Fellowship Memphis

Pictured above: The Adams Family (Kaylee, 
Joan, Keith, and Morgan)

Recently, our family had the opportunity to spend some time with friends we “did life with” in our early years of marriage. Fifteen years have passed since our lives split into separate journeys, and our recent reunion pointed out the obvious contrasts in our family and church experiences, providing us a new appreciation for how God has used Fellowship Memphis to stretch our family.

God made it clear to us from the first visit that Fellowship Memphis was the local body with which He desired for us to connect. However, we didn’t know anyone; there was no visible youth ministry; and the worship style was not what we would have selected. These surface issues that Satan desired to use to deter us from Fellowship have become anchors that have re-shaped our faith walk.

Not knowing anyone was a new experience for us, yet without it we would not have known the feeling of deep pain for true community and have gone through the struggle of fighting so hard to find it. Finding community progressed from our serving at the “welcome table,” building relationships with the other volunteers, attending a small group, joining Fellowship and, eventually, leading a small group.

The youth ministry that appeared to be non-existent has since become the discipleship assisting team which has challenged our daughters to be priests in their circles at their schools and helped us teach them how to own their faith. I would never trade the “big event” youth ministry model for the precious gift received by Morgan and Kaylee because of the selfless discipleship from youth leaders.

Our hesitation about worship style was really just a symptom of the lack of diversity in all areas of our life. The friendships and interactions with people of different life stages, races, and social classes helps us see a better reflection of the true body of Christ, and we have learned to serve and minister to/with the whole body...not just the section that looks 
like us.

Five years later, we are eternally grateful that we submitted and listened to God’s call rather than merely choosing a church body based on what we saw with our human perception.