The Valentine Family – Parenting Toward Faith

Kurt and Shannon Valentine both grew up in a relationship with Jesus Christ, but as their lives became increasingly hectic with demanding careers and young children, they found themselves drifting away from their faith. 

“We were trying to carry our heavy loads all alone,” they explain. “Over time, this left us feeling depleted and void of spirituality. And while we were trying our best to be great parents to our daughter and son, if we were honest with ourselves, we knew we were not equipping them with the one thing they needed most to successfully navigate this world: a relationship with their Heavenly Father.” 

Kurt & Shannon discussed finding a church home for their family. “We knew if we waited too much longer, we were going to miss the opportunity for our children, ages 12 and 10, to grow up knowing Christ.”

In the spring of 2019, Shannon was talking with some other moms at swim team practice who excitedly shared that their families attend Access Church. They encouraged the Valentines to join them. 

And so, on Easter morning, the Valentine family headed to church. 

“We had a great initial experience. From the boisterous and funny parking lot attendants waving us in, to all of the friendly greeters, to Rich’s thought-provoking Easter message, to the leaders who made the day special for our kids, we all felt warmly welcomed and excited about returning the following Sunday!” 

And return they did, becoming regular attenders, volunteering, giving, and inviting their friends. 

“I don’t think we really realized how large our spiritual void had become until we started attending Access. It is amazing to see our children learning about God’s love for them and each beginning their personal faith journey.”

“We’ve come to realize that Access is a church community that is going to truly partner with us as parents to support our children and their faith journeys on into their adulthood.”

The Valentines are so grateful for Access! They share, “We would like to thank all of you who contribute so generously from your time and finances to create environments where everyone can feel welcome to come and explore what a relationship with Christ would mean in their lives. We feel blessed to be a part of the Access family.”