BRE:

Meet Bre. You might recognize her face as she leads worship on the Worship
Team at Engage. Bre says that her love for worship stems back to an
experience she had when she was just 12 years old.⠀
⠀
"My family walked into service and a husband and his pregnant wife led us in
worship and I remember thinking 'I want that.' Not just the husband and the
baby, but the clear powerful connection they had with the Holy Spirit," she
says. Bre saw firsthand what a deep connection with the Lord looked like, and
she says, "I realized I could use my gifts and talents and passion for music to
help give people the same feeling I had felt in that moment." ⠀
⠀
Bre has since worked towards her calling, developing a heart that is on fire for
God and growing as a musician. She has a special awareness that worship is a
powerful thing. "God has set me free during moments of worship and when I
lead people my prayer is that they will be able to experience that same
freedom.”⠀
⠀
While Bre maintains her composure on stage, she is no stranger to pain.
Struggling with depression and anxiety, Bre has experienced major
breakthrough during moments of worship. Bre says "there have been so many
times when I’ve felt afraid or hopeless or alone and God has spoken to me
through worship and used it to activate new spiritual gifts in me." With a
fervent passion to lead the Church into a place of genuine reverence and love
for Christ through worship, Bre cherishes every opportunity she gets to serve.
This is Bre and these are the #PeopleofEngage

KRISTEN:

Meet Kristen. Tallahassee native, Storytelling extraordinaire, and lover of the

Kingdom, Kristen rediscovered Engage at a time when she needed it most.
After moving away for an internship in Atlanta and living that post-grad life
for a bit, Kristen made the difficult decision to move back home because of the
significance of the community she found at Engage.
⠀
Since moving back to the city she’s always called home, Kristen has learned
that the Lord has called her back here for a reason. With a heart for God’s
people, Kristen currently works as an academic advisor at Florida State, and
serves on the Storytelling team at Engage. Of the leadership roles she’s served
in at Engage, Kristen says “I used to get nervous to be a leader because I was
afraid that everyone would find out that I actually didn’t know what I was
talking about, and I was just an imposter.”
⠀
However, Kristen pressed into the truth that God equips those who he calls,
and not the other way around; she also trusted that in the Lord’s house, there
are no imposters. Kristen opened up and allowed the Lord to lead her into
deeper community at Engage.
⠀
Kristen learned that God has gifted her with creativity and a heart for his
people for a reason. She’s learned that her gifts and talents can lead her to find
community to serve alongside in hopes of building the Kingdom. She’s
experienced unshakeable joy when she learns people come to a service and say
that they found Engage through social media. Kristen has learned that when
you allow the Lord to use you, “He’ll call you to be a director, on a leadership
team, and lead an Engage group all at the same time just so you can’t say you
aren’t a leader.” Kristen delights in what she considers to be the humor of
God, and she looks forward to the Lord’s continual work in her life in the
many years to come. This is Kristen and these are the #PeopleofEngage
⠀
P.S. feel free to drop her a Happy Birthday below 🎉

MARIA:

The transition to college can be tough, but often, community is the answer to a
long pursuit of finding a home away from home.⠀
⠀
Meet Maria. After graduating high school, she moved seven hours away from
home to attend college. When she arrived, she felt incredibly homesick. “I
missed my friends and family,” she remembers. For many people, moving and
taking on new responsibilities intensifies feelings of loneliness, but church is
where it all changed for Maria.⠀
⠀
Although Maria found Engage “literally the weekend before school started
freshmen year,” she did not immediately find the community she was craving.
“I didn’t really talk to anyone at Engage for the first 6 to 7 months,” Maria
admits. But, over time, God led Maria to serve in Engage Kids. “I started
serving and now I love Engage Kids. The whole ‘spiritual family’ thing is really
serious to me.” At times, it can be difficult to branch out and meet new people,
whether it be for fear of rejection or even social awkwardness. However, Maria
is sure that opening up to spiritual family and serving alongside members of
the body of Christ has touched her life in a way she never thought possible.⠀
⠀
With aspirations to become a therapist and serve others, Maria is now thriving
in Tallahassee with the help of the Lord and her spiritual family. This is Maria,
and these are the #PeopleofEngage

