The Zone Gathering

Juliet Main is the newest addition to the NCC staff (though that distinction won’t last long– David Russell joins us next week!) as our Buzz Conference coordinator. But she is certainly no newcomer to NCC. She came to us orginally from South Dakota and Wyoming and most recently from East Timor and Greece. The picture above is Juliet holding a wombat during her stint in Australia with YWAM.

Today, we talked to Juliet about life, ministry, and goat tying.

**Editor’s Note– I am pretty sure that Juliet has the most interesting “unique fact” of any NCC staff member we have interviewed to date.

What is your official title? And what does that mean you do at NCC?
As of January I became the Buzz Coordinator, so that means I’m responsible for coordinating the details of NCC’s first Buzz Conference that will take place May 4-5. Bzzzzzz I’m also going to be one of the managers at Ebenezers.

Tell us a little about the small group that you lead and how that experience has impacted you.
I’m the zone leader for Alpha. I’ve been involved in Alpha since last spring and I’m continually blown away by how God chooses to use us in bringing people into a relationship w/ Him. Alpha has given me a whole new perspective on how to do small groups and has really challenged me to focus on the individual.

Where can you be found on Sunday mornings?
Union Station

When did you start following Christ and what have been some of the spiritual turning points in your life?
I grew up going to church and made a public profession of faith when I was 11. Until my family moved when I was 14, we attended a little country church where I have fond early memories of attending Sunday school and Bible school in the summer.

While I know I was sincere at 11, it wasn’t until I began to look for a church after moving to Washington, DC that I began to ask myself what I really believed and what that should mean to my everyday life. After becoming involved in a Bible study at NCC and another w/ some work colleagues, I think for the first time in my life I understood what it meant to know Jesus as my Lord and I realized that if I was going to call myself a Christian that it had to impact all areas of my life.

I remember one night at Bible study being impacted by a new Christian who was so excited about how much Jesus loved her and I remember thinking, “of course He does.” And then, “Wow God, I want to be that excited about you and love you like that.” I can always remember knowing that Jesus loved me and understanding that God was sovereign, but it wasn’t until I was being challenged and discipled by others who had an authentic faith that I began to fall in love with Jesus. Then I couldn’t get enough.

Other major turning points for me were being baptized at the first Baptism at the Bay and going on the mission trips to Jamaica and Barbados.

Tell us a little about your background
I grew up on a ranch in SD. In about 8th grade my family moved to Nebraska, then back to SD to the town of Belle Fourche, which is in the western part of the state near Mount Rushmore. I graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Communications and then moved to Washington, DC to work for Cong. Barbara Cubin (WY-AL). I worked on the Hill for five years and then in 2003 when the Congressman I was working for retired, I took that opportunity to do something different and joined Youth with a Mission (YWAM). I did a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with them in Townsville, Queensland in Australia and East Timor. Then I joined their Event Management team where I was involved in coordinating events in Australia, New Zealand and Athens, Greece. After two years with YWAM, I moved back to DC last year. I love missions and being surrounded by other cultures, so hope to do more missions work in the future.

I’m blessed with a great family. There’s not many of us, so we’re a tight-knit bunch. I have one older brother. He’s married and has a baby girl – my first niece. I love being an auntie and wish my family wasn’t all so far away!

What is your favorite Scripture passage?
My favorite Scripture is Phil 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. … But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Two others that have been a great source of strength for me are: Prov 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”; and Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

What are your favorite books?
That’s a tough one, but I would have to say Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin. I also like John Eldridge’s books.

Unless I’m on vacation, I generally prefer to read non-fiction or historical fiction so that I feel like I’m learning something. Sarah Owen’s reading regimen has challenged me to read more classics as well.

What are your favorite movies?
That’s another tough one. I love reading and going to the movies. My more recent fav’s are Kingdom of Heaven, Return to Me, Sweet Home Alabama, Pride & Prejudice. My all-time fav’s are Rocky (I-III), Bull Durham and The Godfathers. I love period films like The Patriot, Gladiator, or The Importance of Being Ernest.

What is your favorite fast food?
Taco Bell

What is something that most people at NCC would not know about you?
I’m going out on a limb here, but I went to college on a rodeo scholarship and was a two-time SD State High School Rodeo Goat-Tying Champion

If you were not working at NCC, your dream job would be…
A band manager or event producer

Who is your hero? (besides Jesus or any other member of the Trinity)
I can’t say that I have a hero in the sense that there’s been someone I’ve looked up to for years, but I would probably say that Elisabeth Elliot has greatly challenged and inspired me.

What do you do in your free time?
Read, watch movies or something outdoors.

In NCC:THE MOVIE who would play you? Who would play Pastor Mark?
Molly Shannon would play me (I’m told I do a mean Mary Katherine Gallagher) and Will Ferrell would play Pastor Mark.

What is your favorite Pastor Markism?
“Let’s tie it in a knot”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 14th, 2006 at 2:11 pm and is filed under Spotlights, Staff, Zone Leaders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.