1.5 The Church on Mission

In this episode of The Perry Center Podcast, Pastor John Fisher of Journey Church Fargo joins us to talk about his church’s growing connection with The Perry Center and the impact that can happen when the local church steps into mission.

Pastor John shares how Journey Church has come alongside the work being done at The Perry Center, why this kind of partnership matters, and how churches can play a vital role in supporting mothers, babies, and families in their community. He also offers encouragement to other pastors and congregations to prayerfully consider how they can be part of life-affirming, Gospel-centered ministry right where they are.

This conversation is a reminder that when the Church comes together to serve, lives are changed, families are restored, and hope becomes real for those walking through difficult seasons.

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A ministry sharing real stories of mothers, families, and faith in action.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Greetings, friends. You are watching and listening to the Perry Center podcast, where life meets life. My name is Nate. I'm the executive director for the Perry Center, and I am joined by my friend, Pastor John Fisher with Journey Church and Fargo. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Good evening. And good. Not a time-sensitive podcast. I'm happy that you are here. Uh when I was dreaming up of a guest list, literally, I was like, John Fisher would be great. Wow. Because you just have a personality that you can just sit and you can talk and wrestle with things even before we hit record on this. We were wrestling with like some conversations back and forth. And what I love about you is that you can just sit in that and hear both sides and debate a little bit, but know when to back out where you're like, all right, this is good. We're done board mission. And uh this is going nowhere. This is going nowhere. Uh, but you're really good at dropping bombs too. Throw a bomb and see how this goes.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Yeah, we have another mutual friend that I think does it worse, and I he likes to make me part of it, but I I digress. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Group chats. Gotta love that. Uh so uh again, John Fisher is with Journey Church up in Fargo. Tell me, tell me what's happening up there a little bit about your church story, because I think it's it's really interesting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Uh you want me to go back childhood or just since I've been here?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Wherever you want to go, because you're you're not local. No, you're not uh our Fargonian. I am not. Is that what we say? Fargonian?

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Fargo Fargoian. Maybe it's Fargoan, maybe it is. North Dakota. Anyways. I don't know. This is good. I'm uh I'm originally from Tennessee, grew up in Metro, Nashville, and I've got this neat hodgepodge of religious background. I went to a Church of Christ school from third through, and I graduated. My dad and stepmom were um PC USA Presbyterians at a Korean Presbyterian church. My stepmom's Korean. And I was like, that I need to say that part because it's like they're not just these two weirdos are like, we're going there. And uh so then I uh Southern Baptist was um the dominant denomination that I was part of. Went to a Southern Baptist seminary and moved here in 2008, started a church called Sojourn, pastored that church until 21 through many iterations. At one point we had three, and then we had one, and then we merged with another church in 21, and that church became Journey Church, and that is where I pastor today. So Southern Baptist, uh, there's which is very unique up here. Very the largest denomination outside largest group of Christians outside of Catholics in the world are Southern Baptists. Yeah, and up here we're unheard of. Right. Yeah, there are like more in Nigeria and South Africa, like it's just crazy. And other continents and and other countries, but um, yeah, there's only there's four Southern Baptist churches. We're the largest one, and in the city of North Dakota? Excuse me, in Fargo Moorhead. Fargo Moorhead, okay in North Dakota. I think we're the third largest, and we're 80 on a Sunday, on a 90 on a real big one.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

The first time I met you, I I was getting to know you, and you're like, Yeah, I pastor this church, and you know the question always comes out well, what denomination is that? And you're like, Southern Baptist. And I think I like chuckled, like, oh, that's a funny joke. And then you just like moved on and continue to talk. I'm like, Oh, there's southern Baptists up here. This is so interesting. Southern Baptists in Canada. Yes, also, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

So that's that's where I came from. I I went full time with the church uh two years ago. I was bivocational all the time before that. I did what you do at other places, yeah. And um love pastoring my church. What what are we doing? We're studying Deuteronomy, and it is just rocking my world. I am loving teaching it. It is the hardest book I've ever bit off to teach. And it's probably one of the easiest ones of the Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Old Testament. And but it I just uh so I titled it the good news. I originally called it the gospel in Deuteronomy, but I was like, eh, that carries some weight with people, and they might want me to like have a specific gospel thing every time. So I did a synonym and called it the good news of Deuteronomy. I was like, yeah, people wouldn't associate that as much with well, you gotta have this every time. So it um you just see Jesus showing up on these pages. I mean, just one weird one last wait, is it okay that I go this route? Yeah, absolutely. We go anywhere on this podcast. Is this passage where it's it Moses is giving the Israelite army directions on how to keep their camp? And it's it's this there, there's all these like pro all these laws that just randomly show up in a row. So, like Deuteronomy is a two sermons and some narrative. And so in his sermon, he's like, Well, don't forget this, and you do this, and don't forget that, and it just bam, bam, bam, bam. Well, then he gets to this like four verses on how to keep your camp.

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

And it was go outside the camp, dig a hole, and that's where you put your excrement because God walks amongst your camp. Then it talked about like, but if you're unpure, you got to go outside the camp. Well, there's a Hebrews passage on all the thing is about how Jesus went outside the camp to get you. Like you're safer outside the camp with Jesus. And so I just like, but it just jumps off the page at me. Like I'm reading this going, Jesus went outside the camp.

SPEAKER_02 5:43

Oh my gosh, that's awesome!