JAMIE:

I grew up in a Christian household. I went to church regularly, got baptized

when I was young, and I lived on fire for Jesus. When I got to high school, I
almost thought that I was a perfect Christian.”⠀
⠀
Meet Jamie. When she came to college, she escaped the little Christian bubble
she had grown up in. She was thrown into what she calls “the real world,”
where she realized there were a lot of imperfections in her faith. When Jamie’s
faith was tested, she found herself in situations and circumstances she had
never experienced before, and she fell into a life of chasing the things of this
world. ⠀
⠀
“For the first two years of college, I was not on the right path,” Jamie
confesses. She tried to find a church freshmen year, though she never really
committed. “I had gone to Engage with some friends freshmen year, and I
wanted to get involved right then and there, but I was still in the world living
how I wanted to,” Jamie shares. However after seeing how Engage was
impacting one of her friend's lives, Jamie says “I knew something needed to
change in my life. I didn’t like how the way I was living made me feel.”⠀
⠀
Her junior year, Jamie gave Engage a second try. “I loved it, but I was still on
and off. But one day my friend told one of the leaders that I enjoy social
media.” After “word got out,” Jamie met up with the leader of the Storytelling
Team and was pushed to step out in faith and join. Jamie ended up joining the
team, where she uses her gifts of creativity to minister to the people who scroll
through Engage’s social media. ⠀
⠀
“Immediately I got scheduled to serve, and at that point I was like, ‘well I
guess I have to go.’“ Jamie says that joining a team at Engage has pushed her
to become more serious about her faith with the accountability that comes
along with serving. “I’m thankful because it kept me on the right path. It has
helped me remember my eternal purpose, and I’ve learned so much about why
I’m here on this Earth.” This is Jamie, and these are the #PeopleofEngage

MAKENZI:

A man prophesied over me when I was six and told me that I was going to be a
worship leader, that music would be a part of me for my entire life.” God uses
his Spirit to move in and through his people, and sometimes the Lord will
send words of encouragement that can make significant impact on the
trajectory of your life. ⠀
⠀
Meet Makenzi. Music has always been a huge part of her life. Makenzi has
been on a worship team since she was 11 years old, and at the beginning, she
did not want to be a worship leader. “I was in so much denial that I never gave
the thought of being a worship leader the time of day,” she says, adding that
“whenever someone would tell me that that was what I was going to do, I got
very upset and defensive.” ⠀
⠀
Over time though, Makenzi has gotten to know the Father on a more intimate
level and become more aware of what He has created her to do. With much
trust, Makenzi has welcomed the idea of being a worship leader. “Something
deep inside me knew that I was going to end up being a worship leader,”
Makenzi says.⠀
⠀
After coming to Engage and joining the worship team, Makenzi recalls a
moment where Pastor Adrian told her that she was going to be a worship
leader at Engage one day. “I remember not feeling defensive or hurt or
irritated, but I felt a peace about it.” Makenzi finally felt like she came to an
agreement with what the Lord had created her to do from the beginning. As
she continues pursuing her calling and working with God to become worthy of
it, Makenzi is confident that the Lord will finish his work in her. This is
Makenzi, and these are the #PeopleofEngage

MICHELLE:

I love to bake and cook,” Michelle says. Cooking and baking is a way for
Michelle to love and engage the people around her. Food to her builds the
body physically, but also builds Christ’s body relationally and spiritually.⠀
⠀
Meet Michelle. Growing up around a family of chefs, she says that many of the
family gatherings she enjoyed as a kid involved preparing and enjoying meals.
Time was spent planning dishes, organizing oven and stove times, and
creating tasty dinners and desserts. ⠀
⠀
Michelle says that her upbringing has given her an appreciation for the
hospitality that comes along with preparing and serving food. Being in the
kitchen, laughing, mixing and tasting ingredients is what has built the
community around her. She aspires to use her skills to bring others together
and to foster community that feeds both the body and the soul. “Food always
wins people’s hearts,” says Michelle.⠀
⠀
Michelle didn’t grow up in a Christian household, though her parents raised
her well. When she got to college, she decided to pursue the whole religion
thing on her own. Michelle joined a sorority and began to attend church to try
and figure out what Jesus and the Bible was all about. After being encouraged
by a friend to try Engage, Michelle says that her experience with God,
“changed her all the way.” Now, for the first time, Michelle has a close group of
friends. She feels encouraged to follow her passion, engage with culture, and
hand out cookies along the way. This is Michelle and these are
the #peopleofengage

TIFFANY:

I understood from a very young age that I wasn’t alone and that Jesus was
there with me,” Tiffany says. Jesus was her rock and salvation and says much
of her recent life has been about learning how to lead a life of obedience.⠀
⠀
Meet Tiffany. Her obedience has risen from the godly examples in her life. “It’s
just been a life of following what I’ve seen in my parents and in my church
community and pursuing God from that.” Many times, mentorship can be a
valuable tool in learning how to walk with the Lord and understanding that we
are not alone in this thing called life. ⠀
⠀
Tiffany found Engage in an unorthodox way. “I was searching for a church
home in Tallahassee, and I had prayed to find a church where there was a
college aged community that was after God's heart.” One night on her way
back from a less-than-great experience at another church, Tiffany decided to
indulge herself in a trip to Urban Outfitters in Collegetown. After leaving the
store because it was closed on a Sunday night, Tiffany walked by Madison
Social and heard worship music coming from The Gathering, where Engage’s
Collegetown service was held. Tiffany found her way into The Gathering, and
immediately recognized that the Lord had answered her prayer. ⠀
⠀
After becoming connected at Engage, Tiffany can confidently say that she’s
found a church in Tallahassee that feels like a little piece of home. This is
Tiffany and these are the #PeopleofEngage

ATRICIA:

“I am thankful,” Atricia says of her journey with the Lord. Atricia tells stories
of the positive influences, opportunities to step out of her comfort zone, and
quality friendships that have sprung out of her decision to follow Jesus. ⠀
⠀
Meet Atricia. While she has not always known Jesus, she said that
surrounding herself with great friends who did know the Lord helped her
tackle the countless questions she had about God. “We would sit down every
week and have our own little Bible study/Q&A, and eventually one of my
friends invited me to the Passion Play,” Atricia says. After this special
experience with God, she was saved. Atricia is grateful that she has had
countless friends who took the time to be Jesus’ hands and feet in sharing the
gospel with her. ⠀
⠀
“I found out after I was saved that I had a group of friends at work that I didn’t
even realize were praying for me,” Atricia says. “I remember going to work the
Monday morning after I got saved and hearing a scream. A scream of joy! My
work friends were rejoicing with me, and I had no idea that all these people
were praying for my salvation.” This community mirrored to Atricia what the
love of God was like, and she has worked hard to share it ever since.⠀
⠀
Atricia is most passionate about her family, friendships, and teaching. She
wants to make a difference in the lives of the children that she teaches. A soul
with a quick disposition to nurture others, Atricia looks to provide comfort
and compassion to others. “People need to know you love and care about
them, that you’re committed to them before you can get much else done,”
Atricia says. Working with Special Needs Children, Atricia is thankful for the
opportunity to see children through the struggles of life. ⠀
⠀
“It’s fun for me to get to talk about my church family with the kids I work
with,” Atricia says, emphasizing the importance of taking what God is doing in
your life with you wherever he leads you. This is Atricia, and these are
the #peopleofengage

DANI:

A mature relationship with Jesus is about ownership. As a believer grows and

matures, they start to realize how important it is to shake off the burden of
apathetic routine and run towards an intentional, living, and dynamic
relationship with Christ. For many, college is the place where that happens. It
is at that point where you see your purpose manifest itself in every aspect of
your life: your job, your relationships, and your service. The moment we take
responsibility for our salvation is the moment our passions materialize into a
calling. ⠀
⠀
Meet Dani, a driven young believer who has been living out this reality since
her Sophomore year at Florida State University. She's been a believer for the
majority of her life, accepting Christ as her savior at the ripe age of 8 years old.
Upon arriving to Engage, she decided it was finally time to make her
relationship with Christ her own. No longer was this habitual. It wasn’t about
checking off a list, or meeting the expectations of parents, no. It was about
meeting the creator right in his home. ⠀
⠀
After being at Engage for a while, Dani has been exposed to the world of
possibilities that comes along with serving. “There’s this other side of you that
you think isn’t for Jesus, but it is!” Dani says while talking about gifts and
talents. “I began to realize: there is a reason I’m creative and friendly, there is
a reason I have ideas and can write well. I can do more for God than just sing!”
⠀
⠀
Dani is no stranger to mixing her gifts and passions with her service. “I’m
really passionate about the marginalized, especially in the church. It wasn’t
until I started serving on the hospitality team that I realized how I could help.
Now I can seek out those who might otherwise go unnoticed and let them
know that they are welcomed to be part of this big family!” ⠀
⠀
It's our job to seek out every unheard voice and unseen face. May we help the
world experience the heart of God by first offering our own. This is Dani.
These are the #PeopleofEngage

WILL AND JACKIE:

“I’m always trying to find a way to pour myself out to the younger people in
our church,” Jackie says. “I feel like I have more of a purpose." Engage is a
multi-ethnic, multi-generational community where people of all walks of life
can come to experience God and find their meaningful work. ⠀
⠀
Her husband Will says that while Engage Church is the first church he’s
joined, “the church family has been so warm and understanding."⠀
⠀
Meet Jackie and Will. They are passionate about taking their years of
experiences and life stories and pouring them into the next generation. Will
did not grow up around Christians, and he often wonders what life would have
been like if he had someone growing up who told him about the Lord. “I feel
like I missed out on a lot not having that influence, but I want to be that
influence for someone,” Will says. Coming to know God at an older age, he
says that he is sure that it was the Lord who kept him afloat in the 50 years he
lived in sin. “Since I came to know God, everything has been much better."⠀
⠀
Jackie echoes this feeling of comfort that comes with knowing the Lord. “We
have a lot of peace in our house,” she says. Jackie is most passionate about
helping minorities and women who are trying to start careers in the STEM
field. “I had such a hard time pursuing my career, and I thought, this has got
to be easier,” Jackie says. God has been her “Dad,” as she calls him, since she
was young, and she says that she doesn’t know where she would be without
her adoption into the family of God. ⠀
⠀
Jokingly as they pose for pictures, Will asks Jackie if they should break the
news that “we’re expecting.” With a genuine joy and a zeal for the Lord, Jackie
and Will are excited about the work that God continues to do at Engage. This
is Jackie and Will, and these are the #peopleofengage

BILLY AND EVE:

Billy met Jesus in his senior year of high school amongst a season of partying,
and his life was radically changed from that point on. He was in the bible, in
church, and chasing after Jesus. “That’s how I am with pretty much everything
in my life; if I’m about it, I’m all in,” Billy says. This thought process translated
into his eventual relationship with Eve, who he says caught his eye and drew
him in immediately. Billy says that very early on, he knew that Eve was the
one, he knew that he was “all in.”⠀
⠀
Eve, on the other hand, came to know Jesus in college through some friends
who met the Lord. “I didn’t have a car, so I was always with them,” Eve says.
Eventually, after attending a Bible study, she came to better understand the
Christian faith and the Lord. Growing up with a Muslim father and claiming
she was mostly atheist until college, the Father met Eve in a special way. While
she is really into ecology and evolution, Eve says that "after reading the Bible
and seeing what it said, I learned that none of it actually butted up against me,
it just brought Jesus into everything.” After coming to Engage for the first time
back when it was in its beginning stages, she felt called to serve and watch the
church grow. This led to Eve meeting Billy.⠀
⠀
Meet Billy and Eve. After meeting at Engage, they went for a coffee date even
though Eve didn’t really like coffee. “He insisted on buying me coffee and
spent the whole time asking me questions,” Eve said. Billy laughed, saying he
was sweating the whole time. While their beginnings were silly, their
relationship blossomed into a going-on 3-year marriage. ⠀
⠀
Billy and Eve found a way to develop a healthy interracial relationship and
share their cultures with each other. Engage’s diversity has helped them find
and build community, and their desire is to continue to build that community.
Eve is concerned with marginalized groups being able to see representation in
the STEM field, and Billy would love to work to push forward reconciliation,
whether it be in or out of ministry. This is Billy and Eve, and these are
the #PeopleofEngage

