Real Stories

We asked a few people how they found "More to Life" at Christ Church. Want to share your own story? Click here.

HILARY & NOAH CLARK

Newly married and relocating from Seattle to South Florida, we were excited to find a church right away. We spent six months looking, visiting church after church. When we finally found Christ Church it was like a breath of fresh air. Finally we found a relevant church, focused on serving the community. When we read the bulletin our first week, we were struck by the number of service opportunities: homeless feeding, mission trips, tutoring, food pantry. The list went on and on. And we knew this was the kind of church we wanted to be a part of. At Christ Church, love and service to others is not just talked about on Sunday mornings, it's a central part of finding "more to life," so we're challenged to live it out all week long.

DORIS CIPOLLA

My beloved Joe and I were married 36 years when he died September 8, 2005 after a brave 3-month battle with heart disease. We were both Roman Catholics, but rarely went to church.

I tried several grief support groups, but each one left me feeling more broken than the one before. Then one day, a woman I barely knew from my condo asked how I was doing. I was honest with her. I told her I wished I was dead. She said that she knew of a group that would help me, and she offered to give me a ride. I reluctantly agreed. The next day, Donna took me to the Grief Support group at Christ Church. These wonderful, caring people literally saved my life.

Next, Donna suggested I go to a worship service on Sunday. "Wait a minute," I thought, "I don’t do church." But again, I reluctantly agreed. It's hard to put into words how the first experience brought new meaning into my life. At the end of the moving and heartfelt service, I was weeping. Donna waved for one of the pastors to come to us. I told him how alone I felt without Joe, and with no family nearby. He replied in the warmest and most sincere way, "We are your family." He gathered some of my friends from the grief support group in a circle, and they prayed for me. I have come to know that all of the pastors at Christ Church are loving, caring, and always there when you need them. Even though it's a large church, Christ Church is also very warm and personal. I have found peace, joy, and new strength. Most of all, I've found a family. Through this new family, I've found that there truly is more to life.

ANNE & BOB BRANTMEYER

Eight years ago this June, we stood before God and exchanged our vows in the Christ Church sanctuary. Neither of us was brought up knowing God, and, at the time, Christ Church was not much more to us than "a great place to get married."

When we had our children, we returned to Christ Church to have them baptized. Because of the warm welcome our family received, we decided to start attending worship on a regular basis. We joined a small group where we met some really close friends. We feel so loved and accepted at Christ Church, and we continue to learn more every week about God's love and God’s plan for our lives.

YVONNE WOMACK

When we moved to Fort Lauderdale, we regularly attended another church in the community. We went there regularly for four years. After four years, we didn't know anyone's name, nor did they know ours. We weren't really connecting with others or growing deeper in our faith. We were attending church, but we weren’t really experiencing church in a meaningful way.

Then our friends, the Lamberts, were driving down Commercial Boulevard one day and saw a banner announcing a new sermon series and small group study at Christ Church. The four of us called the church and got signed up for a small group, and began attending worship.

We fell in love with our small group friends and consequently, Christ Church. From the very beginning, we met nice people and got involved. I began volunteering in the Nursery, and then in the Food Pantry. I now serve as the team leader of the Pantry, where we feed hundreds of people each month. More importantly, we get to share hope, listen to their concerns, and offer them friendship. We get to share with them what we’ve experienced—through Christ, there really is more to life.

FRED SCARBROUGH

I had three young children and was facing a divorce. I had been attending church, but it was not a priority in my life. I had other things to worry about. Then I heard that there was a Wednesday evening of dinner and activities for the kids at the church. I thought, "why not?" It didn’t take long to realize that the kids loved it and were going to make sure it was on our weekly schedule.

Then the pastor began a Bible study for the adults who attended the Wednesday dinners. At first, I attended because my kids enjoyed the children’s program. But little by little, I began to look forward to it for myself. I was asking questions and getting answers. The pastor was making sense, and the Bible was beginning to make sense. I was beginning to understand that there really is more to life than what I had been seeking. So I started getting more involved in Christ Church; my passion was especially for ministry with homeless people. Now, 18 years later, I am the team leader for the Serve ministries of Christ Church. It has been quite a journey, and I wouldn't change a thing.