aka “Comm Dev”) has been
talking about how God invites us to
express grace in healthy ways:
We get to express grace humbly.
God invites us into the work of
restorative justice not because we
have all the answers, but because He
does. That requires humble listening
and learning from the experiences of
people who are different.
We get to express grace sacrificially.
The rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-
27) shows us that following Jesus
demands our all. As we follow Him
on the pathway toward community
renewal, we might be asked to
sacrifice our comfort, preferences,
time, and money.
We get to express grace as a lifestyle.
God invites us to seek the good of our
communities in every phase, at every
stage--from the stay-at-home parent
building relationships in the park, to
the CEO who pays employees a livable
wage, to the widower who reads to
kids at a school. Tim Keller says, “Reweaving
shalom means to sacrificially
thread, lace, and press your time,
goods, power, and resources into the
lives and needs of others.” And it’s
not that we “have” to do this kind of
gospel-advancing work -- we get to.
We hope that you’ll join us to kick
off the year by learning how you can
express grace humbly, sacrificially, and
as a lifestyle in Huntsville and beyond.
Dr. Brian Fikkert is a Professor
of Economics and Community
Development and the
Founder and President of
the Chalmers Center for
Economic Development
at Covenant College.
He is coauthor of the
best-selling book When
Helping Hurts: How to
Alleviate Poverty Without
Hurting the Poor...and Yourself.
Michael Rhodes is the co-author
of Practicing the King’s Economy:
Honoring Jesus in How
We Work, Earn, Spend,
Save, and Give with
Robby Holt and Brian
Fikkert. He serves as the
Director of Community
Transformation and as
an Associate Professor
at the Memphis Center
for Urban and Theological Studies
(MCUTS).
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 10 JANUARY 2019

Transforming Lives & Restoring Communities
Our Domestic Missions Partners
The Cornerstone Initiative
The Cornerstone Initiative seeks to
build relationships among people
in the low income neighborhoods
in Huntsville’s Westside, many
of whom have lost hope. They
encourage these neighbors to
solve problems using the gifts God
has given them. CornerStone also
provides training through classes
such as Faith and Finances and
Jobs for Life.
Reformed University
Fellowship, UCB
Chase Daws is a former Southwood
High-Life member who now leads
Reformed University Fellowship at
UC Berkeley, along with his wife
Holly and their two young sons. RUF
Berkeley is a ministry committed
to reaching students for Christ and
equipping them to serve on their
campus, in their communities, and
in their local churches.
Lincoln Village Ministry
Lincoln Village Ministry provides
housing rehabilitation, a private
elementary school, the LINC afterschool
program, Bible studies,
and so much more in the Lincoln
Village Neighborhood. Each
facet works together to bring the
transformative hope of the Gospel.
LVPC proclaims the message of
grace and hope through every
avenue of ministry.
Reformed University
Fellowship, UAH
RUF is a ministry of the PCA that
welcomes students from any
and all walks of life. RUF builds
communities on college campuses
that reach students of divergent
beliefs and doubts with the
message of the gospel and equip
them to love and serve Jesus and
his Church. RUF at UAH is led by
Vinnie Athey, along with his wife
Molly and their son Rhys.
The Village of Promise
The Village of Promise serves the
needs of children and families
from cradle to college to career
in distressed neighborhoods.
They offer education, health, and
enrichment programs and family
support services to help each child
succeed in school. Their initial
efforts are focused in northwest
Huntsville.
Second Mile Development
Begun in 1985, Second Mile
Development serves alongside
Huntsville’s Terry Heights and
Hillandale neighbors. They serve
their community through several
programs: The 29:11 Story, Pride
for Parents (which includes the
Neighborhood Store and the Baby
Thrift Store), Second Mile Preschool,
and Parent Initiative.
Looking for an opportunity
to extend Shalom to one of
these domestic partners?
Contact Robert Blevins at
Robert.Blevins@southwood.org
for more information.
The Village Church
The Village Church is a PCA
congregation, planted by
Southwood in 2008 and pastored
by Alex Shipman. They understand
that the gospel is the great equalizer
among all people, for it presents us
all as mutually broken people before
the cross of Christ. Their vision is to
embrace and extend God’s love in
genuine community.
Young Life
Young Life works hard to develop
long-term relationships with
students. Whether through oneon-one
contact, campaigners Bible
study, or a week at summer camp,
Young Life volunteers and staff
work to show God’s love to students
through the ministry of presence
and teaching of God’s word.
BRANCHES 11 JANUARY 2019

“And he
gave the
apostles, the
prophets, the
evangelists,
the shepherds
and teachers,
to equip the
saints for
the work of
ministry, for
building up
the body of
Christ.”
