Our Story
1858: Our story begins with a young graduate of Princeton Seminary who wanted to be a missionary to
India. Because of his fragile health, the Presbyterian Church in the USA Mission Board refused to send
him to that exotic sovereignty. Instead, they offered him a post in the Oklahoma Territory that they felt
would be less strenuous. His name was Sheldon Jackson.
Jackson worked diligently in Oklahoma and at each subsequent assignment until he eventually was
promoted to Superintendent of Home Missions for the Rocky Mountain Region. He climbed mountains and
traveled the plain preaching the Gospel and creating churches in towns and in settlements from New
Mexico to Alaska. In 1870 He established two churches in Southern Colorado. One was in Pueblo, another
was in Old Colorado City (It wasn’t called “old” then). He hired Henry Gage to be a “circuit riding preacher”
to nurture the two infant churches and to preach wherever the Spirit led.
In 1871 Henry Gage commenced preaching once a month in the startup town of
Colorado Springs. By 1872, there was enough interest in the city to plant a church. On
August 17, of that year, Rev. Sheldon Jackson and Henry Gage established the First
Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs with eight charter members on the roll. Henry
Gage was ordained and installed as our first (part-time) pastor (at a salary of $40 a
week) and Edward Copley was installed as our first elder.
Our original building was completed in 1873. Rev. Gage and Mr. Copley volunteered to
do most of the work themselves but they did contract some skilled laborers at 40 cents
per hour. The little wooden structure with the oversized steeple stood where the City
Auditorium now stands, at Kiowa and Weber Streets. After the building was completed,
Rev. Gage rode off to serve the churches on the Central City and Blackhawk circuit.
Rev. J. S. Lowrie was called as the new pastor and preached the first sermon to be heard in the new structure. Lowrie
quickly added a Sunday school and a mid-week prayer meeting to the schedule of the young church. Like Gage,
Lowrie was unmarried. The Rev. Lowrie signed up with the Colorado Springs Bachelor’s Society. The league was not
opposed to marriage but rather disposed to exuberant revelry when one of their fellows withdrew to become a
husband.
1876: Colorado City started as a boom town supplying equipment, food, liquor and women to the miners who were
hoping to dig wealth from the mountains. At one time it was a candidate for the state capital. By 1876 the population
and importance of Colorado City was waning, and the population of Colorado Springs had surpassed that of the
former. The church that Sheldon Jackson had established in Colorado City was dissolved by the presbytery and the
congregants were absorbed by our church, causing our membership to swell to over 100. Amid hearty congratulations
and much backslapping, Rev. Henry Gage returned to be our pastor for three more years. This time he had a wife!
1879: Henry Gage succumbed to his love of pioneering again, and moved to the First Presbyterian Church of
Pueblo. Dr. Thomas Kirkwood, who had the visage of Santa Clause himself, was called to be our pastor in 1879.
While he was here, an additional room was added to the little one room church building and a parsonage was built
next to the church, on Kiowa Street. After five years of ministering to us, Rev. Kirkwood resigned to accept the
denominational position of Superintendent of Missions for the Synod of Colorado – essentially, the same post that
Sheldon Jackson had occupied. To everyone’s delight, Rev. Kirkwood and his wife remained in Colorado Springs
and continued as part of our congregation for several years.
1884: A Scottish man of ample girth and ample charm was our next pastor. He was Dr. James S. Black. Dr. Black
did not care for the little pump organ that we had been using for the last twelve years, but the adolescent church did
not have the means for anything better. The sound of the “wheezing, asthmatic hurdy gurdy, which for politeness’
sake we call an organ” (his words) irritated him so much that he personally purchased a $2,500 pipe organ and
presented it to the church as a gift.
At some time in Black’s pastorate we encouraged our teenagers be involved in the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor. Christian
Endeavor, as it was usually called, was a nationwide, ecumenical program designed to give young people leadership and ministry skills to
serve the church as well as the people who were outside of the church. Some of their projects were: holding
worship services in the outlying communities, singing in the tuberculosis sanitariums and staffing the Sunday
school for Chinese immigrants. Printed manuals and workbooks to aid the student leaders
were available from the state and national offices and the Endeavour store in Denver. The
kids received inspiration from city-wide rallies with other Endeavour teens from other
churches. State and national conventions were pinnacles in their spiritual journeys. They
learned to plan and work that plan until the project was completed. And for the most part,
they did it by themselves. One maxim of the organization was to “never do for young people what they can do for
themselves”. Christian Endeavor was our way of doing Youth Ministry until we began hiring Christian Education
Directors and Youth Pastors in the1930’s.
