1 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,500 Hey there, my name is Chris rivers and I want to thank you 2 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:09,400 for joining us for the grace church members podcast. 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,000 The goal of this resource is to address discipleship issues in 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,100 the life of Grace Church and discuss how to be more fully 5 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:19,700 devoted to God in this episode, Scott Mozingo. 6 00:00:19,700 --> 00:00:23,300 And I chat with Matt Kelley, who serves as one of Grace Church 7 00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:26,900 has staff, governing elders, and you can find him also helping 8 00:00:26,900 --> 00:00:29,600 lead worship and some leadership development. 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,300 In this particular interview, we have a fascinating discussion 10 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:37,600 around death, the natural burial process and the opportunity that 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,000 we have to care for and disciple members through this unique 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,600 season born out of this idea that the church should take care 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,200 of its people, not only in life but also in death natural. 14 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,600 Burial is now a practical way for Grace Church to live out 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,500 this Principle. As we discussed why this is such 16 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:59,500 a huge discipleship issue. I got really clear on how I can 17 00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:01,800 move. And share this idea with others 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,000 and I'm hoping that you do as well. 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,300 Be sure to check out our podcast page at Grace Church. 20 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:11,800 S c.org /y. Discipleship on this page, you 21 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,000 can access a transcript of this episode and additional resources 22 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,500 to help you move. Okay let's jump into our episode 23 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:22,200 with Matt Kelly on why death and natural. 24 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,600 Burial is a discipleship issue. Well Matt good to see you today. 25 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,200 Scott was ancient good to see you. 26 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,500 Hey Chris, yeah we're going to have a Conversation about some 27 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,200 topics that a lot of people have been asking about. 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,200 I was at the lake this past weekend, at my dad who doesn't 29 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,300 live. Here comes up to me and says we 30 00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:41,900 sit at the table he says hey man I hear y'all are burying people 31 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,200 and I was like, yes, exact razy actually got to talk about 32 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,600 natural burial this weekend. Like it was really great. 33 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,500 What are we doing as a church? Yeah. 34 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:54,800 So several years ago we just start a conversation about what 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,600 does it look like for us to be able to take care of people and 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,100 not just Life, but also through death and burial. 37 00:02:02,100 --> 00:02:05,200 We knew that we were trying to disciple people from birth until 38 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,900 the grave, but once we got to the Grave, we were not involved 39 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:12,500 and we felt like that was something that we needed to 40 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:14,700 explore. And it was a lot of steps that 41 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:16,500 happen with our church at the same time. 42 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:19,800 But we just decided that we needed to take some steps to 43 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:20,900 save. The someone need to be a part 44 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:22,800 of. And so we did a lot of research 45 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,400 and really honed in on an idea of something on natural burial, 46 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,700 which means it's simple. Its natural exactly. 47 00:02:29,700 --> 00:02:32,100 What You think it is? It's no embalming. 48 00:02:32,100 --> 00:02:36,800 The Vault, no casket. You're basically put in a pine 49 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,800 box or a shroud and you are returned. 50 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,700 It's very simple process and so it's been something that we are 51 00:02:45,700 --> 00:02:48,800 just now dabbling in. We're on year one of this but it 52 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,700 has seemed to be a great discipleship tool for us and 53 00:02:52,700 --> 00:02:55,100 something that we're learning from every day. 54 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,400 Yeah, every step of this way. So map, a lot of people know you 55 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:04,000 as worship It goes hand-in-hand with your work with do a lot of 56 00:03:04,008 --> 00:03:05,900 work with our young staff in addition to that. 57 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:09,500 Yeah, maybe they don't really think about you in this role, 58 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:11,300 right? You've had some real formative 59 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:15,300 personal experiences and you talk a little bit about why you 60 00:03:15,300 --> 00:03:18,700 how you got in this game. Yeah yeah so I mean I think 61 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:23,000 seven or eight years ago, our church did a series on death and 62 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,100 if the same time we were looking at that and we did a series on 63 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:32,200 that and then we also saw a a documentary on 60 Minutes about 64 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,300 something called natural. Burial had never really heard 65 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:36,900 that but saw that and kind of piqued her interest in the my 66 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:39,200 dad who was a pastor in Seneca for a long time. 67 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,700 He's now retired. He was a part of a burial at a 68 00:03:42,700 --> 00:03:46,500 place called Ramsey Creek up in Westminster and he came home and 69 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:49,800 he buried, actually, a friend of mine that I grew up with that 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,100 died, early. And as he got home, and he 71 00:03:53,100 --> 00:03:55,700 started explaining it to me about the men, they're taking 72 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:59,400 their jackets off all working together, Barry and Matthew 73 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,400 doing all that. His he described it to me when 74 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,400 he got done talking about it. I was like, yeah, that's weird. 75 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:08,300 Like I say this is weird and he goes actually he goes that was 76 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:12,300 very different but it was extremely helpful for Crawford, 77 00:04:12,300 --> 00:04:15,000 who was the dad, burying his son, he goes. 78 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,300 And that moment Crawford had all these men around him. 79 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:19,899 They were all part of the process. 80 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:23,000 He said, we all six men were standing around Berry and 81 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,200 Matthew. So there were Parts where we 82 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,900 laughed. We cried, we talked about 83 00:04:26,900 --> 00:04:29,600 Matthew, we were able to console Crawford. 84 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:33,600 He said it was a very communal time and I thought in the moment 85 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,100 I was like, okay, that's the church, that's what we've been 86 00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:38,600 missing. That's the piece that is very 87 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,000 intriguing is to we're in a really dark grief, sometimes, 88 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,400 dark sometimes joyful, but a grieving time, the church is 89 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,800 there and the people that you've done live with our they're 90 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,200 celebrating and crying and remembering and all the people 91 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,400 that you want with them. They're an active participant in 92 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,500 that piece and that was the thing that really caught my 93 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:56,300 mind. Yeah. 94 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:58,700 So that personal story was really catalytic for you. 95 00:04:58,700 --> 00:05:01,000 It was personally This has been a long process. 96 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,300 We've been working on this as a church. 97 00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:04,200 Yeah, I think that, I think I had that conversation. 98 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,200 My dad 78 years ago. It just started as digging and 99 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,300 we met with. We just thought we would look 100 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,200 for some land. We thought we would try to see 101 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,900 what it looks like to possibly buy some acreage, and we learned 102 00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:19,000 a lot about the burial process. We've learned a lot about the 103 00:05:19,008 --> 00:05:22,100 state South Carolina and learned learned a lot about that. 104 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:25,400 And then we actually talk to the people at Ramsey Creek, in 105 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,900 Westminster Kimberly, and Billy, they were the pioneers of 106 00:05:28,900 --> 00:05:32,400 natural burial. Or green burial timed in the US. 107 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,900 And the right here in EPs and they're in Westminster South 108 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:37,900 Carolina and they are huge proponents and wonderful people 109 00:05:37,900 --> 00:05:42,100 to work with and a great resource and saved us from a 110 00:05:42,108 --> 00:05:44,200 thousand troubles. I'm doing this, we'll come back 111 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,200 to them in just a second because I think there's an interesting 112 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,600 distinction between maybe what we're doing and what they're 113 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,200 doing, this will help our audience. 114 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,100 Yeah. But the thing about story. 115 00:05:52,100 --> 00:05:55,700 Described the process. Like, what happens when someone 116 00:05:55,700 --> 00:05:57,700 passes away? Yeah, done this a few times now 117 00:05:57,700 --> 00:06:01,100 we have. So what just help people And how 118 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:03,700 it's not weird. So currently if someone passes 119 00:06:03,700 --> 00:06:07,500 away, they contact our church and our care Department kicks 120 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:08,900 into gear, which is who they are. 121 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:10,200 They're great. I Jennifer deal. 122 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:13,900 Sarah, Brandon Lee Ann cabin that crew gets to work. 123 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,200 If someone passes away they call us and then we tell them 124 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,100 currently we have a partnership with Palmetto Mortuary and right 125 00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:26,600 now, they are the partner that is able to pick up the body 126 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,600 transport. You do have to have a burial 127 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,100 transport permit. There are pieces we're not able 128 00:06:31,100 --> 00:06:33,200 to do currently. They were very happy to partner 129 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,300 with us and so they go pick the body up store with us for 130 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:38,900 however long we need, you need to do natural burial. 131 00:06:38,900 --> 00:06:43,200 Within five days is about as far as you go because the minute you 132 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,100 die, 20 minutes your body starting to Decay. 133 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,900 Yeah. So they do store the body in a 134 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,100 freezer for us and then they transport the body to the burial 135 00:06:52,100 --> 00:06:55,100 area for us. We dig the hole we have 136 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:59,300 volunteers currently that go out and dig the hole and get 137 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:02,200 everything ready. And get the area ready and set 138 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:06,100 and then Palmetto delivers the body for us and then we put it. 139 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,900 And then when the family gets there, the body is there, it is 140 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:11,900 laying on boards, kind of over the whole. 141 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,000 And then what happens is during the during the service, it's for 142 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,100 the family gets involved. They actively lower the body 143 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:21,600 into the ground. They put dirt on and that's 144 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,300 where you see family. And the last one I saw, 145 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:27,100 grandchildren bearing, the grandma. 146 00:07:27,500 --> 00:07:30,200 We've had tons of people just write notes on the pot, Box on 147 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:31,900 the time volunteers are making these boxes. 148 00:07:31,900 --> 00:07:33,300 That's right. Yeah volunteers are making the 149 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:36,400 boxes. I mean, it is a very active 150 00:07:36,700 --> 00:07:40,000 thing for people in our church, their active participants of 151 00:07:40,008 --> 00:07:41,700 burial. This isn't for everybody. 152 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,200 We're just saying this is an option right in some situations. 153 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,200 I've heard when someone dies, the funeral home comes in and 154 00:07:47,208 --> 00:07:49,700 then they just feel like their loved one is just kind of gone 155 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,500 and we wanted to bring that back in where you are. 156 00:07:52,500 --> 00:07:55,500 Actively you feel like you were taking care of people that you 157 00:07:55,508 --> 00:07:58,600 have done life. So people might think probably 158 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,000 the close proximity Is Graveside service, right? 159 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,000 Kind of intimacy at the burial site, right? 