SPEAKER_01 5:44

So yeah, that's what we're doing. That we are fiercely evangelistic, our denomination is big on missions. Um the I mean, I'm bragging on us. So largest mission sending organization in the world is the Southern Baptist Convention. And so we we take it real serious. Our church takes it real seriously too. So we did we do gas buy downs, we do free rummage sales, we do um uh we all all the businesses in our general area. There's about 120 of them. We make these little baskets and put treats in them and put gospel tracts and information about church, and we just hit them all in one day and just telling people about Jesus, and we throw block parties. So I love that. There's a lot of things going on a journey church.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

That's so good. I love that. Um yeah, I remember the the gas buy down when that was happening. You were sending it uh through the text, and that that's one of my favorite things is see churches live out on mission and not just be this four-wall institution. Um, and I I'm gonna totally butcher this, but I've been reading this book called Um Uh Building in the Spirit, and uh it's a Greg Diedrich or Dedrick book, and one of the most thought-provoking things, and and it's quite elementary, but you know, sometimes you get something that's and you're like, Man, that that has some weight, and it says, While you were gathering in your holy groups, the the evil one was discipling the world. Oh, oh, and and and really talking about just how we get stuck in our four walls, in our comfort zone, and we're losing souls out there in all of it and so it's that's something for the last probably two weeks. I've been just chewing on that, and so I love that you're a part of a church that is stepping out.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Oh, we try so hard, and I appreciate that. It makes our life much more complicated, yeah, a lot more expensive, a lot harder, but it's so good. Like it's just I I just don't regret it at all. And there's times that there's times that I'm like, okay, we just did three outreaches in three weeks. I think I'm killing our little hard people here. But our people get behind it and they're like, let's do it, let's go. What do we need to do? We had we have a family, they come to every block party. We usually do two a year, sometimes three. They came to vacation Bible school for the first night, and all of them left probably about 30 minutes in. But then they came to our next block block party. And so, like, I'll go up and I start introducing myself, and I'm like, wait, I know you. And they're like, We come to all your block parties. I don't know if we're gonna come to church, but we'll come to these. I'm going, we're gonna keep doing them.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Yeah, we'll see you next time. You keep coming. I mean, you have that you have that seed planter mentality. And I I just got off the phone with a friend that he's downtown Fargo handing out tracks all the time. And uh there was uh a gentleman that was sitting on the curb and he looked super familiar, and so my buddy Matt went and sat next to him and was talking to him. And hey, we have church if you want to come in, and and uh I also have this track for you if if you'd like to just know more about Jesus. And this guy pulls out his wallet and he's like, Oh, I I don't have this one, and he's like, I've kept every single one that you've given me. And so he has like four or five tracks in his wallet, and he's like, I've just really been sitting and thinking about this, and I'm gonna take this one too. Get out of here, and so you just you just you never know what what God is doing, and and when you go in with the mentality of we're seed planters, and we might not see the fruit. And oh, I am taking that.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

Yeah, I'm gonna get some mileage out of that story. Well, I mean that is it's awesome, beautiful, and because we can be so down on don't do tracks, tracks, nobody does yeah, maybe, but someone but you don't know, right? So let's just do it.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

And I love you know, I always go back to a story of the Perry Center and and Daryl Larson, um, one of the founders, he and his wife founded the ministry, and they were so forward thinking. And I remember hanging around um their sons and some other coworkers, and Daryl had this mission to uh to share the gospel with a million people. And so we sit and we think about this, and I was like, you don't even know a million people, Daryl. And and he was so passionate about I still run into people today that are like Daryl Larson sat and talked to me uh about the gospel. Actually, one of I I believe I could butcher this story a little bit, but one of our board members, her dad came to know Jesus through Daryl Larson because he was buying a van from him. Look, and he said, Look, hey, uh we're gonna sell this van. And he's like, But I also want to tell you about Jesus, and radically changed his life. But what I love about um the story with Daryl is when he passed away, I think the conversation was like, Whoa he didn't he didn't get to a million. And we sat and we thought about this, and we're like, wait, hold up. Yeah, uh, this is a generational thing. Come on. Yeah, and so you know, Abraham, he wasn't he he wasn't gonna see all of the stars, you know, he wasn't gonna see the fruit of that. That's right. Um, but understanding that we're seed planters, that's right. And so what I love about Matt and people like you, that you're planting the seed of the gospel.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

It is, and it's slow going, yeah. And that's okay. Yeah, I mean, it's the people that are critical. This is what I found. The people that are critical about evangelistic strategies are typically the ones not doing it. Yeah, those of us that are out there doing it, most of the time we're like, I wouldn't do it that way, but good on you. That's great. Right. Get out there. This is awesome. I mean, like, I go, I go to the same places. I go to a coffee shop that I don't even like. Like, I really dislike it, but I've gotten to know some of the baristas. And now when I come in, a couple of them are it's a drive-thru, actually. They come to the window, they're like, Pastor John, how you doing? I'm like, what's going on? You got that new anime thing out that you're gonna watch. Like, yeah, I just start building a relationship with us and it's drinking bad coffee. And man, if I if I have to spend $200 at this thing, and what this person, okay, yeah, $2000, it's worth it.

SPEAKER_00 12:15

Yeah, absolutely. And and that's our mentality here uh serving these women, being seed planters. That's right. Um, I have seen God move in ways that people wouldn't even understand. And seeing uh generations changed by the gospel. I think just I mean, this isn't a a timely podcast, but just a couple of weeks ago we had a a resident give her her life to Christ and and was baptized, and the world would see her situation and circumstance and her history um of coming from witchcraft, that they're like, Oh, you're too far gone. I can't do anything. Yeah, I can't I can't do anything for you. Um but when we can come alongside her and continue to share the gospel and continue to talk about Jesus and breathe life into her, yeah, man, it it's uh it's pretty incredible. And right now, I I just spoke at a church on on Sunday just talking about the fruit, the fruit of the harvest. And we're in this weird season where God is allowing us to see so much fruit. Awesome. And uh what a grace! Yeah, and and it's been uh so good, and and he knows he knows what we need when we need it always, and his timing is perfect, especially in this ministry. There's a lot of ups and there's a lot of downs. And when God's like, hey, listen, let me throw you this one so you can see. And uh, we've just had so many residents that even former residents that have been reaching out, sending pictures. We just got one from uh a girl in Texas uh that we served, and and sometimes you're like, is this falling on deaf ears? And to know, like, I'm active in this church, or we're doing this, or or me and my husband now are active in a church, and um yeah, this year has been just one blessing after the other.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