1888: Under Dr. Black’s guidance the congregation outgrew our original building. In its stead, we erected a
structure of Castle Rock stone for a cost of $39,000, on the corner Bijou and Nevada.
Not only did we get a new building, we also got a new custodian. Curiously, his name was Mr. Bible. He was
not only charged with keeping the building clean but was also required to collect the money from pew rentals.
Church goers who had rented a pew were seated first and others were seated in the pews not rented. Ten
dollars a year seemed to be the going rate. This practice continued until 1891 when the church began
receiving weekly offerings.
In 1894 Rev. W. H. Wray Boyle was petitioned to pastor our Church. He taught us to be evangelists. Boyle
believed that everyone should have the opportunity to hear about the saving work of Jesus Christ. To that end,
Sunday Schools and Chapels were established in several locations in our city. Some of those chapels
developed into mature, self supporting churches.
In 1908 Dr. Howard Johnston became our eighth pastor and the congregation grew
to be more than a thousand. All of our church historians agree that he was a kind,
caring man who was very interested in the welfare of each individual in the
congregation. .Rev. Johnston stayed with us for only two years because his
daughter’s poor health required him to seek treatment on the East Coast.
Mrs. C. W. Robinson who had already established the Women’s Bible Class, was hired to assist Dr. Johnston by
visiting church members who were hospitalized or confined to their homes. When she and her husband moved
away, the elders said in a letter of appreciation, “We believe that there are many members of the First Church who
will miss you, for you have been in so many sick rooms, and given so many words of comfort, that they will not
know just where to turn for like help and comfort.”
The coming of Dr. Samuel E. Garvin in 1911 marked the beginning of a period of unprecedented growth for
First Presbyterian Church. Garvin was noted for his oratory skills and was frequently requested to speak in
other churches. His inspired preaching filled our auditorium to capacity week after week.
When the United States became involved in World War I, Dr. Garvin became concerned about the eternal
destiny of our men who were fighting. He took a six month leave of absence to minister to the soldiers in
Europe. When Pastor Garvin was away, the church held noontime prayer meetings for him, for the soldiers and
for an end to the war.
Garvin was to lead the Church for eighteen years, during which the roster would grow at the rate of 100 new
members each year.
Our Sunday school continued to expand. Classes were meeting in the corners of the auditorium and in the hallways. In 1911 an annex was
added to the east side of the auditorium building. The annex included a large space that came to be called the “Dome Room” because of its
beautiful stained glass skylight. Later, when more seating space was needed in the Auditorium, the wall
separating the Dome Room from the Lecture Room, as well as the wall separating the Lecture Room from
the Auditorium was removed and “roll up” walls were installed so that both rooms could be used for overflow
seating.
In 1912 we elected Deacons for the first time. We chose nine men to look after members of the
congregation who were ill or in need.
Jean Strang was hired to be the church secretary in 1928. Whatever needed to be done, she could do it. Miss
Strang started working for the church when she was twenty two years old. Fifty cents per hour was her starting
wage and she served us until she retired in 1970. Her employment with the church was the only job she ever had.
Jean found the church membership records to be an “indescribable mess”. She and a committee set to work putting
them aright. At the end of their labor, they found that the church membership was actually 1,390 and not 2,252 as it
was generally thought to be.
Dr. Wallace Carver became our shepherd during the Great Depression. During that time of austerity, pledges of one dollar per week were
considered generous, and there were not many of that size. The Trustees announced substantial cuts in salaries
and other economies. The positions of Assistant Pastor, Education Director and Financial Secretary were
eliminated, worship bulletins were reduced to one sheet and two of the chapels that Dr. Boyle had started, had to be
closed. At the end of 1930 there was still a $700 deficit. Nevertheless, God made it possible for us to assist many
members and non members with food, clothing and coal for heating their homes during that time of economic
stagnation.
