My church history

I grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. During my last two years before leaving home, I attended a Southern Baptist Church. After leaving home, I attended a charismatic, non-denominational church and then stuck with Assembly of God churches for the next five years. I felt like emphasis on the move and work of the Holy Spirit had been missing in my childhood and as a demonstrative, loud person, I felt much more comfortable in charismatic-style churches.

My husband was active-duty Air Force so we moved a lot. We attended an Evangelical Free church for our year in San Antonio, Texas. We loved our Vineyard Church in Omaha, Nebraska. This was the first time I felt an authentic community of believers that were not pretentious and ‘churchy’. I was devastated when the military moved us again and for two years, we did not attend church. I hated it but didn’t really know what to do. We had such an amazing experience at the Vineyard and after trying a few churches in California, just didn’t feel as though any other church was ‘home.’

Our next move was to South Korea and for two years we attended the Military Chapel Gospel Service. We landed in Florida next and drove 45 minutes every Sunday morning to attend a small Vineyard Church for its last two years. It was there, with Pastor Joe Cummings, that I learned what the true conviction of the Holy Spirit looks like. We spent the next two years at Catalyst Church, where we learned what it looks like to live in community with other believers, serving and loving one another and serving the community in practice and action, not just in theory.

My husband’s final military assignment took us to Hill AFB, Utah. By this time, we had high expectations for church. We knew it was possible for a group of people to keep their church institution focused more on Jesus and His plans than on their programs. After visiting eight or nine churches, we found Crossroads Christian Fellowship, a Foursquare Church. This church was led by Pastor Robert Guiller who ran the church according to the principles found in the book, Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness by Jerry Cook, his life-long mentor. I served on the worship team and was taught how to lead as a servant. I learned how to lead a team of people with a co-leader, which is a hard thing to describe, but such a beautiful thing to experience and learn!

After my two oldest children were married, we sold nearly everything and moved, with our teenage daughter, to Costa Rica, where we bought a home and imagine we’ll live for many years. For the first year, I was called to rest - not permitted by the Lord to serve in church at all. We attended a Foursquare Church in Turrialba. I have to say, it is one of the strangest experiences of my life to show up to church, sit, listen, and then go home.

As messy as churches can be, I believe it is imperative that we do not neglect meeting together to stir up love and good works. The current church model may not be the best system, but churches draw people who are hurting, and I want to be where the hurting people are! Churches also draw believers. And I want to be in community with other believers, sharing life, strengthening one another, and serving others alongside them.

There is a lot of talk about the modern, evangelical church dying because of its failures. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I have always strongly felt the leading of God in my life to continue serving in a church - encouraging the weary, lending a hand to alleviate, encouraging the pastors, serving the local community alongside others, challenging some doctrines and teachings, digging deeper in the Word, and taking others in deep with me.