David Dykstra:  

Life God is so good. He has blessed me in so many ways. Certainly, his greatest blessing is that he lovingly chose me to be his own in and through his Son Jesus Christ. I am also so thankful that I was raised in a loving Christian family. I am thankful for parents who loved the Lord and taught me to love him too. My dad, in particular, was tremendous influence on me. And his death in 1991 was a painful loss. Another blessing was the opportunity I had to teach high school in Shiprock, New Mexico. Because my dad was a minister, I was continually moving from one place to another, needing each time to make new friends and to become adjusted to a new area. The only constant in my life, outside of my God, was my parental family. Suddenly, I was off on my own. And the Lord allowed me to discover who I was and to develop some of the gifts he had given me. During these years I was able to form close friendships with others who helped shape my thinking and personality. I enjoyed teaching and working with youth. I also was enriched by living, working, and worshiping with people of another culture. In 1988 I left teaching to enter Calvin Seminary to study for the ministry. (I also thank God for the schools I attended and the teachers I have had! ) In 1993 I was ordained as a minister in the Christian Reformed Church. I have found real joy and satisfaction in this work. I love being a pastor. Preaching is a spiritual high for me. My first charge, Lincoln Center Church, was located in the middle of a cornfield in central Iowa. Then in 2001 I began serving Faith Community Church in the...Expand for more