A father of four children asked the church for shoes so that his children could attend school. Two deacons took the
family to the Deal Shoe store at 107 South Tejon. The receipt dated March 16, 1932 (which we have) lists the price
of each pair of shoes: 24 cents, 29 cents, 99 cents and 79 cents. Even at those prices the father could not provide
for his children. We provided the shoes; perhaps restored some of the father’s pride and the children were able to walk to school once again.
The Depression affected our Music Leadership. For many years we did not use a choir. Like most mainline churches of
the day, we paid a quartet to perform anthems when they were needed in the service. With the dearth of currency, we
could only afford one singer. He was Theo Fenlon a music student from Colorado College. Mr. Fenlon sang as much as
he could and tried to organize a volunteer choir. At times, he was able to muster a quorum and make a contribution to a
service, but a permanent choir would not exist until 1948 under Orien Johnson.
1932: More women were given leadership positions. Mrs. Ed Honnen, for whom the present Margaret Honnen Parlor is
named, became the first woman on the board of trustees. That same year there were three women elected to the Board
of Deacons which then had twelve members. Jessie Aiken, Kitty Griswold, Julia Seldomridge, Irene Seldomridge and
Florence Marshall Stote were also women of robust faith and ingenuity who placed their mark on our church in its
formative years.
Dr. Howard Hansen, a former pharmacist, was called as senior pastor and installed on March 8, 1938. In his book, To
God be the Glory, Jim Smith reported that, “Hansen’s gifts drew people to Christ and into active participation in the
church. In 1939, radio station KVOR began airing our Sunday morning services. As Doctor Hansen’s sermons were
heard over the airwaves, his reputation as a strong evangelical grew. At a time when many ministers were using social
issues and psychology as a basis for their sermons, Dr. Hansen’s sermons were Biblically focused and Christ
centered”.
The national economy was in recovery and people had money to contribute once again. For the first time, in a long
time, we ended the year without a deficit. In 1939 the church paid off notes for $2,800 and was completely out of
debt! At the annual meeting that year, the redoubtable Florence Stote presided over a ceremony in which Rev.
Hansen held the notes as they burned. The congregation stood and sang, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”.
1942 brought Mary Frances Redding to become our first Director of Christian Education, with responsibility for Children’s
and Adult Sunday schools as well as creating programs for youth and college students. She introduced the Gospel Light
graded curriculum to our educational staff. During World War II she was given the additional responsibility of creating
Sunday afternoon entertainments for the soldiers from Fort Carson. As part of that program, the church parlor was
refurbished to become a soldier’s lounge.
The church library was created in 1946. At that time, it was not much more than a closet sized room at the end of the
hallway. Since the renovation of Hansen Hall, in 2003, the library has been centrally located and houses over 13,000
items, including reference books, Bible commentaries, Christian fiction and DVD’s.
1951: We needed additional space for education, administration and fellowship so we built a whole new
wing on the other side of the alley. The building housed the church offices, library, board room, parlor,
kitchen, class rooms, youth center, recreation room, seven closets and ten rest rooms! The total
investment, including land, building and furnishings was a little over $325,000. Overruling Dr. Hansen’s
objections, the boards of the church named the new structure Hansen Hall. This photograph shows the
dedication ceremony.
Since the initial construction, the building has been extended all the way to Weber Street, additional floors
have been added and the interior has had several reconfigurations. It has been a place where thousands
of children and adults have learned the eternal truths of Scripture; it has been a very good investment.
1952: June Pauline Gardner succeeded Mary Frances Redding as Director of Christian Education. For the next
30 years Mrs. Gardner devoted her life to serving and shaping the Sunday school of the First Presbyterian
Church. During her administration, our Sunday school received several awards and recognitions. June Pauline
appreciated the attention and publicity, but the reality that more men and women, and boys and girls were
hearing the message of Jesus Christ was more important. Lives lived in sync with God’s Word and heaven
gained were her goals.
One Sunday morning Kenny Carlston walked into Mrs. McKelvey’s fourth grade Sunday school class. Kenny was
just like all the other fourth graders except in one respect. Kenny was deaf. With the help of assistant teacher
Sharon Swindler who could do sign language for the deaf, Kenny was able to “hear” the stories about Jesus. It was not long before each of
Kenny’s classmates could greet him with sign language and introduce themselves by using the finger alphabet. Kenny liked that. But what he
liked best was when the whole class would join him in singing “Father, I Adore You” in sign language for the deaf.
