The reason behind why I volunteer on UpStreet began as a “me thing” and evolved into a “we thing.” On the surface, I had the perfect life—a beautiful, loving wife, two wonderful young boys (4.5 and 3 years old at the time), and all the trappings of the middle class. Yet, there was an emptiness and longing inside me that I could no longer ignore. I couldn’t make sense of the world around me or where I fit within it.
Looking back on my life, I realize God placed exactly the right people in my path at the right times—especially my wife! After 44 years of doing things my way, feeling broken, defeated, and frustrated, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior on April 26, 2014, and was baptized.
Shortly after completing Starting Point, I began to understand that “following Jesus truly made my life better and made me better at life.” The more I leaned in, the more I knocked, the more He revealed to me. During this time, I first heard the phrase “Generational Life Change” and realized that this wasn’t just about me giving my life to Christ. We were building a faith-based foundation for our young boys that they could carry forward.
It didn’t take long after coming to Gwinnett Church for my wife and me to find our place on UpStreet, where we could “help the next Gen win.” She serves on the Guest Services team, greeting and welcoming all the kids, while I am a Coach in the 4th and 5th-grade boys’ room. Today, I’m humbled that we get to serve alongside our oldest son, now a sophomore in high school, who is a 5th-grade small group leader. Our eighth-grader also plans to join us on UpStreet next fall.
There is nothing more fulfilling than witnessing God’s good, pleasing, and perfect plan in action!
You are Made For More, too. Volunteering in our church is one way you can discover the more you are made for. Ready to find out what you were made for?
