DEBBIE ATTWOOD
I was born into a Christian family. We attended a federated church, a merger of the small town's Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches. As a child, I learned the basic Bible stories. Once we moved to Kansas City, church attendance was sporadic at the Baptist Church in our neighborhood.
As a teen, I became more self-centered and cared less about God. One evening, at 17, I visited with a close friend. She asked me to read the "Four Spiritual Laws" pamphlet with her. I came to realize how chaotic and non-purposeful my life was. I realized I needed Christ in my heart. That night in March 1970, I prayed, asking Jesus to forgive my sins, come into my life, and turn my life over to God's plan for me.
That very night, I changed my attitude towards my mother. I had a hunger for God's word like never before. I began attending the Church of the Nazarene with my friend. There, I met my future husband and soul mate.
Science and math were my favorite subjects in school. God led me to a career as a Radiological Technologist, where I could care for and serve others. Once I turned 18, I was asked to teach a kindergarten Sunday School class, where I fell in love with teaching and working with children. I became a Children's Pastor for 18 years at a Nazarene church plant.
God gave me two daughters and helped Mike and me to raise them as godly young women. God has blessed me with a whole, purposeful life, and I love Him more and more each day. Praise His Holy name!
JOE BEACH
MARIA BEACH
I grew up in a pretty rough household; we didn’t attend church, and my father was an alcoholic and drug addict. My brother is bipolar and has various other mental illnesses. This combination resulted in constant yelling, fighting, violence, and physical and emotional abuse towards me and my mom.
Despite these home issues, I was a good kid; I didn’t cause trouble and did what I was supposed to. As a kid, I would try to escape reality through toys and movies. As a teen, it was sports, video games, and movies. I wanted nothing to do with alcohol or drugs because of what I had witnessed. Things at home never really improved, but even when I could escape reality for a few hours or things were going “good,” I felt completely empty. I honestly completely doubted God existed and thought the whole idea of “religion” or being “religious” was stupid and useless. I had come to decide I was an atheist.
When I was 16, some close friends started attending a youth group. They asked me to come. Both guys knew about my home life. After a couple of weeks of asking, I agreed and went. The following week, I went again. I didn’t enjoy it, but I kept returning for some reason. I met a few other people who were Christians, and they started to pour into me. One of the youth leaders knew my sister-in-law and began to talk frequently with me. After about a year, I gave my life to Christ.
Over the next few years, I was in and out of my faith. At 20, I stepped out in full force and never looked back. I was fully involved in a church and was baptized sometime in the summer of 2013. I went to counseling for the depression and anxiety I was feeling, and was diagnosed with PTSD from the trauma of my childhood.
My life changed drastically after coming to Christ. In 2018, I found my calling in working for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the Support Center, using my technology and customer service skills to help further God's Kingdom. While I know my worth is in Christ, I still struggle with anxiety and mild depression, but ultimately, I know that God is with me, and I can do all things through Christ.
CAMERAN HANDY
My life before Christ was completely worldly and sinful. I remember being unhappy for most of my life, and I ran with arms wide open to sin for pleasure. Shame and guilt followed my sinfulness; the only way to relieve that feeling was more sin. Soon, I became someone I didn’t know. Anger, hatred, and selfishness were my new life. I didn’t care who I hurt as long as I got my way, even those I said I loved.
Oddly enough, I became aware of my need for Christ on a video scrolling through Facebook. A 1-minute and 25-second video of a pastor speaking on 2 Corinthians 5:21 randomly popped up while scrolling. I bawled like a baby because for the first time in my life, I saw my sin for what it was and realized I couldn’t help myself.
After realizing my need for Christ, I bought a new believer's NLT Bible. I would read a little every night and then call my sister in the morning to discuss it. I ended up at a church in Kansas City during this time. I finished Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it was after finishing Luke that I knew God was putting it on my heart to follow him. In February of 2023, I was baptized (5 months after seeing a video on Facebook).
Since coming to faith in Jesus, my life has not been easy. An unwanted divorce from my wife left me feeling empty, and it looked to drag me back towards sin. Jesus has remained faithful and never left my side. The fire I was thrown into didn’t get put out, but has been used to burn away my sinful flesh. Anger and hatred no longer consume or define me; I can fight for love. The temptation to put myself first is a constant struggle, but because of Jesus, I no longer have to give in. No matter the pain or suffering I endure, I will continue to choose Him.
SCOTT HAWKINS
I was not raised in a Christian home. Only a couple of family members believed in my immediate and extended family. I had attended a few years of Vacation Bible School before entering the 5th grade. I was then invited to church by one of my best friends, whose father happened to be a pastor.
Once I started attending church, I was there nearly every time the doors were open because of the church’s dynamic children’s ministry. It was there that the gospel was clearly explained to me. Though there isn’t enough space here, I understood the gospel's message through the assigned weekly Bible memorization and clearly explained God’s message of redemption and love.
By the time I was 12, I understood I was a sinner needing to be forgiven, and that only came through Jesus (Jn 14:6). My pastor also explained that salvation came through surrender to Christ as Lord. He explained that it was the most significant decision I would ever make, but at the time, I was unwilling to surrender before Christ's cross. For the next two years, I resisted the Lord until I could no longer.
