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This Flyer Worked: A Friend's Day Victory Story May 19, 2008 By
Kimberly Klassen Does outreach
work? Will passing out flyers in a public place inviting people
to come to church work? Well, the answer is yes. I am living proof
that reaching out to the lost works. In order for me to share this
testimony, I feel that you must know the story behind it. Trying to Fill the Void I didn't grow
up in church; actually, I grew up completely opposite. My father
died when I was three due to a large amount of drugs, alcohol, and
a bullet. I grew up in denial that my father didn't leave by choice,
but he did. I spent my entire life feeling as though something was
missing. I longed for the emptiness in my life to be filled. As
I grew older, I began to try to fill that void in anyway possible.
I experimented with alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. Nothing worked.
I always knew,
in a way, that I was meant to be in church. I never watched cartoons
when I was little, truth be told the only thing that would stop
me from crying was the Inspiration channel. I always believed that
there was a God. I just didn't believe that He cared for me. I blamed
Him for taking my father, for hurting my mother, and for letting
me experience the feelings that tore me apart. God Did Love Me I remember the
day that I realized that God actually did love me. I was kneeling
on the floor, with tears pouring down my face, and all that I could
do was whisper the name of Jesus. I begged Him to change my life,
for Him to take all of the pain, heartache, and despair that I felt.
I was tired of living a half empty life and wanted more. So I began
to try out churches; it was almost like I was auditioning them.
I thought that once I found the perfect church, I would find the
perfect God. I went to a
Catholic church, Lutheran church, Baptist church, and an Assembly
of God church. Nothing fit like I knew it was supposed to. I wanted
a church that fit my idea of God. I had an idea in my head that
if God can do all of these great things, such as healing people
of cancer and mending broken bones, then the perfect church would
praise God as if He were a miracle-working God. So after years of
searching, I was to the point of giving up--until one day God opened
the perfect door. A Life-Changing Flyer I was wandering
in the mall with a friend, and a boy came up to my friend and me,
handed us a flyer, and asked us if we wanted to know God. I told
the boy, sure, I wanted to know God and I wanted all that God has
to offer me. The boy handed me a flyer to attend Calvary
Gospel Church for their annual Friends
Day. I took the flyer home and thought about whether or not this
was something that I wanted to try. To tell you the truth, I was
tired of being disappointed and that is what was holding me back
the most. After days of thinking about it, I finally decided that
I would go. Friends Day It was the morning
of Friends Day and as I pulled up to the church, I was overwhelmed
by so many emotions. I was excited, scared, and surprisingly nervous.
As I opened the doors of that Pentecostal church, I was hit in the
face by the presence of God. At that moment I knew that my life
had been changed forever. I stepped inside of the sanctuary and
saw the youth choir singing--well, more like dropping. They were
so overcome by the presence of God that they couldn't help but fall
to their knees in prayer. I knew that this was what I was searching
for, what I had been longing to find all my life. At the end of
service they had an altar call, and I was swarmed by a group of
people who had it set in their minds that today was the day I would
get the Holy Ghost. I bet they were probably thinking, “Oh no! That
girl is never going to attend this church again; she probably thinks
that we are all some sort of crazy nut jobs!” A Deeper Connection with God But surprisingly
I wasn't. True, I didn't feel comfortable, but, despite everything,
I knew that inside I wanted this more than anything I had ever wanted
before. Next Sunday during altar call, I decided that I would just
sit back and if God wanted it to happen, then it would. A very kind
lady came up to me and started to get to know me. Now that threw
me for a loop; she was nothing like the ladies who had ambushed
me the Sunday before. She took the time to get to know me! Then
we started talking about the Holy Ghost and if I knew what it was
and all of the details of receiving it. After we were finished talking,
she asked me if I wanted to have that deeper connection with God.
I told her I did and within two minutes of our praying together,
I received the gift of the Holy Ghost. If you have
received the Holy Ghost, then you know how amazing I felt afterwards.
I felt so loved by God! It was the most powerful feeling that I
have ever felt. From that day on all I wanted was to be consumed
by God every moment of every day. I felt that my life was finally
where I wanted it to be. I felt like I finally had a purpose in
life, I wasn't just another brick in the wall. Now I was a part
of the kingdom of God, and He was going to use me to accomplish
great things for His plan. Because of a
flyer and a youth member's willingness to reach out to the lost,
I sit here six years later as a proud Pentecostal woman and a freshman
at Gateway College of Evangelism. The next time
that you are afraid of how people are going to react if you hand
them a flyer or if you tell them about Jesus, just remember that
that person could be the next foreign missions pastor, Bible college
president, or even the president of the entire UPCI. © 2008, Kimberly
Klassen ---------- Between semesters at Gateway College of Evangelism, Kimberly Klassen is working with the youth group and music ministry in Monroe, Wisconsin. She can play four instruments, but not the East Saharan banjo. . |
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