The Family of God | A Story of Community and Forgiveness

Feeling alone and being alone are two different conditions for a person. For Michael Brownfield, he felt the weight of both. The context of 2020 dividing and isolating him from community and relationships, the closing of his business and the end of his marriage both feeling like a death and then living in the reality of separation from his two young children drove Michael to a deep pit. Everything Michael had his identity in was now stripped away and replaced with what he considered failure. Failure as a husband, as a provider, as a father, as a son, and as a man.

“I had guilt and shame, and I was scared, anxious, and angry...all the emotions,” Michael shared. “I didn’t know where I was going to land. But God. God was at work. He was there and he provided all that I needed even though it was extremely tough. God began to open my eyes to Jesus and who He really is.”

Michael always knew about Jesus, but his heart didn’t. He lived his life how he thought was best, which was for himself and one that didn’t include vulnerability, humility, and forgiveness. God in His mercy began His work and provided a way. God put in Michael’s life a faithful mother and father, brother-in-law and sister, and friends he didn’t know he needed. One friend was a coworker that reached out to Michael. This was timely. When Michael moved into a new home after the divorce, a new reality was exposed. He was alone half of the time. He asked God to provide.

“The people God brings to come alongside you and walk with you is amazing,” Michael recalled. “Robb Clemans is a friend who I worked with and was there the whole time for me. He led a Bible study at work and walked with me through the difficult times. During 2020 and 2021 we met weekly on a Zoom call with another friend from Arizona and we went through the book of Romans. In that season of my life, chapters 3 and 8 in Romans really were impactful. Those guys poured into me as they had walked through similar situations in the past.”

“I asked God to provide and to walk with me through the dark times and He continued to do that faithfully one day at a time,” Michael expressed with thankfulness.

As Michael stepped out with a new faith, the Lord led and provided. God led him to Citylight in 2021 and then into serving in Citylight Kids (CLK). Through serving he met people and forged friendships. Again, this new community was God’s provision over Michael.

After serving a few months in CLK, Michael’s dad passed away unexpectedly. Walking through grief and loss was difficult but less with the Lord and with a church community and serving. Later in the fall, Michael attended the annual serving team party and met more people who extended more friendship. Hearing about City Groups on Sundays, Michael also reached out to Trevor Nashleanas, City Group Director at West.

“Trevor was always helpful in supporting me in the search for the right City Group to be involved with,” Michael revealed. “I met John and Amanda Shelley at the Fall serving party. I mentioned I wanted to find a group for my kids. They had a Friendsgiving and I went alone. It was a big group with ten families, but they made me feel very welcomed. They are just an outstanding group of people. We meet weekly and there’s a men’s huddle led by the other co-leader, Jamison Lalk. The men go through a weekly study, and it has created a space to grow in fellowship as fathers desiring to lead and disciple their families well. In Proverbs 27 it highlights iron sharpening iron, and that is exactly what is happening with this group. Those guys sharpen each other, together. There are strong leaders in that group. Those guys are rocks.”

“God surrounded me with a group of men that have been sages to me. He has shown that we are all growing through difficult seasons. We’re in different phases of life, but we’re transparent with one another, we confess our sins, and we hold each other accountable. These guys are my closest friends now.”

Michael has been in small groups before, but nothing like this one. The first thing he noticed is that their small group is a priority to everyone in the group. They show up not just on the evenings they meet, but in life. On his dad’s birthday after his death, the guys got together for ‘Man Camp’. The men in the City Group went out to a state park in Iowa and camped, hiked, cooked food, and shared their hearts. This was healing for Michael.

“It was so providential that the weekend we were at camp was on my dad’s birthday,” Michael spoke with tears. “I needed that. It showed me the bigger picture. My earthly father was gone, but my heavenly Father was there and worked through these men. My dad...he was so good to me. Especially through my divorce. When he passed, that was tough. He was the one I talked to and who would send a letter at the exact time I needed to receive a note. Now, it’s this small group, these men. It’s a gift from the Lord.”

Michael was baptized as an infant; however, when reading through the Gospels and Acts, he couldn’t help but feel conviction when reading all the instances of people being baptized. A few months before this year’s summer baptism, Michael began to pray and the act of baptism continued to be on his heart.

“I went to the baptism class that Trevor led with a lot of questions,” Michael answered. “I wanted to know why we need baptism, the challenges and doubts I had, even about divorce and what that means. And it all just goes back to identity. I felt it was time to get baptized. I had a new identity. I asked my brother-in-law to baptize me. He was with me through so much and awhile back, he encouraged me to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17. I chose this verse for my baptism proclamation. ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.’ I leaned into that heavily. Baptism is what I wanted to do as an act of obedience to God.”

Baptism day was a beautiful, rainy, worshipful August morning. Hearing the testimonies one after the other and in front of thousands of people couldn’t have been better. Michael was surrounded by his two children, his family, City Group, and his church family. Today, Michael’s son is asking about baptism. Michael is taking him and his daughter to the next baptism class to help them better understand what baptism means for them.

“I asked him “have you accepted Jesus as your Savior, do you believe that he lived a sinless life, and that Jesus died on the cross in our place?” and he said “yes,” Michael spoke with joy. “Seeing that...it’s just amazing. We need to be vulnerable with our kids and have conversations with them that speak truth. We need to admit when we are wrong and ask for forgiveness. When I sin, I need to confess those with them and with others and just show that example of the Gospel. We all fall short. I want to teach them that forgiveness must happen before reconciliation is possible. God has revealed this to me, and I just want my kids to know God is with them, that their dad is with them, and that they are loved.”

This past month, Michael hosted his City Group’s Friendsgiving as well as a gathering for the Citylight Student Ministry leaders. What was a space of brokenness and loneliness, is now a home spilling over with people. A home where relationships, friendships, and families are growing together. Michael is no longer alone nor lonely. He is blessed. All glory to God.