160 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,700 But this is even more intimate than all of that you live on the 161 00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:10,800 bodies in the ground. I mean, a lot of times that 162 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,700 funerals I've been to when the service is over you leave and 163 00:08:13,700 --> 00:08:19,000 then they lower the body and you are actively returning them to 164 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,200 dust, right? You're the active participant 165 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,900 at. So how did we get to this point? 166 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,600 What's changed over the last couple of decades? 167 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,400 Where it feels like like the church has gotten further 168 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,500 disconnected from the burial process. 169 00:08:33,500 --> 00:08:36,500 I think just as a natural consequence of there are some 170 00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:38,799 business pieces that have happened over the years and 171 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:41,500 there's some pieces where we don't understand what to do. 172 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:45,100 So we've hate to say I was arrested in some ways, right? 173 00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:47,800 But we don't really know what to do professionals at doing this. 174 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,000 It's a been a great service to people, but we did feel like for 175 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,800 us. And it was one thing that 176 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,200 Kimberly from Ramsey Creek, really challenged us on when we 177 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:00,500 were in the room with her, she goes, I mean, This is actually 178 00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:03,200 what you're supposed to do. Meaning the church, the church. 179 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,400 She gets the church's. Y'all believe in this. 180 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:06,900 Ya'll believe in taking care of people. 181 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:09,100 All the way to the end. She goes y'all believe in 182 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:11,800 Resurrection. This should be the church. 183 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,500 This should be what the church is about. 184 00:09:13,700 --> 00:09:15,500 And I remember when she said that, I was like, man, you're 185 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:17,400 right? That is the true answer. 186 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:21,200 And I think that is something that is clicked for me. 187 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,900 And for the people that have been a part of it so far is that 188 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,000 this is what we as the church or supposed to be doing. 189 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,700 We're supposed to be we're not supposed to release this. 190 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,200 Peace, once we get to it, we're supposed to be all hands on deck 191 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,700 for the next five days. This is when we're a lie to you, 192 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,900 we rallied to you every other time there's a grief or tragedy 193 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:42,100 in your life, why would you not do it in Death? 194 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:43,700 Yeah. You know I'm saying right? 195 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:46,700 So I think that's the thing that's gotten clear to us is 196 00:09:46,700 --> 00:09:48,800 it's a great rallying point for us in that too. 197 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,100 So a nice little gentle rebuke from the folks at ramsbury, 198 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:54,700 Chris. Yeah, I mean very catalytic. 199 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:56,800 It really was. And she and she didn't say in 200 00:09:56,808 --> 00:09:59,300 the meantime, she was just like, I mean, of all people. 201 00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:02,500 Believe in this one of the things is that we have 202 00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:07,600 integrated. I thought process of burial and 203 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,300 our minds that we don't even know why. 204 00:10:10,300 --> 00:10:15,000 We think that we question what we've done for hundreds of years 205 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:18,100 and now in the last hundred years, the game has changed. 206 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:20,400 It's a fine thing. But now when I present it to 207 00:10:20,408 --> 00:10:23,000 people, there likes weird, why are we doing that? 208 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,600 So even friend of mine, who's a pastor Mississippi, he and I 209 00:10:26,608 --> 00:10:27,900 were talking about it when night, he was tell me what 210 00:10:27,908 --> 00:10:29,100 you're working on. Is like, well, I've been working 211 00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:31,400 on this thing called Or burial. And he's a, what does that? 212 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,600 And I told him and he after about two minutes is like I 213 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,000 think in Mississippi, you have to be involved. 214 00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:39,400 I think it's a law as like I guarantee. 215 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,500 It's not as like I live in South Carolina. 216 00:10:41,500 --> 00:10:43,200 You live in Mississippi. I guarantee. 217 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,500 It's not and he goes, no, I think it is. 218 00:10:45,500 --> 00:10:49,000 I was like, I bet it's not. And so I got an email from him 219 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,200 at 3:00 a.m., and he just all the email said was, it's not a 220 00:10:53,208 --> 00:10:56,200 long Mississippi, monk. So, he just said, I went to work 221 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,000 and started researching and his point was to me later on, He's 222 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:05,500 like I assumed things that had to be done and I didn't know and 223 00:11:05,500 --> 00:11:06,900 so I was just like this what you have to do. 224 00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:09,700 He said so like I'm not we're not even educated and we've 225 00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:13,000 integrated things into our lives that we haven't even root truly 226 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,800 thought through and just adopted. 227 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,500 And I think of anything just allows her people just to think 228 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:21,400 and asks a questions about it and then once again interact 229 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,500 with the death process, the burial process. 230 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:29,500 That's one thing that I think it's a real disruptive idea that 231 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,300 Oranges those assumptions in an area that people don't want 232 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:34,000 think about. So it's fine. 233 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,400 I'll just do whatever you tell me to do and I'll pay the money 234 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:37,900 because I really don't want to engage. 235 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:39,600 Yeah, the whole day. I don't want to think about 236 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,600 death, right? And that was Ramsay. 