Our mission at North Metro Church is to help people find and follow Jesus. We want so much for the family members of NMC, which is why we have created three circles. We believe if followers of Jesus jumped into these circles, it would help them take their next steps to become more faithful followers of Jesus. These are to: Live in Community, Love God, His Church and Others, and Learn Biblical Truth.
Grayson and Abbie Harbin are family members at NMC who have naturally jumped into all three circles. They started attending NMC in 2022, right when they got engaged. Since getting married and moving to Marietta in May 2023, they have been regularly attending and serving at NMC. In their own words, they are so thankful God led them to plant roots at NMC and meet so many wonderful people.
We asked Grayson and Abbie to share how God has transformed their lives while they joined the three circles at NMC. Getting involved in a new church can be a big task, so we wanted to know what drove Grayson and Abbie to join NMC and what they have gained and learned since then. Read their own words and be encouraged by what they have found!
Do you remember the first thing you got involved in at NMC? What was it like jumping in at the beginning?
Merge was the first thing we got involved in together at NMC. It is a class for engaged couples that walks us through various aspects of a God-glorifying marriage. It was a great way to not only learn more about marriage, but also meet other engaged couples who attend NMC. The class leaders were very welcoming and engaging from the beginning. It was easy to feel that we had members of our church willing to pour into us.
Why are you both involved at NMC? What do you hope to give or gain from being involved in your local church?
The main reason we are involved at NMC is because Scripture makes it evidently clear that Jesus' followers should participate in the Church. Commonly compared to the body with Jesus as the Head, the Church is unified in its diversity of members and carries out the good plans and purposes of God. We believe God has called us to participate in the local and global church so that we can not only encourage and be encouraged by other church members, but be a light for Jesus in our community through our love and service. We hope to give our time, resources and God-given gifts to the Church, and we are expectant that God will use us to advance His kingdom and bless us with amazing people to walk alongside in our faith journeys.
What are you involved in now at NMC?
Currently, we are serving in Shift, the 5-7th grade ministry (Shoutout Shift!), attending community groups and going to Foundations Gatherings for newlywed couples. We have also completed two semesters of North Metro Church University and have served at a Respite Night.
How have each of the opportunities transformed or benefited your life or faith? Anything that you have learned or that stands out to you?
Each of these opportunities has been such a blessing to us. And let us start by saying, we have had so much FUN! Attending groups and serving has given us so many wonderful memories, and in our opinion, it is the best way to meet and become friends with people of all ages at NMC. It’s easy to attend a Sunday morning service, keep to yourself, and leave for lunch right after the sermon, but that’s not the kind of church attendance Jesus has called us to. He wants us to be active members of the body and utilize our God-given gifts to serve the church and our community. We have seen the Lord transform our hearts through serving at NMC, bringing us a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and it has also strengthened our marriage. It has been such a gift to serve and make friends together!
What is the greatest challenge to being involved? What would you say to someone who feels like they don’t have enough time or are scared to start something?
For us, the greatest challenge was the first commitment. Once we made the leap to get out of our comfort zone, the Lord worked in our hearts to grow a desire to continue to serve and get involved where we could. To those who are scared to start something or feel like they don’t have enough time, we would just point back to the importance of obeying the Lord and His desire for His followers to be a part of the church and be light in their communities. NMC has a multitude of ways to get connected at different varieties of time commitments as well. Talk to any Tablesetter on Sunday morning about how you can serve if you’re unsure of where to get started!
We’re honored to be a part of the ministry and service of NMC and want to encourage others to take a similar step of obedience wherever they can. It has truly brought a deeper love of the church and its people. NMC has so many incredible ways to get connected and some really great people eager to welcome newcomers in. With that being said, come say hi! We would love to meet you and talk more about our experience at NMC.