And like you're you're not owed that. No, you are not, you don't deserve that. No, but God in his graciousness said, Son, I'm gonna show you this. Yeah, daughter, I'm gonna show you this. Yeah, what that's like it's like peering into heaven, just he's giving you this little glimpse, and what a grace that he does that. Yeah, because so many never get to see it. Yeah, Daryl, who knows? If he he never saw the million, yeah, but God saw the million, yeah. God sees the million, yeah, and now you guys get to see it after that. Absolutely. So good.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

I love it. Um so Journey Church, I would say has been tied in with the there's been people in your church that have been tied into our ministry. Um, I I can name a few that uh are pretty faithful in doing different things. Um, I know that there's uh a woman that provides Bibles um to our church and she loves it. She customizes them in a serious way. Oh, yeah. Um, she takes the time and like highlights things and folds things up. Can I give a shout-out to who it is?

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Yes, yeah, Jen Ellis. Amazing. Jen Ellis is a gift to all. She's just wonderful. And she'll text me pictures of hey, this is what I'm thinking about doing. Do you think it goes with the text? And I'm like, whoa. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Yeah. I I love her heart for our ministry and I love her heart for the gospel and experiencing God's word in a in a unique artistic way. And I find that a lot of our residents, when they're coming into our program, kind of have an artistic mind, which is really interesting. It I don't have many residents that are like super analytical. Um, so when they can see like visuals and um highlights to point, like, hey, you should check this out, you should read this. Um, the Bibles that Jen puts together are beautiful. That's interesting. And we have so many residents that we give them their Bible and they're like, but I want that one. Uh like this resident has this one. So I was wondering if I could turn that in and get this one. Um, so it's super special. That is so that makes me so and that comes out of your church and and just what you're um what you're teaching, how you're equipping them and telling the church to go. And we don't want to be this four-wall institution, go. And so I love Jen's heart and and what she brings to our ministry. She brings her daughters in here and they serve and they're running around. And um, and so I I love that that's coming out of your church.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

And let me uh confession here. So Jen has been waving the banner of the Perry Center for like a decade.

SPEAKER_02 17:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

And I'm just now getting on board. Yeah. Like I have conviction for that. Like, oh, we're getting involved just because now it's my idea. Like, who, how how awful is that? Like, my goodness, praise the Lord that she's been doing this faithfully. And like, we've been supporting her, but at the same time, not like in the fight with her. And now we're going, wait, what why haven't we been in the fight? Yeah, let's get in this fight. Let's do this now. So there's been the conviction of, oh now it's my idea. So we're doing it. Okay, come on now.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Well, I got you locked in. Um, so we did coffees together. I'm like, all right, I gave you a shirt for Pete's sake. So you're you're locked in now. It's brown. That's great. Um, and that brings like interesting, maybe tough conversation too. So we can go wherever you want with this, but our church circle is small. We have a lot of people that support us in in many churches throughout. Um but there aren't many churches that say, hey, we want to stand with you. And so I I find that interesting. And you kind of touched on it too. Like we've kind of been at a distance and supporting you, praying for you. Why, why do you think that is, and you can only speak for your church? And and so why do you feel that that is a thing in in different churches to like stand up to hard situations or difficult topics?

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Yeah, no, it's good, good question. I served up that segue like a boss, didn't I? You did, man. I just put that on a platter.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Like, I was gonna name uh a tennis player, but I realized I don't know a tennis player. John McEnroth's the only one I have. Is Lexi Lawless? Or no, he's a soccer player.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

I was about to say, I'm with you. Messi? No, he's soccer too. Carson Wentz. I don't know football. Yeah. Some famous pickleballer. So this is me trying to trying to deflect and look what on new subjects is. Yeah. Why? So uh fear. Yeah. Others call it like it is. Fear, it the subject is such a lightning rod, and there's such um vitriolic uh rhetoric that comes with it. There's such emotions that come with it. I'll say for myself, uh so uh when I work with an organization, when our church is gonna work with an organization, the confessional stance is a big deal. Yeah. And I didn't put forth the effort to see what the confessional stance was, you know? Yeah. So I think that could be part of it. But but honestly, fear, laziness, other things on the plate. Yeah. And none of those are are maybe there's some some legitimacy to them, but as far as an overarching theme, they're not the most legitimate. Uh for us too, I'd say we prioritize working with our denomination, and our denomination has some arms, not here, yep, but they have some arms to do some things, and so we want to fund that and put put um effort into that. So that those would be some legitimate and illegitimate. But now for me to be introspective on this, um, since I've gotten to know you, and that's just some of it, that's just how the Lord works, too. Like, I I while I want I I like to sit in the conviction, and some people think I do it too long, but I'm like, I want to learn from this. Yeah, and I'm not like self-flagellating or anything, but I do want to sit in this to go, why? Because looking back, I should have. And if I had to do it over, I would. And now I'm going, let's start. I mean, like, I think we have a table. Our church has a table. And that's full fundraiser. Anyone know something? I wouldn't even me. I brought it to our elder body and we're talking, and then I get an hour. You called me to do whatever I'm doing at that. Still don't even know. We're still trying to figure it out. I'm on a podcast now. But then when my elders calls me an hour later, it's like he was on my our call and he said, John, why don't we have a table? And I went, You tell me. And he's like, We're getting one. I'm like, let's do it. Yeah. Like, that's just the Lord is is leading in this direction. So I could give the super spiritual answer to say, well, the spirit hasn't called. But in reality, I think it more so comes from apathy, fear, laziness, all of those things.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Yeah, and I think there are there are a lot of churches that wrestle with that too. It's like, how much do we get involved? Um, you know, when we look at what we do, you know, serving moms and babies, um, I I think sometimes we want to make it a denominational thing, this denominational issue. And while uh some of the structure is important, uh what we're doing is is not a it's not a denominational thing. You're you're standing for image bearers. Yeah. Yeah. We are standing for life. That's right. Coming alongside moms and babies, teaching them about Jesus. And um and I think there are there are people in churches that are say, well, you're not part of our group or our crew. Yeah. Our denomination. So we can't support that. I'm like, well, do you support moms and babies in in preaching the gospel? Yes. Cool. I got a place. And so I think when we can get it out and say, life is not a denominational thing, denominational issue. I think when we can publicly say that, people are like, oh yeah.