237 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,000 Creaks point is, this is actually what y'all believe in 238 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,300 this is your point that your point is, this is when y'all are 239 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:51,600 game, time is in the death process and y'all believe this 240 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,000 more than anybody. And so we've a little bit 241 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:58,600 separate herself from something that we say, we fully put our 242 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,100 trust in her home. In. 243 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,500 And so it's a little bit of a disconnect that we want to bring 244 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:07,000 back together and reconnect. This explain the difference 245 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,100 between what they're doing as a relates to Creation care. 246 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:12,500 That's a part of it. Yeah, probably. 247 00:12:12,500 --> 00:12:15,400 So we have three big reasons why just kind of go through those 248 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,400 reasons why this is really beneficial for our church. 249 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,900 Yeah, I mean there are different areas and they get real 250 00:12:20,900 --> 00:12:22,200 technical. There's a difference between 251 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,200 natural burial and green burial. There's different regulations 252 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,000 that go on without. There's a different regulations 253 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:28,900 that go with creating a cemetery. 254 00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:31,900 There's are all things that I've learned natural means you're 255 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:35,100 returning, green means there's certain things that you're 256 00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:38,300 trying to do with the land. That there's some conservation 257 00:12:38,300 --> 00:12:42,300 things that you're working on some of it has to do around the 258 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:46,400 way, your bearing or the way, you are preserving, the land and 259 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,400 ours is not real around that ours is more around the care of 260 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,400 our people and I don't think there's one more than the other. 261 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,900 It's just they have a very different focus on what they're 262 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:58,500 doing and what they're doing is great and if we didn't have 263 00:12:58,500 --> 00:12:59,700 this, that's where I'd want to be. 264 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,600 Great is it Ramsey Creek, but we are being a little bit more 265 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,300 utilitarian to disciple are people. 266 00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:07,900 So they're heavy on the environmental Environmental 267 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:09,100 Conservation. Yes. 268 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,500 And we'll talk more about the care for the body. 269 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:14,200 Talk about the cost. That is a. 270 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,200 Yeah, that's part of it. Yeah, one of the main things 271 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,000 that we looked at was right now, the average, which I would say 272 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,500 is not at your average, is about 10 grand in South Carolina, 273 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,800 which I've not heard of one being 10 grand in well, but 274 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,000 that's what's if you Google it, that's the Google. 275 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:33,300 But we are looking right now at 2000 to 2500 dollars. 276 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,600 So if we have 6,000 members I mean think about that. 277 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,900 Think about the savings of 8,000, we bury 6,000 people over 278 00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:45,800 the next 50, 60 years. Think about the money, they get 279 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,700 saved to do ministry that you're not putting money in the ground 280 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:54,600 and it's just a I'm not trying to say it's a financial win but 281 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,500 it does help you think about if you believe that you can't carry 282 00:13:58,500 --> 00:14:01,300 this with you. Then there is a piece of the 283 00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:03,900 yeah, it's a stewardship. It is a straight stewardship 284 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,900 issue where you're just like, okay, I can do this. 285 00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:09,000 I believe that I'm not here. I'm going to spend this amount 286 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,100 of money to get this done at the same time that deploys resources 287 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:15,700 for other ministry, right? It is a financial stewardship 288 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:17,600 issue. In a major way, there's the 289 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,500 environmental piece, there's the financial stewardship piece. 290 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:23,600 Those are two are secondary to the the piece that you've been 291 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,800 talking about quite a bit, which is just the care for one another 292 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,600 as church members, right? Tell us. 293 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:32,700 It's a little bit so we've been actively burying. 294 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:36,300 Yeah, for about six months. Yeah, and we closed on the land 295 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:42,400 and summer of 2021 and we thought we would bury one person 296 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,600 this year. I would say, through next. 297 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,500 Summer is like I will probably want what buried, I think, we 298 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:48,900 buried five. So it's made us, think about a 299 00:14:48,908 --> 00:14:51,500 lot and we've been busier than we don't. 300 00:14:51,500 --> 00:14:56,500 So what have you as far as this benefit of the church discipling 301 00:14:56,900 --> 00:14:59,400 families. All the way through the burial 302 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:00,000 process. Us. 303 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,000 What have you seen? Have you seen that? 304 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,400 Really be a benefit. Well one of the very first ones 305 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:09,200 was a member in Spartanburg his father passed away and his small 306 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,700 group, his group of men and his small group helped bury his dad. 307 00:15:13,100 --> 00:15:15,600 And one of the small group leaders called me or texted me 308 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,200 on the way home and was like, Hey, when y'all first started 309 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:19,600 talking about this, I was like me. 310 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:21,300 What are we doing? This is weird. 311 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:23,300 He said, but I gotta tell ya. He said I've never been a part 312 00:15:23,300 --> 00:15:24,600 of anything. What I did today. 313 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:26,700 He said, if you have anybody have any questions, you send 314 00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:28,300 them Spartanburg. He goes, we got a group of men 315 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:31,600 out here that are fully on Bored because they were actively 316 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,100 taking care of that man in Spartanburg who just lost his 317 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:39,300 dad and he was like, I've never been able to in a tactile way be 318 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:42,300 able to take care of somebody in that moment, the way I did. 319 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:45,500 And so we've seen that we've seen people riding them boxes, 320 00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:49,200 just writing notes, people that I haven't had anybody returned 321 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,900 from one of the burials out there and not be affected or 322 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,700 seen the church rally like it and really a lot of them. 323 00:15:57,700 --> 00:15:59,000 Die words. They're just like man, I've 324 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,400 never seen. Thing like that but I like it. 325 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:03,300 They say it feels right. It feels like what we're 326 00:16:03,300 --> 00:16:08,400 supposed to be doing. When you go out there, talk to 327 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,000 us a little bit about the physical. 328 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:12,100 What is the price look like? Yeah, this little bit about. 329 00:16:12,100 --> 00:16:14,800 Yeah, firemen right. Well, it's 12 acres. 330 00:16:14,900 --> 00:16:18,100 It was an old tree farm and so there's still lots of Holly's 331 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:19,900 out there. And so, it's a little bit of a 332 00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:23,400 mixture of field. Some tree area where there's 333 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,600 still lots of trees and look at reform area. 334 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,100 And then there is a really nice cool pasture where we're bearing 335 00:16:28,100 --> 00:16:30,600 currently. We are the next person in line. 336 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,400 You're not getting plots, you're not. 337 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:34,600 Hey, here's, I'd like to be buried on this tree picking your 338 00:16:34,608 --> 00:16:36,100 spot. No, you're really nice. 339 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:39,700 This is very different. We're not selling pre pretty 340 00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:41,600 silly. No, I'd like to not do that. 341 00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:45,500 So, yeah, we're burying kind of in a row and people always ask 342 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,600 their like wool, how do you know that you're not bearing on 343 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,400 somebody else? And we do have a software that 344 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,100 Maps out where people are and then you can go to that 345 00:16:55,100 --> 00:16:57,600 software. It will basically give you a GPS 346 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,900 of where that person is buried. And actually when you type in 347 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:03,700 the GPS, it'll tell you there will be two area if you want to 348 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:04,800 read it through and stuff like that. 349 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:06,099 I mean, all that's not fully set up. 350 00:17:06,099 --> 00:17:08,200 That is stuff that's we're working on right now on. 351 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:11,200 And then we will continue to bury out there. 352 00:17:11,700 --> 00:17:15,400 We've had to do a lot of land kind of planning, which is why 353 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,800 we tried to slow, play a little bit because we've had to kind of 354 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,599 re-establish. A rework, some roads that were 355 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:23,200 already there. There are some holes that from 356 00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:25,800 the tree farm that we've had to just we just did a lot of work 357 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,900 in the last two weeks and so you can drive by it, not even know 358 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:31,100 it's there but it's It is not a fancy. 359 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,700 It's not groomed the graves, are there. 360 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:36,500 There is grass that has grown up around them and but there are 361 00:17:36,508 --> 00:17:38,900 lots out there or there, or they marked. 362 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,800 Yeah, they are Mark. There's a little stone with the 363 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,500 name and the birth date, and the burial and the death date, and 364 00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:47,700 that's it. Probably in a couple of years. 365 00:17:48,300 --> 00:17:51,400 The way the earth works, the stones will, they'll be gone. 366 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:53,600 We're not preserving any of that. 367 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,700 It's marked right now and you can go find it, but it might be 368 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:59,600 at some point that those just the Earth Eats a stone. 369 00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:03,400 That's kind of how we set it up as we were thinking about this 370 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,600 podcast and particular, we're trying to focus on the why, why, 371 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,300 why do we, why is this important? 372 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:11,600 So, I mean, what would you want someone to think about God and 373 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:17,400 Creation in all of this? Yes, well, I'm saying about that 374 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:22,200 this morning and I was reminded of Ecclesiastes which tells us 375 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,000 we return to dust. I was reminded that we say this 376 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000 Earth is not our home and we can't carry it with us. 377 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,200 So, I was thinking about those two things and then I was 378 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:36,400 thinking about, I believe in the resurrection, I believe in those 379 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,300 things that don't make me. Hold onto this world a man. 380 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:43,800 It's hard because I love this world. 381 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,900 I struggle to not want to call this world, my home and at the 382 00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:54,400 same time when I go out there, I am reminded that this is looking 383 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,700 for something in the future that actually will be way more 384 00:18:56,700 --> 00:18:59,600 rewarding and if I believe all those things then I won't hold. 385 00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:01,900 The things and I'll be okay. We're just saying you know? 386 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:04,000 However, you'll need to bury me under my control. 387 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,600 I'm good, I'm good for us to roll with this, you know, and 388 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,500 I'm good for my resources to be left my family to do ministry. 389 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:14,200 I'm good for you, not to spend a lot of time and go back. 390 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,800 And have to remember me a bunch because I'm actually not there. 391 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:21,500 And so there are a lot of those things that just feels unique to 392 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,500 me. The other things you need to me, 393 00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:28,000 is that it's going to be a unique place where People that 394 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,200 we have all done Ministry with, for a long time. 395 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:31,700 We're going to be buried together. 