BIO

Heather Zempel

Discipleship Pastor
National Community Church

A native Alabamian, Heather Zempel invested her parent’s money and six years of her life at Louisiana State University earning bachelors and masters degrees in biological engineering. She finally left Cajun country to apply her newly acquired skills as a consultant at an environmental engineering firm and later as a policy advisor in the United States Senate. She now engineers environments that foster community and spiritual growth as the discipleship pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC, where she oversees small groups, leads leadership development training and spiritual formation retreats, and serves on the weekend worship teaching team. She is also the author of Wineskins for Discipleship. Heather and her amazing husband Ryan can be found on Capitol Hill enjoying theater (from the audience or the stage) and settling arguments with Webster’s Dictionary. Check out her daily ramblings at www.heatherzempel.com 


Interview with Editor of SGX:


1.) When did you decide to serve in Small Group Ministry?  I led my first small group when I was in high school, and I’ve been a part of group life ever since. In 2002, I joined the staff of National Community Church as part-time Small Group Coordinator. In 2005, I came on the team full-time as Discipleship Pastor.


 
2.) What encouragement would you offer to small group leaders out there?  As you lead small groups, you become the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17- that His disciples would be one and that the world would believe in Him as a result. What an amazing privilege! Fostering community and making disciples isn’t just about meeting felt needs, it’s about bringing glory to God. I remind myself of that a lot when leadership gets tough.




3.) In what ways have you and your spouse/family grown spiritually since you have been involved in this ministry?  My husband Ryan and I met in a small group ten years ago, and our world has revolved around community life ever since. We have learned to dig into Scripture and apply it to our lives. We have embraced the freedom and tremendous growth that comes with accountability. We have experienced the joy of serving together and giving generously. The more we lead, the more we grow.




4.) Why does small group ministry play such a critical role in the church today?  The church’s mission is to make disciples, and that happens best within the context of community. Community plays such a pivotal role in showing Christ to the world, as Jesus himself instructed in John 13:34-35 and John 17:21. Francis Schaeffer said, “community is the final apologetic.”  As we live in community and grow in Christ together, we become the final defense of the faith and people can see Christ.


Website: www.discipleshipgroups.blogspot.com

Favorite Link 1: www.theaterchurch.com

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