Woodmen Valley Chapel

Real People, Real Stories

Alexanda Flaherty (Rockrimmon)
I grew up in a Christian home so I have always known about Jesus. While I was living in Germany in 1999, my mom sat down with me one night and we talked about Jesus. I decided to invite Him into my life and make me new. I love Jesus very much. I want to be baptized because I realize He is calling me to do so. It is my desire to be obedient and follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

Paul Flaherty (Rockrimmon)
I was born in a Christian family. I don’t know exactly when I became a Christian. I love Jesus very much and want to live my life for Him. I want to be obedient to Jesus and be baptized as He was. It is my desire to be a great man of God and stand up for truth.

Tyler Givens (Rockrimmon)
I came to Christ at a young age and have followed Him since that time. My walk has been far short of blameless, but I have always known that I belong to Him. My parents have steadily demonstrated to me what it means to serve God. They have encouraged me to be baptized but they knew baptism was a decision that I needed to make on my own. I want to be baptized out of sheer obedience as a public demonstration of my love for Christ. Jesus demands it and I want to live my life in service to Him.

Derek Haun (Rockrimmon)
I have been a follower of Christ my entire life, but it took moving away from home and being on my own for my eyes to really be opened, for me to be able to experience that “wow” factor with the work that Christ has been doing in my life. I wish to be baptized because I want to take that first step of obedience and share my passion and love for Jesus Christ.

Harry E. Haynes III (Woodmen Heights)
I was raised in a loving family with strict morals, a strong belief in God, and that Jesus was a great teacher, but not our salvation.  Christ initially came into my life in 1991 at an Amway function.  I went forward to receive Christ, but didn’t follow-up with Bible study or fellowship.  It was more of an intellectual effort than one of the heart.  In the late 1990’s, a friend brought me back to church.  I struggled to reconcile past beliefs with those in the Bible, and continued to have an internal conflict about my salvation.  In August 2001, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.  Now I have true hope for the future, a solid foundation for my life, a strength not based on this world, and a clear view of how to live in this world.  I want to be baptized as an act of obedience, a pronouncement of my faith in Jesus Chris as my Lord and Savior.

Adam Hinkle (Rockrimmon)
I was raised in a Christian family and was “saved” when I was a child but did not have a relationship with God until after college. I strayed away from God in high school and college and lived the cliché college party life. Then God did the best thing for me, He took away all I valued (job, friends, girlfriend). I was so confused that I dropped everything and moved to a horse ranch in Colorado where I was surrounded by strong Christians. It was there that I found God. He has since transformed my heart and has become my compass, guiding me to meet and marry my beautiful Christian wife, and He recently gave us a daughter to make sure I stay humble. I now wish to be baptized because I was as a child but have since found an authentic relationship with God and want to publicly display that.

Dana Sue Hinkle (Rockrimmon)
Growing up, my mom always took us to church more out of habit than anything else. My dad is very much opposed to Christianity. I am the youngest of five kids and we all (but one) came to know the Lord in high school (all through different ministries). I came to know the Lord in August before my senior year of High School through a weekend retreat my sister took me on through TEC (Teens Encounter Christ). It obviously changed my world completely. At Penn State I was surrounded by Christians who helped encourage me and set a foundation for my faith. I went from testing physical limits in relationships to trying to solve things on my own, and having a sense of hopelessness to the opposite extreme. I wish to be baptized because I was when I was twelve but it had no meaning because I was told to do it but I did not yet have a relationship with the Lord…I would now like to be “marked.”

Abigail Huerta (Rockrimmon)
When I was almost four-years-old, I asked my mom if I could accept Christ as my Savior. She said I should wait until I could understand better. Later, after my sister accepted Christ, I woke up my mother and asked her again if I could accept Christ. She prayed with me to accept Christ as my Savior since my sister was asleep. I want to be baptized because I love God and want to get closer to Him.

Rebecca Huerta (Rockrimmon)
Since the time I was born, my parents shared the gospel with me. After I had learned about the gospel, I wanted to accept Him in my heart, but my parents wanted me to understand that I was a sinner and needed a Savior. Finally, during the summer after I graduated kindergarten, I told my mom I was ready to accept Jesus in my heart. She said ok. That night we prayed with my sister and I finally accepted Jesus into my heart. I want to be baptized because I want to share with others my love of God and because I want to be closer to Him.

Hunter Kemper (Rockrimmon)
My family went to church regularly when I was young, but growing up, sports were my life.  And that was what took our family away from church.  While attending Wake Forest, I realized that something was missing in my life.  I was drawn to Christian friends - there was something different about them that I liked to be around.  After graduation, I moved to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center.  I was a slave to the sport of triathlon and my life felt empty.  I realized what was missing and began to attend church again.  In summer 1999, I gave my life over to Christ.  My old self was washed away; I became a new person in Christ.  God has blessed me in so many ways - my beautiful wife, loving parents, an inspiring sister, my son – Davis Thomas Kemper, born January 3rd, 2007 – and amazing talents in the sport of triathlon.  My prayer is that I will never be afraid to honor Him in all that I do.

Avigeya Korniyenko (Rockrimmon)
I’ve known about God and Christ since I was a little girl but it wasn’t until my late teens that I decided to walk with Christ and learn about the truth. Slowly, God has broken away the worldly and sinful things about me and has shaped me to reflect Him for which I’m very grateful. My happiness and future lies with God and I want to be baptized not only to be obedient, but to show the world that I don’t belong to it anymore…I belong to God.