Not giving up.
Finding Grace and Forgiveness Inside a Broken Marriage
The Goodrich’s Story
Like any normal marriage, Shawn and Amanda Goodrich have experienced their fair share of challenges in the last 14 years.
They constantly struggle to balance two demanding jobs, two busy boys, family activities, finances, and personal time. As pressures mounted over the years, they began fighting over every detail–or not talking at all. They sought traditional marriage counseling to help strengthen their relationship, but things only grew worse.
“We went through a couple of marriage counselors, and it was deflating,” Shawn says. “They would pit us against each other and create tension. We wanted our marriage to work, but we needed something vastly different. We were at our last straw. “
Then, when Shawn and Amanda experienced a difficult family event, the added stress and difficult emotions brought them to their breaking point. They didn’t know where else to turn and were close to calling it quits–but they weren’t ready to give up just yet.
A Calling to Get Involved
Luckily, just a few years prior, a good friend invited Shawn and Amanda to attend a Sunday service at North Metro Church.
Although they both grew up believing in God, getting to church
wasn’t a priority for a long time. But Shawn felt a stirring in his heart to press in deeper with the Lord–and they both thought going to church would be good for their family–so they accepted.
The Goodrich family started attending NMC sporadically. As the messages began to hit home, Shawn and Amanda found themselves drawn more and more to the church.
One Sunday, Amanda heard about re|engage, NMC’s care ministry for couples who want to invest in their marriages through a Christ-centered approach. Shawn and Amanda were immediately interested, but their busy schedules prevented them from joining.
But one year later, still struggling in their marriage, they knew it was time to act.
“I saw in the newsletter that NMC was hosting re|engage again,” Amanda says. “We were in between marriage counselors, and we had to do something–or it wasn’t going to end well. Re|engage stuck out to me every time it came around, like something was telling me we should do this. So I went to Shawn, and he agreed. We decided we needed to make re|engage work.”
With the help of friends and NMC’s childcare reimbursement support, Shawn and Amanda were able to secure coverage for their boys so they could
attend the classes. They signed up for re|engage and plunged ahead with trepidation–but also with hope.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Although Shawn and Amanda weren’t sure what to expect with re|engage, they quickly found they weren’t alone in their struggles and concerns.
In fact, their small group had couples from all different stages of life, from newlyweds to grandparents. Some were in active crisis, like Shawn and Amanda, but others were participating in re|engage simply to build and maintain a strong and healthy marital foundation. But no matter their background or story, each couple had wisdom, insight, and experiences to share.
For Shawn and Amanda, the re|engage environment was a breath of fresh air.
“Everyone had similar problems,” Shawn says. “There’s no fear of judgment here. We could laugh and joke about things as a group, and it wasn’t me and Amanda against each other. For us, re|engage was more relaxed and much better than seeing a marriage counselor. It felt like God was here to help us, and he wanted us to be together.”For 10 weeks, their small group gathered to discuss deep topics in their marriages. Although Shawn and Amanda admit it took a few
re|engage Spotlight
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sessions for everyone to get comfortable, it wasn’t long until the conversations took off and close friendships blossomed.
“It was a little awkward at first,” Amanda says. “But after a few weeks everyone is very open. It’s extremely helpful to hear different stories and ideas. And the group leaders are there to guide us. Overall, re|engage has been a great community for us. By the end, you know about each other’s lives, and you’re sharing advice. It pushes you and drives you to work on your marriage.”
Today, Shawn and Amanda are wrapping up their second round of re|engage. Their first experience helped them comprehend and digest the concepts. This time, they’ve been able to fully soak in what they’ve learned and communicate at an even deeper level. As re|engage veterans, they even spark “icebreaker” conversations at their table and provide guidance for first-time members.
On the Path to Healing and Restoration
Although Shawn and Amanda aren’t quite where they want to be, their marriage is healing and on the path to restoration. They’re learning and practicing humility, grace, forgiveness, patience, and the art of letting things go. re|engage has even helped them with parenting–and their kids are noticing the positive difference all around.
“We’re far from perfect,” Amanda says. “Life is still there, and we still have arguments. But what’s changed is we’re handling situations differently and working together now instead of fighting. We’re also spending more time together and making it a point to show each other affection.”
Shawn and Amanda continue to lean on their re|engage small group community, inside and outside the classroom. They check in on each other, gather for social events, and try to sit together during church. Best of all, if they ever need guidance or support, a helpful and listening ear is only a phone call away.
Their experience with re|engage has strengthened their faith and brought them closer to each other – and to God. They’re consistently coming to church, praying more, and seeking the Lord individually and as a couple.
“To see people come back from really bad situations, to see a radical transformation in a marriage–that makes it feel promising for yours,” Amanda says. “It’s freeing to feel like you’re not alone and at a loss anymore. We were broken, but going through this showed us there’s a reason God put us together. He’s softening our hearts. Re|engage goes beyond your marriage. It’s amazing – and worth it.”
In everything we do, you’ll consistently hear, we are here to help people find and follow Jesus, and we do this by becoming carriers of the Gospel across the street and around the world. We engage with everyone in and outside of our circles in a way that if NMC ceased to exist, we (not the building but the body of Christ) would be missed.
Hope For Christmas
Hope for Christmas provides gifts for children and meals for families in our community through our partnership with Marietta City Schools.
` 816 children served
Over the course of the year, we have been able to utilize our building for the community. We hosted 528 students for MHS IB testing, multiple trainings for Cobb County and Marietta City Schools, and The Blue Room, regularly utilized by Marietta City Police, Cobb Co Police, and Cobb Co Sheriffs.
Saturday Serve
` 6 Saturday Serves
` 253 individuals served at our Saturday Serves
` 21 organizations participated
Kennesaw Mountain High School
Character-Ed Mentors
800 KMHS students participated in Habitudes (Character-Ed mentoring), with over 600 KMHS students mentored in Habitudes by one of NMC's character-ed mentors
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Love
` Money given to Mobilization - $521,517.60
Mobilization Partners and Missionaries
As a way to continue to love our community and the world, we partner with organizations and missionaries that are continuing to share the Gospel with those they serve. We believe in these organizations and missionaries and support them financially and prayerfully in their efforts.
Missionaries: Mobilization Partners
Kevin & Lydia Eaton Cru Campus
Ayla Norris Cru Campus
Drew Renno Cru Campus
David Potts Cru High School Luke & Michelle Stannard Mission to the World
Shonnie Wellspring Project Liberia Justin Alford Young Life
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Tracy McHam Cru City
Redeemer's House (formerly known as Orphan Prevention Community)
Redeemer's House is North Metro Church's international ministry in Panajachel, Guatemala. Redeemer's House seeks to reach everyone with the good news of the Gospel to see everyone's lives changed for Jesus.
Focusing on three strategies: building local churches, supporting community education programs, and mentoring local pastors, Redeemer's House aims to help people find and follow Jesus in Guatemala. Currently, Redeemer's House's fulltime staff supports communities in four villages: Panajachel, Xecotoj, Chuitiz, and Pazazun.
22-23 ANNUAL REPORT 15
5 short-term mission teams mobilizing 52 people
This past year, we were able to take five trips to Guatemala. From high school students to adults, people were mobilized and given the opportunity to serve, share the Gospel, and connect with individuals in Guatemala. This year we,
` Covered the Bailey Pavilion in Chuizyiut
` Celebrated over 90 salvations in Pazazun
` Continued light construction
` Participated in Hope for Christmas in Guatemala - supplying gifts and food for families
` Continued to support, build and deepen relationships with the Redeemer's House Guatemala team, giving them a more profound sense of purpose for their mission
` Continued to deepen relationships with the communities served by Redeemer's House
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Just Say Yes to God
Raj's Story
We got to sit down with Raj Shah, who joined the NMC team on a trip to Guatemala in September to serve with the church's international ministry, Orphan Prevention Community (now known as Redeemer's House), and hear about his experience. The team's focus was on painting a structure and building a roof on top of a foundation NMC had poured in 2019 in the city of Panajachel, Guatemala.
Raj shared how nerves started growing as he watched the weather forecast before they left. "Rain and paint don't mix," Raj said as he explained how the weather was a worry for the team and the projects they were hoping to accomplish. The list of potential obstacles included landslides, being unable to transport roof supplies, danger while running electricity, and more. However, as a team, they started to ask God to
remove the rain, and day by day, they saw God answer their prayers. This stood out to Raj because, while he has followed Jesus for the last couple of years, Raj explained that he hasn't really heard God or felt a uniquely personal connection to Him until God started to answer their very specific prayers.
On top of watching the weather turn, Raj has a long list of ways he and the team watched God move. The OPC staff shared with our team that they were praying for Christfollowing native speakers to step up in the town of Panajachel to help move the ministry forward. This has been a large need in the community as the OPC staff does not speak the native Mayan language. So, the team did what they knew they needed to do—pray. A few days later, one of NMC's team members, Connie, shared her story of following Jesus at the
ribbon-cutting celebration of the new roof and invited those listening to follow Jesus. There, six people raised their hands to acknowledge that they wanted to follow Jesus! Praise be to God. Again, Raj explains, they watched God answer their specific prayers for native-speaking followers of Jesus to increase in Panajachel despite many obstacles, including language barriers, gender disparities, religious confusion, and more.
So, when asked what Raj was thinking when he signed up to go to Guatemala and saw obstacles in the way, Raj says he felt unqualified. Newly following Christ and never having gone on a mission trip, Raj was nervous. But Raj said it best, "Just say yes to God." Serving God does not require years of following Jesus, all the right answers, or seamless paths that lack obstacles. For Raj, all it required was saying yes.
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Say Yes!
Around NMC, you'll hear us say "Welcome Home" because we want everyone to feel a part of our church family. One way of doing this as followers of Jesus is through diving into a community, whether that be a Community Group that focuses on prayer and Bible studies, Connection Groups that bring people together over shared hobbies and interests, or a Support Group that walks with people enduring difficult circumstances.
` 718 people in Community Groups
` 450 people in Connection Groups
We know that living in community also means walking through hard times together. Receiving support can be a powerful experience when enduring difficult circumstances. This year in our support groups:
` 17 women were supported in the Infertility and Loss Support Group
` 12 families launched a Foster & Adoption support group
` 30 people were a part of Divorce Care
In addition to our groups, we take time once a semester to focus on the community of, specifically, our men and women.
` 456 men attended ManChurch gatherings
` 634 women attended Women's gatherings
Live
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Next Generation Students
This past year, NMC Students focused on the Good Grace that God has given to us.
Compass
` 4 students were baptized
` 13 students and adults served with Redeemer's House in Guatemala
Shift
173 Shift and Compass students attended ONEday - ONEday, which occurs in August, launches the NMC Student ministry for the year and is a fun day for all students to connect with one another and grow in their love and knowledge of God.
` 116 students attended Shift Winter Weekend
- Each year, Shift takes over NMC's campus for a weekend of fun and worship!
20 Shift Group Nights - Twice a month on Wednesday nights, Shift gathers for game and movie nights so that our 5-7th grade students have an extra opportunity to build community.
` 21 students made decisions to follow Jesus
` 114 students and leaders went to Winter Retreat at Camp Grace
College
` 35 college gatherings
` 13 students and adults served with Redeemer's House in Guatemala
` 50% of the ministry is involved with NMC as Tablesetters or in the College Intern Program
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` 54 babies dedicated - a celebration of the dedication parents make in our church with their friends and family to raise their children to know and love God.
