God has been moving Steve and Carolyn all their lives. Like a beautiful tapestry, when we sit back and look at a life, we can see how God has moved in that life, weaving together many various experiences to create a beautiful picture, one that He orchestrated before they were ever born.
God began moving in Steve and Carolyn’s lives at an early age. Both grew up in Christian homes, both in Southern Baptist churches. God moved Steve overseas by way of the Vietnam War in the 60’s in order to get his attention and draw him to Himself. Using 3 "near misses" with dud explosives, God moved Steve to attend a small Baptist mission church where for the first time he really met the Lord.
After he returned to the states, he and his wife had 2 sons, David and Michael.
They lived in Dallas and attended an Assembly of God Church there, as that was the denomination his wife had grown up in. Steve’s wife died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 1987. Steve’s sons are now 35 and 33. Dave and his family, which includes 2 grandchildren, live in Chicago. Mike works for a company which causes him to travel quite a bit, only residing in one spot for several months until his assignment there is completed.
Steve was working for Baxter Healthcare there in Dallas. But God was about to move him once again - this time to Chicago.
Carolyn had grown up in North Carolina and God moved her to Chicago in 1975 as a nurse practitioner with Baxter Healthcare. After being there a while and getting into the "professional mode" of doing brunch on Sunday mornings instead of going to church, she found it easier and easier to not attend church. Before she knew it, the only time she was going to church was for special occasions. This went on for a couple of years until one Sunday morning on her way to church, God moved her into a mammoth traffic jam! Curious about where all these people were going, she was amazed to find that the line led to Willowcreek Community Church , the church Bill Hybels (author of Walk Across the Room) pastors. She decided she had to see what was driving these people to this church and the next Sunday she attended and that was it! God not only moved her to that church, but He moved in her and she re-committed her life to Him!
Prior to God’s moving Steve to Chicago, he and Carolyn often spoke on the phone regarding Baxter business. When God moved Steve to Chicago, they finally got to meet face to face. Then God began to move in their hearts, drawing them to one another and in 1991 they were married.
In 1995 Steve’s job with Baxter was eliminated and God moved them to Collierville where he took a job with ServiceMaster and Carolyn went to work for Baptist Healthcare. They bought a house in Collierville and joined a local church where they have served faithfully until this past summer, teaching a couples’ class for 8 or 9 years.
It’s interesting to watch God work. We are creatures of habit and often God has to create turmoil or make us miserable in one place in order to move us to where He wants us to be. Steve and Carolyn were happy at the church they had joined when first coming to Collierville, but unsettling circumstances there would now change all of that. Once again they found God moving them, and He led them to Central Church this summer. Changing churches is never easy, yet Steve and Carolyn know that God moved them here. In fact, Steve says that from the first Sunday they visited, "he never felt so at home in a church".
In the midst of this transition, God continued to move. Steve once again lost his job through job elimination. This certainly would not have seemed like a good thing or a good time. But as always, God had a plan! Steve, knowing that God is always faithful, even when we are not, began to pray very specifically about his need for a job.
Seeing God move so many times before in their lives, he knew that God was able to do abundantly above all that he could ask or think. He prayed for 3 specific things:
He asked for more than one offer, so he would not feel forced into a position.
He wanted to be able to work from home.
He wanted to have enough of a flexible work schedule that he could go on mission trips.
God moved! Steve had several offers and was hired by Amerisure Insurance Co. He now works out of his home and has enough vacation time to be able to go on foreign mission trips. Steve is quick to add, however, that God does not always answer our prayers in that manner, but sometimes He does and when He does, all we can do is praise Him! And, when He delays, we must just trust Him.
In addition to leading a small group, Steve is also Chairman of the Board of Love in Action International, Inc. This vital ministry offers several programs and services to those trapped in sexual and relational sin including pornography and homosexuality as well as other behavioral addictions. Steve says: "It has been a blessing to see so many families, teens and individuals discover new ways of relating as they are discipled in Godly solutions." Central Church was instrumental in bringing Love in Action to the Memphis community. Steve is one of the early Board members as was Dr. Randall Johnson, one of our staff pastors. For questions or to receive Love in Action’s e-newsletter, contact Josh Morgan: Communications Coordinator at 751-2468.
Although they had taught for 8 or 9 years at their previous church, Steve and Carolyn were a little apprehensive the first day of their new class, Koinonia. They were thinking they might have 2 or 3 couples, one of whom were friends who had promised to come for moral support. They were pleasantly surprised when they arrived to see that several people had already gathered in their room and by the end of class, there were 24 people there!!
The Koinonia class, for couples 40 and up, is discussion format, and they are currently studying a Chuck Swindoll series entitled Koinonia, A Recipe for Authentic Fellowship. Their goal is to have a close knit class, one that ministers to one another and cares for one another. They want it to be a class where everyone is safe to share their needs, their hurts and their joys. They also want it to be a class where God has the freedom to move and transform lives. Their class meets during the 2nd hour in Room 1255. If you are not currently a part of a Connecting Points class, they invite you to come by for a visit. Maybe God wants to move you in a new direction and this could be just the class you are looking for!
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