Welcome to the Victory Blog

So after not attending church in over 15 plus years, my wife Amy asked me several times to go with her to this place called Victory. After listening to Pastor Dennis’ sermon on serving, I knew I had to act, but what would I do? I figured since I’m a big guy, ex-military, I would serve in the Security Ministry. After serving for a few months my work schedule changed and I had to stop serving. Amy suggested that I try greeting since I had such a wonderful personality and I love to talk. So I did just that, but still didn’t feel fulfilled. After a few months there, I decided I would no longer be a greeter.

My occupation is a personal trainer, and I heard Pastor Colleen give a sermon one Sunday about taking care of our temple so that we are healthy enough to be able to spread the Word in order to expand His kingdom, It hit me in that very moment. God was talking to me! I would help change lives by teaching people how to eat healthier, rest properly, and exercise regularly, all in the safe confines of a Christian environment.

I asked around and found such a ministry already existed. I went online and found the health and wellness ministry and signed up. Within a few days I got a call from Jeff Wright and he talked to me about a new project that was being formed called the walking club and that he indeed needed trainers. In that first call, Jeff and I talked for at least an hour and a half. We were both so excited that God had put us in contact with one another that the ideas were just bouncing back and forth!

That was more than 8 months ago. Today the walking club is in its second 12-week session and the overwhelming joy I get every Saturday from meeting with the members is unmatched. Several of the members always thank us, but the truth is we are more thankful to be able to serve them. There’s nothing like knowing in your heart that you have discovered what the Lord has called you to do and be, living a purpose that brings you immeasurable joy, and being able to positively impact so many lives all for His glory. I know that this is what I was put here to do and I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to give back to the church that has done so much for me and my family.

I love Victory, and I’m honored to be a part. I feel privileged to serve its members doing what I love to do…..HIGH ENERGY STYLE!

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Tell me more about the Walking Club…

The Walking & Fitness Club is designed to help you get fit, lose weight, or just start living a healthier lifestyle. We meet up every Saturday morning at 6:45am at Best Friend Park. Our team of certified trainers, nutritionists, and wellness enthusiasts will guide you through the process of becoming healthier both physically and spiritually. All fitness levels are welcome! For additional information, please contact Courtney Johnson at cjohnson@victorywc.org.

We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

The Christmas Eve service at Victory World Church was a wonderful musical treat and an uplifting experience that truly glorified the birth of our Lord. We were greeted by one of VWC’s hard-working ushers, Mark, who told us to get prepared for an incredible service.  Mark had already served at two Christmas Eve services this day and was still excited about the service that was about to start.  Senior Pastor Dennis Rouse mentioned that it takes around 1000 volunteers to conduct services on a typical Sunday and that giving all those volunteers an opportunity to enjoy Christmas day with their families is the reason VWC decided to focus on Christmas Eve services this year.

It was apparent at a glance that the stage layout was a little different than usual:  there was a grand piano on the stage, the monitors displayed falling snowflakes, and there were Christmas lights strung along the stage scaffolding.  As the service started, a man in a tuxedo strolled slowly across the stage, sat down at the piano, and proceeded to play a delightful mix of classical music, traditional Christmas carols, music from the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and even a little Chopsticks.

He was soon joined by the full Victory World Music crew, and they were in fine form.  They rocked out with some instrumental tunes before the vocalists came on stage.  The mix of music was really amazing and just perfect for Christmas Eve.  They played many classics, including “Feliz Navidad” and “O Come O Come Emmanuel.”

There were special guests throughout the service.  Worship leader Montell Jordan welcomed Beckah Shae to the stage, and she sang “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Oh Holy Night.”  There was an unusual mix of cello and beatbox vocals performed by Kevin Olusola.  One of the most moving moments of the evening for the congregation was when surprise guest Caleb Graves came on stage for “Little Drummer Boy.”  Caleb is a VWC youth minister that lost his leg in a hit and run accident earlier this year.  The entire congregation came to their feet and gave thanks and praise to God for the wonderful Christmas gift of seeing Caleb playing with the band.

Pastor Dennis took to the stage only briefly this night, once for the offering prayer and again to lead us in the Lord’s Supper.  After communion, Pastor Colleen joined him and lit the first candle, reminding us that Jesus called us to be the “light of the world.”  Then one from another the candles were lit as the house lights came down and Montell and his daughter Sydney sang “Silent Night.”  Assistant Fusion Pastor David Stephens led the congregation in a closing prayer.

