Tim Davis

After much searching, Tim Davis found a church home for his family. Two years ago he was invited to work with the audio/visual (A/V) crew at TurningPoint Community Group, the new church plant in Roseburg, Ore. His initial involvement eventually transitioned to regular family participation in the service.

Davis appreciates the variety of interactive presentations, the emphasis on youth, and the “reality element” at TurningPoint, and he is excited to share. “We’ve invited some others [to participate], a number of whom have returned on occasion or have been seen at other Adventist functions,” Davis says.

Before returning to church, Davis had spent years working in the secular music industry. There he was surrounded and influenced by ego-based values, but TurningPoint has helped him to experience grace. "With the group leadership’s strong focus on sharing Christ’s love,” Davis says, “self-interest has a tendency to melt away as individuals learn to be led as a team. I see it working on others and in myself.”

Robert and Elena Venegas

In 1997, Robert Venegas thought he left God in California. Discouragement and circumstances had caused him to question God’s love and presence, so he withdrew from his relationship with God and any involvement in the Adventist Church where he had spent most of his life.

“When I left California that year,” Venegas says, “I wasn’t just leaving family and friends; it was my intention to leave God there, too.” But God had other plans; her name was Elena.

Venegas was living in Roseburg, Ore., when he met Elena in March of 1998. She was attending a local Baptist church and was searching for a closer relationship with God. As she began asking questions about the Bible, Venegas found himself “reluctantly” sharing what he knew. “As a result, I eventually came to a point where I decided I needed to reassess my own life and the truths I had held close to my heart for so long,” he said.

Together, Robert and Elena agreed it was time to find a church home. Periodically, they visited the Roseburg Adventist Church, where they discovered that another group of Adventist members—TurningPoint Community Group—was meeting at the Roseburg Junior Academy. In January they first visited TurningPoint, and in February they publicly confirmed their decisions for Christ. “They were the first two baptized at TurningPoint,” shares Susan Woods, one of the founding members.

Today Robert and Elena Venegas are active in the TurningPoint family. She founded and leads the young adult group and he assists with the teen class. “We are also involved in planning outreach activities,” adds Robert, “such as game nights, friendship evangelism events, and outdoor activities like camping and church picnics.”

“[God] has become much more real to me during my time with TurningPoint,” Robert shares. “Also more real to me are the spiritual battles being constantly fought for us. We’ve become moving targets for the enemy, but we consider this a privilege. God always wins, and we’re winners through Him.”