I am, and, I suppose at some level always will be, a bit of a Presbyterian at heart,. I was born and raised in that denomination and my early years of life were shaped, at least in part, by the little stone Presbyterian church in Pratt with its red Spanish tile roof and menacing Gargoyles guarding the four corners of the compass and looking out over the town.

I spent much of my life as an agnostic..you know, an atheist with commitment issues...and walked a long and sometimes painful journey to belief in God. A major turning point in that journey occurred when I encountered the believers at Valley Center Christian Church. I have never been able to completely figure out how to respond to the astonishing variety of people that have claimed membership there, but I quickly came to the conclusion that they were genuine and sincere. Also, they seemed to truly care about me and my family. I met and spent some time with the pastor, Greg Bridgman. Greg knew I needed a true relationship with Christ, God knew I needed it, Christ knew I needed it, and the Holy Spirit was burning and boring his way into my soul with a passion. The kindling and fuel for revival in my life had been carefully arranged. All that was needed was the right spark to set it aflame. I can’t imagine where I’d be today if I hadn’t attended the revival meetings Valley Center Christian Church held so many years ago. My life has never been the same.

So, if my salvation had been a baseball game of me against God, here is the scene at the bottom of the 9th

inning. I’m at bat, God’s on the mound, Christ is catching, and the Holy Spirit is manning all the bases and outfield positions. I was doomed, just too proud to admit it. Batter up!

The first pitch involved a pre-revival meeting with the guest preacher, Dave Bycroft. He knew I was a Presbyterian and challenged me to investigate the Biblical meaning of baptism and whether or not I’d truly met Christ’s requirement for immersion with my sprinkling as an infant. I spent hours that night pouring over

dictionaries, commentaries, scripture, and the Westminster Confession of Faith (a sort of Presbyterian

Talmud). At three in the morning, I was tired of swinging and admitted God was right and I was wrong. I needed to be immersed and I knew it. Strike one!

The message at the following night’s meeting was about eagles and how a mother eagle trains her young to fly. Dave said they would take young eagles high up in the air and drop them to see if they would fly. If they wouldn’t, the mother would swoop down and catch the young eagle and try again. This process would be repeated until the mother decided the young eagle had had enough chances. A final trip up, a final drop, and then the mother eagle would fly away leaving the young eagle to its fate. Curve ball. Strike two! I realized I might be running out of chances with God.

The final pitch came as a fast ball, low and inside, right to my gut. The alter call and there I stood. Convicted and defenseless. Strike three! Game over. I’m out. So, I walked the aisle, submitted to the Lordship of Christ, and was immersed in obedience to what God commands. My wife, Linda, joined me in that decision moments later.

Good game. I lost. God won. I won even more..a new life and a future in heaven. I owe VCCC a lot. I owe God even more..scratch that..Jesus has paid off all the debts. I’m left humbled, grateful, and eternally thankful.

There probably aren’t enough pages in this or any book to list all the joys, laughter, and tears that have come with being a member of this congregation. So many friends and so many memories. Pastors like Ron Cook, Doug Fraley, Rich Neu, and Chuck Terrill have touched and shaped my life and the life of my family in countless ways. Brothers and sisters in Christ have cared for me and my family in a nearly infinite number of ways, a showering of God’s blessings without end.

If home is where your heart is, then Heaven is my true home. If home is where you hang your hat, then make room for me at VCCC’s hat rack. Happy anniversary to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ!