My Story

by Trish Thompson, Ministry Pastor of Groups
On November 16,  COTHA is hosting an amazing opportunity for women to fellowship and talk about their faith.  The mornig begins with The Steel Magnolias performing A Garden Gathering Bloom Where You Are!  After lunch several of the woman will lead a workshop on writing your faith story.  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting these stories to inspire others to spend more time with God.  

1. What was your early spiritual background and how did it affect you as you grew up – your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?

I never remember a time when my family did not attend church.  I went to school at a nearby parochial school and attended Roman Catholic mass on the weekends.  My parents tithes so that they would receive a tuition discount.  I dutifully completed all the required sacraments and prayed my rosary occasionally.  As a teen and young adult, I became active in the church as a lay reader and sang with the worship team.  When I married a non-Catholic, it became evident that I would eventually leave the church.  I was disenchanted with the regulations of the religion. 

1. What caused you to begin to consider following Christ?

I continued attending semi-regularly for the first few years of marriage.  Michael and I had committed to attend services together and we needed to follow through on this promise.  We began searching for a denomination where we could both feel comfortable.  He was a Pentecostal, so this was no easy feat.  We settled on an Episcopal church with a contemporary praise band and a healing service in the middle of the Eucharist.  We left this church after purchasing a home in a new part of town.  We located the nearest Episcopal church and promptly joined.  I became active in ministry and volunteered with the student ministry.  It was in these years that I began to hear about a relationship with Christ.  Although I had always been a Christian, having a relationship was a new concept for me. 

1. What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?  

Fast forward a decade- another move and a new church.  While at COTHA I agreed to attend a small group meeting with Michael.  I was not really ready to meet with other adults to talk about my faith, but Michael was eager.  Through several years of small group teaching, ALPHA, and Sunday preaching, I became aware that I wanted a relationship with my Lord and Savior.  I was not quite sure how one did this when they were already a Christian!

1. Specifically, how did you receive Christ?

I wish I could credit someone with leading me to faith, but the truth is many people contributed to my realization.  I attended a testimony conference in summer 2005 and finally understood that the relationship was my acceptance of Jesus Christ.  I had prayed to accept Jesus many times before with lots of people, but not until that day did the head knowledge finally connect with the heart.

1. How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?

The immediate change was a confidence in who God created and an understanding in the purpose for my life.  I desire to have a relationship with my Creator.  I want to worship Him.  I am also called to help others come to this same understanding. 

1. What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?

These days, I recognize that none of my evangelism efforts have been through my own power or ability.  When I allow the Holy Spirit to use me, I am able to speak and pray with others.  His words make a difference in people’s lives.  It is not my nature to readily talk about my faith.  I am still shy, yet when God directs the time and place the Holy Spirit empowers me to be bold.  Knowledge, compassion and understanding flow from Him through me.  I have feelings that I can’t explain why or where they derive.  I simply know and trust that it’s God at work.  I watch with awe and wonder. 
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