Welcome to Nehemiah Pathways – initiatives established to enable us to engage in the most pressing needs in our Springfield community. Scroll down to read more information about these four collective efforts: Flourishing Neighborhoods, Faith Crisis-Response Team, Streamline/CarePortal, and Rise & Build Influence initiatives. Each initiative description also includes how you can personally get involved in helping the faith community make an impact in Clark County. Thank you for partnering in prayer with us around these areas of community transformation.
Pursuing Wholeness
A mental health and the church campaign with faith-based and spiritual approaches, including:
- Equipping ministries and encouraging clinical best practices
- Youth prevention (Clark County collaboration with a substance abuse prevention focus)
- -QPR Training and Kelton Moore, our Community Chaplain
- EQUIP Workshops (see our annual calendar of events)
PROMOTING WELLNESS
A Nursing Health Ministry Collaboration with Mercy Health, the Clark County Combined Health District and other local agencies to develop church programs.
- Currently serving in 9 local church Nursing Health Ministry Sites
- Summer Concert Series, Selah: Peace & Poetry at Winans
- Book: Be The Bridge, Latasha Morrison
A PROMISING ONENESS
A devoted commitment promising dedication to unity and reconciliation efforts that provide opportunities for positive results.
- UNIFY Gatherings
- Springfield Arts Council Summer Arts Festival Event: A Day of Unity and Hope
- UNIFIED Worship Collective: Unity. Power. Sound. Reconciliation through the Power of Music
- Nehemiah Presents: UNIFY Worship Gatherings – gatherings for churches of different backgrounds and beliefs
- Simunye – Local pastors gather around deeper conversations and challenging reconciliation work.
- Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast – St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church
- Fatherhood Initiative event – Urban Light Ministries
- Juneteenth Festival – The Gammon House
- Deep Conversation and Learning Communities: “Help me Read this Book” Project
- Kingdom Race Theology: God’s Answer to Our Racial Crisis, Tony Evans
- Until Unity, Francis Chan
- Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility, George Yancey
- Roadmap to Reconciliation, Brenda Salter McNeill
A collective of faith and civic leaders and vibrant community volunteers who have joined together to respond in the midst of crisis. We mobilize the local church and coordinate these efforts through the following activities:
Emergency Warming Shelter Coordination
Nehemiah mobilizes church volunteers, as well as local government and social services agencies during times of extreme weather to provide warmth and shelter for our unsheltered friends.
Street Outreach
A collaborative effort between Nehemiah, Central Christian Church and community volunteers to serve the unsheltered wherever they may be found.
Hot Meals and Pantry Booklet
A quick reference guide to help individuals who need assistance with food and to help those in ministries or non-profit organizations who are seeking to assist them.
UNITY IN ACTION
We continue to see the fruit of unity in action through the Faith Community Crisis-Response Team.
Together, we organized three emergency warming shelters, successfully serving over 60 community members during the harshest of conditions. In addition, many were able to access case management and programming services through coordinated entry with Interfaith Hospitality Network. As a model of deep collaboration, these organizations came together to operate an Emergency Warming Shelter at High Street Church of the Nazarene.
To join our Faith Community Crisis Response Team, contact Amy Willmann at [email protected] or 937-325-6226.
Our schools carry a tremendous burden of trying to meet academic needs in addition to all the social, emotional and physical needs of their students. Nehemiah’s Streamline Initiative is a response to the need for “streamlined processes” to help schools access the resources that churches can provide. It provides a bridge between the needs of public schools and the resources of the Christian community. By helping churches and ministries build meaningful relationships with their local public schools, kids will be blessed and schools will be strengthened.
Nehemiah's Streamline Initiative will support schools and the families of their students by:
- Facilitating united and continual prayer for each public school in Clark County.
- Mobilizing local churches to encircle their neighborhood school with support and encouragement.
- Connecting vulnerable students that have a need with local churches in the neighborhood who can meet that need, utilizing the CarePortal technology platform.
- Matching kids with equipped and caring mentors that will build life-changing one-on-one relationships.
- Equipping churches and ministries to provide out-of-school-time programs and enrichment to help kids grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
CarePortal in Clark County
CarePortal is a critical component of the Streamline Initiative. It is an online platform connecting the needs of those within the community to people who care. Church and local community members within the CarePortal network have the opportunity to respond to those who are struggling or vulnerable in our community.
THE VISION
Healthy leaders are essential to a strong community, especially in the midst of transformative change. Today’s Christian and civic leaders are under more pressure and scrutiny than ever before. Through this initiative, Nehemiah is building a safe place where leaders can learn, share, innovate and be supported in impactful ways.
“From the inception of this organization, this desire to invest in Christian leaders has been part of the DNA.”
– Amy Willmann, Nehemiah Foundation Executive Director
Four ongoing activities are the hallmark of this initiative:
Ministry Partner Grant Program – a refreshed grant program designed to increase capacity-building opportunities within ministries.
S.O.U.L. Talk Podcast – audible wisdom for faith-leaders to invest in “hope worth spreading.”
Leadership Coaching – cultivating transformational leadership practices and support for faith-leaders to invest in untapped potential.
New Ministry LaunchPad – nurturing innovative Kingdom-building ideas and supporting new ministries as partners while they venture into strategic mission fields.
Celebrating Civic and Ministry Leaders
We strive to honor civic and church leaders who positively impact Clark County through presenting awards at various events, such as our annual Leadership Breakfast, to recognize their efforts and inspire further change.
Christian Leadership Mentoring
Our aim is to provide Christian leadership mentoring to nurture spiritual growth, develop strong leaders, and build a vibrant faith community. Through personalized guidance, support, and shared wisdom, we equip individuals to deepen their understanding of God’s Word, strengthen their faith, and serve effectively in their roles. By investing in this mentorship, we are committed to empowering the next generation of Christian leaders to make a meaningful impact for God’s kingdom.
Our Response
Common Concerns
The challenges in our community would be daunting to face alone. But together we can identify and prioritize how to address common pain points. Nehemiah provides thought leadership for the Christian community on how to respond to these concerns.
Nehemiah provides insight into these concerns through the following ongoing activities:
- Defining a Christian community vision and our response through the Case for Community Report and Summit
- Researching and evaluating the most pressing needs in our community
- Identifying best practices and opportunities to address these needs
Common Ground
Recognizing a lack of unity in our Christian community, Nehemiah is working with civic and church leaders to create an overarching strategic Christian vision for Springfield and Clark County. We serve as a neutral convener for the Body of Christ to come together on common ground.
- UNIFIED Worship Collective
- Summer Concert Series, Selah: Peace & Poetry at Winans
- Simunye Tables
- Nehemiah’s Winter Spotlight
- Nehemiah’s Case For Community Summit
Common Impact
Nehemiah is building a network of Christian churches and ministries to address areas of distress in our community through the love of God. Bringing our time, talents and treasures together, we can create more visible, lasting outcomes for our community that will be evident in our homes, our churches and our neighborhoods.
PRAY. UNIFY. EQUIP. MOBILIZE.
Alongside our 30 Ministry Partners, Nehemiah aims to MOBILIZE believers in our community to usher in the Kingdom of God into every area of brokenness and need. We invite the Body of Christ into action through our Four Initiatives, or Pathways: