Christina Embree
Minister of Generational Discipleship
Great Lakes Conference of the Brethren in Christ
What keeps you up at night?
My family loves to make fun of me for my restless nights. Any noise at night will wake me up and getting back to sleep is a chore. When I think about what keeps me up at night, the first thing that comes to mind is “Everything!” But, as I reflect, I realize what really keeps me up is the noise. Not necessarily actual noises but the noise that fills this world; the anger, the hurt, the hatred, the sadness. It breaks my heart because I fear we can’t hear one another because of all the noise.
What gets you up in the morning?
When I quiet myself and listen to God, the noise quiets and His voice beckons to places of grace, healing, love, and joy. I long for others to experience that peaceful place, too. That is why I am so passionate about connecting generations within churches to one another in meaningful relationships and corporate worship. It’s not about championing a program or jumping onboard a movement. It’s about cutting through the noise and creating spaces where we can both hear and be heard; where our center is the gentle, beckoning voice of God and our experience is one of openness and humility.
My kids are being raised in a time where, if left to their own devices, they would rarely interact with generations beyond theirs. The noise is deafening. But in a community of faith, the volume can be lowered and other voices heard. What gets me up in the morning? The desire to help us find places of peace with one another in the midst of the noise. We need each other if we are to ever find rest in this world. God has created us for community; behold, how good and how pleasant it is (Psalm 133:1).
Rev. Christina Embree is wife to Pastor Luke, mom to three wonderful kids, and church planter/minister at Plowshares BIC. She currently serves as the Minister of Generational Discipleship with the Great Lakes Conference of the Brethren in Christ. With years of experience in family ministry and children’s ministry, she is passionate about seeing churches partnering with families to encourage faith formation at home and equipping parents to disciple their kids in the faith. She recently graduated with a Master of Arts in Ministry focusing on Family, Youth and Children’s Ministry at Wesley Seminary. She also blogs at www.refocusministry.org and is a contributing blogger at D6 Family, ChurchLeaders.com, and Seedbed.
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