Testimonials
Check out the stories below to find out how lives are being changed by God through Grace Fellowship:
Getting Hooked: Bryan Willingham’s Testimony
This is the first time in my life where I wanted to go to church every chance I could get…
Bryan grew up in a Methodist church, but a couple of years ago the desire to check out other churches led him to Grace Fellowship. Bryan was hoping to find a church that was a good fit for him, so when his friend Mark invited him to Grace, he eagerly checked it out. During his first visit Bryan really enjoyed the praise and worship and the teaching he heard. Also, the youth made a big impact on Bryan. It was the first time that he had ever seen a group of young people living a Godly lifestyle and not being ashamed of it. This was attractive to Bryan, and it got him hooked on wanting to live for God.
Not only did Bryan’s church home change when he decided to attend Grace Fellowship, but his entire life was put into high gear as he has fallen in love with the Word of God through Pastor Phillip’s teaching. Now Bryan’s reading his Bible for the first time in his life, and he’s learning the true character of God and the blessings He wants us to have. Bryan said, “This is the first time in my life where I wanted to go to church every chance I could get…” What he’s learned at Grace has caused him to want to live out the plan of God for his life. The best part is he’s already figured all this out at the age of nineteen, so his future is big and bright with the knowledge he’s gained and the tools he’s being equipped with at Grace Fellowship.
Cindy (Flick) Holmes’ Testimony
I trusted and believed that God had my best interest at heart through the teaching I received at Grace…
Jim and Cindy Flick were led to Grace Fellowship on the very first Anniversary Sunday of Grace Fellowship in 1994. Pastor Phillip and Diana taught and modeled a message that was something Jim and Cindy had never heard or seen before. They had commonly thought that church was more about what you could do for the organization rather than about God’s love and grace. The Flicks had found a new church home.
The following years would be some of the most trying times that their family would face. In 2000 Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Through the teaching presented at Grace and through the faith they possessed, they stood on God’s Word for healing in Jim’s body. However, the disease progressed and in 2002 Jim went on disability, and then on May 25, 2004 Jim went to be with the Lord. Cindy knew that Jim’s passing was not God’s fault, and credits God’s grace that enabled her to stand through such a difficult time. Pastor Phillip and Diana’s faithful support continued to ministered to Cindy during this time as well.
Even in the midst of such difficulty, God still had a wonderful plan for Cindy. It was a redemptive plan that would bring beauty and comfort after the hurt and pain of losing her husband. Jim and Cindy had known a couple at Grace named Leroy and Martha. Leroy and Martha had left Grace and returned in 2004, but Cindy did not realized they had returned until she heard that Martha was sick. Feeling compassion on this couple since she had just gone through the same struggle, Cindy went to visit Martha the day she was put in hospice shortly before Martha went home to be with the Lord.
After the passing of their spouses, Leroy asked Diana Hamilton if she thought Cindy would be open to talking with him since they had gone through similar experiences. In March 2005, Leroy and Cindy had their first meeting and talked about their struggles – how they missed being with someone after 37 and 23 years of being together. Cindy even felt a little awkward spending time with Leroy since she had such high respect for Martha. Then one day Leroy told Cindy that Martha had told her daughter-in-law and daughter that she wanted him to find someone and be happy. Martha told them about a lady at church named Cindy Flick that she believed would make a good mate for Leroy! When he told Cindy this, she knew in her heart and spirit that she was to be with Leroy. Leroy and Cindy sought the counsel of Pastor Phillip and Diana, and they planned to be married. Pastor Phillip and Diana had seen their commitment to their first spouses, and knew that Leroy and Cindy would have a strong marriage.
Cindy knew the importance of believing in God’s goodness despite the pain she went through in the passing of her husband, Jim. She trusted and believed that God had her best interest at heart through the teaching she received at Grace, and knew that God would restore what had been taken from her. Now she and Leroy have a wonderful marriage, and they continue to see God’s blessing in their family and the church family they have at Grace Fellowship.
