On Saturday morning January 4, 1997, the day we were going to paint ball with the youth group, I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord ad personal Savior.  Before we set out that morning, we has a small devotion given by the youth pastor.  He spoke about people who have been going to church most of their lives and never taken the Word of God seriously.  Although there were other people there, he was describing me.

In order to understand how I came to this decision, we must go back to Friday night, January 3, 1997.  That night I had a basketball fame at a Spanish Christian league.  Before our game, our spiritual leader gave a devotion.  He spoke about people constantly hearing the Word of God and never taking it seriously.  Here we have two people who do not know one another and have never met and were speaking about the same thing and describing the same person, me.  At first I thought it was a coincidence for two people that have never met before to have the same devotion on consecutive days, but it was not a coincidence.  God planned it this way.  God knew exactly when to speak to me and get my attention and knew that He was going to use these 2 individuals to get through to me.  So that morning on January 4, 1997, when the youth pastor was calling for anyone who wanted to give their life to the Lord, that is when I did.  I tried hard to hold back my tears, but couldn't.  The feeling I had in me was to powerful.  I was baptized on February 2, 1997.
- Joe

I went to church at a young age but did not accept Jesus into my heart until I was an adult.  Years age, my husband and I purchased our first home in Juniata Park and found a non-denominational church called Bethel Chapel Church.  The your pastor at the time was preaching one Sunday night, March 2, 1997.  As he was preaching, I was praying for the Lord to give me knowledge and understanding.  During the sermon, the youth pastor mentioned his dad and brother's spiritual deadness.  He also mentioned how he ministered to his dad during his illness and was saved before his death.  At that moment I felt the presence of the Lord speak to me.  The sermon opened my mind and I did not want to wait any longer to be saved.  That night I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I was baptized on Mother's Day, May 11, 1997.

My husband and I now live near Fellowship Bible Church and we are so thankful to God for answering our prayer in finding a church near our home where we can praise and worship together.
- Ruth

My earliest memory is Easter morning when I was 3-1/2 years old.  I remember being on my parent's bed and talking about the meaning of Easter.  My parents explained what Jesus' life, death, and resurrection means for me and I knew I wanted a relationship with Him.  Of course, at that young age, I didn't know the full extent of what that all meant, but I would learn.  Throughout my life I have had seasons of closeness with God and seasons of wandering.  My time at home during COVID shutdown was a particularly important time of reflection and testing.  It was during that time I got a much better awareness of my own depravity.  I lacked patience with my kids, I lacked trust that God was in control of the chaos in our world, and I struggled to sit and listen when I am so often wanting to be busy.

When I truly reflect on sins that I have given into time and time again and the things that I can be so easily tempted by I see glimpses of the person I would be without Christ.  I am so humbled by those moments because it is there I understand that anything good in me is because of Jesus.  I may not have a life story that looks particularly wild or rebellious but I can tell you for certain that if Christ had not saved me at that young age, I shedder to think of what my life would look like today.  Praise God for His mercy that He can save and wicked sinner.  I thank God - He mercifully saved me!
- Dallas

When I was about 14 or 15 I went to a tent meeting at a little church I attended in Mayfair, Philadelphia.  I accepted the Lord.  I remember the experience vividly.  However, teenagers especially need someone to talk to them abut the Lord and guide them.  That is why I pray for our youth group.  It is wonderful that a person gets saved but after that they need to be loved and discipled.  Years went by and I didn't attend church regularly so I did not have a relationship with the Lord.  I didn't know about reading the Bible daily and how important prayer is.

The Lord never let go of me.  Through many disappointment the Lord got a hold of me and brought into my life a Godly, loving Italian woman (me husband's grandmother) who love me and spent time telling me and explaining a great deal of things through many stories of how God works.  She read her Italian Bible every day.  Because I had a problem pregnancy, I was living at my in-laws, so I would have lunch with her daily for about 4 or 5 months.  Grandma Jo shoed me, through her example, how a Christian should live.  I even attended Wednesday night meeting at her church and she would pray in Italian boldly.  I never knew Wednesday night was prayer meeting night.  WHAT!  That was how it was over 50 years ago.