unknown 22:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

You're right. Yeah, we can do this. It is. And so I I remember doing a tour with you. Uh we kind of had a dad's coffee here, and and as we were, shout out to Eden, by the way. Eden's always behind the scenes. Eden. She she made an amazing breakfast for these guests. It was outrageous.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

So good. I dropped my carnivore diet like a bad habit. I mean, just just crawl.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

What was interesting, I mean, we're going down a road quick, but um it was like, well, I'm on a on a diet as we're like scooping these plates. Like helping. Yeah, like I just I'm watching what I'm eating and I'm like, are you seeing how thick this bug bake is right now?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

And we had we had like the smallest attendance with all this food. So it's like, well, I don't want Eden to feel bad.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

So I don't feel bad. I eat plenty. Oh great. Yes. But as we were walking through, um, you're kind of looking at our schedule and seeing like some of the churches that are coming in doing meals, and and and that really like you instantly were like, we have to do something, we have to be a part of this, and and how do we do this? And and I know you as a church, you're still exploring, and I think fall fundraiser getting a table is a great first step to learn more about who we are and what we do. And I'm in your corner too, so you can always bounce questions off me. But what are some of those things? I mean, look at a 30,000 foot view, and you don't have to commit to anything. Now's the time, I'm gonna get you. Uh, but 30,000 foot view, what are some of those things that excite you about the Perry Center that that you could say, hey, as a church, like these are some really exciting things that that we want to jump in on, or you know, what are some of those ideas that maybe you have?

SPEAKER_01 24:34

There's so much lead up for that answer, though. Yeah. There's so much lead up. Yeah. Like it's the I I'm convicted as a leader and as a as a Christian and as a human being that I am not doing more for life. And I intentionally took it all the way down there because as fellow image bearers, we should be aghast that image bearers are being destroyed, killed. Like we should be aghast on that. And that should, if I saw somebody grab someone's baby and hurt them, I would intervene. And I'm and I'm not doing anything. And that I'm very convicted by that as a human being, as a Christian. Like, no, we stand for life. I'm talked about teaching through Deuteronomy. It has come up more than once on how God holds life. And yes, in the midst of this, this is moving into Canaan and driving out all the people, et cetera, et cetera. And at the same time, there are so many things that are countercultural about how Israel is supposed to live in that land. I mean, they if if a if a slave escapes and comes to you, you're not supposed to return him because there's a reason that he escaped. There's a reason that God allowed him to do that. And they're like, that's weird, you know. And so why am I not weird living more counterculturally here when it comes to life? So the the meeting that we went to the other day, doing this tour, becoming friends with you, hearing from Jen, like the Lord is just doing this thing in me on going, I, as John Fisher, am not standing for life. I'm standing for life and rhetoric, yeah, but I'm not putting my my neck out there like I should.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

This will be a hot topic, and I'm sure some people might turn off this podcast, but there are groups and people that love to talk about life, and I stand for it, and they love to go to the marches, and they love to get their pictures taken, 40 days for life, all of these things. And I'm not calling one denomination or person out, but they forget to look up what's happening in their community when it comes to life. And so I it drives me crazy when when it's time to get your hands dirty. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're totally no, I just love talking about it.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

Well, here's what are we doing? Here's the thing. I'm not even doing that. So kudos to them for doing something, you know? I'm teaching it, and and that's about as far as I go. So that's been that's been my conviction. And then as a church, I I presented to our to our elder body just the other day, and I said, I want us to very seriously. We we've had two things in the last two years that we have committed to pray about. One, would the Lord be calling us to start another church? Two, that would the Lord be calling us to go deeper with the party center and what they stand for. Those have been like these two big things. And I'm not saying we we pray about a ton of stuff, but like concerted, let's put time to these topics. And this, this being one of them, that to stand for life and to stand for in the way that we live, to stand for than what we say, but then also to be so bold as to stick your neck out and particularly but potentially take some shots. Yeah. I mean, I'm you know, there's a I I try to be introspective. I know it's probably really prideful to say I'm introspective. So, anyways, I tried to be. And I I've been asking myself, why do I punch right before I punch left? You do you the does a statement make sense? Yeah, and I will, I will punch right before I punch left. I have to admit, some of that is fear of the response. I also have come to this conclusion, and maybe this is deflecting, that I expect more from the right. I expect a higher standard. And maybe people are gonna turn off the podcast because I'm saying that. So I mean I'm intentionally not saying any specifics, which I drive a little bit. That's all good. And and but I expect more. I expect things like marriage, I expect things like standing for life. And when those things start to get eroded, I'm like, I am taking a shot at you because I expect more. Yeah, from the left, you've made it very clear. So I that's I expect you to stay where you are. So when you come over here, I'd more so so all that to say, I'm like, that's part of it. And at the same time, I don't need fear to stand in the way. When we were at we um Nate and I were at this meeting, and they were talking about some of the outcomes from people that stand on the street corners outside of, and I'll be straight. I I drive on First Avenue North for years up until they moved. And I and and I forget was like Tuesdays or Wednesdays, whatever. Wednesdays, Wednesdays clinic is open, yeah. And I'm driving home, and every Wednesday I would see this, and I would hard judge these probably brothers and sisters in Christ for what they're doing. Now, I I did not appreciate seeing the graphic nature of it. I from my perspective, that's not the venue, but who cares? It's my my in my perspective, you know. Yeah, I'm not making the decision for them. But they were out there and they were trying to help these people make a different decision. Yeah. And what I love when I was in this meeting, these women that from that decide to not. Yeah. There ain't anything I'm doing that's helping someone decide to not. But something they're doing.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

