This I Believe In the Power of God

I believe in the power of God. There have been many instances in my life that one can see God’s hand at work. One instance took place when I was fifteen months old.

Late Sunday afternoon, I walked into the kitchen. My mom was trying to get my dad to go to church ahead of us because he was one of the ministers and had things to do. She told him that she would feed us and then bring us to church. When he was almost out of the house, I pulled a pot of Ramen noodles off the stove. It scalded my chest, arms, and hands. My mom took me to run cold water on me in the bathroom. Then, my dad called the pastor of our church. He told the pastor that he had to take me to the ER. The church decided to pray for my well-being right then. It was 5 pm on a Sunday night when my mom put ice on my chest, arms, and hands. She held me in her arms while my dad drove to the hospital.

Over 1/4 of my body was bright red. My skin was bubbling up with blisters and filling with fluid. My chest, arms and hands were swollen. I felt like I was on fire; I could not be comforted even though my mom tried to comfort me by singing the whole way to the hospital. When we got to the ER, the nurse immediately took me to the back where a doctor and another nurse cleaned my burns with purified water.

Then, they put silver nitrate cream and bandages to cover up the burns. There were many questions about how this kind of accident could happen. The medical staff couldn’t believe that I pulled the pot off the stove. Sadly, the doctor told my parents that I would be scarred for life. An appointment was set with a burn specialist for the following day. When we got home, there were many messages on the machine saying that many church members were praying for me and my family.

The next day, the specialist reviewed my chart and explained to my parents what might happen when the bandages came off. He said the skin would be dead and looked horrible. He prepared them for the worst. He told my parents that skin grafting would be required. Then, he moistened the bandages with purified water. He took them off and there was no redness and no signs of burns on my chest, arms, or hands. It looked like nothing happen. The doctor could not believe what he saw. I was healed by the grace of God.

If it were not for God, then I would have been scarred for life. Through the prayers of the members of my church, my burns were completely healed. I thank God everyday for what he has done for me. After this experience, one can easily see why I believe in the miraculous power of God.

My Church
Every church has a history. To some people history may be written facts that happened. To others it is the people that make up that history. So what is different about my church and its history? Anastasia Baptist Church was founded in 1967 in St. Augustine, Florida. We have a very diverse church with many different services. ABC is not just made up of a building; it is made up of the community of believers there. Even though our church has over 1600 in worship on Sunday, it is still like a small church. With small groups, it helps community within the church.

In 1967, Ancient City Baptist Church saw a need for a church over on Anastasia Island. They bought land but held services down in a store front on Anastasia Boulevard until there was money to build. They built the first building in 1969 and added on in 1974 for more space for children, youth and the congregation. Our Pastor, Ron Moore came in 1981 and they completed the U-shape with buildings for class rooms and a fellowship hall in 1982. My family came to Anastasia in 1990 when I was eighteen months old. Mr. Keith came in 1993 as minister of music and senior adults. In 1994 we started a campaign for a new sanctuary. Bobby Crum came in 1995 as the youth minister. The worship center was not completed until 1998. In 1998 Walter West came as minister of education and administration. Bobby switched to contemporary music and young adults in 2000. Mason Reigger came in 2000 as the Youth Minister and Dan Ott came as the minister to adults in 2004. Keith Pate left January 2005 to go to Eastern Hills Baptist Church in Montgomery. Dr. David Elder came in August 2005 as the minister of music. We just finished a new building that is for a fellowship hall, class rooms, and a temporary worship facility. This facility will hold around 1100 in worship. This is some of the basic history of my church in facts.

My church has a mission. "Our mission is to reach St. Augustine and St. Johns County for Christ through Spirit-filled worship, compassionate evangelism, transformational teaching, gift-oriented ministry and meaningful relationships." ABC is like a small church because the way people treat you. All of the years I have been there, the more I have realized how much they mean to me. I arrived when there were only 200 members in 1990. As a child, the members of the church were like a family to me. As I have gotten older, I have learned many things from each of them. Many of the members took care of me when I was little. There have always been many places to serve at the church.