After the service, people lingered for a good while, wishing one another Merry Christmas and looking at the live nativity scene on the front lawn.  It was a lovely way to spend Christmas Eve and prepare our hearts for Christmas day.

I recently redirected my life back to Christ when He called me to Him this past May. I was chatting with a co-worker named Richard. He started talking about Jesus and I could see how passionate he was. Suddenly I felt a rush of heat come over my entire body and I excused myself and ran to the bathroom to drink some water and splash some over my face. I didn’t realize what was happening to me. When I finally cooled off I came back to Richard and he immediately asked me what my relationship was like with Christ. I had to admit that I was lukewarm in my faith and that I never fully committed to Christ. At the age of 13 I was saved but I still didn’t fully understand what it meant to receive Christ. Richard told me that I needed a pick me up, so he suggested that I read a book called “Heaven is For Real.” I picked up the book and couldn’t put it down. God renewed my faith and gave me hope. Well I now call Richard “BUBBA” to show my appreciation to him for helping me get back to my real home…. “JESUS.”

Well, I made it back home from that deployment and started to look for a church near my house. When I searched online for a church in Norcross, Victory World Church stuck out like a sore thumb. That following Sunday I made my way to VWC and instantly felt comfort like I was right where I needed to be. There was a guest speaker named Christopher Alam and he was speaking about the four parts of Faith (Hearing it, Believing it, Speaking it and Doing it).  His message was strong and it set me on a path to put my faith to the test.

Low and behold, I still had great struggles on the inside of me, so I finally broke down and asked God to take over me because I was clueless and very tired of trying to figure out life by myself. It felt like I was running a never-ending, purposeless marathon with no rewards. I needed comfort so I traveled to my hometown of Fort Myers, FL to be with my family and friends. I stayed in my mother’s empty condo where I grew up. There was no T.V and no furniture; it was just God and me. I started going to my old church where I got saved and starting reading my bible, praying and believing that my trip back to my hometown would bring some clarity to me. Well it did. I prayed that God would lead me to a new success so that I could start helping others. It became my heart’s obsession.

I got an opportunity to learn about real estate and I jumped right into it. I prayed that God would give me bragging rights by making my first deal within my first 30 days. I had a new confidence and I just knew that it would happen. In the middle of my stay, my friend Christina called me to come and hang out with her so I did. She and her husband have been my good friends for the longest. They have two beautiful little girls and they have so much love for one another. They are the married couple that you hope to be like. I noticed something was different and that they were struggling with getting around without transportation. When I went back to the empty condo that day I prayed that God would make a way for me to help them.

Not long afterward, I got called to duty on another deployment so my peaceful stay in Florida ended. But God’s plan didn’t. I got called to North Carolina and had to be there within two days. Within a couple of weeks I get a phone call from my best friend Salina and she starts talking about our friend Christina and her husband. She admitted to me that she had it in her heart that she wanted to help them. I screamed and told her that the same thing was on my heart heavily. Well Salina said, “You know what that means right?” She continued with, “When two on earth agree upon something that my Father in Heaven shall make it come to pass.” So I said, “Let’s do this!” That same day I received a call saying that my first real estate deal came through and that I would receive my commission check in the mail that week. I screamed so loud and told God how awesome He is.

I felt like that commission check was meant for helping my friends, so I called Salina and told her the good news. I asked Salina if she would just start looking for cars since I was no longer there, and she did. I told Salina that my faith was on fire and that I believe that God will make this happen for our friends. Three weeks went by and Salina found the perfect car on the third try. Well, let’s just say that our friends are riding around in a car that’s fully paid off! God made all of it possible and all glory belongs to Him…and I found joy in giving, just like God does in giving us His love.

When Christina’s husband drove in to his job, his boss asked how he got the car and without hesitation he told him that God made it happen! His boss immediately changed his position and told him that he could use him in another department now that he had a vehicle. The new position came with a raise and the company is paying for the gas in his car since it is being used for business. Now Christina, her husband and their two daughters attend church faithfully with Salina and they are filled with joy.

God is showing up in 3’s. I am convinced that since I put my faith in the right place, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are showing up and showing out! I have never been this happy in my entire life.