This is short and sweet, however, there is so much more to tell.  I hope this helps other's understand how God loves us and never let's go.
- Judie

When I was very young, maybe 5, 6 or 7, my family attended a growing church with a very likeable Pastor named Reverend Smart.  One Sunday many people went forward at the end of the church service, including my friends, and I too felt a magnetic pull.  The Pastor cam to our home, I really did revere and admire him, and I don't remember the discussion itself, but he discerned as best he could that I was ready and later he baptized me.  Not too long after, my sick brother was born and troubles in the church arose, we drifted away into nonattendance.  As a purposeless and drifting 15 year-old I had a relentless friend invite me back to another sound church.  He was very involved in the youth group, and I finally conceded to attending a youth activity to check it out but mostly to get him off my back.  While there I literally bumped into a very pretty girl in a green dress and after talking a bit, decided going to youth group wasn't bad at ALL!  I was initially going to see that pretty girl and had fun while there.  After a while I started attending church too and decided I'm here I might as well listen!  I sensed what I now know to be deep conviction from the Holy Spirit and not remembering my real reasons or the discussion with my previous pastor, my new pastor graciously engaged my questions, misunderstandings and fears and invite me to place my trust in Jesus alone, not my efforts, or tremendous lack thereof.  I remember that day vividly and with a much clearer understanding and felt such a weight of sin, guilt and shame removed when I threw myself at the foot of the cross and God's mercy.  There was real change in me from that day going forward from a moody teen who toyed with suicide at one point to someone who lost all interest in my future vocational dreams as I faithfully attended and supported the church and youth outreach.  I sure could have used more discipleship from others, but I never wavered from my desire to follow and serve the Lord.  Oh, and btw, I ended up marrying that girl in the pretty green dress, even though God had different intentions than mine, the Lord had me now, even IF Cindy hadn't become my girl friend.  Also the relentless friend now call himself an atheist, it's not initial "decisions' but the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit who keeps changing us to be more like Christ!
- Mike

I met my wife in December of 1981 and within a few months we were living together and continued to live together for seven years prior to getting married.  At the time we weren't Christians.  We had 1 child in 1983, and got married in 1988.  For a few years after that my wife was going to church (nothing steady), while I had no interest in Christianity.

In 1991 I started to go to a men's group on Wednesdays, they used to play volleyball and have a small bible study afterwards.  I would leave before the study started.  Also, in October of 1991 I totally blew out my knee playing softball.  I needed to have it reconstructed.  This was the first time I ever had a major injury from sports.  I felt that God said to me, you've been running to long, and now I have your attention.  After I had my knee reconstructed, my wife had to have her gall bladder removed within weeks after my surgery (while being pregnant).  We were out of work with no income.  We had plenty of food, and bills to pay.  This is where things started to change.

I was told I would be out of work for a year due to this injury (I was a tractor trailer driver).  When I went to the orthopedic doctor, God had to place him in my life, he was the orthopedic doctor for the Philadelphia Eagles at that time.  He rebuilt my knee with no complications.  So after a couple of weeks of rehabbing I prayed for God's intervention, I felt the warmth over me, and my rehab started really progressing.  I had to learn how to walk again and return to work full time in 6 months.  From that time on I started to get more involved with church and other Christian men.  Around 2000 I got baptized at our church and got involved with leading a couple of groups within church.

From this time I have continually gown, not without some obstacles in the way.  In 2010 we started to raise our granddaughter Maia, and in 2017 we adopted her.  After 33 years at our old church I fel like I was getting stale.  So in 2021 I felt led to start looking for a new church home, which led us to our new church home.  None of this would have been possible on my own.

But putting my trust in God, and admitting I can't do this my way and surrendering to God - He made all this possible.
- Harry

"Ummm, no ... I will never believe in an old dude with a white beard, who sits on a throne in the clouds and grants wishes.  It even sound ridiculous ...!"   I once said to my friend when she asked me if I believed in God.  I was more willing to go to hell than heaven, because, first of all, I thought it was a children's spooky story, and second, I thought it would be a place where people are having parties, listen to metallic music, eat food, and drink.  Basically, I thought, hell was an underground club.  As in regards to heaven, I did not like the idea of being a holy nerd.  It didn't sound exciting to me.  In addition, my friend told me that people who go to heaven worship God.  I didn't like that.  Usually a teenager my age wants to worrshp nobody but themselves.  So... NO THANK YOU, hard pass!  (I was 17 at the time.)

My friend was really trying to keep me interested in the topic of God, heaven, and salvation, but I kept resisting.  Eventually, I asked her to stop talking about Jesus, because I wasn't interested in the subject.  She stopped...