It is not just a church that offers just one type of service but three types of services. We have a contemporary, traditional, and blended. The church has thrived since I have gotten there and it grows at a rapid rate. Now, it has about 1600 on a weekend. This has all taken place in sixteen years. It is not just a bunch of buildings; it is the community of Christ. It is a group of believers. It is a place that a whole family can worship, no matter what differences in worship preferences. The church still seems small because you know many people. If you are not there someone is always wondering what is wrong. If you wanted to change services every week and attend a different bible study, we have them for different ages, you will fit in somewhere. We offer many activities for different ages. If we do not have it they are willing to help you start that group if you know of one that will minister to other peoples needs.

It is like a home. I have spent all day at church and still did not get all I needed to get done. If God was not with the church it would not have grown this much in these years. I have learned how to meet new people and learned to let people go. Many examples I have had in the church have died through the years and some have moved away. I have been there through two constructions. The first building I was there to see them build was the sanctuary that held 650 people. The second is the newest one that I did not even get to see the first service in because they were still working on it when I left. I have watched the church grow all these years but have remained to know many of the people that go there. All churches have some kind of history and that varies from church to church.

My Mentor

My Mentor

Everyone has a mentor. That mentor helps you with many different things. Who is my mentor and what makes him my mentor? My mentor is my former Minister of Music, Reverend Keith Pate. Mr. Keith taught me that you cannot just be a minister, but more importantly, a servant and a loving person. He taught me an appreciable amount about music and spirituality. He helped me get through situations that would have been much harder to manage if he had not been there. Mr. Keith is like a father to me; he is someone whom I have admired my whole life, especially since I was called into the music ministry. Also, he continues to educate me about my future endeavors.

First of all, Mr. Keith has taught me to think of others before myself. The entire time I have known him, he has thought of others before himself. Not only does he worry about the songs he has to lead or the special music he has to plan, he thinks about the congregation and the individuals in the choir/orchestra. My mentor showed me that simply listening to someone can lift his or her spirit; just a simple smile can make someone feel special. If something was wrong, Mr. Keith could look at that person and automatically sense that he or she was feeling down. Anytime an individual needed help, he was there for him or her. He did not just brush you aside like many others do.

While my mentor is helpful during difficult times, he also participates in happier moments. In children’s choir, he taught us a lot about music. He knows all the children he had in children’s choir by name. He still cares about us and how we are doing. In children’s choir, he did not just teach us songs; he taught us elements of music. For example, Mr. Keith taught us about the scales, basic music theory, and solfege. He made music fun for each choir member.

Most importantly, I have learned from Mr. Keith that it is not just about listening, but also caring for others and making them feel like they are not alone through hard situations. The day I had knee surgery, he came to visit me in order to pray for me and the doctors. When something happened and someone just needed a person to talk to, he would listen.

Many times in my life, he has reminded me that people care about me even if I feel like I have no friends. When he told the choir/orchestra that he was leaving to go to a church in Alabama, he called the people that it would be harder on to let them know before he told the whole group. Mr. Keith treats each person as an individual instead of just a member of the choir, orchestra, or congregation; I think that is one of the most important things that he taught me besides the importance of reading the Bible daily. It is important to read the Bible because a person learns more about Jesus and how he or she is supposed to live.

Even if he does not realize it, Mr. Keith has been like a father to me for the past few years. He came to my church as the minister of music when I was five. He has taught me so much that I will not realize until later some of the lessons he has taught me.

One day after orchestra practice, when I was in ninth grade, I was talking to him and decided to finally tell him I had been called into the music ministry. His face lit up like a lightning bug and he asked me how long I had known. I told him I had known since seventh grade. However, if I had told people then, they might not have believed me. Then, he realized one of the reasons why God brought him there was to be an example to me. He will always be an example to me, even as I grow up. I call him every week and talk to him because he is always interested in what is going on. I do not think he knows how much the calls mean to me. Sometimes, just talking to him makes me happy (especially after a long or bad week). Mr. Keith will never know all the people he has touched in his life. He taught me many life lessons that will help me now and in the future; that is what makes him such a great mentor.

Everyone needs a mentor that can teach them new ways of looking at life. While parents may tell you one thing, a person outside the family will tell you the same thing in new words which can be easier to understand at times.