Son’s Persistence Leads Family to Call Prestonwood Home

For months, 12-year-old Brock had joined his friend Will Troop at Prestonwood for events such as scavenger hunts and the light-flashing, music-pumping interactive praise and worship at Big City. When Minister of Preteens Grant Janik went to Trinity Christian Academy to have lunch and play basketball with the boys, Brock thought it was cool that a minister would do that. He began begging his parents to try Prestonwood. His relentless pursuit finally paid off.

The Bacons, who say they believed they were good Christians, came to Prestonwood in February expecting to sit in the back pews and leave quickly. Instead, their hearts were opened and they realized what being a Christian really means.

“The minute we walked through the doors we were all amazed,” Carolyn said. “I immediately felt a wave of happiness. Pastor Graham’s sermon inspired me to come home and dig my Bible out of the closet. David and I got in the car and we both said, ‘Wow, that was unbelievable.’ We have been back every Sunday since that day.”

When they first visited, the Bacons said everyone was so friendly, reaching out to them and making them feel a part of Prestonwood. Will’s father, Randal Troop, helped show them around the church. They saw another familiar face in Minister of Spiritual Development Bill Borinstein, who had previously coached their son’s football team. Friends from TCA also made them feel at home. Carolyn said she was amazed when David Shivers, Minister of Married Adults II, phoned them to recommend Bible Fellowship classes. After connecting with other couples with children the same ages as theirs, the Bacons plugged in to the Johnston/Snyder/Jordan Class.

On Good Friday, David, Carolyn, Brock and 10-year-old daughter, Bailey, were baptized together as a family, making it the “most memorable Easter ever,” Carolyn said.

“Our family is closer to each other and God, and happier than ever before,” she said.

When she looks back now, Carolyn realizes attending church, saying prayers and trying to obey the Ten Commandments wasn’t enough. Coming to Prestonwood touched their hearts, she said, helping them realize for the first time that being a Christian means doing good not just being good.

“Attending Prestonwood has made a big, big difference in our priorities and just everyone’s attitude,” she said. “Our perspective on life has changed. What we consider important has changed. We’ve shifted our goals away from that next larger house or that next promotion. And we have a sense of peace we didn’t have before.”

Joining Prestonwood has changed their relationship with God; it’s more personal, she said. Now, Carolyn and David find solitude in God’s Word, sitting up and talking about Scriptures until 11:00 at night. Carolyn wakes up, wanting to talk to God every morning. She sets her alarm so she’ll have quiet time before the children wake, and she just finished a Beth Moore Bible study through the Women’s Ministry.

David makes it a point to listen to Pastor Graham’s messages on PowerPoint every day as he drives to work, and it has changed the way he approaches his employees, his meetings and his problems. The couple also studies Scriptures with their children.

“We’re excited to call Prestonwood our new church home,” Carolyn said. “We look forward to getting more involved as a family and growing daily in our relationship with Jesus.”