My Story: How God Led Me to Restoration Church

Early on, after being saved, I attended Keystone Church in Ankeny. There was a member there who gave me some advice that I think every believer should follow, but that I ultimately did not. He said, “Rather than finding a job or a house in a town you desire, find a church you desire to be a member of and build your life in that community.” At the time, it seemed like good advice, but I was still young and naïve enough to think I could do it all on my own.

In fact, I did the exact opposite of what he told me. I began building a life in a community that fit the needs of my family’s current reality. If you don’t already know, my youngest son, Zeke, is autistic. When we received his diagnosis, we knew life would look different than we had originally imagined. We ultimately chose to move to Redfield because family was nearby to help with childcare, and the homes were within our price range at the time.

Moving to Redfield meant we did our best for a few months to continue commuting to Keystone. Eventually, we stopped attending because the drive was simply too far to make every week. We were now on the hunt for a church closer to home.

For the next year or so, we church-hopped. We found some churches we enjoyed, but each one left us wanting more. Looking back, I wish we had established some clear expectations and non-negotiables for what we were looking for in a church.

We attended several churches nearby multiple times, but we never truly felt at home in any of them. One night before bed, Crystal mentioned that she had seen a Facebook post about a new church plant coming to Adel. Better yet, the lead pastor had a large beard. If you knew me back then, I also had a large beard. A guy preaching with a beard and tattoos just seemed right up my alley.

Fast forward to Restoration’s first preview service. We invited the Wheelers to attend with us.

Walking into ADM High School for church that Sunday was definitely unique because every other church we had visited had its own building. We were immediately greeted with warm, joyful smiles. Crystal was born and raised in Adel, so it was fun reconnecting with many people we already knew because of her connections.

After the service, we loaded the boys into the car. As we pulled out of the parking lot, Crystal and I asked each other what we thought. It was clear that we had both loved what we experienced that morning. The worship was incredible. The people were genuinely welcoming and kind. Above all, the sermon was fantastic. We knew we had to come back for the remaining preview services that summer.

The following week, we visited another church that had also recently launched in town. As usual, we discussed it on the drive home. It was an easy “no,” especially compared to what we had experienced at Restoration.

It was settled. We would attend the remaining preview services and then begin regularly attending Restoration when it officially launched in September.

The rest is history.

My family and I have been covenant members at Restoration ever since. I have had the privilege of serving in nearly every ministry area of the church. I have been faithfully shepherded by our leaders and discipled along the way. I have made lifelong friends in the faith and continue to build new relationships even today.

When I think back to the advice I was given all those years ago, I do wish I had followed it from the beginning. It makes perfect sense to me now. Even so, I am incredibly grateful for the story the Lord has written. Through all of life’s highs and lows, I cannot imagine my family covenanting with any other local church than Restoration.

Stepping into the Residency is exciting, but if I’m honest, it’s also a little scary. Lord willing, one day my family will be sent out from the place we’ve called home for the last seven years. While I hope to always stay connected to Restoration, I know God is calling us to take the gospel to a new community. That isn’t easy, but if you don’t already know, following Jesus can be hard. Throughout Scripture, God consistently calls His people to step out in faith, trusting that He will faithfully provide every step of the way.

To everyone at Restoration, thank you. Thank you for welcoming us the very first time we walked through the doors. Thank you for loving our family, encouraging us, praying for us, serving alongside us, and continually pointing us to Christ.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over these last seven years, it’s this: there is no safer place to be than in the center of God’s will. It may not always be comfortable, and it may not always make sense in the moment, but He has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

My prayer is that all of us would be willing to say “yes” whenever the Lord calls us to take the next step of faith. You never know what story God is beginning to write through your obedience.