What exactly is the Abundant Life? At Northeast, we believe that no matter what the circumstance, you can live a life full of peace, joy, purpose and fulfillment . . . that’s what God wants for us.
Jesus said in John 10:10,
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The good life. Better than you ever dreamed.
We believe the three essential ingredients are:
KNOWING GOD, CONNECTING WITH BELIEVERS and IMPACTING OUR WORLD.
The preferred path is:
DISCOVER - Ask questions and get to know God - seeking God
EXPLORE - Get connected and “kick the tires” to try it out
LIFE GROUPS - Share life with Christian friends
EQUIP - Know and obey God in a deeper way
SERVE - Reach out to our community
REACH - Share your Abundant Life with unbelieving friends.
Identify where you are and take that next step to living the Abundant Life. This is how you can grow, change and become more like Christ.
Don’t put God’s gift of the Abundant Life on the shelf. Know God. Get connected.
Make an impact. Start living the Abundant Life He has promised you today!
LIFE AT A CROSSROADS
Imagine your
neighborhood
where only 1 in 5
homes is occupied. The
home across from you and
on either side of you is vacant.
Or less than two years ago your
entire neighborhood is underwater. The
local government is fining you $100 a day
because you’re not maintaining your lawn.
One of your few neighbors down the street is 83 years old and is
in the only home she’s ever known but can’t afford to do one of
the only three options given her . . . rebuild, remodel or relocate.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) trailors are
everywhere (sometimes 200 lined up in one yard). Sound crazy?
“Where can I go and serve the Lord better?” is the question
Northeast member Bill Miller asked himself a year or so ago. He
never dreamed he would end up in New Orleans.
Retired from the Navy and back in Louisville for good in 2003,
Bill would occasionally visit Northeast and sit in the back in a
wheelchair after a serious motorcycle accident. He says, “Bob
would inspire me on Sundays and I wanted to live every day like
that. I felt he was always in my living room talking to me!”
Bill started playing men’s softball, served on the baptism team
and got connected at Northeast. His friend, Karen saw a change
in him and asked him about it and Bill invited her to church. And
she says, “I haven’t stopped attending sense.” Bill and Karen
became great friends.
Randy Gordon baptized Bill in September, 2005 and Bill baptized
Karen in December, 2005. Randy later married them. Since that time, Bill has tried to sense what it means to allow God to lead
his life. He went on two of the Hurricane Katrina Relief trips with
Northeast in 2005 and then on the Dominican Republic Mission
trip just last year.
Last year Crossroads Missions had a Field Director position in New
Orleans open and Randy sent Bill’s resume to them without Bill
knowing it. Sounds just like Randy, doesn’t it? Bill got the job.
Today Bill is rebuilding, restoring and remodeling homes for the
poorest of those who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. He
and his team of volunteers are knocking on doors, cleaning entire
city blocks, mowing, talking to people, cleaning, building . . . every
day. At all times they are building three new homes, remodeling
two homes and have two street cleaning crews going. They can
clean 14 city blocks in a week!
In a few short weeks Karen and their youngest daughter (who is a
sophomore at Ballard) will take that leap of faith and move to New
Orleans to join Bill in his ministry work.
“Northeast will always be my church home. I don’t know where
God will take me after this, but I love Northeast and the people
here,” says Bill.
“If you want, you can be a checklist Christian,” says Bill.
What exactly does that mean? “You can come to church on
Sunday and feel great, get inspired, then leave and live the rest of
the week as you please. I got tired of chasing that dollar. It’s not
about how much you have or what you’ve gained. It’s at the end
of the day if you’ve done something for God.”
Bill’s story is what we call “impacting someone’s life!” We know
that he, Karen and Julie will touch hundreds of lives in New
Orleans and further the work of the kingdom.
As part of Bill’s
position at Crossroads, he has to raise his own support, if you
would like to donate to his work in New Orleans, please send your
contribution to: Crossroads Missions, ATTN: Bill & Karen Miller
Support Fund, 4112 Old Routt Rd., Louisville, KY 40299. If you
would like to join us on our next relief trip to New Orleans, look for
more information coming soon about a trip this fall.
Crossroads is headquartered here in Louisville and combines
the biblical principles of worship, service and discipleship by
being a doorway for churches and individuals seeking ministry
opportunities in places they may otherwise have difficulty serving,
including New Orleans, Appalachia, Kentucky, Mexico, and Inner
City locations. For more information, visit their website at
www.crossroads.com.
“Yes, I am living the Abundant Life!”
Hear from those whose lives have changed because of
taking that next step in living the Abundant Life:
Jennifer joined an Explore Group in 2006 and started to
get involved at Northeast by participating in Trunk-or-
Treat and baking pies for needy families at Christmas.
She later joined a Life Group that grew out of her Explore
Group for stay-at-home moms and dads. Jennifer was
baptized by a friend in this group February 25, 2007. She
sent her Explore Group leader an e-mail saying that she
was “the match that lit the flame of my spiritual journey
and I want to thank you for your guidance through the
five week phase!”
Kevin says, “I love being a part of Northeast’s
Men’s Fraternity. I used to leave all the church and
spiritual growth issues to my wife. But now I’m stepping
up in this area and becoming the spiritual leader of our
home. My marriage is in better shape and my wife is
happy. Plus my kids see that I have an interest in what
they are learning and their own spiritual health and
development. I’ve learned so much about being the
man God wants me to be.”
Jackie says, “I joined a Bible study at Northeast in the
midst of going through a divorce. I was the only “single”
woman in the study yet I stuck with it. The women in this
group have become great friends and encouraged me to
continue to participate. I later re-married and my new
husband and I have been faithfully coming to Northeast
since, have joined a Life Group and enjoy serving together
at various events. God’s work in my life is so evident and
He has shown me my Abundant Life!”