396 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,200 They're one of my volunteers, that was digging holes for me. 397 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:36,600 He's the one that actually brought that up. 398 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:38,700 He said, when I got done digging that hole the other day, I was 399 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:41,800 out there and he said I just thought in the moment, he's a 400 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,400 young guy, 25, two, young kids, and actually 28. 401 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,500 But two young kids and he's like man I just was thinking the 402 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:50,600 other day, he goes men and women that I have done Ministry with. 403 00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:53,800 I'm gonna be buried with these people right here and I never 404 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,100 really understood Church cemeteries hundred-year-old 405 00:19:57,300 --> 00:19:59,200 Archie sees Church, cemeteries laid out there. 406 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:00,400 And I was like, why did they do that? 407 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,700 But it's because the church used to handle, right? 408 00:20:03,700 --> 00:20:06,100 Death and Burial at the family. The family have a family plot. 409 00:20:06,100 --> 00:20:07,200 You have all the family together. 410 00:20:07,500 --> 00:20:10,200 Your church was an active participant in that and it's a 411 00:20:10,208 --> 00:20:12,700 little bit of returning to that returning. 412 00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:17,100 To again, this is why this is important for us as a church. 413 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,300 So, there's a care component, being able to really love each 414 00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:22,100 other all the way to the very end. 415 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:26,600 There is a connection to the temporal nature of this world. 416 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,600 Yeah. And then I love what you said 417 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:32,000 about the resurrection of just being able to look forward to 418 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,800 something. And it feels like if we 419 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,300 disconnect, if we pull up, just short in the burial process of 420 00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:41,700 taking it all the way to the end, that maybe we miss some of 421 00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:44,700 those key markers that really connect us to God. 422 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:47,900 That is, that is so true. It is something where if you 423 00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:51,500 look at the ministry we're doing it did feel like a disconnect 424 00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:54,800 for us that we were getting to a certain point even as we that 425 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,300 strives that Julie Eldred has With seen your honor. 426 00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:01,500 Then once we get past that, then what do you do? 427 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:04,700 Are we as a church obsolete, then I just did not feel right 428 00:21:04,700 --> 00:21:05,500 to us. Right? 429 00:21:05,700 --> 00:21:07,200 So we felt like we needed to have a part of it. 430 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:08,800 Yeah, it feels like a real healthy. 431 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:11,400 Correction of some unintended consequence. 432 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,200 Yeah, have just developed over the last several decades. 433 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,300 As we're all a lot more transient, we don't have the 434 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:21,200 small rural church with the cemetery plot like this for my 435 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,200 screw-up with that's right. And this has brought a topic 436 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,100 back into our mind, but I think is really great. 437 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,500 Great, right? And I mean the thing is whenever 438 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:31,700 somebody comes to us, we always tell them. 439 00:21:31,700 --> 00:21:35,100 This is an option. We're not saying hey, you got 440 00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:38,500 our church, you got to do this because for some people, it's 441 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:40,200 okay. It's just an option is something 442 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,200 that we want to give them an option to do. 443 00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:43,200 Yeah. Yeah. 444 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,300 So what do people do, if they want to find out more if they 445 00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:50,100 have questions, if they're interested in volunteering? 446 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,500 Yeah, it's interesting. We had a meeting the other day 447 00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:56,200 with just an initial meeting with about a little over 50 448 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,600 people that came. It said hey we want to volunteer 449 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,500 everyone from working on the land because the land has to be 450 00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:06,500 but shocked every six weeks and grass cut and real tactile 451 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:09,300 things like that to. We have a group that is 452 00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:13,500 currently building our caskets. We have a group that is making 453 00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:17,100 sure routes currently we have not buried anybody in a shroud 454 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,700 but that is an option and is your over there. 455 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,800 Either way. They should probably just reach 456 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,900 out to Jennifer deal who's in charge of our care. 457 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,000 She has been collecting all those people. 458 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,400 And then we've got Volunteers running all that. 459 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,100 We've got volunteers, running the casket building, we got a 460 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:33,200 volunteer run in the Shroud building we got volunteers 461 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,400 digging holes. I mean, it is, it is people 462 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,000 that, I mean I had a guy the other day just say, hey, thank 463 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,300 you for letting me serve this way. 464 00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:42,200 I'm getting to serve people and I didn't know this was going to 465 00:22:42,208 --> 00:22:44,700 be it, but this has been real rewarding for me, which I 466 00:22:44,708 --> 00:22:47,400 thought was an interesting take on what he was saying. 467 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,200 And that's another way they answer the. 468 00:22:51,208 --> 00:22:53,300 Why question? Chris, that's another reason why 469 00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:57,100 this is important, is it brings in all these volunteers draw. 470 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,200 Them in closer to their Devotion to God, by being able to serve 471 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,900 people in some unique ways. That's right, that's right. 472 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,600 Yeah. That idea of being able to do 473 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,600 that with just a handful of other men that I know, and I'm 474 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:15,100 getting to serve a family that has lost someone or I'm having 475 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,900 my very close friends, help me navigate a very hard season. 