Bet she never gave up!

After a couple months passed, she invited me to a Christian camp.  I've never been to a Christian camp before, so I didn't know what to expect.  I was a huge fan of all sorts of activities including camps, so I got excited and said "Yes!" without a single clue of what was about to happen.

We were reading the Bible 3times a day.
Worship 2 times a day.
Sermons were 2 to 3 times a day.

Interestingly enough I didn't mind it!

It was a Russian/American camp.  I barely understood what they were singing and preaching about, but God still touched my heart!  Without knowing and understanding the songs, they had a huge impact on me.  I cried my eyes out without knowing what I'm crying about ... I felt like all the world's problems are on my shoulders.  When they preached, the Bible verses just made sense and I was hungry to know more!  (The preached in Russian, Praise the Lord!)

I got a taste of a different side of religion.  The one, I was never introduced to before.  The Bible wasn't a religious book anymore.  It became alive.  With the help of the pastor, the Bible was my guide, my light in the dark, my navigator in the wilderness.  And then it clicked.  God is real, and He is listening right now!  There was a sermon going at the time and the preacher said; "if you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, say this prayer ...".  That is when I knew this is my chance to stay in the truth and without a single doubt I accepted Him into my life.

Now I can confirm that that prayer was the best decision I have ever made!

It's been 12 years since I first started my walk with the Lord.  I've had my ups and downs, rocky bottoms, and moments of enlightenment, storms, and peaceful pastures.  But God was always int he midst of it all holding my hand.  And He promised that He will give me a good future and all I need to do is to trust Him!

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.  It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. - Proverbs 3:5-8

ps.  I didn't tell you this but I had a chest pain that was growing since I was little.  I didn't know what it was and my parents didn't take my complaint seriously.  But the moment I invited Jesus into my heart - that pain was gone!  Now I can confirm that the pain I felt was the heaviness of sin, and the heaviness of being apart from my Heavenly Father, who loved me even before I loved Him.

- Alina

Hi everyone.  I was born in northern Mexico to two caring parents.  My mother is a school teacher and my father was a karate teacher at university.  I was raised catholic and did my for communion.

When I was a teenager, I went to a Christian camp with my cousins.  While I was there I learned that I was a sinner and accepted Jesus into my heart.

Growing up I never had a church to go to so I would just read my Bible that an American Missionary gave me.  I would read the Bible through the difficult times and in the cheerful times.

Years later I moved to Philadelphia and married a Christian man.  Wanting a closer relationship with God we started attending different churches in the area.  Three years ago we found Fellowship Bible Church and loved the people here.  I started going to Bible studies and I was amazed of the knowledge and understanding I gained.

Today, I want to celebrate with my church and family in my relationship with Jesus.  I confess I am a sinner and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

- Adi

I was dedicated as a baby at church in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.  My mom and dad got divorced when I was in 2nd grade.  

Around 10 years of age my mom left the church and her and I never really attended another one.  Still she guided me with Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I claimed to be a Protestant Christian but never really did anything about it.  All of my friends were Catholic.  A few of them would have debates with me and we would hold our own Bible Studies.  Some of our friends thought we were nerds.

I began studying the end times and Revelation when in college (Temple University) and took a course where I studied the influence of the 3 Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) in World History and Intellect.  Still ... I was living my own life and net developing my faith.  I was book smart but not in a relationship with Jesus.

Fast forward to 2003.  My wife and I are engaged at that point and I refused to get married in a Catholic Church.  She said she wanted to worship together and I tried explaining to her what my version of Christianity was and meant but I wasn't being a good example.  We met with Interfaith ministers to perform our wedding but that wasn't until 2004.

During the Christmas season of 2003 we went to and independent Bible Based Church and watched an evangelical Christmas play set in a train station.  It was a great message.  We got married with the Interfaith ministers in April 2004 and 2 weeks later went back to the Bible Church to check it out.  My wife LOVED it and I didn't hat it so we kept going.  She pulled her (our) kids out of CCD, left her Catholic Church, and we started going to church together.

That May, 2004, I committed my life to Jesus.  I always said I was a Christian but now I was in a relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I accepted Him as my Savior and was all in!  Shortly thereafter, 2 new friends or ours from the new church came over our house and on a Friday night my wife gave her life to Jesus too.  Since then we serve not to be saved but because we are saved; using our roles in ministry to help share the Gospel with teens and spread the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

- Todd