Kiefer’s Story

In 2016, I moved to Nashville for a job that I had as a sales rep here. Over time as I lived here longer, life started to weigh on me. There were situations that came up that were definitely overwhelming. I went through a season of particular darkness, of loneliness, of feeling like I didn’t have people around me.

It was a time when I really missed the church community that I had in South Carolina and lacked here. Not having that definitely hurt me in a lot of ways.

A Personal Pursuit

I decided to come to the Church at Avenue South and become a member. Through that process, I met our discipleship pastor here at Avenue South who connected me in particular to our Young Professional Ministry. That ministry was a place where I was able to meet a lot of new people.

I had people invest in my life and not only specifically encourage me in terms of what I was going through, but also just help me through that darkness that I was experiencing and be that love in that body that I had been missing for so many years.

The Pursuit of the Church

As I became more involved in Avenue South and was pursued by the church and the community here, it definitely created more of a light in my life and an ability to see out of the darkness I was in. Through my involvement in the Young Professional community, I was able to not only receive community, love, and relationships, but I was also able to step into leadership and get more involved.

Through that involvement, it developed into an internship that I’m doing with our Discipleship department. Now I not only get to experience that community and be pursued by those around me; I also get to be involved in the pursuit of others.

Pursuing Middle Tennessee

Now, I not only want to be a part of a church in terms of leadership, but also in particular being in discipleship, which is an area where I’ve always seen lots of growth. There are new people moving to Nashville all the time who are in need of that pursuit that I experienced here at Ave South and who are in need of a community and a place to see the love of Jesus. That’s certainly something that I try to create as a leader now in our ministry and in our church.

We’re pursuing all peoples and trying to create a safe space for everyone in the church.