Meet Pastor Chromy
My Friend Saved My Life!
I have not always known “a friend sticketh closer than a brother.” I was raised in a very dedicated religious home, but I never knew that God cared for me as a individual, that He loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me, and that He was willing to go with me, even “through the valley of the shadow of death.”
For a Midwest farm boy, it took a trip to an unknown part of the world to a place called Vietnam. There, face to face with death, I realized there was a great need in my life. It was the question of eternity! It wasn’t until was directed to the Bible that I understood I was heading into eternity alone and separated from God. My religious training of trusting in my good works was not convincing, even to myself, to supply my need of forgiveness. From the Word of God, I began to understand that God loved me so much He sent His only begotten Son to die in my place on a cross, paying the penalty of my sins. A gift? too easy? Not on God’s part, just on my part - receiving a gift I didn’t deserve - paying a bill I could not pay, that is, the wages of my sin. I had seen men die, nut in my place?
In April of 1970, I came to the place where I was wiling to accept God’s gift for myself. By accepting Christ as Savior, I became a born-again Christian. Now, I have a testimony of How Christ’s death in my place can take a guilty, hell-bound sinner and make him into something brand new, a child of the Heavenly Father heading to a home in heaven someday. As your friend, I would like the same for you! Yes, I may be a good friend to have but not your very best friend, I can introduce you to my very best friend, that “friend that sticketh closer than a brother,” the Lord Jesus Christ. He will be your very best friend for all eternity!
-Pastor Dick Chromy
Meet Assistant David Hecker
Is A Good Upbringing Enough?
Most all children want to be like someone or fit into a category of people when they grow up and I was certainly no different. Like many small boys, I wanted to be a police officer or a cowboy when I got to be old enough. Growing up in a Christian family, I also wanted to be a Christian when I grew up but as a 4 year old, i had no idea what it meant to be a Christian.
As I grew to understand more and from conversations with my mom and older siblings, I began to understand that a Christian is someone who acknowledges their sin, realizes that they themselves can’t do anything about their sin, understands that Jesus has made the sacrifice for their sins on their behalf when he died on the cross, and trust in Him to be their savior accepting God’s free gift of salvation. At the age of 5, I understood that I was a sinner and trusted Jesus Christ to be my savior. I am thankful that I understood at an early age that no one could make that decision for me and no matter my upbringing, I was responsible for my own sin and that Jesus was the only answer to my sin problem.
I have been involved in youth ministry since for several years and am looking forward to serving as God leads and directs in my life!
-Assistant David Hecker