Abi Barrett

As a child, I had the wonderful privilege of growing up in a Christian home. My father was and is a faithful pastor and minister of the gospel, which means that my family spent a lot of time in church. I saw God working in the lives of my parents at a very young age and decided to follow Jesus on New Year's Day at the age of 7. It was one of my father’s messages that opened my eyes to the truth of the gospel, and even at a very young age, I realized my need for Jesus. I was baptized at the same church shortly thereafter and have been a faithful follower of Jesus ever since.

Over the years, I have grown in my faith in many different ways. As I transitioned into adulthood, the Lord greatly increased my trust and faith in himself. I have learned among other things that the Lord is gracious and slow to anger, and that I can trust and obey him out of a sense of awe and wonder and not out of fear or guilt. I have also become focused on not allowing the opinions and approval of other people to influence my thoughts and actions and distract me from Christ. God has done some amazing things in my life, and I am looking forward to the future as I continue to grow in my faith.

I was first introduced to Christ Fellowship Northwest through Christ Fellowship Cherrydale. At the time, I was a student at North Greenville University and began seeking out a church close to campus. I began to attend our church in September 2017 and became a member in 2019. At that time, I came to meet and later married my now husband, Hayden. I am currently serving on the guest services team and the Christ Fellowship Kids team. I am also the prayer leader for our Missional Community group.

I love the structure of our church as well as the very tight-knit community feel, and I appreciate the fact that our church feels like a family. I am thankful for the many ways that the people in our church have helped prepare me for marriage and helped me transition from college to career. I feel grateful for our church because it has taught me the importance of the local church and increased my love for God, his word, and his people.