At the heart of The Catch Ministry lies a profound purpose: to infuse faith with humanity, to break down barriers to belief, and to ignite action that leaves an eternal impact. The Catch Ministry’s primary builders are Marti and John Fischer, whose roots trace back to the Jesus Movement, where the message of salvation breathed life into countless souls and birthed a new generation of believers. Today many of those believers through John and Marti’s leadership and inspiration have embarked on a transformational journey, bridging the gap between the church and the culture, and empowering a new breed of believers known as Marketplace Christians.

Nehemiah, a “Marketplace Christian” of his day, exemplified this character — a businessman with a fervent heart for his people and the audacity to take decisive action.

“Why are you looking so sad?” The king asked Nehemiah one day. “You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.”

Then I was terrified, but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?”

With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” (Nehemiah 2:2-5)

You’ve got to love this man, Nehemiah. He’s one of us. He’s been pouring his heart out in prayer for Jerusalem for over 2 months, but so far, nothing has happened. He’s been trying to disguise his sadness because one of the requirements of working in the king’s court is having a bright, positive attitude. But Nehemiah’s emotions are getting worn down, and on this day, for some reason, he cannot hide them. That’s why he was terrified; the king noticed, and he could lose his job. But the king could tell he was deeply troubled and questioned him about it. And when Nehemiah tells him why, the king surprises him by asking how he can help.

Picture being approached by the ruler of the mightiest empire on the planet, who sincerely asks how he can assist you with your concerns. This was Nehemiah’s reality when he wrote, “With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied…” (This is excerpted from his journal, granting us insight into his experience). It exemplifies praying on the spur of the moment without prior planning. Such prayers occur just before facing something daunting or perilous. For Nehemiah, this was perilous indeed, potentially endangering his life.

Surprisingly, the king granted Nehemiah his wish to go rebuild the city as long as he gave the king a time he would return. Not only that, he gave him letters guaranteeing safe passage through the countries he would have to pass through to get there, some of which were not friendly to the people of Israel. And a letter to the manager of the king’s forest so he could gather the timber needed to rebuild the city’s gates. And a group of army officers and horsemen to protect him on the way. God was indeed with Nehemiah.

What does this tell you, except that all the time since Nehemiah’s first prayers, he has been thinking and planning for this trip. Should he get the opportunity, what would he need? And what would he do? Sure enough, he was ready, which tells you something about his faith. The way was made for him… the king made the way.

Nehemiah had a deep concern and a vision for what he could do about it. It was a big vision. It would take immense money, manpower, and endurance to pull this off. So many questions. He hadn’t even been there to inspect the damage. Nor did he know that the people — the only builders he had — would support him. And would they be receptive? “They are in great trouble and disgrace,” he had been told. Morale was low.

What was Nehemiah facing? He didn’t know. He was either a fool or a man with a big vision and the faith to meet it.

As Catch citizens, we are on an extraordinary journey where faith continues to meet our actions. Implanted within our hearts is the Lord’s vision to introduce His Gospel of Welcome, and through our lives, give His Grace to others so that everyone, everywhere, knows, as we do, the loving embrace of our Lord.

Own the vision with the faith to meet it. Let’s continue to build together.