The membership of the Church rose to 2,809. The once roomy sanctuary built in 1888 became woefully inadequate and overflow rooms were
filled to capacity. Amidst mixed feelings of joy and sadness, the old stone sanctuary was demolished to make room for a larger modern facility.
The photograph below on the left, was taken in the Dome room looking west into the Auditorium. The center picture shows how crowded the
auditorium was. You can also see how the Dome room was used as overflow in the upper left portion of the picture. The photograph on the
right shows the demolition of the 1888 building
March 29, 1959 marked the completion and the dedication of the present sanctuary on the corner of Bijou and Nevada. The clean lines and
modern design were a welcome sight. And there was room – lots of room!
A new Reuter pipe organ was installed, which had 3,100 pipes. Quite an improvement over the
“asthmatic hurdy gurdy” that had so annoyed Dr. Black back in 1884.
Reports at the end of the year revealed a membership of 2,991, the largest in the history of the
Church.
Get Set was born during this era. June Pauline Gardner created a free pre- school to minister to under
privileged children in the neighborhoods around our church. The children are taught the alphabet, how to
count to twenty and many of the boys and girls learn for the very first time, that Jesus loves them.
The youngsters also learn about different vocations that they may aspire to, when they become adults.
Before one lesson they were asked, “What does a plumber do?” One child answered, “Picks plums? ”The
teacher then asked, “What do you call someone who works on your teeth?” “The Tooth Fairy” they shouted!
Leonard Wecks came to us in 1965 and began a full graded choir program for children, hand bell choirs for
children and adults, a men’s chorus, two Sanctuary choirs and established precedents that still affect how we do
music here. Music retreats and workshops became regular events. Having the sanctuary choir present two or three
major choral works such as Brahms’s “Requiem” and Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” each year was a pattern he set.
Under his direction, Children and Youth performed dramatic musicals which are still talked about.
But voices get soft and eyes become moist when people talk about how much Leonard cared for others. He
became Minister of Pastoral Care in 1982, and his compassion and love for the ill, the shut-in and those who are in
need, has become legendary. He taught hundreds of children to love music and God’s creation and inspired adults
to climb mountains when they thought themselves incapable of anything.
January of 1969 marked the arrival of two associate ministers from California, Rev.
John H. Stevens and Rev. William L. Flanagan. Flanagan was given responsibility
for Junior and Senior High students and Stevens was called in to pastor the young
men and women of college age.
1970: Dr. Hansen, pastor of the Church for over 32 years, announced his
retirement as of June 30.
1971: After Dr. Hansen’s retirement, a Pastor Search Committee was created. The committee considered a
large number of candidates for our next Senior Pastor, but in its deliberations, the name of John Stevens kept
coming up. With time, the members of the committee realized that the person that God wanted for our next
Senior Pastor was already in our midst. And so, in 1971 Rev. John H. Stevens was called to be our twelfth
Senior Pastor.
John Stevens established many foundational precedents during his thirty five year tenure with us. One of them
was to teach us how to give. John approached the stewardship of money in a different way. He took the focus
off of the church’s financial needs and put it where it rightly belonged – on our need to give in order to be
faithful to God. Consequently, the annual Stewardship Event became a life style choice, rather than a fund
raising campaign. That choice, he felt, was the very heart of the Christian life.
1977: Rev. James W. Smith joined the staff as Minister of Evangelism. But that was not Jim’s first exposure to our
church. While stationed at Fort Carson, Jim began volunteering with our young people. When his military commitment
was over, he was asked to stay on as an intern for the next 15 months. After graduating from Fuller Seminary, the
Evangelism position was offered to him. Eventually, Jim became our Executive Pastor, giving oversight and
encouragement to all of the program staff. Pastor-Emeritus John Stevens said that many of the programs and
ministries that are associated with this church were cultivated under Jim’s strong and skillful leadership. Under Jim
Singleton and Graham Baird, Jim Smith assumed the position of Minister of Pastoral Care.
In the April, 2013 issue of the First Pres Magazine, church member Paul Batura wrote, “Jim’s ministry at First Pres will
be marked by, and will be remembered for, a great many things, but especially this: his steady, thoughtful
compassionate and even-keeled temperament has been for so many, something like a balm on a burn”. Jim retired in
2013 after 36 years of ministry here.
