Our Stories: I am Steamtown

Steamtown Church is a community of people who have met Jesus and are learning to live the way He shows us.  These are some of their stories.

MARK & CHRISTY DAVIS

As a very young girl, Christy was led to Christ at a Religious Release program through her elementary school. Mark was drawn to Jesus and the hope for “something more” through the death of his beloved grandfather. Our church experiences were uncannily similar. Growing up, we basically went through the motions of going to church, and even had some disheartening church experiences; but we frequently felt a curious tugging that there was something much more to this relationship with God that we hadn’t yet discovered. As many people do, we allowed the times and events of life to distract us from this curiosity. Eventually, we had our children. God used the gift of these 2 brand new people in our lives to help us start thinking in an eternal sense.

Being a follower of Christ is now our number one identifier in this world. God is central to our marriage, parenting and relationships. People in today’s post-modern society often accuse Christianity of being intolerant. To us, the most tolerant person who ever walked the earth is Jesus! He loves us as we are, but loves us too much to let us stay this way. Not only does he provide a way for us to be forgiven for all our mistakes, He gave his own life to do it!  Through Him, He promises us peace---with God! He’s done the work. All we had to do was accept this amazing gift.

Our goal is to walk with Him, moment-by-moment, through the rest of our lives. Do we do it perfectly? No. Is it always the easiest way? Definitely not! Knowing God is like any relationship. It takes time, caring and commitment in order to grow and thrive. But it’s amazing to see God’s promises being lived out in our very own lives when we strive to live in obedience to Him. When we stand directly under a source of light, there are no shadows cast about us. The farther we get from that light, the more darkness and frightening shadows can confuse our way. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the Light of the world, we stand closer and closer to his perfect Light for our lives and the gloom and confusion of this world is lessened. Is life still perplexing sometimes? Yes---but His Way is the best possible way to live.

Before we came to Steamtown Church, God had been working on our individual hearts--- yet as members of the same family. (The little ones God used to bless our hearts are now age 19 and 21).  Events converged for all of us at the same time (God’s perfect timing!) and for various reasons, we visited Steamtown Church at the invitation our daughter. In hindsight, we can now see how God used the changes in our lives to lead us here. Several years ago, we would never have imagined that we’d be attending a brand new church…..where we knew no one…..in a motel banquet room….in Scranton!

We are so thankful that the leadership team at Steamtown has such a heart for discipling their congregation. Their enthusiasm for reaching Scranton with the best message in the world is exciting and contagious! There are many other goings-on in churches that can distract from this, but keeping the “main thing the main thing” is refreshing and energizing. They aren’t afraid to lovingly challenge us from God’s Word and to hold us accountable as we grow--- individually and as a body of believers.

IAN MCGOVERN

I grew up outside Newark, NJ, where trouble was easy to find.  From an early age, I felt distant from my peers.  Gaining the acceptance of those around me became the top priority in my life; my only concern was being able to portray the image I thought my friends wanted to see.  Alcohol, drugs, promiscuity, and violence inevitably entered the picture and my life began to spiral downward.

By age 17, I was addicted to hard drugs, drinking heavily, and, as a result of my lifestyle, already had numerous run-ins with the law.  I had been in and out of drug rehabilitation centers since I was 14.  I was kicked out of my house and expelled from high school.  My sin left me broken, empty, and without the will to go on any further.  For the first time in my life, out of sheer desperation, I asked Jesus into my heart.  I believe I was healed.

Without direction, even the most passionate heart can be a waste.  I was instilled with a vigor and zeal for God, but felt I was wandering aimlessly.  Eventually, I made my way to Steamtown Church, where I found proper direction and guidance.  I discovered the sense of community I had been searching for my whole life:  a community centered in Christ.  Steamtown has had a monumental impact on my walk with the Lord and my relationship with Christ.  The love of Christ has transformed me.  The old me is dead and the new me has come! (1 Cor 5:17)