Audrey Holifield

I found friendship at NEWIM, and so much more. After relocating to the Sacramento area in June 2020 and attending church online until January 2022, I found myself feeling very isolated and in need of connection. I started to get involved in various organizations, but I quickly found it is very difficult to make friends when you're older. It takes a lot of energy and several of the friendships I made seemed more draining than energizing. I needed something richer, something deeper, something that allowed me to be my true self, something mutually supportive. I also started feeling very insecure, continually wrestling with the question, "Why would God actually love me just as I am?" when I've never felt good enough. Earlier this year, I started to feel the nudge to start chipping away at the voices of inadequacy that have been weighing me down, but I didn't know what to do on my own.

When I was invited into the NEWIM-Fuller Spiritual Formation Cohort and learned what it would entail, I was intrigued by the idea, although finding the time to participate seemed challenging. Not only would the cohort provide the connection I was looking for, but it would start me on a road to developing the confidence I so desperately desired to truly live in freedom as a child of God. I was nervous at first about fitting in and whether there would be "realness" in the group, but I was fascinated at the instant level of openness, vulnerability, and togetherness I experienced with my small group. It was refreshing and life-giving just to be able to share honestly in a safe space, to listen and be heard with grace and understanding, and to pray for each other. I am looking forward to journeying with my cohort and seeing how God reshapes me through this experience.