` 62 parents attended our Helping Children Develop a Biblical Worldview Class.
` 67 attendants and volunteers were a part of our two Special Needs Respite Nights.
` 750 Family Christmas Guides
These better equip NMC and community parents to be the main disciples of their homes.
Hayes Elementary School
NMC Kids supported Hayes Elementary last year by donating school supplies at two separate times, providing ice cream for all students, bundt cakes to the teachers, t-shirts for every student, and more given to Hayes Elementary to show support and the love of God to their students and teachers.
` 528 campers at Pine Cove City 2023
` 52 campers made decisions to follow Jesus at Pine Cove City 2023
KIDS WERE BAPTIZED
` $1,100 raised through Town Square's weekly offering. This means that 110 kids in developing countries will have clean drinking water for 10 years due to the kids offering.
` 65 kids and their families went to Calvary Childrens Home to rake, play with the kids, and more for NMC Kids Saturday Serve
Kids
20
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AUBURN, ALABAMA
Grace Auburn Church
Grace Auburn Church was planted and opened its doors on June 1, 2018. They exist for the city, campus, and nations to know and love Jesus by establishing authentic Gospel communities.
Multiplication: Church Plants
One of our 2025 goals is to support five church plants. Part of NMC's multiplication strategy is to support church plants so people in every community can hear the Good News. We carry this goal out by providing financial and leadership assistance during the early years of a new church. In the past year, we supported three churches.
DALLAS, GEORGIA
Creekside Church
Creekside Church was planted on September 8, 2019. They exist to glorify God and make disciples by radically loving and simply equipping.
SCOTLAND
Takehold Church
Paul Richardson is the Lead Pastor of Take Hold Church in Scotland which was planted in 2021. Takehold's hope is to be light that encourages and inspires people to know they are loved by God and that He created them to live a life of purpose.
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Financials
Operations
According to most church publications and guidelines, a great goal is to keep operational expenses under 15% of total income. In the last ministry year we were able to hold operating expenses to 10.50% of our total revenue.
Savings
Because NMC is debt-free, we are uniquely able to intentionally save money in lieu of more traditional expenses like loan payments. This year, we were able to allocate 27.54% of our total income to savings.
Staffing
According to most church publications and guidelines, staffing costs should be less than 50% of total income. Due to the amazing generosity and obedience through giving of the church body, staffing costs only accounted for 39.80% of our total revenue, a very solid measure of financial stability for our church.
Ministry Expense
According to most church publications and guidelines, ministry expenses should be 15% of your total expenses. This past year NMC was able to allocate 22.16% to ministry expenses. This is higher than the guidelines but is a reflection of NMC's financial health because we were actually able to give more money away to mobilization efforts and ministry partners, which are included in ministry expenses.
Debt Free Church
Our stone of remembrance of the day we became debt-free on January 6, 2016.
Income: $6,608,548.23
Expense: $5,588,229.24
Over(under): $1,020,318.99
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Ministry Year-End Financial Summary
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We're praying our guts out!
We praise God for His faithfulness over this past year, and we ask you to join us in praying our guts out for this year to come. Join us in praying for:
` Revival to continue to break out within and through NMC
` More people to find and follow Jesus and trust Him for salvation
` Our church to grow more in love with our Savior, the mission, and others
` North Metro Church Sewell Mill Campus construction and launch
` The future members of NMC Sewell Mill Campus who don't know it yet
` NMC to have openhands to additional locations that God may lead NMC to
` College Intern Program to grow and develop young leaders
` NMCU to continue to help people become more faithful followers of Jesus and know the big picture of Scripture
` The Lord to continue to bless and grow our ministries
` The Lord to allow us to minister more globally in this post-pandemic world
— Annette Lewis
553 dads and daughters got all dressed up and joined NMC for Daddy Daughter Date Night. Dads were inspired and equipped to disciple their daughters, and so many memories were made!
