Transcript

So I was baptized and raised Greek Orthodox in a great family environment. And at the age of 11, a cousin of mine introduced me to born-again Christianity; so at a very young age, I was evangelizing. Always wanted to be on motorcycles and cars and met girls and just found my way out of Christianity. And lost my touch with God and became a very bad and angry bitter person. Left the house at 18 to move to Florida with some friends and started to again go down the wrong path

When I came back [to New York] I uh hooked up with my wife who I’ve known since I was 16. And uh, we started dating again and uh, we got married and had two children. I started a business and the business just kinda took over the life. And I started working some long hours, seven days a week non-stop just making money, making a lot of money and just working and working and working. Never getting to see my wife, never getting to see my children. You know, my kids hated me at one point.

You know I had prayed and got on my knees begging the Lord to get me out of this position that I was in. Two weeks later after that prayer, He, He answered my prayers and I ended up leaving the partnership I had in the business and walked away from a lot of money. So after being home for about a month from closing the business and leaving that, uh some friends of ours came and recommended to Jen, my wife that uh she go to Church at this place they, they love it and it’s a great church. And I overheard the conversation and I, I for some reason, I said, “you know what I have nothing better to do, I’m, I’m coming I’ll go, I’ll check it out.”

It was a sermon, I know Pastor Jarrod always says he’s not speaking to anybody but I believe that day he was speaking to me. Because he even you know, talked about my life which was uh, about the book of uh, Ecclesiastes, which is uh, Solomon and it was about chasing soap bubbles. And he even had a motorcycle in his sermon which happens to be one of my businesses and it was just an amazing thing.

And I uh, cried all night and just you know, thanking God that he brought me here [To Grace Community Church]. Started to serve at Grace as a greeter and an usher. Started to do more, uh more things in my life for my kids and my family and I started working with Pastor Abe[Associate Pastor at our Washingtonville location], and now I’m leading the usher and greeters with him. Living in Port Jervis and uh, seeing that area how hungry it is for the Lord. We’re so excited for Middletown. I can’t wait. We’ve been actually greeters for Middletown with Pastor Bill.

Coming to Grace and being a part of this family has just been truly amazing. And it’s just transformed my life completely. You know, I, my relationship with my wife is amazing now. My kids love the new daddy as they call it. And uh, it’s been incredible for me that I want to serve and that’s what I want to do to be a part of His life and not mine. It’s no longer about me it’s about Him and I thank Jesus every day for this.

Update:

Since 2013 Nick went on to become an integral part of our staff at our Washingtonville location where he served for several years. Just this year Nick took another step and became the Location Director at our Monroe Location as he continues to be all-in for Jesus and all-in at Grace Community Church. After launching our Middletown location shortly after this video was recorded in 2013, Grace went on to launch a location in Warwick and then Port Jervis as well.