The Conaways | SovHope Spotlight Blog

Do I remember the first time the Conaway’s visited our church? No. Am I a terrible church member? Yes, but I am getting better. Sanctification people, it’s a process. However, I do remember my first interaction with them at C-Group, and that was the night I knew they were going to be a great fit for our church. Mainly because Bobby told me an embarrassing story about one his first dates with Yvonne when they went skiing, and that’s something that men can bond over. I left that night and told Jordan, “I really like those people. What were their names again?” Like I said, I’m getting better. But it was a few weeks later that really sealed the deal as we were taking prayer requests at church one Sunday morning. Yvonne shared a request about a family that was struggling because their daughter had a serious medical issue. What I remember about that moment was her transparency and vulnerability to discuss her own struggles with sovereignty and hardship, and I was almost moved to tears. It’s not easy to discuss why bad things happen in a crowd of people, even though I’m sure Bobby asks himself that question every time he wants to eat bread, but that’s what really caught my attention that day. Since then, they have continued being one hundred percent real one hundred percent of the time, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.

The Conaway’s are a busy family, and before you role your eyes and think, “Yeah me too buddy,” just finish reading why don’t ya. Yvonne is pretty much a Super Woman. She is currently starting the major portion of schoolwork on her road to becoming a Nurse Practitioner, as well as working a full-time job saving lives for crying out loud! She will start clinicals in January, which will be interesting because it means not working during that time. She is aiming to graduate in December of 2018, with the possibility to continue towards becoming a DNP. Right now, however, the focus is to just move one step at a time and see how the Lord works.

Every Super Woman needs a solid Super Man. Bobby working on trying not to get attacked by bees and chickens, both of which can be extremely deadly. He’s been hard at work fortifying the chicken coop, so that things like snakes can’t get in, as well as trying to sustain the bee community he has created. There’s only like a few hundred thousand bees, so it’s not really that hard…Yeah right! It sounds crazy to me when he talks about bees just flying around the front door or the windows like they’re flies. I don’t know about you guys, but if that were the case I would wear a hazmat suit twenty-four-seven! 

Both parents already have a lot going on doing what I mentioned above, as well as holding down full-time jobs, but they also have something else they work on. That’s right, Finny Farm, the natural skin care business that Yvonne originally started because of the harmful chemicals she found in household items. What started as a purging of their kitchen, turned into a bonafide business. The markets are getting better, as they have started to have repeat customers, more and more solidifying their brand in this community. Thankfully they aren’t doing all the work, those few hundred thousand bees are allowing them to break into making Finny Farm honey, and they are also starting to make jams along side their staple products such as soap, deodorant, lotion, sunscreen, and bug spray.

So yeah, next time you think you’re busy because you have to mow the grass instead of watch America’s Got Talent, just remember that these two are killing it. There is no way I would be able to juggle everything they have going on, mainly because I can’t juggle. All of that is enough to keep any person busy, but they have three other contributors to the business of life. Yvonne and Bobby are awesome parents, even if they don't think so at times. It is completely evident to me that the hours that Yvonne and Bobby have spent intentionally pouring into their children's lives is paying off, as I have personally benefited by being around some of the most kind, funny, and genuine kids of all time.  

Philipp is the kind of kid that when he walks in, you think he’s going to have a chip on his shoulder called arrogance. I mean come on, he’s six feet tall, blond curly hair with a baseball hat on, and a tennis racket in his hand and you think, “I bet this kid thinks he pees liquid lightning”. Well, maybe that’s not exactly what you think, but you get what I’m saying. Thankfully, that’s not what Philipp is like at all. In fact, what I appreciate most about Philipp is that he is exactly the opposite. He is an extremely kind, caring, and outgoing person that looks to serve others and not himself. Now when it comes to Philipp day to day life, it seems that he is adopting the mentality that his parents have. School is usually something most sixteen year olds do, but like Napoleon Dynamite with tater tots, Philip wants to tuck some extra college credits in his side pocket by dual enrolling at West Georgia. Thankfully he’s got a great morning routine that prepares him for all that school…waking up at 5 AM to go into work at Chick-fil-A. Now, maybe to most that would be out of the ordinary, or at least a bit undesirable, but Philipp’s strong work ethic, most likely cultivated by his awesome hard working parents, is what allows him to really thrive in the Chick-fil-A environment. But don’t worry, he gets up that early and works hard in the mornings so he can have free time after school…to practice for his tennis matches! This kid has more going on than most adults I know! And all with a smile of his face.