At one time divorce was almost unheard of among Christians. Today, it sweeps through churches like a
tsunami leaving broken, bitter people scattered among the pews. In 1977 Bill Flanagan, created a Divorce
Recovery Workshop. Since then, we have seen thousands, who thought their lives were destroyed,
experience God’s grace and once again realize that they were loved and that they have a place in the
church.
Consequently, the singles ministry exploded. The new “Freedom from Co-Dependency
Workshops” attracted even more single adults. In that workshop, hundreds of individuals raised in
dysfunctional families found freedom from destructive behaviors that jeopardized their adult relationships.
A third identical Sunday morning worship service was added at the 9:30 a.m. hour, in 1980 to accommodate growth. Church membership
reached 4,113.
The church entered the electronic age with the purchase of an IBM system 34 mainframe computer. Keeping membership and attendance
records became less complicated and the time spent preparing mailings was more efficient.
1981: Getting Together Wednesdays, our midweek multi-purpose program,
attracted hundreds in its first year. Adults chose from an array of topical and
Biblical studies, while children and youth had their choirs and Bible studies.
Dinner was served to enhance fellowship. During Jim Singleton’s time the
name was changed to Growing Together on Wednesdays. That didn’t change
anything because everyone just calls it GTW anyway.
1982: Adult Sunday school classes numbered fourteen. Church membership numbered 4,414. Mission giving reached $490,000 with 126
missionaries and mission projects.
The Women’s Ministry took flight at this time. Women’s Fellowship and Women’s Circles were augmented with Neighborhood Enrichment for
Women (N.E.W.), Women in the Workplace lunches and MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Creative leaders such as Delores Birkelo, Jeanie
McGilchrist and Kathy Boyles devised multiple strategies and unique events to assist women in their spiritual growth.
Jim DeJarnette, a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of music,
became our new Minister of Music. Jim brought a deep devotion to
Christ, remarkable musical skills, and a whole hearted desire to serve
the mission of the church with music. During his long tenure with us, Jim
also developed the ability to make a choir of disparate singers into a
community, which ministers out of the strength that comes from that
bond.
Jim also knows how to put on a good show. The annual Christmas
concert, “Christmas Joy” has had to be moved to the Pike’s Peak Center
since 1990 in order to accommodate all who want to attend. Even with
two performances, the gala presentation is sold out every year.
Out of a heart of compassion, First Presbyterian became a founding member of the Ecumenical
Social Ministries serving those who are in need of food and clothing as well as assistance with the
costs of prescriptions, rent and utilities. First Pres is the largest contributor of resources and volunteer
labor.
Christ calls his people to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the
naked, visit the sick and those in prison. As a part of ESM we are working to act upon Christ’s
mandate to show compassion and generosity towards those in need.
Bill Flanagan saw the agony of individuals who had lost loved ones, so in 1983; he created a seminar to help them productively grieve. The
Grief Workshop is held twice a year. Dee Martz, who was coordinator for many years said, “through this program, over 7,000 bereft souls have
marshaled the courage to return to school, get a job, become a missionary; adopt a child or risk pursuit of a dream. At the end of every
session participants were asked to write out their next step. In every session a few individuals write that they had absolutely planned to end
their lives, believing that they could not go on. By the workshop end, their commitment instead was to choose life itself, to embrace an
unfolding next chapter in their life journey.”
1985: The Graphics Department was created. Although we had owned, and used a small printing press before, in 1985 a decision was made
to do all of our printing needs “in house”. No more mimeograph; no more blurry photocopies. With Trish Ewing Bibler as graphics specialist
Wes Kenyon as pressman and Jim Hoskins as director, all of our printed materials took on a highly professional appearance.
1987: A 63,000 square foot addition to Hansen Hall was dedicated to the
glory of God on September 6. This portion of our building houses the Plaza,
the Fellowship Hall, the Gymnasium, the Prayer Room, The Connection
(Children’s Sunday school) and adult educational space. Our Preschool also
occupies space in this wing. Originally called Hansen Hall South, the name
was changed to Stevens Hall when John Stevens retired in 2005. This
building is only a small part of the legacy left to us by John Stevens.