476 00:23:19,900 --> 00:23:24,000 I remember my brother passed away many, many years ago, and 477 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,000 that was just difficult for a family that loses a small. 478 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:32,400 A child or a grandparent or this is an option for them to not 479 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,900 just a financial stewardship option. 480 00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:38,000 But it's also just a chance to Rally together and care for one 481 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,100 another in a unique way that we don't always have a chance to do 482 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:44,000 that, and you can get plugged into community group, you can do 483 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000 life with people and you can get to know people and those are 484 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,700 great things. And I think this is another way 485 00:23:50,700 --> 00:23:54,200 for us to rethink what it looks like for us to serve one another 486 00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:57,100 absolutely in a very, very difficult space. 487 00:23:57,300 --> 00:23:59,500 That's right. The two young guys right now 488 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:04,100 that have dug our Graves for us. They do not know the people, I 489 00:24:04,100 --> 00:24:06,400 call them and I'm like, hey, we had somebody passed away in our 490 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,400 church. The funeral is going to be in 491 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,200 four days and a day later, I'll just get a picture of the whole 492 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,400 duck. There's no questions there. 493 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,500 Just like we are just serving the people are just serving 494 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:19,400 whoever this family is, we don't need a bunch of details. 495 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,300 We're ready to go. Yeah, and it's a unique thing. 496 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:24,300 Yeah it is. I remember Matt Williams when we 497 00:24:24,300 --> 00:24:27,000 first started talking about some of this, he told a story to us. 498 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:30,200 Some staff and he mentioned, you know, he's trying to cast a 499 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,800 vision and capture our imagination is just imagine a 500 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,800 couple that is newlywed and very young in their marriage and 501 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,200 loses. Their child, think about the 502 00:24:39,300 --> 00:24:41,700 challenge that, that could be for them financially. 503 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,900 Think about the challenge, this is a chance for us as a people 504 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:48,800 to Rally around a couple like this sin and to do something 505 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:49,800 that it. No one would. 506 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,200 I mean, that's amazing. I mean, I remember what he told 507 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,200 me that story and I was just imagined the way that we can 508 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,800 love people really well. And I'm just really excited to 509 00:24:58,808 --> 00:25:02,000 see what happens as we do this month after month, year after 510 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,200 year. And we have maybe you could I 511 00:25:04,208 --> 00:25:07,500 know you shared the first person that passed away and buried. 512 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:09,700 But have we buried children have? 513 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:13,000 I mean, could you talk a little bit more about that or how? 514 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,300 Because we have other people that we bear we do we have not 515 00:25:15,300 --> 00:25:18,600 buried any children yet, it's all been people that are later 516 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,600 and seasons in life which for all those a lot of them have 517 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,400 been a little bit of a rejoicing. 518 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:27,000 Yeah it's the time of suffering is over. 519 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:30,700 And so those have not been as I mean I would say as tragic. 520 00:25:30,700 --> 00:25:33,300 Yeah. But that's still been unique in 521 00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:36,600 a different kind of Celebration. We have talked about like I said 522 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,300 we have 12 acres, we have talked about setting up an area, 523 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:45,600 possibly for a young life, lost a stillborn, a memorial or 524 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,100 having an area to walk through something like that. 525 00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:50,900 And that's something an idea that we're looking at in the 526 00:25:50,908 --> 00:25:54,000 future. Once we get our feet under 527 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,400 syllabus more, what we're doing, I mean death. 528 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:00,100 And on all forms. It's not just it's not just the 529 00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:02,400 end and so we want to be ready for all of them. 530 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:07,200 If we can just looking forward, somewhat going to have a chapel 531 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,700 and put a chapel, we do, we would like to have a chapel out 532 00:26:09,700 --> 00:26:10,800 there. Like I said, we have the land 533 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,200 for it. We have some equipment out there 534 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,500 that has some people have been real gracious with us and 535 00:26:14,500 --> 00:26:16,600 donated, some very nice equipment for us to work the 536 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,200 land. But the next thing we do need is 537 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,300 we probably need a chapel Barn structure for us to have a 538 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:25,500 service. We would love and it's great. 539 00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:27,000 It's not far from our Provost or camp. 540 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:29,800 It's so we're able to do a service there if we need to and 541 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,200 then come out there. But if we could have one area 542 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,400 for people to Rally to and do a little service and then do the 543 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,400 burial, it would be the ideal that we would want. 544 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,400 If you're listening, that's not something you're interested in 545 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,700 talking to and helping with Kelly. 546 00:26:43,700 --> 00:26:46,100 But yeah, conversation love to have a conversation with you. 547 00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:49,900 Matt commission us as leaders. For those of us in this 548 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:53,200 audience, how would you want us to speak about natural barrier 549 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,100 of someone asked us about this? Of course. 550 00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:58,600 Now they have a resource. That they can have a 551 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,100 conversation with Rod, but how would you want us to speak about 552 00:27:01,100 --> 00:27:03,300 this? What would be some tips or just 553 00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:06,400 some things to equip us and having conversation with people 554 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,300 about this, I think one of the ideas is that the idea around we 555 00:27:10,300 --> 00:27:14,800 want to be we want to be discipling are people from birth 556 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,300 into death. We want to be a part of every 557 00:27:17,300 --> 00:27:19,800 stage of life and all the way into death. 