I met this girl a long time ago. A long, LONG time ago. Christie Mannin. (back then she was Christie Cosper) the beautiful girl with dimples and six tons
of amazing hair. She and her family came
to our church when I was in junior high and they quickly became an integral
part of my life. I spent countless hours
with Christie as a teenager. We got our
drivers’ permits together. –had she not
taken me along, I might not be driving still today. Thank you, Christie.
Christie and I became fast friends, maybe because as
interests go, ours were very similar. In
our back-and-forth email conversations, I was not at all surprised to learn that
Christie enjoys cooking, shopping, decorating, leading worship and serving
others in her community. Christie was
always ready to host a party and take care of a house full of people. It seemed effortless for her. She had the
capability, even as a kid, to make people feel comfortable and included; that
is one of the qualities that makes her so good at living out the Gospel.
Christie’s hugs are warm and real and there really is
nothing like them. It’s a hard thing to
try and explain in black letters on white paper, because it’s life in color. She gets it. She understands how to love
people, how to care for people and how to reach them where they are. Christie’s family (husband, Tim , daughters
Emily (11), Carys (8), Addison (5), and son Greyson (1)) is excited to be
living out the dream and the calling that the Lord began placing on their lives
almost 3 years ago- to plant a church that would advance God’s story of
restoration in people and in our city.
The area of the city they were directed to was not close to
the home they lived in, and so they moved closer. They planted themselves right in the middle
of the mission field, changed schools, changed neighbors, and started loving a
whole new bunch of folks.
When I asked Christie what she wanted the world to know, she
told me, “Our prayers are that our church will be full of people who are
gathered to ‘do church’ the best way we know how by bringing life to our city,
loving God, and living the gospel. We will learn how to truly live out the
greatest commandment…to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind,
soul, and strength…and to love your neighbor as yourself. We are excited for
where our church is after only 18 months of gathering and to be living in the
center of the city doing life and ministry with those around us. Our family motto
is “Do Things That Matter!”
For more info about what is going on with OKC Community
Church, visit their website , Facebook page, twitter, or instagram
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