Care Minister
It is with joy and wonder that one of my earliest memories is of being baptized in a tiny church in a small town at the age of six. Standing in front of the congregation and looking out over the pews, I understood what I was doing and saying but it took another twenty years for me to truly understand God’s kindness to me in allowing me that early confession of faith. I grew up in a family that claimed Christianity but attended church sporadically and rarely spoke about the gospel in regards to everyday matters. With an early childhood marked by my parents’ divorce, poverty, an absentee father, abuse, and frequent moves, I came to crave safety and security so as soon as I was able, I began going to church on my own or with friends. I didn’t know what differentiated one place of worship from another so I learned about Jesus from Southern Baptist pastors and Lutheran ministers, at Episcopalian youth retreats and non-denominational bible studies. I went wherever the doors were open to me and was delighted to find the Lord consistently met me there.
As a six-year-old, I believed the decision to accept Christ would save my eternal life but as an adult, I’m also aware that decision saved my earthly life. On paper it doesn’t seem to make sense that someone with my experiences and desire for control would choose faith and submission to the Lord, but He was kind enough to lead me on that path and time and time again, I have found myself protected in miraculous ways because of it. In college, I attended a church that taught me about the bible, gospel community, and church history. I learned the foundational truths of Christianity for the first time. My husband and I began attending The Village Church in 2006 and transitioned to the Denton campus in 2008. It has felt like home from the very beginning. The TVCD staff has been instrumental in my knowledge of who God is and what a life marked by faith can and should look like. We have been discipled, challenged, loved, and encouraged as members and my heart is to simply continue serving our church by doing the same for others.