So kudos to them. Just two last week changed their mind. And they went straight to the so uh two women went into the abortion clinic on Wednesday, and they came out and they went straight to the group that was praying for them, and they changed their mind, chose their life, and we're connected.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Okay, podcasting me. I'm looking at the camera. Yeah, if you hard judge these people, let's just stop and let's pray for them. Because two, those are two lives that were saved because they were there, not because we're sitting in our chairs judging them. Yeah, like kudos. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

And so yeah, front lines, and to take so much hate and shots and from even pro-life people and pro-life organizations are like, oh man, I don't know. But I don't know, I pray for them all the time. I've been out there, I I have seen God do crazy things. Actually, I mean, I'll share this if you're okay with uh jumping into this, but one of the most impactful moments in my career happened outside of the abortion clinic. It was my I was very new to the Perry Center, and I knew what we were opposing, I knew what we were fighting, uh, fighting for, but I was like, I should go down there and understand what's happening. And I I don't want to hold a sign, I I don't really want to shout anything, I just want to pray. And so I remember walking up and down First Avenue and just praying, up and down, up and down. And there were I for some reason stopped in the middle. And I this whole time I'm thinking, what is the most impactful thing that I could ever say to a woman that is coming out of an abortion clinic or going into the abortion clinic? And I remember like just pondering, I have what, three seconds, four seconds, what's the most impactful thing? And then while I was trying to be strategic uh and sit there, something was happening, and there was some chaos, and and um everyone went this way, and I'm standing by myself, like, okay, you know, whatever. And there was this woman that went in, and I'm still standing, and a few minutes went by, and everyone's still over there, and I just started praying. And this girl that came in ran out, and this guy pulls around, he's honking his horn, like, get in the car, and yelling, and and she's like, I can't do this. I I I want to save my baby, and I'm sitting there, like, this is like my first week here. What am I doing? And so I stood in the middle like a turd, just like, okay, say something. She runs over to me, and I'm standing by myself, and she stands right next to me. And this guy's like screaming at me, and I'm like, now's your time, say something. And I was like, No, just look like you're praying. And I'm like trying to like pray, and like, what do I do? What do I say? And the Holy Spirit was so active, and and this woman leans over to me and she goes, It's okay, you don't have to say anything. And I was like, Shut up, get out of here. And she's like, Thank you, thank you for praying. Is it okay if I just stand here with you for a while? Yeah, this was a moment in my life that was so pivotal that my words don't matter. And I and I want to be led by the Holy Spirit, and I really believe the Holy Spirit grabbed my tongue and was like, just shut up, Nate. Don't say anything, just be there. Oh, and and uh and that was just blew my mind. And so I was able to connect with her and talk about our ministry and how we could support her and and what we can do, and it's and it looks like you're in an unsafe situation, and I just remember like legs shaking of fear of okay, I say I'm gonna speak up and I'm gonna do something. And I was like, I don't need you to say anything, just let me work, just be there. That's incredible, yeah. And so I I know that there's a a point and purpose to those people uh because the work they're doing is hard, and uh and we've seen lives and babies saved because they've been out, and um, yeah, so I I find it uh praise the Lord for that. Yeah, super powerful. Did she get connected with the she got connected and and moved in and did quite well and um get yeah out of here and that was one of my first times down there, and I was like, Does this happen every time? What do we do? And I love like there's there's some people that just walk around and and hand out information and just can I pray with you? And it's not it's not what media paints as like this aggressive thing, but I mean it it is people that are just ministering uh to to these women that that want to terminate their pregnancies, and um we've seen lives saved, and uh yeah, it it's uh it blows my mind every time.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

So and these women, they're they're image bearers, they are they are worth it, they are worth the effort as well to serve and to help and to uplift. And yeah, and we can be so easy that it becomes rhetoric and it's not a person. Yeah, and this is a person, which is the very thing that we get frustrated on the other side that it's rhetoric and not a person. Yeah, well, no, it's these are people all the way, every situation, the man in the car, he has a deep need in his life too, yeah. He needs help too. So good on you.

SPEAKER_00 35:38

Yeah, understanding I I just spoke on Sunday about Psalm 139, which is a very classic psalm about uh um God's design for us, and and I've been hyper focused on the physicality of God and how we often think of God as like this mythical thing, but how he has physical qualities, you know. Talk about like Genesis in the garden when uh the fall of man, they hear God walking, right? And and so uh just when David's talking about this psalm, like talking about knitting, and I'm like just picturing God knitting knitting, and I was speaking with this lady um at this church, and she was like, knitting takes takes a long time and and a lot of precision and a lot of focus, and uh it's not something that just is done, uh, because if you just rush through it, it's not gonna work and it's not gonna look good. And and so she's like, I love that that God the word knitting was was used and because it's so intentional and so focused. And and how David's like, I just thank you for for knitting me in my mind. Wonderful in the same yeah, and uh and so I just just know life and and looking at people when you have that perspective, so different. And um, in my opinion, people are less annoying where you're just like, man, they're just they're knitted together. Like God, they're not here by accident. That's right. God was so intentional, that's right, knitting them together, and it it changes just changes the way that you interact with people, right?

