“God designed me to be a reformer who challenges the status quo.”
If you’ve ever attended our Grapevine campus, you’ll likely have seen Mitchell Peterson serving in vKids and VYTH, or leading a Young Adults Circle. Mitchell is passionate about the Church and seeing her grow to be a healthy home for the lost and hurting—but it was a long road to get there.
Before coming to Victory, Mitchell had grown up in the same church since he was three years old and loved it, having gained foundational knowledge about what it means to live life with Christ. As he grew up, his passion for the things of God only increased, and the more he learned, the more he yearned. By the time he entered high school, Mitchell felt a tug on his heart to be a teacher, and he sensed he had a unique eye for solutions and updating systems and ways of living. Though he felt like these were gifts from God, he often felt misunderstood by those around him who discouraged him from his questions and suggestions.
“I wanted to practice my spiritual gifts and understand them more, but there just wasn’t really an opportunity to do that,” he says. Still, Mitchell continued to ask questions and seek out ways and opportunities to grow in his calling and his gifts. Though he continued to search out answers, he was often met with discouragement and disappointment. This left Mitchell feeling hurt, confused, and lost.
While attending a Christian college, he felt a little more hopeful about his relationship with the Church, finding that they encouraged him in his gifts and had more answers to his questions. He found authenticity in worship and in his relationships with his peers and professors. Although it was a transformational time for him, it was short-lived. Following graduation, he struggled to find a place where he felt he belonged like he did during his time in college. “How do I find something better?” Mitchell often asked himself. “I felt like I was looking for something.” After a three-year period in a spiritual limbo, as Mitchell describes it, and having experienced both disappointment and hurt from the church while aching for godly community, Mitchell was determined to find a place to truly belong within the body of Christ.
"How do I find something better?"
It was at that moment—the pinnacle of a long and arduous season—that Mitchell stumbled upon an advertisement that Victory Church was launching a Grapevine campus. Immediately, he felt a tug to try it out, but he was working on weekends. He continued to feel a tug towards Victory, though, so the moment he knew he had a Saturday off, Mitchell made the plans to visit. With a hesitant heart, Mitchell stepped through the Grapevine Faith High School doors. While he knew God had told him to visit Victory Church, he had no idea God wanted to speak to him in a unique way.
The day Mitchell visited Victory Church, Pastor Jon Chasteen preached a message on church hurt. “That was exactly the message I needed to hear at the time,” he recalled. He vividly remembers the Lord taking hold of his heart, finding supernatural peace throughout this impactful Gathering. For the first time in a long time, Mitchell went home feeling a spark of hope.
"I finally have hope in the Church again."
As soon as it became available, he joined the Young Adults Circle and immediately felt connected to the community. The leaders of the Circle became an influential presence in his life as he sought healing and a sense of belonging. Through conversations with other leaders who also made him feel genuinely seen and accepted, he was quick to make Victory Church home. Mitchell joined the Serve Team and soon after began co-leading a Young Adults Circle with support from the pastors and leaders at Victory.
Most impactful to Mitchell, though, was the way Victory empowered his calling and spiritual gifts, making him feel like they were being embraced instead of rejected or questioned. Since joining Victory, Mitchell has felt equipped and challenged in a healthy way that has enriched his relationship with the Lord and with the Church. “I finally have hope in the Church again,” he said proudly. His unique gifts are encouraged, valued, and have a place at Victory. Because of his experience, Mitchell now seeks out opportunities to help others experience the same transformation he has.
To those who have felt alone or discouraged by the church, Mitchell’s encouragement is this: don’t lose hope! Stay committed to finding a church community that you can trust and grow in—it’s worth it. “Don’t lose that hunger for something more… and once you find it, dive in!”