ARIEL AND ARIONNE:

“In our family, if you were born on a Saturday, you were in church on Sunday,”
Ariel says. Growing up in and out of different churches and being
homeschooled, Ariel began to question “what else” was out there in this
world.⠀
⠀
Arionne, her sister, felt some of the same things about church. “I only really
went to church where my family went to church,” she says. After she started to
drive, she chose to come to Engage. After starting to come to Engage regularly,
Arionne felt more of a sense of ownership over her relationship with God. ⠀
⠀
Meet Ariel and Arionne. Sisters who come to Engage together, they have a
heart for unification amongst black people. “A lot of black people look down
on their race,” Arionne says. These sisters want to show others that they can
find joy in the ways that the Lord has made them, and they believe that this
can often begin in the embracing of your culture. ⠀
⠀
On advice-giving, Ariel encourages others to live with intention. She urges
others that “being a Christian isn’t just a title,” as Christianity is much more of
a lifestyle than a title. Arionne notes the importance of being present in
whatever moment the Lord has you in. With a confidence about them, Ariel
and Arionne are taking on young adulthood with a special wisdom that can
only come from God. This is Ariel and Arionne, and these are
the #PeopleofEngage

KYANNA AND DEQUAN:

“We knew it was time to make a change. If we wanted a healthy marriage, we

recognized that God had to be at the center of it all,” DeQuan says. ⠀
⠀
Meet DeQuan and Kyanna. Shortly after they first came to Engage, they were
engaged and living together. After a powerful message one Sunday, they both
felt called by God to make a change in their relationship in order to better
posture themselves to receive his blessing in marriage. After moving apart
before marriage and pursuing the Lord in a greater capacity, they became
more involved with Engage and its mission.⠀
⠀
Now married and pursing God as Mr. and Mrs., Kyanna and DeQuan are both
on the lead team at Engage, where they pour into young leaders and spread
Christ’s love and steward the gifts He’s given them. With a desire to put racial
division and self hate to rest, Kyanna and DeQuan want others to know that
there is an incomprehensible value in knowing who God is. This is Kyanna and
DeQuan, and these are the #PeopleofEngage

JASMINE:
"I feel like people don't know that they can be celebrated and that somebody
can love them without needing a lot from them."⠀
⠀
Meet Jasmine. She is a dancer, reader of poetry, and believer that in this life
that is so often full of craziness and sadness, there is still hope. She is
passionate about helping others learn how to find the silver linings in this
world and celebrating them along the way. Jasmine hopes that someday she
can continue to learn these lessons of joy and hope alongside people as she
pursues her calling to spread the Lord's love in a deeper way. ⠀
⠀
"I don't care if it happens through dance or through song or through English
or even algebra," Jasmine says of her desire to celebrate others. She's dreamt
of starting a birthday celebration ministry to show others the selfless love of
God by celebrating them freely, and though she's not sure where the Lord will
lead her, she is excited for the journey. This is Jasmine. These are
the #PeopleofEngage

SARAH:

“I think we need to play more cards with each other. Our world is full of
disconnect and oftentimes we forget how to have fun with each other and just
be kids.” Sarah is passionate about connection with others, and she believes
that creativity and connection go hand-in-hand. To connect with each other,
Sarah says we can look to Jesus as an example. “He’s always present,” she
says, “we can eliminate some of the stress and the worry of this world if we’ll
just be present and play a game of cards every now and then."⠀
⠀
Meet Sarah. An avid artist and advocate for all things fun, she believes that we
all belong in this world. Sarah is passionate about using art to connect with
people help them see that who they are and what they create matters. She
believes that when we create things, we are taking part in the Lord’s work.
“Creating is a major way that I’ve experienced connection with God,” Sarah
says. ⠀
⠀
“I want to reconcile the church and the world of art,” Sarah says of her calling.
With skepticism running rampant in the relationship between art and the
church, Sarah hopes to bring the two together and allow the world to see that
God is in the creation that we do.⠀
⠀
“Jesus has told me that he would never leave or forsake me,” Sarah says. While
there may be many things in this world that will try and convince us that we
can’t receive that kind of love and connection, that we aren’t worthy of that
kind of love, we can have full assurance that the Lord deems us worthy of this
love he has for us. This security and constant connection that Sarah has found
with God is something that she desires for everyone she comes into contact
with. This is Sarah. These are the #PeopleofEngage

CARAH:

“In an instant, I felt the Lord next to me. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and I
heard him saying ‘give it all to me.’” The Lord came to Carah in the midst of a
season marked by hopelessness to transform the areas that were broken and
give her hope for the future.⠀
⠀
Meet Carah. She grew up in an atheist household, and her younger years were
full of pain. Carah grew up with a difficult home life, and in middle school she
was bullied to the point that she seriously considered ending her short life.
However, at a Lock in night with her friends at a church, the Lord met with
her in a tangible way and saved her. ⠀
⠀
“Nothing could have convinced me of God but his presence,” Carah says of her
encounter with the Lord. Carah was sure in this moment that there was joy
and hope that were possible in this life, and she let God into her life to save
her. Though life did not become easier, and the remnants of her old life did
not disappear, Carah maintains that the Lord is faithful even in the times that
feel really tough and impossible.⠀
⠀
Going from being an atheist to following Jesus, though it was difficult, has
taught Carah a lot about the way she was designed. She encourages others to
not be afraid to ask the questions. “God designed us to be analytical… He isn’t
afraid of our questions,” she explains. With an inquisitive spirit, Carah hopes
to use the things God teaches her to author books in the future and share what
the Lord puts on her heart. This is Carah. These are the #PeopleofEngage

MARY:

“I’ve found the type of family who is always there for me and always supports
me,” she says of her Engage Church family. With its rich diversity and Christ-
centered community, Engage has helped Mary build her faith in a new way.⠀
⠀
Meet Mary. Throughout college, she has struggled with anxiety and
depression, and in searching for ways to help ease the struggle, Mary found
that the only thing that has helped (even a little bit), is a true, unshakable faith
in the Lord. When Mary came to Engage, she found a community that helped
her develop the faith and the courage to pursue her God-given calling, even
when that calling seems daunting.⠀
⠀
Mary is passionate about sharing her faith with others and helping them find
breakthrough in life. She continually prays that the Lord will use her in her
calling to be a mental health counselor, and she is confident that He is in
control of her life and will work things for her good. This is Mary. These are
the #PeopleofEngage

CARA:

