“The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands.” Isaiah 32:8

Greetings!  My name is Gregg Harris, and Noble Institute is the household ministry of my family and friends. Though NI is incorporated as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization for tax purposes, it is a modern day example of a Christian family household “devoting themselves for ministry” (see 1 Cor. 16:15-18). Each member, according to his or her gifts and interests, is involved in real ministry to others as part of our family. All that we do is tied together by my own life’s calling and purpose, which is “to develop godly leadership for every area of life in every season of life.” The leadership skills and attitudes we endeavor to develop begin with ourselves in our own hearts before God and in our own minds as students of God’s Word, but it does not stop there. The essence of biblical leadership is to provide a good example for others to be inspired by, to imitate and to follow. By being and doing what we believe is most pleasing to God, we impact the world around us.

If this was all there was to leadership it would be enough, but there is another important aspect which people often think of when they think of leadership.  That is the ability to rally others to action and recruit others to support a worthy cause. It may be the founding of a new study group or club, the launching of a new “doing-well-by-doing-good” business venture, the planting of a new local church, the organization of a new political initiative, or any of a million other “good ideas for good works.” The point is that there are many important projects that need to be undertaken, but which require more than any one person or family can provide. In such cases leadership must cast a vision, paint a big picture, and challenge others to roll up their own sleeves and open their own wallets to help accomplish the great work. The Harris Family, through Noble Institute, attempts to do just that. NI is merely our vehicle, governed and supported by a godly Board of Directors, to develop biblical leadership in ourselves and in others.

What Have We Accomplished Thus Far?

First, we are, by God’s grace, a strong, Christian family. All of our members thus far are delighted in God through our lord Jesus Christ. We do not believe that we must neglect our family responsibilities in order to accomplish God’s will in our ministry to others.  The family is not an obstacle to ministry, it is a vehicle for ministry, and as such it must be maintained.  But vehicles are made for the road, not the garage. We become strong as a family by exerting ourselves in service to others outside our family.

Noble Institute serves as the organization through which I, (Gregg Harris) carry on my various conference speaking and seminar presenting activities. Currently, through The Household of Faith Seminar, I offer instruction concerning local church reform and church planting. We try to practice what we preach long before we preach it, and so, we have been involved in church planting in our own community.

Household of Faith Community Church (HOFCC) in the Metro Area of Portland, Oregon, an age-integrated, family inclusive local church of over 900 members, was originally planted in 1998 in our own home under the auspices of Noble Institute. I now serve as a Teaching Elder in what has become an autonomous local church engaged in planting new congregations in the Portland area and assisting in planting similar local churches across the U.S. and even in other nations.

Noble Institute continues to serve HOFCC by hosting a Preachers Study Group for men of our church who aspire to serve God in the roles of elder, deacon, evangelist or missionary. The study group meets weekly on Tuesday nights to train its members for pulpit ministry and to discuss Bible doctrine and church leadership issues. Our goal is to help every man “think like an elder, serve like a deacon, do the work of an evangelist and eventually help to plant a new local church.”

My wife, Sono Harris, presents her Arts of Godly Womanhood study group for mothers and daughters in the Portland area, speaks with me in various conferences, and writes for Fearlessly Feminine, a blog that she co-authors with my 15 year old daughter Sarah. Sono’s instruction helps mothers and daughters learn not only biblical “home economics” but also the spiritual truths that adorn the inner woman for the glory of God and the good of their husbands and fathers. We embrace and teach the biblical complimentarian view of the gender roles, where men love protect the women in their lives and women respect and respond to the leadership of the men in their lives.

In 2003 & 2004, Noble Institute hosted and the Harris’ coached the Rainmakers Christian Home-school Speech & Debate Club for the Gresham, OR area. Our own children developed their speaking and writing skills during this time, and actually won five national championships. This club continues to operate as an autonomous organization in the Christian home-school community.

My first-born, Joshua Harris is an accomplished conference speaker, author and now Senior Pastor of Covenant Life Church, a large local church in Gather Maryland. Joshua is also the author of several best-selling book, including I Kissed Dating Good Bye, Boy Meets Girl, Not Eve a Hint, and most recently, Stop Dating the Church (all from Multnomah Books). Joshua’s ministry began during his teenage years with the publication of New Attitude Magazine and the presentation of New Attitude Teen Conferences under the auspices of my previous family business/ministry, Christian Life Workshops and Noble Publishing Associates (which was sold in 2002 to another Christian family).

My second son, Joel Harris, with his wife Kimberly, has successfully launched The Northwest Academy of Worship Music, to help raise up worship leaders and worship team members for local churches in the Portland area. He currently has over 70 students and a waiting list of future students and hosts nationally respected worship musicians in local concerts. This enterprise is what we call a “doing-well-by-doing-good” family business.

My 17 year old twin sons, Alex & Brett Harris, present their Rebelution Tour Conferences for Christian teens and their parents as a division of Noble Institute. Their blog (www.therebelution.com) and their conferences (www.rebelutiontour.com) have already spawned a national movement among Christian teenagers. Alex & Brett are currently serving in the political campaigns of Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker in Alabama.

What Is Next?

For the benefit of my own son, Isaac (age 12) and other Christian home school students in the Portland area and across the country, Noble Institute is currently founding NACHJC (the National Association of Christian Home-school Journalism Clubs). This is an organization that helps parents start and manage free-press journalism clubs for Christian home school students age 12 to 24, and offers annual training boot camps and awards for excellence in Christian journalism.

In addition, and in conjunction with NACHJC, Noble Institute is serving as a “ministry incubator” for bold new evangelistic endeavor called Full Page Gospel (FPG). This is a ministry partnership among many local churches and Christian businesses to publish effective Gospel presentations in the major newspapers and magazines across the U.S. and around the world. FPG may be the most far reaching ministry we have ever undertaken.

Why Such a Broad a Array of Ministry Activities?

The reason we address such a wide array of topics, is because our family household has an interest in all of these topics. The reasons that they span the full length of human life is because that is what a family does. It has members in every season of life. Because every area of life is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and all authority in heaven and on earth has already been given to Him by His Father in heaven, we have a mandate to be salt and light is every area and in every season. Just before He ascended to His father to take His place at the Father’s right hand, Jesus gave to us the Great Commission. It was given to us as individual Christians to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. As Christians we are Christ’s ambassadors. That makes our homes embassies of Christ’s kingdom. Our believing family members are intended to be our fellow embassy staff. God’s kingdom comes as God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. That is the purpose of our lives as a family and that is the focus of Noble Institute for Leadership Development.