Woodmen Valley Chapel

Real People, Real Stories

Jason Allen (Rockrimmon)
On Easter 2004, at 7:00 a.m. I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Within a week, I acknowledged Him as the Lord of my life. Since that time, I have realized I have an eternal relationship with Jesus that I would not have otherwise. He has blessed me my by saving my marriage, tearing down the false ego I had, giving me a beautiful daughter and more grace than I deserve. This outward profession of my faith is something I have been meaning to do, but I was encouraged and convicted of it two weeks ago during the sermon. This is one of my pockets of disobedience I desire to seek out and hand over to God.

Andrea Arterbury (Rockrimmon)
When I was six years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior during my first year in Summer Funner Theater. Even though I was only six, God still took me in his arms and He has been with me ever since. I have continued to grow in my walk with Him these past eight years. I have been learning, slowly but surely, that when I choose to do things my way it never works out. My way puts me in situations I can not foresee and leads me down to my knees asking for His guidance to get me out of the mess I’ve created. Through worship, attending Souled Out and Fusion, and the mistakes I’ve made, I am continually trying to carry out His will and grow closer to Him.

Heidi Baker (Rockrimmon)
I met the Lord six years ago after three decades of rejecting Him. Since then, I have turned over everything I have and everything I am to Him. I want to live every day with extreme faith, not to make up for lost time, but because there is nothing and no one more worthy than our God. I am being baptized as an outward expression of what has already happened internally.

Lisa Benson (Rockrimmon)
I now know, and not as a result of religious influence, that God comforted me through all my childhood trauma and somehow I knew that someday I would be His. From junior high until I got married at twenty-three, I began looking for love in all the wrong places and making all the wrong decisions. After I got all the things I wanted - a husband and kids - I began to feel the void of a life without Jesus. Crisis after crisis, the void became more painful and apparent. We have been attending Woodmen Valley Chapel for six or seven years. I first gave my life to Jesus Christ two weeks before Easter (at service) in 2002 and then proceeded to take a serious u-turn, behaving in ways that “other” people did. I found myself on one of the darkest, most selfish paths of my life…but God still was calling me. A year later in 2003 (again at service) I repented and rededicated my life to Him for good and have been growing abundantly in Him ever since. I was and still am so passionate about following Him but I found that at times I was disappointed. There was no immediate transformation, no immediate relief from the parts of me I wanted to get rid of – the transformation was just not happening fast enough for me. Thank God He gives us what we need and not what we want. His mighty, patient, gentle and sovereign hand has guided me for the past four years of my new life and as I look back now I am not the same and I know He is far from done…thank you Lord!

Laura Biszant (Rockrimmon)
I was raised in a Catholic family and baptized as a Catholic. It wasn’t until two years ago that my sister, who is a born-again Christian, came to me and started talking about her salvation and the things Jesus has done in her life. After speaking with her, I decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I wish to be baptized to proclaim my faith.

Gabriela Bovard (Rockrimmon)
I was born and raised by my mother in communist Romania. She did her best to teach me how to pray, and how to remain humble and always praise God for everything I had or had accomplished. Throughout my life’s journey, I felt God’s presence, more so in my trying times. It was only after I surrendered completely that I realized the peace that only Jesus can give us. Since then (two years ago), I am in a continuous acknowledgement as to how faithful and awesome our Savior is. I wish to reconfirm my baptism, to “mark myself” and commit myself to Christ forever.

Harry Bovard (Rockrimmon)
Prior to 2005, I did not attend church and only prayed when desperately in need. Following 16 years in a bad marriage, I had a near-fatal car accident. Feeling very alone and confused, I was basically very unhappy. The fact that I survived a demolished vehicle made me realize that God must have another direction for my life. It was my older sister who led me to Jesus. The witness of her faith gave me the desire to have the same. I now want to be baptized as a display of my newfound faith and submission with a commitment to Jesus forevermore.

Kellie Cline (Rockrimmon)
My heart was filled with fear and regret. I had been running from God’s love and forgiveness for many years. After experiencing a great loss in my life, God brought me to my knees. Once I accepted Christ into my heart and finally accepted His love and forgiveness, I found my purpose for being here. If a God this big loved and forgave me by dying on the cross, then how dare I not live my life for Him? I wish to be baptized to publicly show that our Savior lives inside of me.

Janea Coddington (Woodmen Heights)
I was about seven years old when I accepted Jesus into my heart. My life is better and more complete now that I have Jesus in my heart. I am saved and I know that I will spend eternity with Him. I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school and have been attending church for many years. I was baptized when I was a baby but I want to personally proclaim it now. I want to make a public profession of personal faith in Jesus Christ and surrender to Him. I want to make this commitment to Christ. I’m surrendered to His will in my life. I believe that God has led me to be baptized at this church and praise God for leading me to live a life based on His word.

Robert Conine (Woodmen Heights)
For much of my adult life I had enjoyed material success and experienced personal moral decay. Finally, over a period of several months, my entire world collapsed. I was separated from my family, drinking heavily, and my business was ruined. In desperation I called the AA number in the phone book. They recommended a meeting that evening at a nearby church. When I walked into the church I was greeted by an old friend, from college, I hadn’t seen in fifteen years. He told me his own story and we talked about my problems. I learned that my problems were bigger than me, that the only way to solve my problems was to confess this fact and ask God to come into my life and help me. Over the next few months I reconciled with my wife and children, quit drinking, and sold my business. Shortly thereafter we began to attend a local church. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and have attended and participated at several churches in the last seventeen years but, I have never been baptized. I believe it is time for me to be baptized.

Dawn Crawford (Rockrimmon)
Growing up, I had always believed in Jesus Christ, but I was still in control. Then 3 years ago, I was in the bottom of the pit, ready to die. I wanted to die. Jesus Christ reached in and for the first time in my life, I reached back. I let go of control. I gave it to Jesus Christ. I was still in the pit but felt so safe, so calm, so light, and so loved. Jesus was there and had always been, but I never felt it until I let go of my control. Since them, I put my faith and control of my life in Jesus Christ’s hands.

Ken Diehl (Rockrimmon)
My life before Jesus was hopeless and I felt like a ship at sea with no ability to navigate. I came to Jesus on Feb. 3, 1988 while attending a weekend business seminar at a Sunday morning non-denominational worship service. Having Jesus in my life has made a big difference. I see day-to-day life in a bigger way for my God. I see that, through Him, I can make a difference and that I now have a map, a course, a direction. I wish to be baptized because I am ready to commit myself outwardly to my God and walk in the light of His mercy and grace.

James Dougherty (Rockrimmon)
I led a good life and one full of happiness. My heart was focused on good deeds, but my life was bound by conditions. After giving my heart to a lusty relationship and identifying with a job, those conditional things disappeared. I was left with an empty heart and wishing for more. I found unconditional love with Jesus after a service about being consumed only by Him. Today, I live doing compassionate work for Jesus’ purposes and know true joy. I wish to be baptized to show the world that He now lives within me – the new me.

Kim Dowden (Woodmen Heights)
I grew up not believing in and not trusting traditional religions, however there was a yearning in my heart that grew with the birth of each of my children. When the youngest came along (prematurely) and we had significant upheaval in our lives, I knew I had to search for truth. I started listening to an inner voice in my heart that was not my own. One day, during communion, I heard the voice telling me to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I made the decision that day to submit my life to God’s rule. I still have doubts and confusion but I realize this is part of my journey. I did not plan on being baptized but I find myself being led by God to give an external sign of the internal mark placed on me by Him.

Deanna Dworak (Rockrimmon)
My parents are Christians and have taught me about God since I was born. When I was five I asked Jesus into my heart at preschool. My teacher told us about Easter and how Jesus died for us. She asked if anyone wanted to pray to accept Jesus, and I said, “Yes.” Since Jesus came into my life, I am nicer to my parents and brother and I know Jesus is always with me. I want to be baptized to show that I am a Christian and have accepted Jesus into my heart.

Kathy A. Emeis-Beers (Woodmen Heights)
I was raised in a Christian home and knew who Jesus was from the time I was very little. I committed my life to Jesus at age 18 but strayed away after college out of frustration at God for not making my life work out the way I wanted. I rededicated my life to Him at age 25 as life without Him was horrible. Right now, I am going through the most gut-wrenching, painful time in my life. I feel like I am only hanging on by a thread. Jesus is the only thing that keeps me going. Satan is trying to make me choose to walk away from God again, but I choose to fight him. I want to be baptized to publicly state my dedication to Jesus and my commitment to follow His way regardless of how much worse my situation becomes.