Ephesians
4:11–12 (ESV)
Called
to Equip
The Saints
by Ron Clegg
Our annual Express Grace Conference
is almost upon us again, and we
want to encourage you to be a part
of it. Why? Why do we make this
kind of investment every year? It has
everything to do with how we think
about church.
Some people look at the church
through the lens of the business world.
One crucial component of a successful
business is having good employees.
Their overall purpose is to do the work
of the company for the satisfaction of
the customers, whether it is producing
a particular product or providing
a service. When the customers are
satisfied, their number grows and the
business is considered successful.
In all of this, there is a very definite
order. The employees’ purpose is to
work to make the business successful
in satisfying their customers and to
keep them coming back. This is a
reasonable and beneficial order—in the
business world.
Unfortunately, this is how we often
view the work of the church. The
church as a whole is an organized
“corporation” that is expected to
provide a service. The clergy or church
staff are hired to serve her customers,
the church members and attendees.
When the number of members grows
and they are satisfied and happy, the
church is viewed as a success. When
the church corporation fails to provide
adequate services or produces an
inferior product, the customers simply
look for a different brand, such as the
church down the street. The church’s
Southwood members Chris and
Heather Morris with Vinit Mahesh
“product,” after all, should result in
happy customers.
This order might work in business,
but it is not meant for the church.
A more biblical lens for the church
is that of the military outpost of an
invading occupying army. That outpost
accomplishes many things. There the
army can refresh its supplies, find
rest and sustenance in a protected
environment, develop strategy and
plans, and receive training for its
mission. The clergy or staff are the
leadership whose calling is to make
sure all these things happen for the
readiness of the troops. They do
help meet the needs of the troops,
but only for the purpose of fulfilling
the mission. That mission is to make
the greatness of their King known
and enjoyed by announcing and
demonstrating His coming reign.
This is where Express Grace comes in.
We invest heavily in this conference
because our whole purpose as a
church is to better equip Southwood
members to be the effective
ambassadors of the Kingdom the
King calls them to be. This conference
provides multiple opportunities for
vital training and equipping in how to
engage our local community with the
truth of the Gospel. It is designed also
to help us refocus on what the Gospel
is and the mission to which it calls
us. You might not perceive your need
for this training, but it is vital for you
to experience all the good that our
Glorious King has in store for us and
then to express it to others. A
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 12 JANUARY 2019

January Parent Café
by Derrick Harris
Last year we started something new at Southwood called
Parent Cafés. They were hands down some of my most
favorite events of the year. At each Café, we discussed
different topics that are struggles for most parents. We also
shared meals and conversations as we discovered together
that we are not alone on this journey called parenting. The
word CAFÉ is an acronym for what the evening is designed
to accomplish. This is an environment designed for us to
C-onnect, A-cknowledge that we don’t have it all together,
F-ocus on what really matters, and E-ncourage each other. In
short, this is an evening designed to support, encourage, and
help equip each other for this parenting journey.
Parenting in the age of Netflix, Hollywood, and Hulu can be an
extreme challenge. Who doesn’t need a little encouragement?
On Tuesday, January 29, I’m excited to announce that
Southwood Kids will be hosting a Parent Café focused on
the topic,“Mass Media Madness in the “Post Christian Era”
Good? Bad? Ugly?” I can’t think of anyone better to speak on
the topic than Howie Klausner, a bonafide Hollywood Movie
Producer. Howie is a writer and producer of film, television
and literary content. His career began with the Clint Eastwood
blockbuster, Space Cowboys.
Most recent produced credits
include God’s not Dead 3; The
Secret Handshake starring
Kevin Sorbo and Amy Grant
also directed by Klausner,
Soul Surfer starring Dennis
Quaid and Helen Hunt, The
Identical, starring Ray Liotta,
Ashley Judd and Seth Green,
and The Last Ride, starring
Henry Thomas and Kaley
Cuoco. Currently set for production spring 2019: Washington,
the biopic of our first president at Radar Pictures, Omaha,
the inspirational story of the NCAA championship Coastal
Carolina baseball team, and Reagan,
starring Dennis Quaid.
Howie currently lives in Franklin TN
with his wife and three daughters.
Though Howie has many career
accolades, two of the things that I
admire about him most are his love for
his family and his love for Jesus. I hope
that you’ll join us. Please let us know if
you’re able to make it by RSVP’ing to
kim.delchamps@southwood.org
for food and childcare purposes.
A
Hollywood Film Producer,
Howie Klausner
P A R E N T
e s
t .
