God@Work

I’ve grown up going to church my entire life. I originally attended Grace Bible Church in Barrington, NJ, until we moved to Lumberton. I believe I was in first grade when I started attending children’s activities at Fellowship Alliance Chapel.

I can still remember learning in the Chapel during my elementary years. Along with the influence of my parents, the Children’s Ministry at FAC gave me a foundation for my faith. It provided an environment for me to thrive and learn, but it was still fun enough for me to invite my friends to go with me! I remember being so excited that I invited my best friends from school to come to Kingdom Kids with me. At the time, my dad was my small group leader, which I actually thought was cool, and he encouraged me to invite them. They loved it enough to keep coming back for years, and one of them eventually gave her life to the Lord many years later! People often underestimate the influence of children’s ministries, but this time is definitely crucial in determining what a child may think of church later in life. Overall, I stayed within FAC’s programs until I was too old for the high school group. Going to church and ministry programs throughout my childhood shaped who I am today.

My Salvation Story

I feel as though my salvation story is a common one for many who grew up in the church. When I was seven, I prayed the sinner’s prayer. I asked God to come into my heart and for Him to save me. While I believe I had genuine intentions, it wasn’t until later in my life that I truly understood what I had said. Throughout middle school and high school, I always considered myself to be a Believer. I prayed; I was actively involved in ministry; I made a conscious effort to read my Bible. However, I began to realize that I was doing these things out of habit but never truly seeking a real relationship with God ― which is the whole point.

So, in my high school years, I began to try to learn how to seek out the voice of God. One of my mentors at the time advised me to start slowing down and just trying to listen to Him. While that seems rather simple, God knew that it was exactly what I needed to hear. Even while in high school, I was often so focused on being busy and getting a huge laundry list of things completed. I needed to just slow down and listen to the voice of God. I began to pray when doing homework, taking walks, and even when riding in the passenger seat of a car.

After a few weeks of trying this type of prayer, I began to feel closer to God. There were more times that I could actually feel His presence. I had never felt that way before, and it was so encouraging to see that God was faithful to me. Later that year, I got baptized at Camp FAC surrounded by friends from the high school group. It was amazing to finally be able to show my peers and family my commitment to God while actually knowing that what I believed was genuine.

I still struggle with finding the voice of God, and making time to always be with Him. However, staying surrounded by family, friends, and an encouraging church body allows me to keep trying to grow in my faith. I love the Lord, and I hope to continually learn something new from Him!

Working in FAC Children’s Ministries

I’ve been involved with children’s ministries at FAC since the age of 11.

I originally started out serving in preschool ministries, but for the past few years, I have been devoted to elementary ministries. I have interned during the summers at FAC for the past three years, helping to run the Elementary Children’s Ministry. When I first started, I was very inexperienced. I almost never spoke in front of a large group of people, and I was extremely nervous. Thankfully, the children are very forgiving, and I began to love working with that age group of Grades 1 through 4! These kids are at such a good age to learn and still have fun.

I loved going every week to worship, play games, and learn about the Bible. While doing this has been technically a job for me, I would gladly volunteer my time in this ministry in the future. It can be stressful, but it is so rewarding when kids keep coming back, wanting to learn more!

“After a few weeks of trying this type of prayer, I began to feel closer to God.”

Ultimately, when it came to be time for me to leave high school and move on to college, I chose to go to school at Liberty University in Virginia. My family and I went on many college tours. When first touring Liberty University, I knew it was special. Many people from our church had gone there and loved it! When I saw it for myself, I could definitely see myself going there. I had wanted a university with a prominent Christian atmosphere, and Liberty offered an encouraging environment. All of the professors truly care about the students, their education, and their walk with Christ. I definitely wanted that accountability, and this seemed to be where the Lord was calling me. So in the fall of 2014, I started at Liberty University for nursing. Right now, I am about to go into my senior year of the nursing program. After doing some of my clinical rotations and working with children for many years, my ultimate goal is to be a pediatric nurse after graduation. I love that in this profession, I can truly be placed where I can serve children and their families every day. •

The God@Work Story of Lily Peterson, Age 5

Children’s workers like Ally Foering are changing lives at an early age. One example is this drawing done by Lily Peterson, who learned in Preschool Kid BLAST church about praying when she felt sad or upset.

She drew this picture to hang on her front door so that all of her neighbors would “know that they can pray to God when they feel sad. Then they will feel better because God will help them.”

If you would like to join the Children’s Ministries team to make a difference in the lives of children, babies
through fourth graders, contact Justin Wright, justinw@myfac.org, or 609-953-7333, x141.