Chris came to know Jesus as his Savior shortly before his 21st birthday. However, after his girlfriend suddenly became sick and died of liver failure at 22, he felt God had abandoned him and turned from the church and his faith. It was at this time that he began to suffer from bipolar disorder and severe depression, though it took about 11 years for him to be properly diagnosed. Over the years, he was prescribed various forms of treatment, but they did little to help and sometimes even left him in worse shape. Eventually, he began seeing a psychiatrist who ultimately deemed him clinically disabled and unable to work. In 2002, Chris was married, but, in time, his condition took its toll on his relationship with his wife. In 2015 after 13 years together, she filed for divorce. This caused Chris to experience a severe breakdown that landed him in the hospital.
Once released, his psychiatrist recommended that he begin seeing a therapist. He did and discovered after several months that his therapist was a Christian. Once the therapist learned of Chris’s faith history, he recommended that he seek out a good church in the area. On January 10, 2016, Chris visited Lifesong for the first time (three days before his divorce was finalized). He recalls how warm and friendly people were as he entered, appearing happy to see him though they didn’t know him. After being brought to tears by the worship, he found the message Pastor Dave preached really hitting home, as if it was tailor-made for him. At the end of service, he recommitted his life to Jesus and got plugged into a NEXT group the following week. He has since been water baptized, joined a small group, attended Awaken, and joined the DreamTeam. He describes things as so much better now that God is at the forefront of his life. He knows God has him on the road to recovery, and his therapist anticipates that he’ll eventually be able to work again.