Thank you Countryside!

I hadn’t attended church regularly for a very long time.  Although I grew up attending church from a very early age; I became a statistic ... one of those who have turned away from the church and religion.  I had begun to feel a hunger in my heart to get reacquainted with my spiritual side and start attending church again.  But, I kept making excuses for not attending ... I was working too much and needed my sleep, I didn't want to go to the services alone, I no longer had a church I could call home, I didn't want to use church as a social activity ... I wanted to go for the "right" reasons.

 Looking back now, all of those were ridiculous reasons but they were enough to keep me from entering the door.  Then one day my friend asked me if I would be interested in attending church with her on Sunday.  It was the opportunity that I had been waiting for and I enthusiastically said of course I would.

That first Sunday service at Countryside ignited a rebirth in me of sorts.  I loved the service; I enjoyed meeting all the warm and caring people. It was like I had an appetite that couldn't be satisfied.  I
loved everything about Countryside ... the people, the music, the services and of course ... the sermons that always made me think.  A few weeks later, I received my very own Study Bible as a gift and began attending a Bible Study class.  Not long after that Pastor Jones asked us to consider getting involved in a Wednesday evening ministry that would be discussing the sermon from the Sunday before; it's connection to the Bible and its relevance to our everyday lives.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  We started attending on Wednesdays, we met some wonderful people, and all of a sudden my appetite was being satisfied.

We look forward to attending every Wednesday, just like we do every Sunday.  I can't say it enough ... WE LOVE COUNTRYSIDE!!!   Thank you for making us feel welcome and loved from the moment we entered the Countryside family.  Thank you for continually satisfying a hunger in me to learn all I can about God's word and His plan for us.  I've never been happier and more at peace in my entire life and I owe so much of that to Countryside for making it all possible.