LEARN

Sagemont member, Sean Morgan traveled to Sudan as a volunteer team member with Samaritan’s Purse. Sudan is a country in Africa that has been ravaged by the effects of civil war, so the team’s mission was to check the status of the work there. They observed how that even in a war-torn country, the message of God’s love can change lives, even Sean’s.

Shirley has endured a lot in her life; molested at 6, raped at 12, beaten and hospitalized during an abusive marriage, stabbed in a parking lot, and finally, is suffering with several chronic diseases as a result of the attack. Throughout these trials, Shirley and her husband, Frank, have shown the Lord's patience and forgiveness.

Easter sermon along with music by the Sagemont Church choir and orchestra

Dr. LeRoy Skip Smith is the Associate Pastor of Membership at Sagemont. Dr. Skip has been in the ministry for over 60 years now and through those years of experience, he’s learned about the importance of spiritual protection. Not just the spiritual protection needed by those in the ministry, but especially those of us who face the struggles of everyday life. His wise teaching has helped pastors, missionaries in many countries and people who work every day in our city.

The Sapaugh Family, Kyle & Jennifer Sapaugh offered their family and home to Dawn Mountain after a series of very difficult life-changing events.

Dr. Craig Nelson Description: Dr. Nelson was born virtually blind with only 2% of his vision. At five years old, by law he was required to attend a blind school where he learned Braille. The law was changed just as he was going into high school, so he was excited to be in a regular school. He encountered many obstacles where people tried to hold him back because of his sight challenges, but he was determined and overcame all of those obstacles. That determination took him on to graduate school where he earned his Doctorate in Education. Amazingly, not only did he excel in education, his hobby is carpentry. Even with his sight challenges, he has made beautiful tables, cabinets and even designed and made a grandfather clock. He is so glad to have found Sagemont Church where he can study the Word of God and serve by using his carpentry skills.

Lamont and Theresa Buckner The Buckners both come large families and their parents came from large families as well. When they married, they wanted to begin a family of their own. God had a different plan. After years of trying unsuccessfully to have children, they discovered that Theresa was pregnant! But within hours of this good news, there were complications and she was put on bed rest. Their Son was born premature, but he has experienced almost none of the problems that are associated with preemies. They speak about the support of their church family and how the Lord guided them during this difficult time. The Buckners always give thanks for their children, knowing that God has something special planned for each of them.

Steven and Sarah Hill Coping with the demands of a newborn, while enduring the pressures of a struggling marriage, threatened to tear apart Steven and Sarah’s hopes and dreams. And as if that wasn’t enough, they were about to be thrust into a battle for the very life of their baby girl upon discovering that her body was riddled with cancer.

Don Coontz seemed to have it all, family, his own business, a former football star, but he was missing the one thing that would have made sense to his and his family’s life. In a time of crisis in his marriage, a friend recommended Sagemont’s counseling ministry. His family was never the same.

Bettie Tolar, is a woman who for over 20 years turned her back on the Lord. She lived as an agnostic. She didn’t know she needed a personal Savior, didn’t know the truth and was discouraged from it. While there was no great and terrible event that drove her to Christ, she had a loving family that prayed for her and a Christian daughter that attended Sagemont Church. She invited Bettie to an Easter service where Stuart Rothberg showed the Christ in the Passover. The service made such an impact that she began attending regularly. After a short time, Bettie realized that she needed Christ! And as she says, “What a change He’s made!”

Sagemont Church member & astronaut Dave Leestma has spent his entire life at the top, not only the top of the world as a shuttle astronaut but as the top graduate of his class at Annapolis and at the famed "Top Gun" school of the Navy. As a confidant naval aviator he began to rely on his own intelligence and skill and also began to ignore God's place in his and his family's life. He then met the limit of himself when a major illness struck one of his sons. He turned his life back to God and has never looked back since.

If you know Buddy Griffin, you know the infectious smile, a ready joke and man who can make everyone laugh. But for over 60 years, Buddy had hidden a deep wound from his childhood. His father caused this wound. His father was a workaholic, driven, demanding and very heavy handed with discipline. Buddy thought he could do nothing to please him, so he tried even harder. Space is too short to tell the entire story, but through a men’s conference and a “chance” meeting with pastor and author Robert Lewis, Buddy stepped out with God’s help and guidance, way past his comfort zone and reconciled with his father. Their relationship was miraculously healed!

Lyudmila Boring was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. She was very indoctrinated in Communist ideology and even taught it. After many years and thoughts of her Christian grandmother's stories told to her as a child, she began to have doubts. She became a translator and then accepted Christ as her savior. She marries a Sagemont Member who was on a mission trip there to Russia and eventually immigrated to the United states.