Join our Celebrating 25 Years podcast conversation anywhere you listen to podcasts. This month, Daniel Hicks caught up with Rick Everswick. Find the podcast by searching North Metro Church anywhere you listen to podcasts.
This month we are looking back (and looking forward!) to all that God has done through North Metro Church locally and globally through serving, outreach, and global mission trips. We sat down with Rick Everswick, former Outreach Pastor at NMC, to remember and encourage our body that we serve a global God.
Born into a missionary family in Zimbabwe, Africa, Rick grew up surrounded by the love of Christ. His grandparents and parents all served as missionaries and shaped a deep understanding of God's love, faithfulness, and provision. Rick’s personal commitment to Christ at an early age led to baptism at age 12 and, in his junior year of college, a resolute commitment to follow wherever the Lord might lead. Rick decided to embrace a ministry of reconciliation for the glory of God.
Outreach has been a focus of Rick's entire life, as serving and sharing the gospel have always been a focal point of both his marriage and his family. Rick and his wife, Emily, lived in diverse countries and traversed the globe, including a transformative summer spent in East Asia doing ministry—with their two kids!
To families interested in serving together as a family but already feeling overwhelmed with the demands of school, sports, and extracurriculars, Rick offers a compelling perspective. When we asked Rick how he would encourage a family or individual who wants to make intentional time for serving others, he shared, "It just comes down to what or who you choose to worship. If your priority is to disciple your kids and shepherd their hearts, then you will make sacrifices and die to self so you and they can know and follow Him." Rick shared that he came to a personal realization that if he was able and willing to travel far with his kids on experiences like cruises, why wouldn't he take his kids to travel somewhere on a mission trip where they could be introduced to people that God loves?
Although Rick spent most of the time sharing with us all of the opportunities to love others he and our church have had in the past, he also reminded us that there are still over three billion people who don't call Jesus Lord. We have a responsibility,; we are armed with the Holy Spirit and God's Word. After 25 years of ministry and, Lord willing, many more ahead, pray that North Metro Church will not miss opportunities to share God's love and fulfill the Great Commission. Hear more from Rick himself on his podcast interview everywhere you find NMC podcasts, and visit northmetro.org/serve to see where you can jump in and serve.