In the spring of my 7th-grade year, I found the surrender I was running from. I made my profession of faith, both privately and publicly. I was a brand-new person. I wanted nothing more than to know Jesus intimately and genuinely. I could not get enough of the Bible, and prayer was more than something I “did”, but a constant yearning to express everything to the Lord.
The term progressive sanctification is much more than a theological one for me. It is a reel of time in which I am able to see the loving kindness of the Lord in my life. He continues to prune thoughts, desires, and actions in my life that are contrary to His nature and will continue this work until my last breath or His return.
THOMAS MOSBY
MARLA MOSBY
I grew up in a Christian house with loving but stern parents. I started my path in the RLDS church, but we eventually withdrew. I was baptized between the ages of 10 and 12 (after we had separated from the RLDS). My dad was an Ordained Minister (although I do not recall him taking Theology courses) in the Vineyard church.
My earliest recollection of feeling moved toward Christ was at a youth event with a high school friend who did his best to explain salvation and what it means to be saved. At that event, I gave my life to Christ and accepted him as my Lord and Savior. I have not turned from this to this day, even though I know I backslide. I know I am not perfect, but I am a work in progress, and the Lord is working in my life daily.
I struggle with my temper continuously, but until I thought about what God had asked me to do, I tried to take control of the situation and fix the problem myself. It doesn't work like that, and I have realized this small yet important fact. Once I gave my problem to God, I believe I have been experiencing a change of heart. I often say I don't have filters, but I have seen that I am more patient (or muzzled) instead of reacting aggressively when I dislike what people say. I am still struggling with this. However, I have noticed my struggle diminishing, and I still need prayers. I want to be kinder, more patient, and less aggressive. This is my continual prayer.
LIZZY ROSENBAUM
Life before Christ is a blur to me! Having been raised in a Christian family and within a Baptist Church, my testimony could be described as “boring.” But I don’t see it as such. I am thankful that God drew me in as a child. I first became aware of my need for Christ in Sunday school. My Sunday school teacher explained the gospel, why we need Jesus, our sins, and how to ask God for forgiveness. I believe this is when I first truly understood my need for Christ.
I was saved by grace through faith and baptized at age seven. Upon my request, my father led me through a prayer of repentance and confession, seeking God‘s grace. I know I understood the gospel then, as I remember my pastor asking me questions before baptism to see if I truly understood my decision. I remember thinking, “Why wouldn’t I want to be forgiven and follow Jesus forever?” I was baptized at First Baptist Church of Raytown, now known as Connection Point.
That is when I came to faith in Jesus Christ. From then on, I knew I wanted to please and know God more, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t figure it out until I was 17. I became fed up with my “Veggie Tales” understanding of God's word and dove into the Bible headfirst. I read through all 66 books of the Bible alongside the Bible Recap over two years, and my understanding and love for God exploded and have been growing ever since.
My relationship with God is very precious to me. He is so faithful and kind. Recently, he has been teaching me to rest in his sovereignty. Even when things don’t make sense, he has me and is in control!
MASON SCHEIDLER
I grew up in a nominally catholic family. We would go to mass occasionally, but faith was not very important to my parents, and we never talked about it. Growing up, I never read the Bible or had the gospel explained to me. I believed God existed, but I was pretty scared of Him. I saw God as a kind of dictator, that if I failed to follow His rules and be in good standing with Him, I would be doomed to hell. I didn’t think I could ever live up to that standard, so I reasoned that I might as well not even try.
I could carry on with this mindset, but every once in a while, the thought of eternity would creep into my mind and terrify me. I went to college, pursued worldly things, and had fun—until that pursuit stopped being fun and I felt empty. I started to feel like there had to be more to life, but I didn’t know where to look.
It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in college that I finally had the gospel explained to me in a way that made sense. An older friend in my fraternity who is a Christian took the time to share the gospel and read the Bible with me. I had never read the Bible for myself and was amazed by it.
I started to meet his friends and realized there was something different about them. They were full of life; it was the first time I had been around “religious people” and enjoyed them. After a couple of months of reading the Bible with my new friends and getting a better grasp of what it meant to have a relationship with God and accept Christ as Lord and Savior, I came to Christ.
Coming to Christ drastically changed my life. Everything from the things I care about, how I talk, how I treat people, and what I live for. The sense of peace it brings to know that God has adopted me and made me righteous through Christ is unmatched. I used to feel like I had to earn and achieve to be worthy of anything. Knowing that my citizenship is ultimately in heaven has allowed me not to care as much about what other people think of me and live for things that truly matter.
I care better for others now that I have been given an eternal perspective and know their souls are eternal. I want to see people come to know the Lord. The entire trajectory of my life has been forever changed.
HEATHER SNOWBARGER
I grew up in a Christian home and have always heard the gospel, but I was unaware of my personal need for Christ. I was filled with loneliness and a need to be seen. As a teenager, I struggled deeply with my sense of worth, and came to a place where I didn't know how to continue living. I was at the end of my strength.
