Narrow Gate

[00:00:00] In woodworking, you know, you start with a tree, uh, that’s dead. It’s fallen down and it’s, it’s good for nothing but to be burned really. But then somebody comes along and cuts it up, works on it, takes away all of the, uh, the ugly parts. And then slowly and sometimes painfully, uh, turns it into something beautiful.

We are Bill and Stacy Spencer. We’re the executive directors and founders of Narrogate Foundation here in Middle Tennessee. You know, the beautiful thing about the offer that Narrogate makes to these guys is that it’s really simple. If for eight months you could shut down all the expectations of life, you have no bills to pay.

You have no stresses and social environment to worry about. Everything’s [00:01:00] provided. Everything’s protected. And for eight months, you get to ask two questions. Who am I? Really, who am I? And why am I here? If you could walk away with the answer to those two questions, would you take that opportunity? One of the things that makes Narragate Lodge so transformational is that it’s completely experiential, and it’s not just an intellectual pursuit of God, it’s a spiritual Learning how to live in a lifestyle of discipleship.

And so young men are transformed because it’s 24 7, 365, and they’re living with their teachers. It’s not that they just get um, church on Sunday and the rest of the week they’re on their own. Like, it’s every day. And so, in our leather shop, in our wood shop, and we also have a metal shop, an automotive shop, where the young men get to take their spiritual lessons and apply them.

So, what does it look like to do [00:02:00] all things for the glory of God? What does it look like to submit to one another as unto the Lord? You know, all these biblical lessons that we teach, what does it look like to actually live that out? And then For young men who show an aptitude and an interest, we’re able to offer them a temporary employment or a permanent employment situation at Narragate Artisans, which is our business in Franklin, Tennessee.

But at the end of the day, it’s just one thing. It’s just one thing. We help people discover who they are and why they’re here. And the answer to all of that is always found in Christ. I realized that this, this passion that he’s put in me for, for craftsmanship and for fine woodworking specifically, he has been using and can use continually to, to show what he’s able to do to us.

My job is not to make furniture [00:03:00] or to make guitars, is to make disciples. Getting to take a part in, in God’s work of healing them and bringing peace into their life, that’ll change you.

When I see our guys. They’re trees of righteousness. Now they may only be a little sapling right now, right? Cause they’re 18, 19, 20 years old. But what are they going to look like when they’re 60? And God gave me a picture of that. It’s going to be like, I’m going to be like a child running through these huge oaks of righteousness that have been planted.

Lots of trees that are producing fruit for the kingdom. I think it’s funny cause a lot of people want to separate ministry and business. And there just is no separation. The Great Commission is pretty simple. In your going, as you go, make disciples. That’s [00:04:00] it. So it doesn’t really matter if you’re doing that in a market space, in an office, if you’re doing it on a job site, if you’re doing it in your family, if you’re doing it as ministry on this.

Look, none of that matters. Stay connected to God and connected to people. And let that be the guide that leads you into the ministry you’re supposed to do right then. If we just did those two, we’d change everything.