558 00:27:20,300 --> 00:27:22,800 And so I think that's that's a little bit of a different 559 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:24,800 language. We always talk about discipling 560 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,300 people in your thinking about during the lifetime but One of 561 00:27:27,300 --> 00:27:29,800 the major things you can do to disciple, the family is help 562 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,600 them bury their loved ones. And I think that was something 563 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,400 that we were not a part of that, we aren't saying that we have it 564 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,800 all figured out but we knew we needed at least take a step and 565 00:27:38,808 --> 00:27:40,800 get in the game and that's what this is. 566 00:27:40,900 --> 00:27:44,200 It's another way to disciple. Our people, we're disciple, are 567 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,600 people that are losing their loved ones. 568 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,100 And then the people that get to serve are being discipled, 569 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:51,300 there's the part of it. Yes. 570 00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:55,600 So I had a guy that's building caskets for us right now and he 571 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:57,000 wrote down crying the other night. 572 00:27:57,100 --> 00:27:59,400 Just told me. Thank you for him building 573 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,500 caskets. He was grateful that he got to 574 00:28:02,508 --> 00:28:05,000 be a part of it and he does not know these people. 575 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,200 He is just doing it to serve them and he was he called me 576 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,300 crying talking about it and I was like meant. 577 00:28:10,300 --> 00:28:12,500 Thank you. You're the one actually serving 578 00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:15,200 these people and you're thanking me for the opportunity. 579 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,600 I was like you're the one actually doing the work but the 580 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,700 thing is that guy's being discipled like there's something 581 00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:23,800 happening God's working in his heart, the way way, this is 582 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,400 going where he is getting to serve people with nothing in 583 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,300 return. He's just getting ready to help 584 00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:31,700 these people in a very dark time, and he's grateful for it 585 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,700 and God's using that to the disciple him. 586 00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:38,000 So Chris, it seems like death is something, obviously, it's an 587 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,100 uncomfortable topic. It is. 588 00:28:40,100 --> 00:28:42,500 And it feels like it's something that to be endured. 589 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:46,200 And I think just changes the conversation because it's 590 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,100 inevitable. It's not something that has to 591 00:28:48,100 --> 00:28:50,500 be feared. If you are a follower of Jesus 592 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:52,900 and believe in the resurrection, believe in the new heavens and 593 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:56,900 new earth, so it seems like it's an opportunity to reclaim and 594 00:28:57,100 --> 00:29:02,100 Something back and disciple, and help people Embrace, instead of 595 00:29:02,300 --> 00:29:07,300 indoor, that's give anything. So, the point, I think that the 596 00:29:07,300 --> 00:29:10,300 church, you know what, I hear Matt say is the church, 597 00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:14,200 normalizing the conversation and actually bringing the truth and 598 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,900 the hope that we all talked about. 599 00:29:16,900 --> 00:29:20,400 But this is like a physical embodiment different way of 600 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,500 expressing that hope which I think is going to be real 601 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:25,300 powerful for our church. Yeah. 602 00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:27,800 Ever, how long we get to do it? That's right. 603 00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:30,000 Yeah. Well man, this has been great. 604 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,900 Matt appreciate it. I mean, is there anything else 605 00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:33,900 you want to leave with? Us know, I'm grateful for this 606 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:37,500 opportunity and I'm excited about how this disciples are 607 00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:39,300 people in future. I mean that's what it is. 608 00:29:39,300 --> 00:29:41,800 Really that's great. Well thanks again. 609 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,200 Thank you. Thanks Matt. 610 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,900 Thank you. Well as we wrap up today's 611 00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:48,100 conversation, we want to thank you for joining us. 612 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,400 Be sure to subscribe to your favorite podcasting channel so 613 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:53,900 you can be updated with each new episode. 614 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:58,600 Also we realize that listening to a podcast Episode can be an 615 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:02,900 individual experience which we believe is only enhanced by 616 00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:05,400 talking through it and applying it to life. 617 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,300 And this is something that we believe lots of people don't 618 00:30:08,300 --> 00:30:11,200 naturally seek out or have built into their lives. 619 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,400 So we want to encourage you to share this episode with someone 620 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,700 else and discuss how it applies to you. 621 00:30:17,100 --> 00:30:20,100 Another idea would be to share it with someone and ask them to 622 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:21,600 share with you. Any takeaways. 623 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,500 They receive from listening to this and then approach their 624 00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:26,900 feedback with a posture to learn and apply. 625 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,800 Why? This is a great way to move 626 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,400 towards this discipleship issue. And if you have questions or 627 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,700 want access to any additional resources to help you dive 628 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:39,400 deeper into this subject, be sure to check out our podcast 629 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,600 page at Grace Church. S c.org /y discipleship. 630 00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:47,300 If we can help you answer any questions about this episode or 631 00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:51,200 want to discuss something in a future episode email us at why 632 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:55,300 discipleship at Grace Church, s c.org thanks for joining us 633 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:56,800 today. And we look forward to joining 634 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,300 you You on the next episode?