Thursday, July 29, 2010

Celebration Story From Sherral Carter


"Show Me, Don't Tell Me" as was published in
the Ministry That Matters Brochure


My first memories of church are when I was a young child. My mother didn't drive and my father didn't attend church so sometimes the rest of the family would walk to the church that was closest to our home. When I was around ten years of age my family moved to a small town in southern Illinois where the local Baptist church had a bus ministry. The church members would go door to door and ask if anyone would like a ride to church on Sunday mornings. My sister and I thought that this would be fun so we agreed to be picked up. After a short time my sister decided that it was not fun and stopped attending, but by this time I could already see Jesus in the lives of these people and my life was forever changed. Since my family did not attend church, this church family became like a family to me. There Christians were kind and caring and the truth of the gospel was taught. It was here that I became a Christian, was baptized, and attended church until going away to college.

After high school I worked for a year and a half to save enough money to attend Christ For the Nations, a Christian college in Dallas that was recommended by a friend who had gone there. I sought help from God in making this decision and also sought advice from my Christian friends. Several weeks after arriving in Dallas, I met my future husband, Terry, at this college. He came from a similar background so we had a lot in common.

Terry was born in this area but his family later moved a couple of times, and after college, marriage, and a few more years in Dallas, we decided to move back to Michigan. We started attending one of the mega churches in this area and were there for a few years. But we felt it was time to make a change. One of our neighborhood families had two children of about the same age as two of our three children. This family attended EverGreen and eventually invited us to visit. It was here that we again felt like we were at home with family.

We have been at EverGreen for about ten years and I have been serving as Office Administrator for about four and a half years. Another big part of our lives is our involvement with the orphanage in Colima, Mexico. This program is entirely self supporting and has connected the people here at EverGreen with the people that operate the orphanage. I was able to join Terry on a mission trip last year and was overwhelmed by the love and care that God's people, both here and in Mexico, have shown to these children.

A particular verse that has meant a lot to me throughout the years is found in Jeremiah 29: 11-13, "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

Terry and I continue to share family life with our three grown children. We also enjoy serving and worshiping with our EverGreen family. Finally, we can now share our Christianity with my parents. Three years ago they became Christians and were baptized. Some neighbors had invited them to church.