Holly Smith

My life before enrolling as a FCA student was logically structured and arranged as a result of my own abilities, will, and accomplishments. I had a perfect plan for my life - not leaving any room for the Holy Spirit or the will of God. From an external perspective, I was a very strong Christian: attending church every Sunday, serving, volunteering, engaging in local outreach, and investing in Bible studies and various ministries. On the inside, I was harboring bitterness, duplicity, hurt, and destructive patterns. My relationship with Jesus was routine. I was seeking Him in a surface-level way, but had no desire to surrender my perception of control to experience a true encounter with Him. 

FCA changed my life in innumerable ways. The program helped break down my walls, placing me in a position of safe, yet risky vulnerability with others and the Lord. It completely changed not only my relationship with the Lord, but my reliance on the Holy Spirit. Through FCA, the Lord empowered me to do countless tasks that my flesh was too afraid, too prideful, or too "unequipped" to do. FCA modeled the fellowship and community of the early church incredibly well and revealed to me how God's people are supposed to treat one another. It gave me a fresh burden for the lost, and positioned me to receive my calling from the Lord with an open heart and a confident "yes." Because of God's work through FCA, I experienced a deep, profound joy, peace, and resilience that I had not before. I truly believe God used this program to shift the trajectory of my life.

After graduating FCA, I immediately moved out of state to pursue a master’s degree in obedience to the Lord. As a graduate student assistant, I had the opportunity to teach and disciple underclassmen and provide both biblical and academic instruction. This positioned me to fulfill the call the Lord placed on me during my time in FCA: missions. I now work for Assemblies of God World Missions as a writer and editor. In this position, I am blessed with the opportunity to hear the testimonies of pastors, missionaries, and global congregation members and use these stories to encourage other believers, U.S. churches, and those interested in missions. Getting to travel, serve the Lord, and hear of His mighty works across the globe is an immense blessing. I truly believe I would have never fully stepped into this calling if it had not been for the equipping and mentorship I received in FCA. Life now is not always without trial or hardship, but I have assurance that the Lord will never leave me, that I am walking according to His will, and that His sovereignty triumphs against any potential hardship, now and forever.