When I finally made it back home to Norcross, GA, I decided to make the most important public announcement I’ve ever made. I came to Victory World Church on Sunday Oct 2^nd and lined up to be baptized. There were guys near the end of the line that asked me if I had already accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I told them yes. Then they continued to tell me that being baptized didn’t promise a miraculous change overnight and I had to stop them right there and say, God is already making miraculous changes within me and that’s why I am here. So they laughed and said that they obviously weren’t ready for me, and said “Let the girl get through!” I laughed my way into the water and declared my love, my life and renewed faith in JESUS.

Since then I have been sharing my testimony and attending Victory World Church faithfully. I am also taking the challenge to read the New Testament by the end of the year and in doing so, it keeps me on track. Every day that I read the word I am filled with so much joy. I came to Jesus because I needed rest, and now I have it in Him.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

The parking lot was packed. The auditorium was swarming. You could feel the anticipation in the room as people searched for a seat. I thought I was going to see a concert, but what I experienced was so much more!

It’s Friday night and we’re at church about to have a jam session. Pastor Montell set the tone by declaring from the start – “We are here to worship.” And worship Christ is just what we did. It was clear that Victory World Music came not to amuse us, but came with the intent to lead us in a night of passionate praise and unadulterated worship.

So many of the songs painted a visual of who Christ is and how much He cares for us. They told a story of faith, forgiveness, and victory. They allowed us to be human but also called us to hunger for righteousness. The songs that we heard reminded us of the power that we have when we become usable.

The guests on schedule were extensive ranging from Martha Munizzi, Rachel Lampa, Byron “Talkbox” Chambers and Christian Lewis. Every detail of the evening exceeded my own expectation; but most importantly, I walked away having been reminded that the Lord has provided yet another venue for the message of Christ to be shared.

Everyone should get a copy of this CD. It is phenomenal music with heart-changing lyrics that I believe will transcend cultures, uplift generations, and transform souls. On 11.11.11, Victory World took back the music and offered an alternative that will reach young and old alike.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

Each month the Wednesday night Lawrenceville Ladies small group and the Thursday Night Single Young Women’s small group purpose to be doers of the Word of God. It is our desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus and serve. A life scripture for our groups is Mathew 25:37-40: “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

As you probably guessed, when we go out to serve, it is always “us” that really gets the blessing. On a beautiful Saturday in October, we joined the 7 Bridges Ministry and delivered lunches and prayed for men, women and children living under the bridges of Atlanta. To our sheer delight we did not know that we would meet about 50 other members of Victory with the same heart’s desire! The day started by meeting at the K-Mart on Cleveland Avenue at noon,  having praise and worship, delivering sack lunches and ending the day about 4pm. We were a “good tired” but ready to go home to take hot showers and decide what we wanted to eat for dinner. As we turned to go, the Holy Spirit reminded us that the people we were leaving were at home. They probably wouldn’t get to have a hot shower or randomly choose what they wanted to eat. Also, there was the fact that every day isn’t warm and sunny. It was very humbling.

Before we left that day, the house Mom for 60 women and 35 children for the homeless shelter (called The Garden) at 7 Bridges shared her testimony with us. She was standing there barefoot because she gave her shoes to someone who didn’t have any. She shared with us the need for coats, socks, gloves and blankets as winter was approaching.

Both small groups agreed this was another way we could give. For the next two weeks, we shopped at local department stores as well as in our own closets. It was such a blessing to be able to give more than 50 bags of clothing and toiletries.

On a Sunday afternoon we delivered the clothes and had the opportunity to serve dinner and fellowship with the ladies. This was an amazing experience for all of us. It helped us to understand that these were lovely women and that all it takes is one circumstance that could lead to homelessness. Thank God for The Garden. This shelter preaches Jesus to the attendees three times a day! They are allowed to stay at the shelter until they have found other accommodations. It is an awesome place.

What really blesses me as the facilitator of these small groups is that each month we participate in different outreaches. A few of the places the groups have served are City of Refuge, Meals on wheels, Hands on Atlanta, 7 Bridges, Gilgal Inc, Cafe 256, and Stand up for Children, and they all touch us in different ways. Many of our group members end up going back to the places we’ve visited, saying it is where God called them to be and that they are thankful the small group played a role in helping them find their place.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

I have been meaning to write this letter for awhile. I am grateful to be a member of Victory World Church where I learn and grow with true doctrine teaching of Jesus Christ.

