“I’m not going to a big church…God doesn’t move in big churches!”
These are the words Wayne muttered to his new wife Kendra after moving to Evansville and trying to find a church home.
Wayne grew up in small town Kentucky, attending church with his grandmother who taught Sunday School at that same church for over 40 years. After getting baptized in his early teenage years, Wayne strayed from religion – trying to do life his own way. He didn’t want to live by anyone else’s rules, be told what he can and can’t do, or have limits placed on his life. “I wasn’t living correctly, I wasn’t living for God, I was living for myself.”
In 2019, Wayne married his wife Kendra, who is the principal at a local elementary school, and they started searching for a ‘home’ church. Kendra suggested they try out Bethel, to which Wayne replied, “I’m not going to a big church…God doesn’t move in big churches!” From 2019 until 2023, they sat in the backrow of the auditorium, hoping to quietly sneak in and out without ever being noticed. But in those years – God was moving in their hearts. In February of 2023, Wayne rededicated his life to Jesus.
After slipping in and out of church quietly for the past several years, Wayne and Kendra decided it was time to get more involved, they decided to go down front after service to meet Dr. Prince for the first time. That day happened to be a Newcomers Lunch and Dr. Prince invited them to join in for lunch, Wayne wasn’t sure how to say “no” to his pastor that he just met, so he and Kendra nervously joined. They walked into a room of about 25 other people who they didn’t know – and they sat at a table with Mark and Michelle Bosler. Little did they know that God was divinely directing their steps the entire time.
Mark, who oversees the Watchmen Men’s Ministry at Bethel, was ecstatic to hear Wayne’s story of rededication just weeks earlier, and his eagerness to learn and grow in his faith journey. “It’s amazing how God provides divine direction in every aspect of life, even in simple things like who sits next to you at a lunch you didn’t plan on going to!”
One of Bethel’s core values is discipleship – and Mark tries to carry that value out through Watchmen Men’s Ministry. Over the next several months, Mark continued to pursue Wayne in discipleship. Mark would text or call him several times each week asking how he can pray for him, what’s new in his life, how his marriage is going, just to stay connected with him. Through this discipleship and relationship building, Mark and his wife Michelle have become great friends with Wayne and Kendra and were even recently asked to become godparents to Wayne and Kendra’s soon to arrive son. “Their commitment to us has been an outrageous blessing. They went out of their way to love us, a young couple they didn’t know, or even need to know, and now they’re some of our best friends.”
Wayne has also noticed an improvement in his marriage since rededicating his life to Jesus and being involved in Watchmen Men’s Ministry. His wife Kendra say’s that “as he (Wayne) grows closer to Christ, he’s reflecting Christ more and more.” She has noticed an increase in patience and kindness in Wayne, reflecting the love of Jesus towards her in all situations. Wayne and Kendra are overjoyed to welcome their first child in May of 2024; they are committed to raising him in a Christian home and teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and His will for his life.
Wayne has attended several Watchmen Men’s conferences, as well as smaller Bible studies and groups, and has continued to grow in his walk with the Lord. This past January, Wayne was on a panel at one of those conferences sharing part of his testimony with other men. Wayne encourages you to get involved with Men’s ministry. “If you’re hiding in the back of the room, take that step of commitment. I know where your heads at, I was there, that was me…I sat in the back of the room for 3 years! If I only knew the smallest taste of the community I was missing out of on, I would have jumped in headfirst.”
Watchmen Men’s Ministry has weekly gatherings, monthly missions service projects, as well as several large conferences each year. You can stay up to date on Watchmen Men’s Events on the BethelEVV App.
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