“My yoke is easy and my burden is light” – Matthew 11:30
During a visit to Charleston, South Carolina in June of 2016, I was standing in line at Magnolia Plantation, when I heard the Lord say, “Lindsey, you will live here next year. Go and first: find the church.” This was the only time I’ve ever heard God audibly speak to me, loud and clear. I figured I better listen! For the last decade, I had been living, teaching, and serving at a local church in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite my love for the people there, I knew I needed a change, a challenge—a new chapter.
“Before I even looked for a job to pay the bills, I looked for my church.”
Following that day at the plantation, I decided to move my life across the country to Charleston once the school year ended. I researched “nondenominational” churches in the area, and found Seacoast, knowing it would be the foundational piece upon which God would build my new home in the South. “You got this, right God?” I wondered, because before I even looked for a job to pay the bills, I looked for my church.
Connecting
Fast forward to August of 2017. My first experience at Seacoast happened to be a “Connect” weekend. Each of the ministries were represented out in the breezeway with tables of information and welcoming smiles to answer questions. It was like going shopping for my future here… What a brilliant approach to help people get connected and figure out where they might want to get involved! I grabbed every pamphlet my hands could hold.
People say they don’t like large churches because they feel they are just a number. My answer to that: start serving! In the short time I’ve lived here, I’ve served in a variety of areas at Seacoast, including within our Custom student ministry, Sisterhood, and Guest Services. Now, I can’t walk onto the church campus without seeing so many faces I know and love. True, getting connected might result in arriving a few minutes late to the service since you’ll run into friends, but that’s a small price to pay to have community!
Taking Care of Our Home
We all want a safe, comforting home to live in, right? The church is our home too. Serving in any capacity is simply taking care of that home—and helping people feel God’s provision. I think the country singer and writer Maren Morris explains it well when she says, “the house don’t fall when the bones are good.” We, as volunteers, are the bones of our Father’s house. And this “house” has had a huge impact on my life.
More Than Expected
It is because of Seacoast that I met my fiancé, Jerrad, through our hike ministry. We attended First Wednesday on our second date and when Jerrad stayed after the service to help me clean up the Worship Center—in that moment—I saw he shared the same heart to serve, and it was so attractive. “Okay God, you DO have this!”
Jerrad proposed to me eight months later on August 10, 2019! Throughout our relationship, we have served on the Dream Team together: Jerrad, in the parking ministry while I serve on the Guest Services team. As a Seacoast “born and bred” couple, we attribute our love and finding each other to the church.
Setting the Date
We’re so thankful for our community’s continued support and encouragement, especially over this last unpredictable year. After moving our wedding date not once—but twice—due to COVID-19, we were very frustrated. But our Dream Team family rallied around us in prayer, checked in regularly, and helped keep us focused on God’s plan, not our timeline. We are thrilled to share that on May 15, 2021, we will FINALLY be married in the company of those we serve with and everyone who has supported us during this long engagement.
We’re so thankful for the opportunity to do life with our Seacoast family and grow in our faith together. We call it the “Dream Team” as it is truly a collection of believers who love God and love people—a team our Father would DREAM about for his children. Jerrad and I want to encourage anyone seeking more connection: you can have it, just step up! Don’t miss out on the love and home that we have here… it’s available to us all. The only downside is that you’ll look back and wonder why you didn’t start serving years ago, we promise!
Next Steps:
- If you’re interested in serving on the Dream Team, please let us know by filling out a Connect Card.
- Attend the Inside Track to learn more about Seacoast Church and how you can best use your gifts and talents to serve others.