I participated in the Freedom debt reduction partnership and I pledged in joy with my church, giving it all in full as I had planned to give. It’s so amazing what has happened with my personal debts – it’s a miracle!

I had a past bill from Gwinnett Medical Hospital a little over or close to $5,000. I was unemployed, but I had walked in a blessing to receive cancellation of my debts through a program that considers my situation a hardship. They paid and removed the entire debt off my credit and mailed me the documentation with the 0 balance!

Oh, our God is faithful and mighty. I give God all the glory, and may the Lord bless and prosper Victory in all she does! Amen.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

As brief as possible, this is how God worked in my life.  In December 2007, my roommate was brutally murdered.  I’m a homebody, but God told me to get dressed, and go to the Job Get Together at a co-worker’s home.  I got up, dressed and went.  About 15 minutes before my return, my friend was shot numerous times at point blank range by his best friend, who was mentally ill. Then on that Monday he kills his own fiancée’ at her job.  I know for a fact that I would have been murdered also if I would have stayed home.

Moving forward, I got a great position with British Airways as a Sales Coordinator.  The enemy wasn’t done with me at all.  I went to a seminar in Jacksonville and came down with a virus which left me bed ridden for 6 weeks.  My doctors told me that I was totally unable to work any longer.  Then, in the summer of July 2008, my brother dies at the age of 53.  One year later in Aug 2009, my older brother dies at the age of 55. He was my best friend.  After my first brother’s passing, I became a recluse, and I didn’t want any dealings with anyone.  And after my best friend dies, I was a wreck.  Then, after crying myself silly and into a nosebleed, I looked out the window and I heard God tell me, “You have a friend.”  I fell to my knees and told Him I needed Him, and loved Him, and to please help me with this unbearable hurt that I have.  After an hour and a half of talking to my Savior, I called Victory to see if they had anything going on that evening, and they did.

At the time it was CORE, and I was one of the first inside that evening.  I ran into an old friend and co-worker from IBM, and she told me about “Your Final Destination.” I went with her, suffered through a major panic attack, and she held my hand, and told me, “you’ll be fine.” And I was. I was so impressed and happy to be there. It was the best feeling I had in years.  That night, I seriously gave myself to Jesus.  And I was in the next New Member’s class in November 2009. God starts working with the utmost quickness!  I was baptized for the first time on January 31, 2010 and was nervous, but so happy!  People were hugging me in the lobby…total strangers. What an indescribable feeling!  An old tennis buddy, Bishop Thompson, and I were talking, and I was excited to tell him I had joined a church. He told me he and his family were members also.  He said he was an usher, and asked would I like to be one too.  I was more than happy to serve our Lord.  God is never done with you….

While serving an Easter Service, I ran into a lady that I met a year ago.  She was a member and served on a few ministries also.  Little did I know I was talking to my future wife!  We went through Ancient Paths, and even “Dream Marriage.”  We joined a Small Group, and look forward to serving together in any direction the Lord leads us.

My life has changed 360, and I will tell anyone that I meet, where I attend Church, how much I’ve learned there, and the people that I’ve met and how much they mean to me.  I’ve always had a kind and loving heart…but the enemy took it from me. God was there, waiting to give it back.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

On September 22^nd, 2010, I was surrounded by my fellow Fusionites, and as we were singing, dancing, praising and worshipping, all I could think about was the tremendous pain I was in instead of focusing on my love and adoration for the Lord. My knees were aching underneath the two braces that I regularly wore for support and I couldn’t wait to sit
down for the message and pop four Advil (which was a normal dosage for me at this point). I had been dealing with chronic knee pain and injuries for 10 years. Injury after injury, aggravation after aggravation, I hobbled around at 22 years old. I couldn’t wear the high heels that I loved so much and the constant pain kept me from consistently being involved in any athletic activity that I enjoyed. I stood on my feet for 9 hours a day at work and on this particular evening I couldn’t wait for praise and worship to end so that I could sit down.

As the music ended and I was just about to reach for my Advil, Pastor Johnson Bowie called out to anyone who needed healing; clearly this was my chance. Instead of popping pills, I closed my eyes and raised my hand to be prayed over. I felt so many hands on me that night, it was overwhelming. I wept as I called on Jesus to take the pain away – it had become unbearable.

Once we were seated I chose not to take any medicine and let the healing power of Jesus take over; I wanted to see if it really worked. Growing up in the Catholic church I was never exposed to this kind of prayer or healing and I was a little skeptical.

After that night I NEVER put on my knee braces again. Throughout the following weeks, the chronic aches and pain seemed to dissipate and I began exercising without crying myself to sleep afterwards. I started wearing my heels again, and eventually I could bear to stand for hours at work without popping pain medication like candy.

Today, September 22, 2011, is the anniversary of the miraculous healing that has significantly improved my quality of life and allowed me to do things that my body hadn’t allowed me to do in a decade. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe for everything the Lord has done in my life, but this definitely tops the charts! He took away what no doctor or physical therapist could. I thought I was doomed to a life filled with struggle and pain and I was terrified at what condition my knees would be in later on in my life. I praise God everyday that I am able to stand up from my bed and walk, run, jump, dance and climb with the restoration He has blessed me with. He answered what seemed to be an impossible prayer and I am forever marked with UNDOUBTING faith in His healing power. It’s real. It’s possible. It can happen right now!

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

Brandon and I started our journey to financial freedom 3 1/2 years ago when we began our courtship.  We desired to have a prosperous marriage – spiritually, relationally and financially – and we were willing to change our bad habits to do so.  Financially, we had a pretty steep mountain to climb, as we realized that together we had accumulated $86,000 in consumer debt! Already fed up with living paycheck to paycheck, I had coincidentally enrolled in Financial Peace University at the beginning of our courtship; we decided as a couple, however, that we were both going to apply its principles to our lives. That meant no more charging up credit cards or engaging in “smart” financing deals.

To start, we both created monthly budgets to guide our spending.  We even included a dating budget, which eliminated the pressure of overspending to impress each other. Our discipline paid off.  One and a half years later, Brandon and I were able to pay cash for our wedding and honeymoon! It was (and still is) a wonderful feeling to only have pictures and memories – not bills – to remind us of those precious events.

Unlike a number of our peers, we started our marriage out reducing expenses instead of adding more. We were able to function off one income and intensely pay down debt with the other. Couponing became my new hobby instead of shopping for clothes, and “it’s not in the budget” became a common answer when friends would make impromptu plans for us to go out.

On September 16th 2011, we were able to scream at the top of our lungs about our debt freedom!! This was by no means an easy feat. Our efforts were questioned and/or mocked by our friends, co-workers and even family. There were times when we’d even question if our desire to become debt free was too intense. Should we relax a bit? Be normal and splurge a little here and there? We would always go back to why we started this journey in the first place – to have a prosperous marriage and to change our family tree, so our kids will not have to experience being slave to the lender.

We are so glad that we stood our ground and eliminated our debt. December 2011, we will bring our first child into this world. She will truly be a fiery dart and will be able to soar high, as nothing will be holding her down; she will never be burdened with the bondage of debt!

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!

It is wonderful to know how well the Freedom Campaign is doing and that the church is heading in a successful direction. I came to this country at the end of September 2010. My wife and I started coming to Victory World Church regularly from December onwards. The fellowship has been wonderful and spiritually fulfilling.

When I started looking for a job, it was difficult as the economy was so bad. In November I finally was offered a job in
Greenville, South Carolina and thought it was God’s doing, so we packed up and moved there. As soon as we arrived in South Carolina and I was ready to start my job, they contacted me saying they couldn’t verify my work experience because it was in another country. Turns out we moved for nothing.

We moved back to Atlanta that same week. We lost so much money after breaking the apartment lease and just other expenses. We started coming to Victory after all of this happened. Months went by and still no job. We were getting frustrated and depressed. Only my wife was working and she only worked a few hours a week.

Then Pastor Dennis talked about the Freedom Campaign. We wanted to participate but weren’t sure because of our financial situation. But we decided to at least do $5.00, which in our eyes wasn’t much but at that time was all we could afford. The first week we gave our contribution toward the Freedom Campaign, I got a call for a job interview a few days later. Within days, I got the job and started working.

How wonderful God is. We took the initial step as a family, but God did the rest.

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We want to hear about what God has done in and through you at Victory. Whether long or short, complex or simple, your story is worth hearing, and there are others who need to hear it. Won’t you please consider sharing your story with us? If you’re willing to do so, please click the Share Your Story quicklink above, write your story, upload a nice photo (if you can) and click submit. It’s that simple. Now, don’t be shy. God’s given you a story for a reason! Share it today!