My Church

I love my church. LOVE LOVE LOVE my church. My mom and I joined in 1985 when I was 5 years old. Today is our church's 100th birthday. I'm super sad that I'm not there, but at the same time, I know that it's my church's impact on my life that has me where I am today... and so, it's bittersweet, because I LOVE where I am today and what's going on in my life. I just wish I could teleport over to my church for 1 day... sure wish they'd hurry up and invent that! :)

The church's theme for today's services is Living the Legacy. They've asked us to write down the Legacy that the church - it's members - have made on our lives. Here's what I wrote.

    The very first Sunday Mom and I visited the church, I cut my hand with a pair of scissors. Thankfully, that didn't turn us away from it. It was 1985. I was 5 years old and we'd just moved to our city and had visited several churches before landing there. I don't know why mom chose it, but I'm eternally grateful that she did! 

    Mom joined the choir that first year, but then found her home in the orchestra and made many friends - many of whom I've known most of my life and who've seen me grow up! The orchestra continued to be an important group of friends for Mom and she met Bill in there in 1988 and they were married in 1989. 

    I accepted the Lord on a drive down the mountain one day after church. I always sat on the front row in the Sanctuary, by the orchestra with my friend Rachel Gage, just waiting for the first service to be over, but that day in April 1987, God pierced my heart and I became one of His own. Dr. Carter preached the words, my mom led me to faith, Joan Harrison made sure I knew what I was doing, Dr. Carter baptized me, and countless people poured into me from that day on. 

    Thinking back on my 26 years, many names and events pop into mind: Sherry Armstrong, Cherry Tadlock, and Ginger Collins in children’s choirs; Mrs. Sharman in 1st Grade Sunday School; singing my first solo “What Child is This?” in 4th grade; Ken Flowers and David Powell in 5th grade SS; the Galleria lighting ceremonies, where I was an elf then later a singer/dancer; playing at the CLC on Wednesday nights while mom was in orchestra practice; Crosspoint camps; getting serious with God as a teen with guidance from Deborah McWaters - before she was McWaters; First Love and David Gaines; seeing Benny Proffit and Sybil Johnson pour into all those “cool high school kids” making me want to be just like them. 

    Then came high school: Phyllis Edwards, my 9th grade SS small group leader; Aubrey Edwards and New Wind and learning how to use my musical and artistic talents in a way that glorified the Lord while we were serving the community, and really learning what M-ssions was all about on those 4 tours. Rick and Linda Swing came after 9th grade choir tour. Many of my best memories come from my NW days, and I can still do way too much choreography! Hugs from Aubrey - I can still remember the smell of his cologne. Running around in angel costumes - biblical costumes, white jeans, any costumes - at all hours for Pageant rehearsals; youth camps where we really dove into the Word and where it was truly first implanted on my heart. Jay Ridenour, Rick Swing, Michael Sepulveda - amazing men of God who showed me what to look for as I got older; One-Up Weekends, singing in youth ensemble. Mark Sims came in 10th grade and began nurturing the theatrical side as well as the musical side of me. Babysitting numerous kiddos who are now grown, some of them married. The Swings poured into me those last years of HS and solidified the foundation of trusting God that had already been laid years before. Then, capping off HS by getting the first ever Lew Bagwell memorial scholarship in 1998 with my best friend Meredith Tisdale. 

    Then college: I drove home from Montevallo all 4 years to go to the church on Sundays and many of those days, I brought friends with me, who also loved their experiences there! I taught 9th grade SS for the first time my freshman year; got to go on NW tour as the choreographer when Emily Hand had a trip to Europe; was finally a part of Sybil Johnson’s ministry with the college group, Nathan Tutor, Sybil, Mike Smith, and others taught the Word each week! Going to Suquamish Indian Reservation twice on my first non-NW M trips. I knew in 9th grade that I wanted go places to serve the Lord, but the summer of 2001, in college, is when I knew it would be more than 2 weeks here and 2 weeks there. Brad and I fell in love in 2002 and he became a member of the church that same year. We taught 9th grade SS that year and got married in the spring of 2003, in the then newly-renovated Old Sanctuary/Conference Center - a very special place to me! 

    As an adult, the church has continued to be a huge part of my life! The first GIC we were really involved in was in 2004, when an M from TZ was assigned to our SS class - Danny would say “What are the chances? 100%!” And the rest of our M story is still being written! God sure knew what He was doing! I also joined the adult choir in 2002 and have loved singing with the Alto ‘Women of God’! Michael Adler opened new doors for my singing! And Steve Dunn gave me the chance to sing with the amazing SM Jazz Orchestra, who later played our wedding reception. The Women’s ministry and Kristi Griem, my first mentor, supported me before we left for TZ. Then throughout our 2 years serving there (2005-2007), we were blessed by our friends from the church and the continual support - even a trip out to work with us, where we first met Tom Boston, got to work alongside our best friends, Jeff and Taryn Clark, and see Jeremy Griem really in his element on the field. 

    In 2007, when we returned from TZ, we were greeted with a house provided by Mickey and Bonnie Murray, and full of ‘welcome goodies’ from Bonnie Shields and the hospitality crew. With our intentions of returning to the field in career service, we helped start a new “Nearly/Newly” Sunday School class with the some of our best friends. That SS class, the choir, and those 2 years of GIC involvement encouraged us, strengthened us as we walked through infertility, supported us, and put us on the right path to start our lives on this side of the ocean. And then having Lucy’s first “home” be the house on the church property was quite the cherry on top! 

    I honestly wonder what my path would have been, if we’d be sitting here, 2 years into our career on this side of the ocean, learning Arabic, and sharing Jesus with our friends, if it weren’t for my mom taking us to visit the big church on the hill back in the mid-80s. I know she was in God’s will that Sunday. I am so grateful for the people of the church - the place, the ministries, and most of all the God we all serve, have all shaped me into who I am. The Church truly feels like “home” on earth to me! 

While I’m sad to not be there, I’m thankful to our Lord for where I am and what I’m doing for His Kingdom. All praise and glory to Him for this legacy from my church in my life! Thank you, church, and all the wonderful people in my life that you represent! 

It was therapeutic for me to sit down and write all this out. Looking at all the pictures online of the displays they've set up, walking through the history of the church...remembering that almost every single important event of my life has happened in those buildings... wow. What a legacy!