“I thought I was going to be on Broadway and move to New York after my four
years at Florida State.” ⠀
⠀
Meet Cara. When she began college, she was a hopeful rising star in the
Musical Theater Program. With high hopes of becoming Broadway’s next star
and taking the message of the gospel with her to New York, Cara was ready to
build the skills the Lord had given her over the next four years. However, after
an unfortunate turn of events, an ankle surgery put dancing and singing on the
back burner for her. ⠀
⠀
“My whole world was crashing down because I didn’t know what direction to
turn in. Glorifying God wasn’t my first inclination,” she says of her priorities in
the early years of college. After first coming to Engage, Cara says she was
inspired to put the Lord first, however after looking at her schedule she
realized the trajectory of her life didn’t line up with the things the Lord was
placing on her heart and in her life. With the strenuous rehearsals and high
prioritization of practice that had to come in the Musical Theater Program, she
was not able to find the time to serve, to dive deep into spiritual family like the
Lord was calling her to. “I took it as a sign from God to let go of that old life
that had been holding me back from figuring out who he truly called me to
be.” This is when Cara stepped out in faith.⠀
⠀
Cara left the Musical Theater Program to chase after the Lord and what He’s
called her to. In an act of obedience, she left behind friends, which was never
easy, but Cara says that “truly pursuing Jesus has showed me more about what
it truly means to be a faithful servant.” Putting the Lord first and desiring to
show others the identity they can find when they put the Lord first and
become wholly defined by who he says they are, Cara moves forward in
obedience with unshakable faith that the Lord will remain faithful to us all as
we take on this life. This is Cara, and these are the #PeopleofEngage

SEBRENIA:

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a friend of Jesus. You are
free. You are wanted. ⠀
⠀
There is a powerful weight to the things the Lord says we are. God has some
pretty amazing things to say about who we are and where we should find our
identity, and all we have to do is press in to Him to find out. ⠀
⠀
Meet Sebrenia. When she came to college, she says she "was the kind of person
who looked for approval in a lot of ways, whether I knew it or not." She fell
into bad habits in hopes of finding somewhere to place her identity that would
make her feel fulfilled, but came up short until she came back to Jesus. "The
Lord is more stable than any source here on Earth," Sebrenia says, noting the
importance of putting your identity in Christ and pressing into him for the
answers about yourself. ⠀
⠀
After getting plugged in at Engage, Sebrenia says the Lord revealed to her
more about herself than she could have ever imagined, giving her a glimpse of
who He's made her to be and what He's made her to do. ⠀
⠀
Sebrenia desires to go into low-income areas and provide quality STEM
education to children who are deemed less than by our society's standards.
With hopes to spread the gospel and tell her students who He says they are,
Sebrenia will impact the lives of the generations to come. This is Sebrenia.
These are the #peopleofengage

DANIELLA (OR DANI):

Religion versus Relationship. Figuring out the difference between simply
“being a Christian” and having a true relationship with Christ is possibly the
most important discovery we can make in the process of having a deep
connection with Jesus. A relationship with Jesus is not about the work we can
do and the duties that come along with Christianity, but about the posture of
our hearts and the action that comes from a true place of love and adoration.⠀
⠀
Meet Dani. While she’s always known Jesus, early on it was only because she
was told to know Jesus. When she came to college, she began to see things of
religion from a new perspective, and this perspective change altered her life
for the better. She began to understand that the Lord was more concerned
with where her heart was at than any duties she could perform as a
Christian. ⠀
⠀
The Lord ignited a fire in Dani’s heart that will propel her into the medical
field for years to come. With dreams to bring God’s truth into the world, she
will minister to her future patients and provide them with quality healthcare.
Dani aspires push the gospel forward in all areas of her life and serve people
like Jesus did. This is Dani. These are the #PeopleofEngage

AMANDA:

“You have nothing to lose, so go,” Amanda’s mom told her one night before
she tried one of Engage’s Collegetown services. Growing up Catholic, Amanda
felt a little apprehensive about trying non-denominational churches when she
came to college, but one night when she talked to her mom about trying a new
church, her mom encouraged her to give it a try. This “try" would be one that
changed the trajectory of Amanda’s life. ⠀
⠀
Meet Amanda. She says that Jesus “wrecked” her in the best way possible that
night at Collegetown. Jesus met her in a tangible way, and Amanda was saved
and baptized in the same night, “in 32 degree weather,” she notes. ⠀
⠀
Since developing a relationship with the Lord, Amanda has learned that God
wants to help us weather the storms of life. After being radically saved, life
came at her really fast as she began to live the Christian life and abandon her
old ways. While addictions were hard to beat, Amanda has full faith that the
Lord is able to change us in a supernatural way. ⠀
⠀
“No matter how out of control life feels, you still have the option to have a
relationship with Jesus,” Amanda says. Her insistence on our worth as
children of God will lead her to pursue a career in worship leading to proclaim
those same words of truth over bodies of believers for years to come. This is
Amanda, and these are the #PeopleofEngage

