| To many at Saint Helen, Amanda Thiel may be synonymous with ChristLife, which is Discovering Christ, Following Christ and Sharing Christ. Poised and organized, Amanda’s peaceful presence puts everyone at ease, from first-time participants to experienced table-leaders, to the committed kitchen crew. Amanda says, “The program has such a huge impact. Even being in the background, they are working on providing and organizing for others. Everyone is important. I love when participants talk about where they were vs. where they are now in their faith” after participating in the program. In many ways, Discovering Christ epitomizes the welcoming feeling that Amanda (and so many others) experienced when looking for a new community. She checked out Saint Helen and, as she relates now, “It immediately felt like home. I tend to drag my feet with decisions, but with Saint Helen, it suddenly became clear.” And, like other decisions that take longer to arrive at, “I know it when I know it.” Through her own participation in Discovery Christ (in 2016), the program had a huge impact on her in terms of deepening her faith. “I started reading Scripture more, depending on God more often, in all circumstances of my live.” “Even with my career (as a scientist at Pfizer), I always depended on God putting me in the right place. I have complete dependence on Him in all circumstances of my life.” She does admit to a trait many of us recognize in ourselves, “There are times that I want to have control over every little thing. It is then that I have to have complete dependence on Him that everything will work out.” So, what does this have to do with skydiving? Nothing and everything. Amanda’s been skydiving multiple times, just returned from a trip to South Africa, and seeks adventures. She agrees that making oneself vulnerable is common to both parachuting or talking about God. While Amanda might not easily convince someone to jump out of an airplane, she does have some thoughts on sharing one’s faith. “People are always searching for something. We just have to keep reaching out and offering up that olive branch. Be patient and keep praying for them.” In terms of talking about one’s faith, she suggests, “if you are concerned about what people think, then do little things each day.” In her work setting, she describes, “My colleagues are a diverse group of people. We are all of different faiths and from different countries. I enjoy it because we are just nice to each other. I’m just living out my life, following Jesus. That resonates with people that I work with. We are all so different; God made us that way.” While Amanda has many thoughts derived from continuously exploring her faith, “I am more of a listener. I don’t want to feel like I’m preaching to anyone. Listening exposes Jesus in a different way. Without necessarily shoving your beliefs on someone, you let them know you are walking right beside them.” And that is one of the many beauties of ChristLife. “It brings people together outside of church on Sunday. We are all sharing our journey with each other; we are not alone in life. Jesus is with us.” |
