Jessica’s Story

I grew up in a small, southern town in North Carolina, in a place where Jesus was everybody’s co-pilot, and covered-dish lunches were held at least twice a week. My understanding of who God was and what Jesus had done for me came from the church community God surrounded me with at a young age. I had the head knowledge of God, but not the heart knowledge.

One night at a worship concert, when I was ten years old, God used a song to absolutely wreck me emotionally. I don’t remember the song, but I remember feeling like every story, prayer, and hymn I’d heard about Jesus up to that point was undeniably true. It was as if God took all the knowledge I had been taught and intensified it so that it was all I could focus on. In that moment, God revealed himself to me with undeniable clarity and I knew my life was going to be forever changed.

As I continued through middle and high school, God used specific people to help me navigate the pitfalls of being a young Christian. In college, God used a group of caring, faithful women who were a part of a college ministry to reinforce my belief in the Gospel and taught me lesson after lesson in following Him, leveraging my life for His glory, and trusting that His way is better.

In 2015, God challenged me to move to Charlotte, NC after graduation and help launch Mercy Church. It has been amazing to watch God move through this city and I can’t wait to see how he uses our church to advance the Gospel in Charlotte as we continue to grow.