Now, Jonah has become my most recent acquaintance, and I already know I like this kid. While he does have the golden locks that Philipp possesses and is already taller than Jordan at eleven years old, it’s the fact that Jonah is a unique combination that captures my attention. There are very few young kids that are as respectful and kind as Jonah, that can turn around and tear a football team apart, and then sit down afterward and read half a book in two hours. It takes me two hours to pick a book up after I’ve sat down! Currently Jonah is playing football, and adjusting to life as a middle schooler at Lee Middle School. He has all new teachers, and new students surrounding him, but my opinion is that based on everything I just said, it won’t be much of an adjustment. With his personality, he will be very successful anywhere he goes in life.

Speaking of personality, there is someone who goes by the name Mr. Personality in the Conway household. When you are around the Conaway’s, there is no way to overlook the boisterous and ever funny Phineas, mainly because he’s running around with his shirt off, which is what I do to get people’s attention as well. Phin transcends the role of just being the little brother. He has earned his place in the family structure as the irreverent and spontaneous comic relief as well as the aspiring daredevil. He is very much his own person. It’s going to be incredibly fun watching him grow up in our church. I have a feeling not much will change.

Is it just me or does the Conaway’s story kind of sound like a movie? Think about it.

A young woman leaves her small rural town in Germany to travel to the United States, where she meets a rugged and mysterious American and falls in love. Will international waters keep them apart or will she give up everything she knows for him?

“Watch this summer as true love flies international…right into your heart.”

                                                                                                A film by M. Night Shyamalan

You gotta admit, it sounds pretty good. But on a more serious note, I point this out because I am continually amazed by people’s stories and how God is sovereignly in control of them. To think of the thread of Yvonne’s life, sovereignly and intentionally stretched from Germany and intertwined with Bobby’s, is incredible. And now we have the honor of having that thread run through our church as well and be a part of that incredible story. This family did not come to our church by accident, just as Yvonne did not come to America and meet Bobby by accident. We are extremely blessed that God has placed them into all of our lives, and we could not all be more thankful.

The Moores | SovHope Spotlight Blog

I’ve had a great many privileges in my life. I married my childhood sweetheart. I took a two-week road trip on the East Coast. I saw the Falcons play the last ever football game in the Georgia Dome, and win the NFC Championship (we’re not going to talk about what happened after that). I was the best man in my best friend’s wedding. But something that really stands out, is when Sarah and Tyson asked me to give the toast at their rehearsal dinner. They couldn’t have made a worse choice, but at the time I was honored. So honored in fact, that I prioritized writing it mere minutes before I was supposed to give it. Let me set the stage. I was sixteen, with long flowing hair. I held the piece of paper that contained the speech in my hands, which were shaking from nerves, but this was no ordinary speech, it was a poem. I looked up at all the smiling radiant faces that would certainly transform into astonished horror, took a deep breath, and then went on to deliver every last poorly rhymed word after poorly rhymed word. A 5th grader could’ve done a better job. But afterwards, I remember having to hold back tears. I was really proud of what I had just accomplished, but it’s like one of those moments when you happen to find that old Creed album that you listened to so much that the back of it is all scratched up, and you pop it into the CD player with great anticipation thinking, “This is going to be awesome,” and then it starts playing, and instead you think, “Wow. I can’t believe I used to blare this album in the High School parking lot and think I was cool,” like all of us did…right? Right. The point being that most of us have probably made silly decisions that we thought were awesome, maybe even privileges, (like letting some long-haired dingus give a toast or being that long-haired dingus) but we look back and recognize that we’re not the same people we were and that we’ve grown since then. I can say that I can look back and know I am not the same person I was back in those Creed playing, long-haired dingus days, and it is a privilege to say that Sarah and Tyson have played an important role in that.

“Summer is fine. Summer is good. And it never lasts as long as it should.”

