Denver Seminary

HOLY INTERRUPTION 6 FALL 2018 Zhaojian Kang/iStock A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS By D.G. Wynn ASHLEY MONTEITH IS A 2018 GRADUATE OF DENVER SEMINARY'S MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. SHE RECENTLY MARRIED HER BEST FRIEND, MACCRAE MONTEITH, AND LIVES IN YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE SHE WORKS AT LIVES CHANGED BY CHRIST CHURCH AS A LEADER DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR IN STUDENT MINISTRY. T "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." How many times have you read Proverbs 3:5 or sung it in a song? When we look at our lives in hindsight, we often say things like, "God was working in those situations the whole time." But it's difficult to look ahead into life's unknowns with that same confidence. The story of Ashley Monteith is a beautiful example of God's care, concern, and providential outworking. "During the summer between my first and second year at Denver Seminary, I got engaged to Maccrae Monteith. He's from Lancaster, Pennsylvania," shared Ashley. "I had no networks there, but I needed a job after seminary." The next semester, Ashley took a class from a new professor who had just come from that part of Pennsylvania: Timothy Koller. After one of his classes, she approached him to ask for advice and insight he might have about local job boards. "He was so helpful," said Ashley. "He mentioned the church Lives Changed By Christ (LCBC) to me as a great place to look for fellowship and job opportunities." Ashley had done her residency at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and LCBC shared many similarities to that church. Week after week, Ashley reported back to Tim all the places she had applied to and any new opportunities she had found. After several of these conversations, she finally shared that she had applied for an open position at LCBC. Tim's long-time friend, Chad Herman, was the department head at LCBC. Without her knowing, Tim made a phone call to Chad, encouraging him to consider her resume. The next week, Ashley came to Tim with the exciting news that she had interviewed with LCBC—and it had gone well. "LCBC has a long interview process, so Tim started prepping me to understand the culture of the church and how to negotiate pay scale. He said I needed to recognize my own value and the value of getting my foot in the door at a church like LCBC." With a huge smile, Ashley said, "He couldn't have been more right." Ashley is now the LCBC central leader development coordinator in student ministry, providing leadership training for an army of volunteer small group leaders. With the Lord's helping hand and her professor as an advocate, Ashley walked forward into her post- seminary life with confidence. ipopba/iStock

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