Ashly (photo) grew up Catholic and described her view of God as “an angry old man in the sky.” The concept that God is relational was foreign to her. 

She recently moved to New York City to work as a research associate at Columbia University. After walking through a difficult season, she decided to explore faith again and found herself at Harlem Community Church. Very quickly, she realized this was a place where she could ask honest questions: What is the Holy Spirit? Where did the Bible come from? What makes Jesus so different?

These were topics our friend, Mollar, was preparing to cover in a three-week Faith Foundations class at his church in New York City. Mollar serves with Cru's Church Movement ministry, which partners with churches to help strengthen believers and teach members how to share the gospel.

In the first class, the group discussed the Bible, God, creation, sin, and the promised sacrifice. The 90-minute class lasted much longer than expected because Ashly and the others asked many insightful questions and were eager to learn more.

In the second week, as the group discussed the Holy Spirit, Ashly interrupted the class. She shared that a few days earlier, she had felt an overwhelming sense of love and forgiveness. As an academic, she wasn't quite sure how to explain what she was experiencing but described it as a "hug from God." She also said she prayed, “Jesus, I’m sorry I haven’t let You into my life. I can’t imagine my life without God in it.”

The group praised God for what He had done in Ashly’s life. In just a few weeks, she transformed from skepticism about faith to acceptance of the gift of salvation paid for by Jesus on the cross. She told the group she wants to be baptized, but asked if she could wait a little while so her family and friends could be there. Mollar joyfully told her, “Absolutely!”

Please pray for Ashly and the others in the group. Pray also for Mollar and the other missionaries with Church Movements. To learn more about Church Movements, visit churchmovements.com.

Thank you for partnering with us in ministry so that people like Ashly can experience a "hug from God" that comes from knowing Him personally. May your Easter be filled with God's love and joy!

One in Christ, 

Steve & Robin