David

We all have a friend, loved one, significant other etc. who you could easily be the protagonist of this story: at first encounter they were never inclined to do the “church thing,” but through encouragement, prayer and the incredible power of the Holy Spirit a truly transformative movement took place in their hearts and brought them to a new level of closeness and intimacy with Jesus. My “possible awaits” story is one of renewed gratefulness, spiritual growth and spiritual revival.

I’ll be honest, when I first came to Citizen Heights on a hot summer evening at a 6PM service due to the prompting (or nagging…) of my sister, I was skeptical at best if I would enjoy or even comeback again. I was disenchanted and honestly disheartened by my church experience as a child. Rampant with judgmental theology and downright shaming of common faults in this fragile human experience of ours, I was completely turned off from church. I can’t honestly remember what was preached that day but one thing I can remember is tearing up during worship (to my honest shock and surprise) and then the overt love and acceptance displayed by everyone I came across which caught me off guard to say the least.

Fast forward three years, through attending the Growth Track classes I began serving on Team. I don’t even know why I decided to serve, it was just something my heart was urging me to do so I did. I had built very few relationships and I did not feel connected at all so I served, yes, but with a spirit of “I HAVE TO serve” versus “I GET TO serve.” Serving and being a part of a team helped me build many genuine relationships and that encouraged me to have a desire to serve others which turned into a desire to lead.

I went from not wanting to spend a minute in church, coming and going as I pleased, and never being fully engaged; to now being a Citizen Youth leader, leading a small group, assisting in the College Coffee Break mentoring, and being a Service Coordinator. Never in my life would I imagine I would be coming to church 2-3x a week and waking up in the early hours of the morning just so I could serve others. When you hear “possible awaits” sound out through the halls of this church, it isn’t just a catchy phrase, it is something I am living proof of. My heart has been changed from the inside out by what I truly believe was the Holy Spirit and I thank God every day for this radical transformation.