Melissa's Testimony
On Sunday we were treated to a testimony by Melissa Goins. She’s relocating to Orange to join our church and work alongside Pastor Eric in his role for our denomination. If you missed her testimony or want the chance to read it, take a look below. May God bless Melissa, our church, and our denomination through this transition.
Hello friends! What a privilege to share with you this morning.
I’m a California native, having grown up in San Diego. I am super close to my family. My parents and grandma live in Virginia. But I have one brother who lives in San Diego with his family.
The Turbedskys have been dear friends for many years. We all attended Grace Church in San Diego, where Eric was one of the pastors. I worked for the church administratively, managing the office and assisting the pastors, eventually reporting directly to Eric. The craziest assignment I ever had was definitely working on the church’s building project – keeping contractors on task, getting building plans approved at city hall, and buying building supplies. I know nothing about that world! I still laugh!
Those years were very sweet. Serving with Eric on many projects not only taught me a lot of practical skills like saving time and money and creatively thinking outside of the box, but also life lessons that have served me. Things like “Every email and copy and file makes our mission possible “ and “God requires faithfulness, not perfection.” These things have become part of who I am. They have shaped me in huge ways, and I find myself repeating these same things to others. Connecting admin with gospel mission.
I then moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland to work at the SGC Pastors College. After 4 years in Maryland, I was able to help plant a church in Louisville, KY where I have been for the past 7.5 years, continuing to serve at the Pastors College and very involved in my local church. What I have loved about working at the Pastors College is the big picture view of God’s activity in our group of churches – Sovereign Grace Churches. Families come to the PC from all over – like South Korea, Australia, Colorado. And after a year together, a deep brotherhood is formed, and they all return to build local churches. A relational network grows. Partnership happens year after year. I have loved being a part of it!
So how did I decide to leave a place and job I love?
It all started with a conversation a few months ago. From that first conversation with Eric, I had a strange sense of excitement that I didn’t quite know what to do with. Was God calling ME to meet these needs? It was something I needed to think and pray about. You see, last September I moved out of my apt in Louisville and in with the Kauflin family, allowing me to go home a week every month to VA to see my family. (Such provision to be able to encourage and help them in the midst of family illness and the recent death of my grandpa.)
But God was also slowly preparing me for change, and I had a keen sense that big change was coming, though I had no idea what! I would have guessed He would lead me to land in VA or something like that…Little did I know. One thing led to another and after many, many conversations with a number of people, including my boss Jeff Purswell, we all agreed that God was indeed leading me to Orange! How amazing that I still get to serve Sovereign Grace pastors. He doesn’t waste anything!
Over the years, I have sometimes wondered if God might lead me back to California someday. But I would never have imagined it would be right now or in this way. I am very excited to join you all there in Orange. I can’t wait to get started!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)