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     At least five congregations have come together to form the Nehemiah Partners of Sandusky, a non-profit organization aimed at helping area children and families become more successful through the use of various outreach efforts.

     The primary mission of the Nehemiah Partners is to “restore unity within the community by building relationships with families, especially children and teens, that help empower them to reach their greatest potential through the use of Christ-centered principles.”

     The group of churches is moving forward with plans to break ground in the near future on a community learning and recreation center, which will be called The Nehemiah House. The Nehemiah House also will offer after-school tutoring and mentoring programs, dance and music instruction, organized sports programs, and a summer enrichment program aimed at providing courses not currently offered by local school districts. These efforts are designed to help meet the needs of area youth and spark their motivation for learning. The primary mission, however, is to show children and families the love of Jesus through these efforts.

     “I’m just overjoyed with what God is doing in terms of us coming together,” Pastor Shoemo said. “From the start, I knew this effort would be one of humility…When we take on that type of attitude, it truly is amazing what we can get done. It’s truly amazing what a team can do when no one really gets the credit.”

     Pastor Shoemo, a former track coach for Sandusky High School, said the primary difference in this kind of team is that God is the coach.

     “What makes this thing more awesome is that God is in the lead. There’s no man who is conducting this. It’s all moved and motivated by the spirit of God,” he added.

     Although the group welcomes other congregations to join the effort to help strengthen children and families, a board of directors consisting of members from the initial group of churches will determine the direction for programming and the Nehemiah House. Those churches include Young World Ministries and Father’s Heart Family Church in Sandusky, The Chapel in Huron Township, New Life Church in Perkins Township, and Grace United Church in Port Clinton.

     Dr. William Shroeder, pastor of The Chapel, agreed that humility is essential in any effort that will help transform a community.

     “I believe humility is the key, and I think that is the problem with so many endeavors that happen. They become about the people who are doing what’s being done, rather than the reason we’re doing it and God leading us into that,” he said.

     Pastor Schroeder also said the faith-based community must lead by example.

     “If we start there, by saying we’re doing this because God called us to do this and we’re doing this for the good of the community, and we’re just here to be a part of it, all of a sudden, all of that other stuff just comes down,” Pastor Schroeder said.  “It isn’t what credit did I get, is my picture in the paper, or who is in charge.  It’s for the good of God and the good of this community, and it’s about time we get there. If anything is going to happen in this community, it’s going to have to start right there.”

     Pastor Schroeder envisions a spiritual transformation unlike any other ever witnessed in this community.
     “What we long to see happen is to see a city in which people who love God are working together to rebuild relationships, to rebuild unity between churches, between the races, between whatever unity needs to be built, we’re there to help build that,” Pastor Schroeder said. “We’ve seen people like Tracy work for many years with that goal in mind, and the fact that he was willing to come to us and say ‘Look, we’d like to partner together.’ That challenged me and encouraged me to say yes, it’s time, because sometimes we get so focused on the stuff we’re doing, and we don’t realize the need and the part we can play” in changing the community.

     “We sense the leadership, and we want to support what’s happening. We want to see the denominational barriers taken down, the racial barriers, relational barriers, and as we do that as adults, we’re going to see that begin to happen with our kids. We’re going to aim for the kids and bring them together,” Pastor Schroeder added. “I think the program is just going to unfold as we move on from here. If our community can experience what we’re experiencing as a group, just meeting together, laughing together, talking together and praying together, we long for this community to have that as well.”