My name is Mallory Sampson, and I stand before you today as a testament to the power of an invitation. It's funny really - I never actually understood the impact invitations have had on my life until this week.

I grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania in a home that was fairly critical of Christianity resulting in me having little knowledge about faith and the church until age fifteen. My sophomore year of high school, a friend invited me to a Super Bowl party hosted by her church's youth group. I went - mostly because I didn't have plans and thought it might be an entertaining evening - never suspecting that night would mark a significant turning point in my life. You see, sitting in the living room of the youth pastor's house, eating wings, and laughing at silly commercials, I found myself being truly accepted for the first time by people outside of my family circle. It didn't take long for me to realize that those kids lived a different life - one that I wanted - and soon I found myself heavily involved in the church. On March 4, 2001 I made the decision to confess my faith in front of my peers and be baptized. I praise God every day for that Super Bowl party.

Fast forward to college decision time, I was preparing my application for Penn State when a friend invited me to visit Grove City College with her. Upon setting foot on campus I abandoned my Nittany Lion dreams knowing that I would be a Grover for life. It was at Grove City that I learned the most valuable lessons about my faith. In the midst of many of my darkest days a community that demonstrated the depths of God's love and mercy surrounded me. I discovered that Christian fellowship is absolutely essential, accountability is invaluable, and that our trials and triumphs should be shared with each other. I praise God every day for that college visit.

Heartbroken as I was to leave Grove City, I returned home with a deeply ingrained understanding of what it means to serve others and that I needed to give back to the church that had fostered my faith. I lived at home while attending graduate school and starting my career using that time to mentor the youth at my home church. It was my most sincere hope that my story would encourage growth in their faith and help them find the courage to invite their friends. Eventually, the time came for me to leave home to pursue bigger dreams and find a solid community of believers my age. I found a job in Pittsburgh, packed up my life, and left – alone – for the big city.

So, here I am, 11 plus years later and in some ways back at the beginning. Last December, a friend of a friend extended an invitation to a Christmas party hosted by The Mill. I had few expectations, and no idea what I was getting myself into, but went with high hopes for another entertaining evening. It turned out that yet another invitation brought me right to the community I had been looking for.

It has been almost a year since The Mill Christmas party, and now I call Orchard Hill home. You could take that statement to mean that I spend a lot of time here, or that this is the only church I attend, and you would be right. But, calling Orchard Hill home also means that on Sunday morning, whether I'm in the Worship Center or helping with the middle school students at Collide, I know I'm going to be challenged and have the opportunity to worship with abandon. It means that I can walk into the gym on Tuesday nights for volleyball with the assurance that I'm going to have fun and be encouraged (even though I'm not 6' tall and don't possess any skill to brag about). Calling this home means that the sixth grade girls in the small group I co-lead on Wednesday nights are going to ask me just as many hard questions as I have prepared for them. Finally, calling this home means I'm ecstatic to plan my Saturday nights around the young adult small group because I'd rather be discussing faith with my closest friends than doing anything else. Finding my home at Orchard Hill means that I have found a place that will never let me stop growing. I praise God every day for that Christmas party.

Invitations from others have led me to each of the major events in my faith journey. While you would usually find me participating in one of the many activities I just named, today I stand before you simply to say that you can change lives. All it takes is an invitation.

My name is Mallory Sampson and this is my story.