Hi IBC,
This Amy Aupperlee, I serve as the Women's Ministry Coordinator here at IBC and I remember when I first joined the staff at IBC. After attending for 11 years, I was excited for the opportunity to serve the very church that helped me grow in my relationship with Christ. But I was also fearful that if they took a look into my past, I would be found out. It would be clear that I really wasn’t this person they thought I was, and so I confessed all the messy and broken pieces of my life at coffee one day in the interview process. It was the complete opposite of what smart people do in an interview, but if I was going to be disqualified from working at the church, let’s just get it over with now.
I’ll never forget the response I received from the staff members interviewing me. They reminded me that when Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he reconciled me to God, covering my sin and making me righteous. Practically, those leaders did make sure I had been counseled, had confessed the sin of the past, and was growing in my relationship with Jesus. I’ve been on staff now for 3.5 years, and I’m even more thankful for the work Jesus did for you and for me. It never ceases to amaze me how God never stops redeeming us. When we are willing to hand over all of ourselves – the good, the bad, the sinful – he takes it and makes it into something miraculously beautiful.
So let me ask you, is there part of your life that you’re holding back from God or struggling to trust him with? Here at IBC, we believe in “Come As You Are.” Everyone is welcome, and there’s no need for performance or pretense. The fact is, you have something unique and incredible to give to his kingdom that only you can give. And so God invites you to bring your true self, all that you are, to the table.
This year at OneDay, a one-day conference with live worship for women, we’re going to explore what it’s like to KNOW God’s story, LOVE our own story, and GO join THE story. JoAnn Hummel is our keynote speaker, Crystal Elwell will be leading worship, and did I mention the star-studded workshop lineup? Friend, you have a part to play in God’s redemptive work in the world. You are not disqualified. You are not too much or not enough. You are redeemed. Let’s take this journey of transformation together. See you on April 6!
