How Faith District Restored Me To The Church
A story of how bitterness and heartache turned into a lifestyle of joy in God's presence.
‘I vividly remember the moment I decided that I will stop going to church. It wasn’t because I stopped believing, neither was it a case of losing interest in the things of God. No; it was because I could no longer stand going to church with bitterness, pain and anxiety in my heart.
Back then, whenever my family went to church, the Pastor would bring up my brother’s situation during his message and start sharing his personal story to the entire church. It was a small district church, so everyone knew exactly who the Pastor was speaking about; and sometimes, he wouldn’t even bother to hide my brother’s identity as he talked about him from the pulpit.
This was the same thing that happened to my dad and mom, with the Pastor publicly vilifying them and embarrassing our family. I slowly began to develop this hatred in my heart for the Pastor, and I could no longer bear the pain he caused my family. Every Sunday became a reminder that I did not belong to the church as the attack became frequent.
Eventually, for the sake of my heart and to have a clear conscience before God and man, I forgave the Pastor but decided to stay away from the church completely. Every Sunday, I would connect to the G.S. through YouTube and sit at home to listen to messages from the Headquarters rather than take myself through the emotional turmoil of attending my local district.
However, online service is not the same as physically attending a church and enjoying the community. So when a friend told me about Faith District, a church for young adults, I felt that I needed to try it out. Despite the distance at this time, spending kilometres sitting inside public buses and trekking some of the distance to save money, I started attending Faith District.
I still remember the big smile and joy on my mom’s face when I started attending church again. The very first Sunday felt different in a way I can’t fully explain. The warmth from other young people who were very happy to see me, even though it was my first time, the happiness I felt worshiping with God’s people with peace of mind, and the presence of God that enveloped my soul was extraordinary.
By the time the message started, it was as if the Pastor was talking about me. He didn’t know me, but his points spoke to me, and God used the messages to restore me completely. Something about the message that day uprooted the heaviness I had been carrying for months. I spent a long time in prayers right from that Sunday as I found peace again and asked God to bring me closer to him.
When service ended, the joy I felt was deep in my soul as fellow sisters hugged me like they had known me for years. Week after week, the same thing happened.
The worship opened me up.
The message strengthened me.
The prayers, oh, I love the prayers; they always shift something in my spirit.
Before long, the narrative that drove me away from church all those years ago began to dissolve.
I began to feel wanted again. I began to feel seen. I began to feel loved. I soon joined the workforce to serve God with my talents.
Faith District Young Adults’ Church didn’t just give me a place to sit on Sunday, it gave me a home. It restored the joy of fellowship I thought I had lost forever.
Today, when I say “Faith District is my family,” I am not speaking in clichés. I mean it with my whole heart. The church gave me back my relationship with God, my confidence, and my sense of belonging.
I finally felt loved again, and I will forever be grateful to God for the gift of the church.’