When I realized that I could not be good enough apart from the Lord, I remembered what I had been taught about the gospel and cried out to the Lord to save me.
Since that cry, He has faithfully guided and strengthened me as I have leaned on HIm. I continue to grow each year as He teaches me.
ALLIE TRACH
I grew up in the church since day one. My dad was the youth pastor at our church in Philadelphia. My friends' dads were pastors as well. I remember grabbing my dad's notes and papers and reading them before it came time for him to preach them that following Sunday. I went to a Christian school from kindergarten through fourth grade. The Bible and Jesus were taught to me every day of my life, from Bible class every day during the week to Church on Sunday.
There was never a time when I didn't know about God. But in second grade at the age of 7, during bible class, there was a moment where our teacher started talking about heaven and sin, how we are all separated from God and have no hope of saving ourselves without turning to God, repenting of our sins, and putting our faith in him.
Now, as a 7-year-old, I was terrified. Out of fear, and the fear of letting my teacher down, I “accepted” Jesus into my heart, but it was more just saying it and not doing it. I went home that night and talked to my mom and dad about it. Fast forward 2 years, after countless conversations with my parents, I sat down with them and prayed to God and asked him into my heart with my parents by my side, praying with me. And that's the night it felt real to me, not something I was doing to make my teacher happy.
Fast forward 4 or 5 years, and the topic of baptism arose. I started talking to my dad about it because I thought that was the next step in my walk with Jesus. A year later, after in-depth conversations, I was baptized on April 21st, 2019, which happened to land on Easter Sunday that year. I feel blessed to have gotten baptized on the day Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death.
My life has had a lot of ups and downs. From my life being completely uprooted and pulled out from under me by moving to Kansas City, and years of loneliness after. Even recently, with my Grandpa passing away. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without Jesus in my life. He made the hard times a little easier and the loneliness not so lonely. Through him, he has brought me a life full of people I could never live without; people who help me love God more and more every day.
Jesus has truly changed my life. It shows in my family life, my friendships, and around the people I work with. Accepting him as my Lord and Savior was my best decision ever. So that's my story, it's not much, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He has truly changed my life.
ETHAN VALET
LAUREN VALET
Being raised in a local Presbyterian church, I don’t remember ever being taught the gospel. It certainly wasn’t reinforced through Sunday school. Therefore, I was doing what I was told, being a nice guy, and thinking I was a Christian. I felt wrong about many of my actions, though, especially when I started dating my first girlfriend, who was not good for me. I idolized her, and it led to a bunch of pain and sin. After a few years, she cheated on me and dumped me, leaving me feeling worthless.
When I went to college, I just went with the crowd, went to parties, and got drunk. That semester, I failed almost every class and got a letter from the college saying I was no longer welcome as a student. So I worked for a while, tried one of those get-rich-quick schemes, and dreamed of being rich one day. That consumed me, too.
By God's sweet grace, he put a new boss in my life who was not afraid to proclaim Christ. He was reflecting God's light in my darkness. He was open to hanging out outside of work and spoke the truth in my life. Through him, I realized that being a good person and attending church didn’t make me a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes me a Cadillac. Thus, I knew I needed a savior!
Shortly after my new boss/friend had been honest with me, I went to a tech school in Arizona for a few months. There, I lived with a group of college guys who all went to the same church, so I joined them. It was a non-denominational church that was biblically sound. I also joined their Bible study. In those few months, I accepted Christ as my savior. (April 2004)
After accepting Christ, I knew I was weak and needed strong Christians to help me grow. Therefore, upon returning from that tech school, I lived with a Christian friend, went to his church (Lenexa Baptist Church), got baptized there, and started a Bible study in our apartment. 2 Corinthians 5:17 became a verse to describe me. My desire to be rich and “someone” faded. My anger faded. I became a new creation that was like a dry sponge yearning for more of God!
Once I felt strong enough, I started working with youth groups to help teens through a very tough time in their lives. I worked at Christian camps, moved back to Arizona, enjoyed studying a few years at a Bible college, and was a youth pastor intern for 5 years at the same church where I was saved. Since then, God continues to prove himself faithful in so many ways! I love life with Him and am excited to continue to grow here at LifeConnection!
JAKE WARREN
Before I let Jesus in, I spent much time trying to make friends with people. I was lonely and sought friendship with people who spent a lot of time smoking weed and talking about religion. I grew up in a Christian household, but had never really sought Christ or understood what it means to be a part of God’s Kingdom.
At one point in my life, I experimented with a psychedelic drug, which led me to feel like I was overdosing. At that point, I came clean to my parents. They immediately forgave me, and I met with a pastor and a counselor. We talked a lot about God’s forgiveness and invitation to the Kingdom. I dedicated my life to Jesus after re-reading the Gospels for myself and have been committed ever since.
After becoming a Christian, I moved to Missouri and went to college to become a youth minister. God has since led me into the mental health field and, more recently, government work. I have been taught repeatedly what it means to trust God wholly. He continually teaches me to break down my expectations and rely on Him.