2 0 1 8
Tuesday • January 29
6PM at the Lodge
Express Grace: Kids Edition by Angela Sierk
In Matthew 19, people brought their
children to Jesus that he might lay
hands on them and pray, but the
disciples criticized them and turned
them away. What Jesus said to them
next was astonishing. He said, “Let
the little children come to me, and
do not hinder them, for the kingdom
of heaven belongs to such as these”
(Matthew 19:14). It’s no small matter
that this story appears in the Bible. In
just one sentence, Jesus acknowledges
that even the “least and littlest of
these” has a place in his kingdom. In
Luke 18:17, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to
you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God like a child shall not
enter it.” Oh, to have faith like a child!
But then, a barrage of questions
follows...Do I have that kind of faith?
Do my children? How do we foster
that kind of faith in them? How
will they learn to share that sort of
mountain-moving faith in the world
today?
We can find guidance for this task in
scripture. In Proverbs 6:22, God calls
us to teach our children. When they
are very young, we introduce them to
the “basics” of our redeeming God…
He is our Creator and loving Father.
As our children grow, we develop
that a bit more…God as an incarnate
Teacher, Leader, and Friend. And from
there, we continue to dive deeper into
who God is… a sin-bearing Savior, a
resurrected Christ who gave us His
Spirit.
As we continue
to teach our
children
about the
greatest
act of
love
that the world has ever seen, they
develop a meaningful understanding
of the amazing responsibility to share
God’s story with the rest of the world
- both because of the needs of people,
and because of the command of
Jesus: “Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19); “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the
nations” (Matthew 28:19).
So, how do we teach our children to
have larger-than-life faith and to be
mission-minded fishers of men? By
teaching them to recognize God’s call
for their own hearts. On January 26,
Southwood Kids will host the Express
Grace Conference: Kids Edition, for
Kindergarten through Third Grade.
Children will learn how God is calling
them to “transform lives and restore
communities” from the vantage point
of the very first disciples in a fun
time of worship, teaching, games
and activities. We’ll talk about
missionaries that Southwood supports
and we’ll discuss how God is calling
even the smallest of us to make a big
difference! A

Small View,
Big King
by Peter Render
Measuring the breadth of impact that the Gospel
of Jesus Christ can have on the world is an
impossible task. The beautiful thing about being
a minister of this Gospel, especially when that ministry is
to students, is that you can only minister in the context in
which you have been placed. For Christine, Tyler, and me,
this context is in the comfortable life of south Huntsville.
At a glance, the higher than average income in the
families in which the majority of our students are raised
makes it seem like their problems are not really problems
at all. While students in every context need a reality
check to help them to understand how their lives actually
stack up to others around the country and around the
world, too often this leads them toward not being taken
seriously, and not taking others seriously.
“Look
through the
lens of King
Jesus and
weigh things
accordingly.”
So, which of these students’ problems
ought to be taken seriously? My
suggestion is to look through the
lens of King Jesus and weigh things
accordingly. Bullying strikes at the
dignity granted to every human being
simply by being made in the image
of God. Mental illness highlights and
exacerbates the brokenness felt by
man as we experience the separation
from our Creator caused by sin. Materialism displays our
propensity toward idolatry, which is actually just our
desire to look to ourselves as the thing to which we are
purposed. The Gospel addresses each of these things
in their communities clearly while pointing us toward
our Savior. I do not think that I need to add anecdote
to any of these examples to show that reducing human
dignity, minimizing our brokenness and separation from
God, and emphasizing our autonomy will not result in
people who perpetuate the opposite of these things. If
the Gospel is not of primary importance in our own lives
it is never seen as being of primary importance in the
eyes of those whom we influence.
As someone who spent my teen years in a suburb of
nowhere, it is fitting to minister in Huntsville. It is almost
as if my whole ministry consists of discussing the Gospel
in terms of what I wish that someone had told me and
my parents. This is wonderful, but in terms of what was
discussed in the preceding section, this is a dangerously
narrow scope for the Gospel considering the broad work
that our Heavenly Father is doing in the world. The good
news of Jesus Christ can most definitely transform our
individual lives, but it is also transforming lives around
Huntsville, north Alabama, the US, and the world. It
addresses the problems that are sometimes not taken
seriously, even by the church.
Two of the problems that tend to be undersold in 2019
are actually quite prominently dealt with in the Bible.
When looking through the lens of King Jesus, the issues
of justice and mercy expand our view of the Gospel
from what it might mean in our own context. In student
ministry, the most pressing task is to get people to love
God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength and
to love others as they love themselves. Yes, that was
meant to make you laugh. “Kids” are just like you and me,
too focused upon themselves to see the greater reality
that God has for them. Self-centered idolatries are at the
root of all sin.
This spring we plan to immerse ourselves and the
students into the context of Southwood at large.
High-Life Connects will spend our Sunday mornings
considering what it looks like truly to take account of
the community that surrounds us. Our Winter Retreat
will focus on the Gospel issues of justice, mercy, and
reconciliation through the lens of Micah and the voice of
our speaker, Mark Bryant. All of this has the opportunity
to play out in person as we work with our Community
Development team on the beginning of what will be
regular service to our community partners. As we
witness the Gospel expand our vision and transform
our lives, we will actively seek to go out and be a little
part of what might restore our community.
Hopefully this sounds like too big of an undertaking for
High-Life and too big of an undertaking for Southwood.
When we are at our most desperate, Christ meets us
and shows us a better way. Acting in a manner worthy
of those who follow King Jesus ought to make us always
feel inadequate and ill-equipped. He is doing work that is
much greater than we could ever imagine. I look forward
to the way that he will use us as the chief learners in
relationships that only the Gospel
can create. A
SOUTHWOOD.ORG 14 JANUARY 2019

All That’s Fair: New Year’s Resolution
by James Parker
2019 will be the 39th transition into a new
year that I’ve experienced in my life time. For
so many years growing up and in college I
remembered watching all the excitement and
revelry on TV, hearing the song “Auld Lang
Syne” as the ball dropped in Times Square. All
the people would be arm in arm, many would
be kissing, others would be crying. It looked like
everyone was full of hope and joy, or maybe a
little madness and too much wine. As I got older,
I just viewed New Year’s Eve as an opportunity
to hide out in the woods and have a cigar by
myself or with a few close friends, because
everyone else would be busy being ridiculous. I
didn’t really get swept up into the spirit of it all.
Why would a million people in NYC cram into
a tight spot and get all emotional about time
itself? Literally rejoicing in the simple fact that
the clock arms actually kept moving after 11:59
on December 31st!? It just seemed a little kooky
to my contrarian disposition. I just didn’t have
any use for it. Nor did I care about any of the silly
traditions like New Years resolutions. I thought
those things were for everyone else, and I was
smarter than everyone else...
Fast forward a few years ... My kids were
very young and I was working at Southwood.
Christmastide with all of its rich story and song
tradition would come and go. The introspection
and longing of advent would be left as a
palpable afterglow in my heart. I was an adult,
doing adult things ... holding down a steady job,
parenting, dealing with marriage and relationship
ups and downs ... I couldn’t help but examine my
life thus far as each new year would approach.
The timing of the season would become more
poignant. Was I where I wanted to be? Why
or why not? What needed to change? I felt
more listless and rudderless with every passing
broadcast from Times Square. And it didn’t seem
like there was anything to be done about it.
The magi brought gifts under the radar of a
genocidal tyrant, traveling through wars and
injustice, to stake their claim in what Jesus
represents for all humankind... hope. He was
the hinge that transitioned from a divergent and
isolated past, into a world where the temple veil
was torn. And whether they acknowledge it or
not, all people feel this longing: a lingering desire
for the mess of the present slate to be wiped
clean, that we might have a hopeful period
ahead of us, full of possibilities.
Epiphany is the traditional Christian feast
commemorating this event. The Zoroastrian
kings came with their polytheistic mindsets to
pay tribute to a King of kings, a Lord of lords,
a chosen child who brings good tidings to all
men. They brought him gold, the glory of a king.
They brought him frankincense, the waftings of
deity. And they brought him myrrh, an anointing
of one who would carry the greatest weight in
history ... the death of all our fear ... They knew
he was special. He was hope personified. Even
if they didn’t articulate it that way, that’s what
they knew. The magi answer the question, “what
can I do?” They felt the tension in the world,
and perhaps in their own lives, that something
needed to give. Some new era needed to be
ushered in.
John Lennon asks the question in his own
beautiful way in his song “Happy Xmas (War
is Over).” And I’ve come to embrace what he’s
saying in a much more wholistic fashion than I
ever would have in my Twenties. Rather than a
trite New Year’s resolution, Lennon, Epiphany,
and my own shattered expectations bring me to
a deeper hope, a New Year’s intention. A clean
slate. Another chance to do the right thing,
paying homage in the right direction. A
New Year’s Eve
Ball
John Lennon
First New Year’s
Eve Ball - 1907
Nativity of King
Jesus
BRANCHES 15 JANUARY 2019

Grace
express
CONFERENCE 2019
MOVING TOWARD SHALOM
Transforming Lives and Restoring Communities
FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER BRIAN FIKKERT
SATURDAY
9am to Noon
Leadership Training: Michael Rhodes will discuss how we
can express grace more intentionally in our daily lives.
5:30pm to 8pm
Family Dinner & Teaching Session: Brian Fikkert will share
principles from his book, When Helping Hurts.
Free tickets for dinner available in church office.
JANUARY 26 JANUARY 27
SUNDAY
9:30am
Worship Service: Dr. Fikkert will preach during our
regular worship service.
11:00am
Connect Hour: Local missions partners will join us to
share opportunities to be a part of what God is doing
in Huntsville.