Church

"Church" has meant various things to me throughout my life. Initially, it was just something that we went to on Sundays, because Mom Said So. We'd gone to a couple different churches before one of Mom's friends introduced us to the Willoughby United Methodist Church (In Willoughby, OH). As I got older, I began seeing less and less "use" for Church, and grew to really dislike it--it was boring and served no apparent purpose except to steal sleep from one of two days during the week that I didn't have to be up to go to school.

My freshman year of High School, Mom began teaching a Sunday School class at WUMC, and on occasion I'd "tag along" and end up helping out, if only by being a "present adult." It wasn't until my senior year of high school when I began working at Convenient Food Mart and my CHOICE to attend/not attend church was removed that I realized there was actually something there. Additionally, my junior year of high school, I found out about a bible study group that met after school--the chemistry teacher was the "advisor," and several students in my class were involved in the bible study, and I heard them talk about it throughout the year, and it sounded like something I'd be kinda interested in--and it was one of the few non-sports organizations at the school that I had NOT gotten involved in. However, due to schedules and the like, I never did make it to any of the bible studies.

As such, when I saw a sign in the stairwell my first week in the dorms at BGSU about a "bible study," I made sure to attend--I wasn't going to miss out again on getting involved in a bible study. The bible study leader was Lee Richards, a fellow student in the dorms. While we started out with a fairly large group the first couple months, eventually it got down to just a handful of us; Lonnie and I are in contact and close friends to this day, as a result of meeting through the bible study.

Nearly simultaneously, I was drawn outside one night to investigate blaring music, only to discover a live concert-in-progress. As I stood around contemplating the possibility of the performers' identity, someone in the crowd (Beth) approached me, and explained things. This was "TNL" (Thursday Night Live), and they were a campus church group, and they usually met in the Ice Arena Lounge, but were holding this concert. I was also introduced to another student (Toni) who in turn introduced me to Ryan Kozey--who along with Chad Frank (who I met later that semester) came to be clear mentors to me.

The following week, I decided to check out this "TNL" thing. At the least, it was "something to do." I ended up liking it, though I was very much a lone stranger in a crowd--despite the general friendliness all around. Between talking to people at TNL and others in the dorm bible study group, I finally accepted Jesus one night in early October, and from there, dove into involvement with both groups whole-heartedly, attending a fall retreat, every "extra" activity put on by TNL, and even joined a second bible study group, as well as attending TNL's sunday services; along with Lee and Dave, spent several weeks attending a 7am Mens' Group/bible study, which has also impacted me to this day.

Unfortunately, the academic year came to an all-too-soon conclusion, and I was cast out into the summer, where I began working in a machine shop, which proved to be extremely detrimental to my faith: I had no strong christians around me to encourage and challenge me, and over the course of the summer, I eventually gave in to the pressures of every-day non-active-christian life, and my faith slipped away. Early sophomore year, schedule conflicts prevented me from having involvement in any of the bible study groups, and Lee was no longer in the dorm nor leading a bible study that I was aware of. TNL became H2O and due to space/schedule conflicts moved to downtown BG, and I found it very inconvenient to try to attend, and pretty much stopped attending for awhile.

The summer after sophomore year, I'd wound up getting a job at YMCA Camp Copneconic in Fenton, MI along with my friend Katie and a mutual friend of ours. While at the camp, I got involved in the "Raggers" program and began drawing faith back into my life. At the same time, a romantic relationship with someone I'd met right before the summer appeared to be developing, and seemed to be something from God; between that and everything else with the camp, it seemed like the previous six years of my life had directly led me to that summer. When the relationship failed to develop once we returned to BGSU, I was devastated, and actually came to resent God, and aside from attending H2O a couple times with a new friend Junior year, wound up attending "Cru" (Campus Crusade for Christ) with her for about a month--she liked Cru better, and I still had a distaste for religion, and stopped going altogether.

From there to the end of my senior year, I maintained a tentative relationship with H2O--while I was not a regular attender, I would still show up every few weeks or so to maintain contact with some of the people, and because it was "something familiar." I also attended the Sunday "Deeper" service sporadically when Sara would attend as well/convince me to go.

After graduation, a return to my parents' house and a few months with the shop, I determined that I was going to move back to Bowling Green, in the hopes of preserving several floundering relationships. One of the first things I did upon my return to BG was hook up with a "fusion group" (bible study group) that I began to grow close to after awhile. At a weekend retreat, I finally admitted my fall from faith, and was greatly encouraged by everyone there. Chad provided me a simple argument that gave some major counter-balance to the main argument that had kept my faith at bay.

The summer again saw my faith suffer, and aside from leaving familiarity behind, I had little trouble leaving for Kent for grad school.

The first week of classes, I searched Kent's website for a listing of student organizations, seeking something to establish familiarity with, and I recall thinking specifically of something like H2O. What I found was The Dive, and while I was again a lone stranger in the crowd, I was readily welcomed. I was talked into attending the Dive's Fall Retreat the day before it began, and met a lot of wonderful people. A couple weeks after that, there was a "LIFEgroup" camping trip that got rained out--instead, the LIFEgroups (bible study groups) set individual hang-out times, and I chose to attend Mike & Neiva's, having talked a fair extent with Mike and coming to trust him. A couple of outreach/events were scheduled the next couple weeks at the time that particular LIFEgroup met, and rain discouraged me another week. However, in November I began attending that LIFEgroup, and continued through the remainder of the academic year.

Between the LIFEgroup and those involved, as well as the Dive's main meeting, and other affiliated events/gatherings, and many other things tying together, I'm beginning to see a return to faith. That there is a Summer LIFEgroup and some of the people I've gotten to know a bit planning to be involved, I will be able to continue to be in the presence of strong Christians, continue seeking and learning, and in general, grow in my faith.

Thanks to several people talking about it and encouraging my attendance, I have also begun attending O.R. at the Hudson Community Chapel, which combined with LIFEgroup and the Dive Main Meeting has also encouraged my return to faith.

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