SPEAKER_01 37:25

You know, and you you look at there's some of these passages that you have passages that are for the believer, for the child of God, and you got it, you need to nuance them because sometimes we can get into a a habit of talking child child of God language for everyone, and that's not the case biblically. That I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You I I you knitted, you know my inmost being. Yeah, those are creation things. That's everyone is that, everyone is an image bearer, every single person. There are only some that are co-heirs with Christ that are his children, yeah, but everyone is that, yeah. And let's let's treat them as such. Yeah, so let's uplift the woman, and that's I'm preaching the choir. That's what you guys do. And let's be a part of uplifting the child. And I just think of that man. We could so easily just vilify him, and maybe he has some villain qualities. It sounded like he did. But he's also an image bearer. Yeah, he was fearfully and wonderfully made. He was knitted, and he has a hole in him that only Jesus can fill. And it is obvious that he is filling it with the other things, and so what can we do for him?

SPEAKER_00 38:30

So I could keep going. No, that's that's so good. Um yeah, when we're looking at kind of Parry Center, you know, we kind of stand in the gap before a residence, and I've shared some stories with you. And and um you know what are what are some of those things do you do you feel like people are I don't I don't know, I don't know exactly how to say it, but you know, where's where's the missing connection when it comes to um you know we talked about churches getting involved, but um yeah, what is that that connection piece that you feel is is missing um with people and life issues? Does that make sense? It does. It does.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

I so let's take fear out of the equation. You know, what can you you can't necessarily help us with our own sin struggles. I mean you can, but you know, organizationally. I if to the listener, if you haven't been to the Perry Center, I I mean can I say this? I highly encourage you to. Get a tour, yeah. And in there, in this this beautiful living room, kitchen, the open concept kind of thing, they have this. I mean, how big is that? That screen, it's huge, uh like 90 inches.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

I I don't know, I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 39:54

It's huge, yeah. And it is full with a calendar, it's just full, and because of all the things that are going on, and I looked at it. This is what Nate was referencing. I looked at it and I was like, I could see Journey on this. Why aren't we on this? Where would we be on this? And it just was this time of self-reflection and leadership to go, I that church is smaller than we are. That one's a lot bigger, that one's newer. Why are we not up there? And so I encourage you to come and to even just look at that board and to ask those questions. What about my family? What about me? So, so uh, what is the gap? Um, and uh you're probably doing these things, you know, inviting churches to come and you know, etc. I mean, these different things I I think could be really helpful because for me that really struck me. And then you took me down the hallways, and I get to imagine all these little children that you have on these plays and all these precious ladies.

SPEAKER_00 40:47

You gotta see it as we walked through.

SPEAKER_01 40:49

I I dinner that was just beautiful table. Yeah, that was just beautiful, and and they were having family dinner, which they have family dinner every night. Yeah, and and that's incredible. So I I think it's it's exposing folks, um, as having the coffee dance.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:05

You're brilliant. Yeah, um, here to to see to see the space. I wish more came because yeah, I think they would have really would be. It was fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 41:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

The the other thing that I think could be helpful for us, and you probably have it, it's probably on a PDF file somewhere. Ways that we can be involved. Yeah, you know, I've never seen it, but I've never asked for it. I've never looked for it. Yeah. So that's on me. Yeah. But you're asking, I I think ways that we could, because you've mentioned rides to church. Yeah. It's huge. It's huge. And I I can I can tell you, I don't have people coming to our church gathering with a lot of extra seat belts without someone in it. Right. But they can drop people off and turn back around and go get them. Right? Very I mean, it's I think of we're we're a three-car family, and well, we don't have 15 people in our family, you know. So we could make this happen. So I I presented that. I I have actually told talked to several people at our at our church about this. On they have an issue with getting residents to church. And right now, the easiest way to do it is to just go to the executive director's church, which we don't want them going there anymore. I'm just kidding. Totally kidding. Randy, kidding. I really am kidding. But at the same time, why don't we shoulder in? Because you're about to blow the top off of this town when you open up this other wing.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

And I don't know if your van can handle that many people.

SPEAKER_00 42:30

We've had many conversations already of how do we do this on Sundays. I mean, specifically, I mean, we have a 15 or 12 passenger van and a minivan, but if you only have one employee, can only go one direction. That's it. And that's it. When you're dealing with, you know, potentially 30 women that are going in 30 different directions, or maybe they have that desire to say, hey, I want to be a part of a smaller church where I can really get connected. And and you know, we have to reach out to these places and say, is there any chance that you guys would pick up a residence, bring her to church and just do life with them?

SPEAKER_01 43:13

Right. Like, and so I Pastor John here calling out all the other church folks, like, let's step into this gap. Let's yes, let's quit being on the sideline and barely cheering. I'm gonna give us that we're cheering them on, but like let's let's get in this. And if others don't pick up, well, the sermon will make it, you'll be fine, and let's come pick them up. Like, that's that's where I'm at with this. Going, we we need to we need to stand in this gap. And and what our church has gone so far as we're praying about could this be built into our budget serving the Perry Center. I mean, you know, Journey Church 80 Strong, it's gonna be just ready. You're gonna make budget like crazy because they that's a question because one of our desires is that we want to grow to give 20% of what people. Give and we turn that around. We're at 11 right now. And we're really thankful that we're at 11, but we want to we want to continue to add. And so this is the conversation that we're having. Could the Lord be leading us to put the peri center in our budget? So, like how we do it is we do it just like I just like I think the Bible teaches us, first fruits. And so we look at not we don't budget an amount, we give a percent.

SPEAKER_02 44:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

And so 5% of our budget goes to our denominational arm. And just so if giving is high, well, we're giving more. Giving's low, shoot, we're giving less. Yeah. Well, that's how we want to do this, like a 12%, 14%, whatever. Let's start to do more and more and more. So these are the conversations kind of if you're asking us, asking me about journey, yeah, these are the conversations that these are the things that we're praying about. I want to be fair because I might have some church members that are like, oh, is this a decision made? No, no, we are praying about this and we want to be thoughtful.

