Indianola, Iowa—When Mike and Cathy Coffman agreed to serve a monthly Christian Women’s Connection in their restaurant, they were raising two teens, struggling to keep the restaurant afloat, and coping with the death of a close friend.
“I was at the bottom of my life,” says Mike. Little did he know that things were about to look up—way up.
At the monthly outreaches, Stonecroft Regional Administrator Karen Langstraat invited the restaurant staff to listen to the speakers. Cathy heard the speakers share their stories, and she learned that she “wasn’t alone”; she could relate to their struggles and problems. Cathy discovered that God had not “forgotten” about her. He freely offered her forgiveness and salvation. She accepted His wonderful gift!
Mike noticed Cathy’s transformation.
“I knew the Christian Women’s Connection was having a big influence on her—so I would stand in the hallway and listen to the speakers,” he says. “Each one had their story about how they expected life to be, and how life had turned out. They talked about where they were and their need for Christ.”
Mike, too, identified with their messages. He realized that his need for God had never been greater.
Cathy joined a Stonecroft Bible Study, and Mike noticed that she prayed and read her Bible at home—she couldn’t get enough of God’s Word. Mike also saw her draw strength from God during the heartache of their third miscarriage. He says, “I started asking questions, and the Bible seemed to have all the right answers.”
Soon Mike went to church with her—and he didn’t just stand in the hallway! “It was a real Bible-preaching church,” says Mike. “The second week I went there, I turned my life over to Christ.
“I grew up in the church. My parents took us to church all of the time—so I had the ‘head’ knowledge, but it was a combination of the [Holy] Spirit and all that knowledge that caught me on fire. The Spirit started changing me from the inside out—even how I dealt with my employees. I became a completely different person—a new person.”
Mike knew God had a plan for his life and asked God to reveal it. The answer was clear: Mike’s work consumed all of his time, leaving no room for God. Mike needed to sell the restaurant. He obeyed God’s call, walking away from the only type of work he’d ever known.
For several years, Mike sold insurance. Then his part-time job at church led to a full time position as Church Administrator. He now serves as Executive Pastor and will receive a B.A. in Biblical Leadership and Discipleship this fall.
Mike encourages Stonecroft volunteers to persevere in bringing people to Jesus Christ, just as the friends of the paralyzed man did (Mark 2:1-5). It may require hard work, but the Holy Spirit will work and people will receive Jesus as Savior.
“You never know who it’s going to be,” says Mike. “It might be the chef hiding in the hallway.”
This Live! article originally appeared on September 19, 2013.