Dear Lifeway Church

I still remember my very first encounter with you. It was 2018 when we pulled up to the theater. Honestly, I was a little confused—“This is church? At a movie theater?” But the moment I stepped inside, my heart was awakened. Smiles everywhere. Laughter in the halls. People who carried joy. And most of all, people who made me feel like I mattered—even if I had never returned again.

All of this, I later learned, came because one couple dared to dream. They dreamed of serving the Lord and impacting lives, and that dream has become a reality far beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Little did I know that first visit in 2018 would not be my last. When livestreams began, I tuned in faithfully and assumed I would always remain an “online person.” But God had other plans. He opened the door for me to move to Pennsylvania to complete the CORE Discipleship Intensive in person. Filled with both excitement and anxiety, I packed up the car, and my dad drove me here. It was only supposed to be 10 weeks. And when those weeks ended, I loaded the car back up, said my goodbyes, and carried a dream of someday returning.

At my CORE graduation, Renee said, *“We are praying she will come back to us.”* I don’t think I had ever felt so at home in my life.

That was three years ago. Today, my feet are planted firmly in Pennsylvania soil. And I can honestly say—I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Here, I’ve been given the joy of serving the people I love, while also being deeply cared for myself.

When tragedy struck—whether it was losing my grandparents, breaking both arms, or even having my car stolen—there were always prayers, meals, and helping hands ready to ease the burden. When holidays came and I had no family nearby, there were always invitations to Thanksgiving and Easter tables so I wouldn’t be alone. And when I’ve simply needed encouragement, there has always been a hug in the hallway.

This is home. I have found my home in your walls.

Tonight, Pastor Jimmy asked us: *“Where were you 10 years ago, and where will you be 10 years from now?”* Ten years ago, I was a 16-year-old girl who never could have imagined moving states at 23 to begin a new adventure. I couldn’t have pictured meeting the incredible people who would become my family here, or serving in ministry in a place that feels like home. And now, when I look ahead 10 years, my prayer is simple: that I will be even more in love with Jesus and even more deeply planted in the work of His Kingdom.

So here’s to 10 years of impacting lives. Here’s to 7 years of you impacting mine. Here’s to the thousands who have walked through these doors and the hundreds who have found Jesus because of it. And here’s to many, many more years of God moving through this house we call Lifeway.

Thank you for your *yes*—and I’m grateful for my own yes, too. Thank you to every pastor who serves faithfully, the prayer warriors who intercede, the friends who have loved me without judgment, and the joy I’ve received from being part of this family. Thank you for the new love and deeper connection to Jesus that I never knew was possible. And thank you to the pastors and launch team who, years ago, simply said yes to what has become an amazing move of God.

With love and gratitude,

Kelsay

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This house we call Lifeway

I walked in for the first time back in 2018.

A theater for church—

and I thought, “What is this?”

But then—

smiles met me at the door,

laughter spilled down the halls,

joy hung heavy in the air.

And in that moment

I felt like I mattered.

Even if I never came back.

That’s what Lifeway does.

That’s who you are.

A dream that started with one couple’s *yes*—

now a movement,

a family,

a house where the presence of God rests.

At first, I thought I’d only ever be online.

Tuning in week after week,

screen to screen,

content to stay at a distance.

But God had another plan.

He called me here—

to Pennsylvania,

to CORE,

to a discipleship journey that wrecked me

and rebuilt me.

It was only supposed to be 10 weeks,

but home has a way of pulling you back.

Renee prayed, “We hope she comes back to us.”

And I did.

Not just for a season—

but for good.

Three years later,

my feet are in this soil.

My hands are on this plow.

And my heart is all in.

Because Lifeway isn’t just a church.

It’s family.

It’s meals dropped off when the grief hit hard.

It’s prayers when my arms broke,

when my car was stolen,

when life pressed in.

It’s open seats at Thanksgiving tables

so I wouldn’t sit alone.

It’s hugs in hallways

that remind me I am seen.

Tonight, Pastor Jimmy asked:

“Where were you 10 years ago?

Where will you be 10 years from now?”

Ten years ago, I was sixteen—

a girl who never imagined

packing her car at twenty-three,

moving states,

starting over,

meeting a whole new family of faith.

And ten years from now?

My prayer is simple:

to be more in love with Jesus,

to be deeper in His Word,

to be further in the ministry He’s called me to—

right here,

in this house,

with this people.

So here’s to 10 years of impact.

To 7 years where you’ve impacted me.

To the thousands who’ve walked through these doors,

and the hundreds who’ve met Jesus here.

Here’s to many more.

Thank you—

for your yes.

And thank You, Lord,

for mine.

Thank you to the pastors who serve tirelessly.

To the prayer warriors who cover this house.

To the friends who’ve loved me without judgment.

To the joy I’ve found in these walls.

To the launch team who said yes years ago,

and lit the spark

for what has become

a mighty move of God.

This is home.

This is Lifeway.

And I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.