Catalyst Road Trip

From our time with Matt Dumas, Minister of Equipping at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, TX last Tuesday morning at La Madeline…

Imagine hiking along a mountain trail no wider than three feet across with a rock wall on the left and a 2,000ft drop on the right. The sun is rising on the horizon, and suddenly an unexpected slip turns a peaceful hike into a heart stopping plunge down a sheer mountain face. It sounds like a page from a story, but sometimes reality can be more terrifying than ficiton…as was the case in August of 2006.

Matt Dumas found himself facing sure death when he fell from a section of trail known as the “Narrows” leading to the summit of Longs Peak, a 14,000ft mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. Tumbling head over heels Matt fell 60ft before managing to find a narrow ledge where he slid to a stop just short of a cliff leading to the valley floor. He sustained numerous injuries that left him unable to move. Other hikers on the mountain saw the fall and found a way to get down to Matt…long story short, it took a team of several mountaineers, a helicopter, and seven hours to rescue Matt from Longs Peak. The story made headlines in Colorado, and today Matt remembers that day as a near death experience.

When a near death experience serves as the backdrop of change purpose becomes simply about enjoying the gift of life and adding value to others. Matt shared with us about his journey to Dallas about his new role as Minister of Equipping with Northwest Bible Church. He seeks to help equip people with the knowledge and skill necessary to build their spiritual core. Matt brought a team with him to Catalyst last year and shared with us about the greatest leadership lesson that he has learned this past year. As a leader Matt admits, “sometimes I want to say everything I’m thinking but many times I need to simply listen.” A leader understands restraint. Matt referenced Proverbs 18:2, “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.” The greatest leadership lesson Matt has learned this past year has been the power of an attentive listening ear.

It was a short breakfast but we enjoyed time with Matt and look forward to seeing him again in October. Check out more about Matt and Northwest Bible Church at their website - www.northwestbible.org.