KASSIDY:

Many times in life, the “things” of this world can cause us to get distracted and
stray away from the Lord. During these times, it can be really easy to become
disconnected from community and just deal with our own issues, but perhaps
the most important thing to do when dealing with the ups and downs of life is
to draw near to both the Lord and His people to help us through.⠀
⠀
Meet Kassidy. While she’s known Jesus her whole life, when she came to
college, she got into a relationship that eventually turned toxic. This
relationship caused her to stray away from the Lord and do things on her own
for awhile, but after hearing a sermon at Engage one Sunday about how
humans are not meant to be on this earth alone, Kassidy felt the conviction to
make a change.⠀
⠀
She made a vow with the Lord that when she ended her relationship, she
needed for Him to be there and to show up for her. Kassidy witnessed God’s
faithfulness firsthand and became increasingly involved with Engage. She got
plugged into community and developed real, deep friendships. She began to
see areas of her life flourishing where she never thought there would be a
harvest, and she learned that all of the things that we hate about ourselves, or
see as weaknesses, are put there by God so we can fulfill our purpose. ⠀ ⠀
With a true belief that being 100% yourself is the best way to be, Kassidy will
take all she has learned with her to Indiana where she will pursue her master’s
degree at Purdue University. This is Kassidy. These are the #PeopleofEngage

ANA, NICOLE, ANA, and VAL:

It's never easy to move; relocating to a new place can oftentimes cause us to
feel like our world is turned upside down. During these times of transition, it
is imperative to lean on the Lord and trust him throughout the process. ⠀
⠀
Meet Ana, Nicole, Ana, and Val. After transferring to Tallahassee from FSU's
Republic of Panama campus, they often felt like they were "in a desert place."
The girls, who live together here in Tallahassee, were put in a place where they
learned to depend on God in a greater capacity than ever before. ⠀
⠀
When the girls first came to Engage Church, they say that it felt like the oasis
they had been looking for as they were walking through the desert. They
experienced what a genuine Spirit-filled community felt like. They were able to
come together as roommates and grow in faith, intentionality, and love. With
a firm anchor in the Lord, they are excited for what God has each for them. ⠀
⠀
The girls have also learned a great deal about how the body of Christ operates
like a family, and they encourage others to be vulnerable with their Spiritual
Family to help them through life's struggles. ⠀
⠀
#PeopleofEngage

WILL:

Sometimes when we grow up in the church, a relationship with God can be “all
we’ve ever known,” and many times that relationship does not become
intimate until we have our own encounter with the Lord. For many of us, this
special experience with God can be a turning point in our lives and our
relationship with Him. ⠀
⠀
Meet Will. Growing up in the church, Will came from a line of faithful, God
fearing Pastors; God was all he ever knew, though the roots of his relationship
with the Lord came a little later in life. As a child, Will spent a lot of time in
and out of hospitals with health issues, and he experienced God’s miracles
firsthand.
⠀
“It wasn’t until about junior or senior year of high school when I looked back
on everything that had happened in my life and realized that God was actually
present in my life,” Will says. This awareness of the Lord has led him to spend
more time with God and build intimacy, to grow in thanksgiving and praise,
and to prize Jesus above anything else in this world. He is sure that the Lord is
worthy of love and praise, even in the moments when it doesn’t feel like it. ⠀
⠀
A man on fire for God with a heart for the creativity the Lord has gifted him
with, Will assures the world that a relationship with God will take them
further than they’ve ever imagined. This is Will, these are the #peopleofengage