SPEAKER_00 44:56

He just signed a contract, folks. That just happened. Oh no, and and honestly, again, 30,000-foot view. The needs of the Parry Center are so great. And this is where we have to spur on the community. Like it takes an army for our residents to be successful. Uh, I think of one of the residents that graduated our program. Uh, we kind of did this celebration with her. And I think I can't remember the number off the top of my head, but I think it's somewhere around 25 individuals for one resident that were doing different things, supporting her in certain ways. And I looked around and was like, there's zero crossover. Like, there's nobody else in this group that's with another resident.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

But I now know that that resident had 25 options when life was tough or sobriety was on the fence or any of those things. She had 25 new contacts that she could call any time, and she did. Think of what that does for somebody.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

So it takes it takes an army, and to operate in today's world, it it takes many hands and it makes light work. And uh look tonight we had a a church group make supper and just come and eat with the residents. Uh, right now, our greatest need, and this may be my moment to challenge you, but our greatest need is mentor families for residents. We have residents right now that don't have mentors because we don't have enough mentors. And so yesterday I was I was speaking in at a church an hour and a half away. And I was like, our need are our mentors. Would you pray on that? And this lady came up to me, she's like, I know I'm an hour and a half away, but I'm in Fargo at least once a week. Can I can I sign up and do this? And I'm like, You're willing to drive an hour and a half just to hang out with the resident, do coffee, do life. Yes, sign me up. And so my call to action and has been probably for the last few months, has been we need mentors and we need mentor families. And we're not looking for perfect people. The word perfect, we're not looking for perfect people, but we're looking for people that are doing life different. Yeah. And when they can see um another single mom that they can just uh imitate and mirror and say, oh, okay, this is this is how life is, or maybe it's it's a family that's this is how a husband and wife work together, or that's so interesting that um the kids are being parented that way. I would have never thought of that. And and so right now the need is is great. And I already think of where we're going as an organization. And I I shared like if we have one room open and seven potential residents for that room, we're gonna need some mentor families and mentor moms or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

What's what's required? Is this like an actual program here? Yeah. Mentor families. Here's what you can commit to.

SPEAKER_00 48:04

Yeah, great, great question. Um, it so we believe that um, yeah, just looking at people that can do life on life ministry, it's a once-a-week commitment. So maybe it's going out to coffee with that mom, maybe it's helping with the ride to an appointment. We actually see a lot of mentor moms specifically. Um, they're in the birthing rooms with that mom because they often don't have anybody in their corner. And and so it's it's a pretty sweet moment. Um but we have beautiful moments of like husbands and wives and families, and this is our family. Welcome. You're a part of our family, and so hey, maybe it's we go to church on Sunday, you'll come with us, and then afterwards we hit the Mexican restaurant and sit and eat chips and salsa. Oddly specific. It is because I do that a lot on Sundays. I wouldn't have assumed, yeah. So um, but but it's people that are doing life on life, and um someone that can be in the corner for the good and the bad. And we see a lot of residents when they graduate our program, they're still connected with their mentors. Wow. Years later. I I have uh a woman in my church that mentored even before our church existed, and she's like, Yeah, I I think that was I think it was 10 years ago or something like that. And she was like, I'm still connected with my resident, we still talk, and even if even she lives states away now, and they still talk once a week.

SPEAKER_01 49:37

And um your resident, the residents here, what percent are I want a mentor family?

SPEAKER_00 49:44

100%, a hundred percent. And when when they understand like these people are here for me, and it's not this like financial transaction where okay, these people are buying me things. No, it's these people are doing life, and when the majority of our residents they're coming here without a support system, and if you know 50% of our residents are coming from out outside of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota. So you imagine even a teenager from states away, Texas, wherever it is, coming here pregnant with zero support. We are the only support that she has, the only family. And so when we can say Is this all a sales thing?

SPEAKER_01 50:28

Is this why you brought me here to sell me on something?

SPEAKER_00 50:30

No, with a camera and Eden, thank you. Yeah, it it's no sales, but when we're talking about needs, yeah, our needs are great. Yeah, and when we can say, church, we need you, and we need to activate the body of Christ to be the hands and feet and walk alongside life with these residents and their children. Um it's such a need. And so that's kind of been my what do they call it? Uh soap stool or whatever it is. Soapbox. Soapbox, thank you. Stool, stool is a little more classic. Soapstool is kind of fun. Yeah, soap stool. Uh soapbox that like the needs are clarion call. Yeah. There you go. Yeah, the needs are great. And and understanding that we try to be self-sustainable as much as possible. And having volunteers come in and say, Hey, I want to mow the lawn once a week. Do you know the geese family? Uh huh. They mow the lawn once a week here. Their boys come in, trim it, mow it. So we don't have to pay for a lawn service. How long have they been doing that? Uh, all summer long. They committed all summer long. What? Yeah. Uh we have, I mean, just several ways to get involved. We have uh a group uh Steadfast Church. They come in once a month, and the ladies play games with the residents, and the guys are like, Well, if they're broken things, let we want to fix them. And so they walk around and hang pictures and fix holes in the walls or paint something, but that's their way to serve, and they do it as families, and their kids come in, and there are literally projects for toddlers all the way up. Incredible. We have kids that uh Jen Ellis' kids will come in and pick up garbage and put their little gloves that are two times three times as big and pick up garbage because we're on the corner of 7th and 45th, we get everybody's garbage here. Okay. Oh, so the city's garbage blows down the road. And and so it literally takes an army. And so my my call to action is if you're thinking about it, do if you've been praying about it, it's time to step out and say, We need to do this. We get to do this. Let's do the dang thing. Yeah, let's let's go. And so I I encourage you just as as a church leader, is yes, be praying for the church, but sometimes they need to be spurred on to say, Yeah, let's go. I'm gonna do this. And and as a a leader in um in the church and in the church world in Fargo, is how do we spur on other churches and other pastors? Yeah. I remember I talked with uh a mutual friend that is uh a pastor at another church in Moorhead. And he was like, you know, if my church wants to get involved, they can and they'll they'll reach out. And we did a tour and we walked through, and he's like, Oh man, I feel like I need to get involved. And and I think you know, it starts at the top when we can say, We're going to do this, we're gonna talk about it, and we're gonna put effort into it, and we're gonna put our our our skin in the game.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

