My Walk With Christ
 
I am not exactly sure when it was when I got interested in God, but I
know it was in 7th grade.  Before then  I never knew what a wonderful thing it
was to know God.  Of course I said I believed in him, and I did, but I never
talked to him or spoke of him.  Well in 7th grade my grand mom (Helen
Haldeman, she goes to central too) wanted our family to start to go to church
again.  We used to go but I was only a few years old.  She thought and prayed
about it and then started to take my little brother.  He went for about 3
weeks and that got my dad going because he felt bad that he wasn't there when
my grand mom took him.  Out of curiosity I finally went one morning,
somehow I got in Sunday school instead of church.  When I got there everyone pretty
much ignored me, I actually felt like I had to act a certain way to "fit in"
(not good huh!).  Some people were really snobby to me and I couldn't believe
how they were acting!  Well I got past that, I started to hang around with a
few of the kids that I could actually be cool with and feel wanted.
 
I struggled with some stuff outside of church during that time.  See I had
this friend Joe, he wasn't the best influence on me.  He got me in to some stuff
that I wish I didn't do (but it did make never want to do them again).  So I
was what you call a "Sunday Saint, Monday Ain't".  I didn't even know why I
chose to hang around him, but I did.  Back then the youth group leader was
Doug something (I forget his last name).  It wasn't very big there was like 6
kids coming all together, but nonetheless it was fun.
Then Rich Hendrickson came in to my life, he became the new associate
pastor.  I thought I had a lot in common with him, he was new I was sort of
new.  We both needed to find our nich I think.  Well, he was great, I always
listened to him talk and tried to be good (I know if he reads this he is
going to laugh).  Right when he came he had plans, we went on trips and it
was great.  I started to bring friends to the youth group and then all of the
sudden the youth group was booming!  So many people were coming, it was
great.  One of the trips I went on was the ski trip, it was soooo much fun.
It was the first time I went skiing, well I went when I was four but of
course I don't remember that.  And I don't remember much of the church trip
either, because I knocked my self out.  I fell doing a jump and that ruined
my whole day!  Everybody knows about that,
and they talk about skiing in groups now because of me and they all tease me about it.

Then came Creation '97, one word - FUN.
My grand mom was the one that convinced me to go on that.  When people told me it was a festival of
Christian music, I thought great - I was going to be at a 5 day choir thing.
When I got there I immediately found a pal to bounce around with, his name
was Trevor.  We went to the main stage for the opening band.  They were
called Five Iron Frenzy.  I thought what a corny name, but they started and
they rocked.  I was in to ska and punk that was secular, and that was exactly
what they were, except Christian.  While we were bouncing and dancing,
I kept shouting to Trevor "Can you believe this, THEY ARE CHRISTIAN!!!!!"
There were a lot of other cool bands there.  I met a lot of friends there, and I am
still in contact with them today!  In fact one of them is my Girlfriend NOW!
Creation is soo awesome.

A while after Creation, my friend Becky invited me to go to her youth
group at Zion United Methodist Church.  There I met someone I will never
forget or could thank enough!  Her name was Kerry, I am telling you now I am
never going to date someone that's not a Christian.  It was soo much fun, she
got me going to 4 youth groups a week!  I met all kinds of fellow Christians.
When we were an item she agreed to go on the ski trip with me and I agreed
to go to this camp called Keswick with her.  And Of course we broke up, she
still came on the ski trip and she did say some things that hurt me but I still
went on to Keswick with her.  And man I am I glad I did!  We sang praise
songs and had classes, it was soo much fun.  Then on the last night they sang
songs and it touched me funny, It was something I never really felt before,
and I liked it!  That night they were singing and I was feeling it, and they
just happened to give an alter call.  I was a little scared but I felt that
pounding in my heart, so I stood up and walked to that alter, one of the
college students that was a weekend counselor there came up to me and started to pray with me.
Until that night I have never been so sure of something in
my whole life, that night I realized what it was to be a Christian, what
Jesus did for me, what is feels like, and how many other Christians are there
for me and love me.  I gave my life to god.  I left Keswick with a giant
smile on my face!

I got back and shared the news with just a few people though.  I
still stayed in Central's youth group and all but I started to go to Zion's
more.  I went on a bunch of trips since then.  I wen to Delanco this year and
it was non-stop Christian fun!!  There I heard a man named Ricky Court, he
was the speaker and head honcho for the weekend.  He was one of the best
speakers I ever heard in my life.  They say that the average teenager has a
attention span of 7 minutes, well he had mine ever minute he talked, as well
as everyone else.  Listening to him preach made me think about me doing that.
I really have been thinking of going to school to be a Youth Minister.  I
saw how much fun He had and I don't want to grow up, and it looked like that
is the closest thing to do! 

This year it was my second Creation.  It was 10 times better then the
first year.  There were so many more people!  I listened to some more people
that were in Youth Ministry and that deepened my desire to become one.
Again I met up with Trevor and we were like brothers the whole weekend,
everyone remembers Trevor and I.  They called up the P.R.'s, I don't know why!
Right now I think I am at one of my strongest points in my walk with
Christ so far.  We have gotten Centrals youth group back together and it is
now called "The Basement".  The leaders are super cool, and they are all ways
there in times of need.  They elected my friend Maurine Maguire and me to be
the presidents.  So far we are off to a good start.
Another reason I am feeling really strong is because God has been very good to me lately.
From the first Creation I went to, ‘97, I met this girl named Danica.
Her dad was the Pastor at their church and they brought there youth group.
Well, we always have kept in touch and all, but about 5 months ago we started to hang out a lot more.
Then in Feb. I asked her out, ya know to be my girlfriend,
and it has been one of the best steps in my life I have made.  Our
relationship is what it is because of Gods work in our lives.  We can hang
out and watch a movie, or we can sit around a do devotions.  This
relationships has been so good because it has been growing with God.  Right
now I have been feeling more close to God then I have ever felt in my life.
We are now on our 3 month and if it is Gods will, I wouldn't mind at all
spending the rest of my life with her.

God has blessed me in many ways.  I can't wait to see what he has
planned for me in the future.  I have now realized that the best things in my
life have happened when I give it all to Him and let him lead me in the right
direction.  I can't wait to see where he has to take me, and I know it will
certainly be a good future if I let him guide me!
 
                                            Andy Haldemen