1900: The primary business of our church is the worship of God; praising him for who he is and
what he has done. In the 90’s we took a serious look at our worship music. Much of what we
were doing just did not express what some of our younger people felt about God. So we started
doing what some churches call “blended worship”. We continued to use the best of traditional
church music but we gradually introduced some pieces with a contemporary sound. The lyrics
made use of words like “awesome” and the poetry was less flowery. It didn’t use words like
“Ebenezer” and “hither”. Facts were stated plainly, like “God is good” – “all the time”. The choir
added to their repertoire music which had been arranged for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir in
New York City.
A little later, we also began offering two services where most of the music is contemporary, as
well as the two services of blended worship where most of the music is traditional. Now, we
have a choice; we are able to express to God exactly what we feel about Him in ways that are
genuinely our own.
2000: The remaining portion of 1911 Sabbath School Annex (the Dome Room) was torn down.
We opened the copper box that had been planted in the cornerstone in 1911. It was a time
capsule containing photographs of previous pastors, letters and newspaper clippings. Many
people had copied their favorite passages from Scripture and placed them in the box as an
expression of their faith.
The new addition provided nurseries, Get-Set facilities, music rehearsal rooms, classrooms
and an expanded Narthex. It was dedicated on December 17. And for the first time Hansen
Hall was connected to the sanctuary building,
2004: At the Congregational Meeting on January 18, Dr. Stevens announced his plans to retire as Senior Pastor. A Co-Pastor Nominating
Committee was nominated and elected to begin the search for his successor.
2005: God gave us Jim Singleton as our new Senior Pastor. Jim preached a sermon about
“clay pots” in the morning service on February 13 and was overwhelmingly affirmed at the
Congregational Meeting that evening. Jim was first of all a teacher. He wanted us to truly
understand the Scriptures; that was evident in all of the forums in which he spoke. He avoided
obscure vocabulary and trimmed the subjects of peripheral issues making Biblical doctrines
sound like empirical logic. Jim was energized by teaching. His usual extroverted personality
became several decibels louder after he finished a lesson. He was playful too. He found great
delight in walking up behind some unaware individual and shouting, “Boo!” Jim modeled
forgiveness. When a staff member confessed their shortcomings, he was quick to say that this
was the “grace place”, before asking how the problem was going to be resolved. For the staff,
doing ministry with Jim Singleton was almost… fun! Singleton was to stay with us for seven
years and left to take a teaching position at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After all,
he is a teacher.
2012: Because of increasing liberalism in the PCUSA, First Pres voted to leave the denomination of its birth, in favor of a new denomination,
the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO). With that move, we are once again joined with thousands of believers who affirm the
authority of Scripture, and exalt Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior.
On May 6, of 2012, Graham Baird offered a candidate sermon and was called by the congregation to
serve as the new Senior Pastor at First Pres. He arrived in July. The dog didn’t make the trip (She is in
doggy heaven) and another daughter, Sheena, arrived a month later. A few weeks afterward, Jim and
Sara Singleton moved to Boston. Graham’s first year has not been easy. Forest fires, mass murders in
Aurora, floods and two deaths among the staff are more than most pastors have to deal with over a
period of several years. His compassion and sensitivity has helped him make a very good start.
There is a place on West Bijou Street where the poor, the lonely and those who are hungry come for
food, warmth and acceptance. The proper name for that place is the Marian House, but most people
just call it the Soup Kitchen. We celebrated the grand re-opening of the Marion House on Sunday,
.
October 14, 2012 In 2000 we had pledged 250 thousand dollars to build a new facility at 14 West
Bijou Street. The following year we pledged another 100 thousand dollars. The old yellow house is
gone now, and the new structure houses the kitchen, dining room and offices for other Catholic
Charities where clients can get haircuts, showers, clothing, bus passes and medical attention. Now,
there is a beautiful new building where those in need can come for soup and kindness.
In April of 2013, First Pres unveiled a new vision statement that was the result of three years of hard work, prayer and study by the
congregation. Our new vision is "To Prepare All Generation to Impact Lives for Christ."
Our story began with a little preacher who wanted to be a missionary to India. That didn’t happen because God had another narrative to write;
our story. But it has not been finished. There are more souls to win, more broken hearts to be healed, more lives to be conformed to the
image of Christ and more praises to be sung to Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. We will continue to live out the tale until Jesus
comes back for us. Then we will start on chapter two of… Our
Story