I thought I would give you all a taste of the kind of garbage I wrote for Sarah and Tyson’s toast, but it really sums up the Moore’s mentality of this summer. It’s been filled with good times, and a lot of projects. Most of us saw more furniture magically appear from Tyson swinging a mallet then we did super hero movies this summer, which would be a pretty sweet super power. Unfortunately it’s not, and it takes Tyson a lot of work to do those projects. From cutting boards and mallets, to entertainment centers and benches, Tyson has steadily been building up quite the catalogue for his online website tysonmoorebuilds.com, and has even branched out to selling some of those products online. But we all know Tyson, which means we all know that he isn’t doing it for a catalogue or selling them online, but to serve others, which is why almost 100% of his “customers” have been church members. I don’t know about you guys, but I think that’s a high enough percentage to make Tyson’s woodworking a Sovereign Hope Membership Benefit. Who’s with me?!

Besides working on those projects, the Moore family has been soaking up the sun and fun by taking the girls to Line Creek, going to Jacksonville Beach, and even rolling a bowling ball or two at Junction Lanes. But even with all those projects and all of the fun times, Sarah and Tyson just felt like something was missing from their summer, and they started asking themselves a hard question, “How are they going to use their summers to make an eternal impact?” While that is a kingdom worthy goal, they’re not quite sure exactly how that question fleshes itself out. The only thing they can do now is pray that John Piper will come out with a new book titled Don’t Waste Your Summer. As long as Tyson keeps making me quality furniture every summer and Sarah keeps making really good pizzas, I know I will be eternally grateful.

Well kiddies, deflate the water wings, empty the squirt guns, and peel that sunburn off; summer break is coming to a close. This means that’s it’s time for Tyson to start dusting off the ole rubric and syllabi and start preparing to mold minds, but he’s not the only person in the Moore family household that’s preparing to mold minds. That’s right, I’m talking about Home Schooling! Macie will be in Kindergarten, Callie will be in Pre-K, and Elsie Kate will be somewhere in the back bedroom, hopefully asleep. Now, in the south we have a saying for this, which goes something like, “Bless her heart”, but really means, “She’s done lost her mind!” Sarah certainly hasn’t lost her mind, but that doesn’t mean she won’t by the end of the school year. This is a new area for her, and she is attacking it head on like most of us would, by freaking out. To be fair, most of her concerns are valid. Will Macie be able to transition from viewing her as a mother to a teacher? Will Callie sit still and listen? Can she teach them and take care of a newborn? Will they be able to learn how to tell time? Well, like I said, most of those are valid. But it’s interesting to listen to her talk about those concerns, because the whole time I’m thinking, “You’re Sarah Moore. I know you. I know your heart and character, and I’ve seen you take care of multiple foster kids plus your own, while inviting church members over for supper and serving them. You’ve got this!” To me, that fact alone would be enough to get her through, but thankfully she knows that she’s surrounded by a church family that will continue to offer her encouragement and support throughout this process.

Macie and Callie resemble those best friends that we’ve all heard about and maybe some of you have experienced first-hand; they could not be farther apart from each other and yet just as close at the same time. From hair color to personality, if you looked at them separately you may not be able to determine that they are sisters, but as soon as they get together it becomes obvious. They do everything together! They play together, watch movies, bathe, and fight. Very similar to a best friend relationship…except for maybe the bathing part.  That being said, their differences pose some benefits and challenges. I think a benefit is that they will grow up with someone who constantly has a different perspective, which is a good learning tool. I think the challenge is that they will grow up with someone who constantly has a different perspective, which can be hard, but I think we can all agree that Macie and Callie have more than capable parents to handle those ups and downs.

As we all know, there has been a fairly recent addition to the Moore family in the form of sweet Elsie Kate. She could not have been more of an answer to prayer for the Moore’s as they prepared to add a third child to their growing family. Elsie sleeps, she eats, she doesn’t have any medical problems, and she’s fairly quiet for a newborn. All in all, a very great addition to a household with a 5-year-old and about to be 4-year-old.

