MIKE OWEN

Mike Owen and his wife, Michelle, started attending CrossTown Church not long after the birth of their first child, Ashley.

“We were looking for a church to raise our family in,” Mike said.

At that time, the Owens were living in south Plainfield. They owned their own home and things were going well. But within a few years, Mike lost his job, repairing commercial air-conditioning units. Mike began a journey of learning that being a good father was about more than just providing for his family financially.

“It’s at that point that I found I had more value to my family than just being financially the provider,” Mike said. “I was there to be able to play with my kids. And I was valued in more ways than just bringing home a paycheck.”

It was because of his small group at CrossTown/The Sanctuary that Mike said his family was able to get through those difficult years. Not only did his church family pray regularly for him to find a job, they even helped meet the family’s physical needs. On several occassions, the Owens showed up to small group to find people had donated groceries for three couples who were unemployed.

“Really, that was God feeding my family,” Mike said. “He used the small group and the people of The Sanctuary, or CrossTown, to do that.”

Mike said he and Michelle, as well as their two kids, Ashley and Zeke, now see the people at The Sanctuary as a family.

“Everyday, we’ve definitely felt God’s love through the friendships and relationships that we’ve built at the church.”

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