Yeah. Well, and that's the the conviction I have too that we it's waiting on someone else. And instead of why not me? Yeah, why don't I? Now, as a leader, you can say there's a lot of good ideas out there. Of course, yeah. And so I I if I knew the Nate over at this place, you know, what would I do there? But I think that's just how the Holy Spirit works too. He's like, okay, we're gonna, you're gonna become friends with this guy, and you're gonna have heard about this thing for a long time. And then now you can go, oh, yeah, I can see this now. So I I do I get frustrated. I know so many, so many churches that when they see the outreaches that we do, they're like, Man, that's really great. We're a church more for Christians, but that's really great that you do that. And I'm and I respect that, yeah, sure. But at the same time, we're called to be the hands' feet. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news. That's Romans 10. Yeah. And this is a bringing good news situation. It's so good. Mentor family. Man, you sold that hard. My wife watches this. We're gonna be signed up.

SPEAKER_00 54:49

I'm just you're gonna come, you're gonna go home and be like, oh man, I just signed this up. I'm almost certain that we're gonna be talking about this tonight at like 10 years. My goal is not to like everybody come to the parry center. I love the parry center, I'm passionate about it. You know that. Yeah. But I also want to encourage the church to go out and find your parry center. Find find the thing that as a church, we want to be passionate about this and we want to be faithful with it. And I think that's the hardest thing is when you talk about something, is can we be faithful with it? So do it within what your capacity, but just be faithful with it. Wherever that is, if that is the homeless shelter, if that is you know, wherever it is, if it's supporting tracks out downtown, handing out tracks, whatever, do it faithfully. And and so again, I love that that your church and people in your church are starting to have that interest and that excitement. And um, I'm excited to see where it goes. And and um yeah, it's it's just it's an honor to to just have you guys a part of what God is doing here.

SPEAKER_01 55:58

And I hope we become more of a part. Yeah, I really do. And we got a table, we got a table at the at the the event. So I mean that's a step. Yes, and I'm doing whatever I'm doing at it, so that's good too.

SPEAKER_00 56:09

You're you're opening opening up the night. Opening prayer? Opening prayer. I'm the official prayer. The official prayer solid. Reverend, Reverend John. So that's right. Um yeah, so fall fundraiser. I mean, again, this is not a a um timely podcast, but our fall fundraiser is coming up October 13th, and I am so excited because it is a night. If you're not familiar with who we are and what we do, this is the night where you can come. It's free event, fundraiser, free. I just some guy was talking to me yesterday, he's like, I'm really confused. Yeah, because it's a free event, but you're raising funds, it's it's and I'm like, it is, but our goal is it's called friend raising. Yeah. So when we can grow our circles, and we have a lot of new people that get connected through somebody else, and they say, Okay, I'll go. And they hear resident testimonies and their stories, and uh our brave residents going up to the mic and never ever sharing something publicly and and such sharing it. Yeah, it and so I love that um it is a night to hear vision, and where are we going as a ministry? What are we doing? Um, and then we have my friend Kim Elliott, who's gonna be sharing her story and testimony and uh conceiving a child through rape and um raising her child to know Jesus, and and what what a powerful story to come to our city because this is you know, when we talk about life issues, that is the thing that comes up all the time. What about rape? What about this? And and here's a woman that is saying, Hey, I've been there, I've lived that. And uh, so she's got a powerful story that I'm excited about. Uh so her and her husband will be coming up. But um yeah, I'm excited for you guys to to sign up and and be a part of it. And um, I'm grateful that you could be on this podcast. Thank you. Yes, you're welcome back anytime you got the official official shirt.

SPEAKER_01 58:13

So this was a lot easier than you made it sound uh to be. Like I thought we were gonna get real controversial here.

SPEAKER_00 58:19

No, no, there's nothing controversial here. We talk about life and uh and um church and all of it. It's it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 58:27

So you you're a real nice fundraiser. I'm not a nice fundraiser, I'm like a go at it. Yeah, here's what I'm here's here's my call. I'm looking at the camera. Is that okay? I'm gonna look at the camera wherever you need to. Pastors, let's step up and standing for life, not just in rhetoric, but in our actions. And like, let's lead our people to do this. You heard him say we can do this as mentor families. Yeah, what? Yeah, like that's what the church was made to do. So why don't we lead the charge and be the first mentor families? Love it. I'm signing up. I say that begrudgingly. I'm not letting her say that begrudgingly. Yeah. I'm gonna go home and do like Abby, I signed us up for this. She's gonna go again, John. Well, why haven't we done this already? And let's go. Let's adopt 15 kids.

SPEAKER_00 59:11

Yeah, that's how she rolls. All in. Well, I appreciate you and being on this episode. Uh, friends, uh, feel free to do all the things that uh podcasters tell you to do to subscribe. And you were like, wait a second, like, subscribe, share, do all of those things. And of course, if you're looking for more information on the Perry Center, you can go to PerryCenter.org. There's uh impact videos on there. If you want to support us financially, that is a place that you can go and do that. Uh, if you are interested in volunteering, maybe interested in being a mentor family or mentor mom, you can also go to pericenter.org and sign up. So, everyone, have a great night. Thank you for listening and watching.