What I love about the Moore’s is exactly what I said in the intro; they have had a huge impact on who I am today. I have known Sarah my whole life, and while I’ve never had to put it in words, I recognize my relationship with Sarah is truly something unique and special, and I know that it transcends the typical cousin relationship. I have been able to see her devotion to Christ, her transformation into a godly woman, and her faithful service to her family and church. Then I got to see her pick one of the most incredible human beings (almost as incredible as her!) that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The office of elder is a high calling, one that isn’t taken lightly, and I have been able to witness the work that Christ has done in Tyson to make him the man for the job. Through that work, he has taught me so much about the pursuit of glorifying God through the sacrificial service to his family and others. These things combined have had an incredible impact on who I have grown to be, but it’s more than that, because I know that they have had a huge impact on not just me, but many, if not all, of you as well. As a church, we are extremely blessed to have Tyson leading us an elder and Sarah giving us a great example of a servant hearted wife, mother, and follower of Christ, and it is our honor and privilege as a church to be serving alongside of their family.

Will Shonfelt | SovHope Spotlight Blog

I have known Will for a long time now, and can say with some sense of accuracy that he isn't the same person as when I first met him. For starters, his hair isn't covering his knees now. That one is obvious, but as for everything else I had to pause and think. It's interesting when you are growing from young adult to adult, you don't necessarily see the changes in yourself. It's not until you take a step back and think about who you were and follow the thread of time to who you are now do you realize it was not one decision that made you an adult, but multiple small decisions that pushed you along.  No one has a day marked on their calendar as the day they changed from who they were to who they are now. When Jordan and I sat down with Will, it was so cool to see the person I knew years ago, and the person I was talking to that night. It was encouraging for me to see how God has molded this young man, his world view and perspective, and filled him with specific desires and passions, and his determination to pursue them. 

I remember Will when he was in the thicket of his High School education. That "Oh man, I haven't done anything for the past four years" panic that many of us have gone through. I definitely remember it not being easy for him, but what he developed during those hard days was something that has now become part of who he is as a person, self-determination. Will has since gone on to be a paramedic as most of you know, but now he is determined to do more. He is enrolled at Clayton State looking to get his bachelors degree, and is currently taking two summer classes. The difference between those High School days and now, besides a generic dose of time provided maturity, is that self-determination, but more than that, it's passion. A passion for what? Medical missions. His goal is to go to med school, and will shoot for the big one, #doctorstatus. Now, do you or I or Will know the will of God? I believe a certain wise man once said, "No. No you don't." That aside, there is a passion inside of Will to use his medical abilities for the Lord, and he desires to grow that knowledge and continue in that pursuit. Where will he end up and what will he be doing? We can't know. He may be here passing out band-aids at the serve Senoia events, or he might be a doctor with his own hospital over seas. Either way, Will is bent on serving the Lord with his knowledge and abilities in whatever capacity the Lord leads. 

Will's not a doctor yet, so what is he doing? He transferred to Atlanta Medical Response in December, a company he used to work for, and went PRN, which is Latin for "pro re nata". . . yeah you just learned something. It essentially means "As Needed". The benefit of this job is that it allows his schedule to be very flexible. He is able to take full time hours for his school semesters, and support himself with his job, which is such a blessing. One of the coolest parts about being a PRN on an ambulance is that you don't have a regular partner. You pick shifts that you want to work, and they could be with people that you have never met before. This gives Will the opportunity to have some really cool conversations with different people. Usually those conversations will lead to him explaining why he is going to school (medical missionary), so he has a great opportunity to share the passion and desires the Lord has placed in his heart. Sometimes with Non-Christians, sometimes with Christians, sometimes with Muslims turned Christian turned semi-Muslim/Christian, the ever elusive Muslitian. Whichever way you slice it, he gets to have a pretty cool influence on these people's lives. 

Besides doing school and working, Will is quite the outdoors-man. In his spare time, he plays adult recreation league soccer with the Mercer's (that includes Thom), goes fishing, and has been known to don a flannel shirt and chop a tree or two. He's always enjoyed sports, unfortunately he didn't go pro in hacky sack, but what really made Will's eyes light up when he talked with us were the two children he supports through Compassion International. Norbert (8) and Mary (7) are their names, and they are on opposite sides of Uganda. They also have both recently lost one of their family members and Will has been able to work through it and encourage them through writing letters. He hopes that one day he will get to meet them, and asks that you pray for them just as he has been doing these last two years.

As I stated in the beginning, when Jordan and I sat down with Will I understood I wasn't talking to the person I once knew, but to someone who has grown and been transformed by the Lord. God has placed specific desires in Will, and it is incredible to listen to him talk about that pursuit. He has such a heart for service and the humility to serve in whatever capacity the Lord deems necessary. We are extremely blessed to have someone like Will Shonfelt as a part of Sovereign Hope Church.

Ryan Boss | SovHope Spotlight Blog

Who is Ryan Boss? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since he first started visiting our church, and one that I was excited to answer when we got together. It’s not often that a blond haired High School aged guy walks into our church and isn’t accompanied with their parents, or an existing member. He sought us out specifically. That is the image I want people to have in their minds of Ryan, as a seeker. And no, I’m not talking about the position Harry Potter played in Quiddich. Calm down. I’m talking about a young man who started searching for answers to hard questions at a young age. Why is my family life the way it is? How do I overcome it? What is my purpose here? Wait. Am I talking about Harry Potter? Definitely not, because a huge hairy wizard didn’t come busting down the door and changing his life, but God came breaking down the wall of sin separating them both and opening Ryan’s eyes to the glories that are His love, grace, and mercy. Just as I sought to answer my question of “Who is Ryan Boss”, he too continues to seek to understand who this God is that has radically changed him. 

Ryan loves music, and before you say “Oh yeah me too, who doesn’t?” first let me say ease up on the attitude. Secondly, let me say that Ryan loves music. How often, besides in your car, do you sit down and listen to music just to listen to it, and when Taylor Swift comes out with a new album doesn’t count either. I mean, when do you just sit down and turn music on and just listen? That’s what Ryan does. He continually searches for new music to sit down and just listen to. He also loves books, well specifically Tim Keller’s books. So much so, that I’ve wrestled with contacting the Keller’s and letting them know that a 19 year old blond haired guy may show up in their yard asking for an autograph. But, this is for good reason as it was one of Keller’s books, The Prodigal God, which radically shaped his understanding of the Gospel.

Besides those two things, Ryan is always searching for new opportunities and experiences, so when Jesse invited him on the river fishing trip the conversation went like this:

Ryan: “Yeah man, I would love to!”

Jesse: “Great. You ever been fishing before?”

Ryan: “Nope. Never.”

Jesse: “Well…”

Ryan: “Also, I can’t swim.”

Jesse: “…”

Well that didn’t deter Jesse and so, exemplifying everything I talked about in the last blog, he took Ryan out to get acquainted with the glorious feeling of a bass on your hook, and Ryan fell in love with it! He then went on the river trip, and from what I was told, Ryan was so filled with passion and commitment that he fished harder than any person there and only caught a really bad sunburn and one fish the entire time. For most, that would have been enough to squash any good feelings about fishing, but for Ryan it only continued igniting a new found love. 

So, that’s what Ryan likes to do, but who is Ryan Boss? What’s his story?

Ryan didn’t have it easy growing up. He didn’t meet his father until he was twelve years old. He lived with a neglectful and alcoholic mother. He was surrounded by the allure of alcohol and drugs, but there was a small beacon of hope. In talking with Ryan, he says that his grandmother raised him more than his mother did. She would be the one to take him to church, and I can’t help but think of the story of Timothy and the relationship he had with his grandmother who passed down her faith to her grandson. It was through this avenue that he started getting connected in the church until he found himself at a crossroads of what it meant to live a life as his family had, or to live a life as part of God’s family. He gave his life to Christ at seventeen years old, but the struggle didn’t end there. Ryan described the church he attended and was baptized in as very legalistic. His upbringing gave him a very clear image of all the things not to do, but he struggled to connect the grace and mercy he had experienced through Christ to the legalistic mentality his church held. Eventually, a friend gave him The Prodigal God, as I mentioned before, and that started a chain of events that have shaped his life, and his understanding of the Gospel. Ryan left his old life and church, moved into a friend’s house, and began searching for a new church home. He found that home in Sovereign Hope, and asserted that under Adams teaching, he has grown more than ever, and from the members, he has never felt more loved, welcomed, and at home in his life.

Alcohol. Drugs. Abandonment. A legalistic church. They all sound like the recipe for disaster, and yet these are all the things that Ryan overcame proving that through Christ, God can pull anyone out of any situation to walk a path opposite than the one most people think they were destined to walk. We are fortunate that the path God gave Ryan to walk connected him to our church, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we are excited to continue to grow with him.