Looking to God for Guidance
“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”*
She
was pretty, vivacious, and intelligent, looking forward to receiving a college
degree in psychology. Her parents had high hopes for her and were caught off
guard when she shared the news that she wanted to join the full-time staff of a
Christian organization that had a ministry on her campus.
Coming
from an agnostic background, Kirsten Beeler had accepted Christ into her life
during her junior year at UCLA. In her own words, she was “looking for a
foundation that wouldn’t fail.” Discovering that Jesus was not a myth and that
she could have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus was a
great turning point in her life.
When Kirsten began getting involved with the
Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) ministry at UCLA, she met a woman on staff who faithfully
mentored her for the next two years. By the time she graduated, she knew that
she wanted to spend her life helping others grow in their relationship to God.
Her
mother and father were against it, saying that she was “wasting her education” and
that raising her own support would be “begging.” However, at the age of
twenty-two, she became a staff member of Cru, embarking on what would become a
lifelong career with that organization.
Cru
is a non-profit Christian group that was started in 1951 by Bill and Vonette
Bright on the UCLA campus. Today the organization has expanded to over 5,300 college
campuses worldwide and has many branches including high school, military and
prison ministries, Athletes in Action, Cru Creatives (the arts), Family Life
and the Jesus film project.
The
vision of Cru is to reach individuals with the good news of Jesus Christ and then
prepare them to tell their family and friends about Him. This resonated with Kirsten,
who was excited at the prospect of mentoring other university students and
making a difference in their lives.
From
her first assignment, which was split between the San Jose State and Stanford
University campuses, she learned to trust God for everything. The director of
the ministry at San Jose State and his wife became great friends, encouraging
and supporting her in her new endeavor.
She went from San Jose to Utah, then back to
California, where she worked in Orange County as a secretary to the director of
the Athletes in Action program from 1977-1990.
“I
never would have chosen Athletes in Action,” she said. Nor would she have
chosen to work as a secretary! However, she was inspired by the director, Dave
Hannah, who “was an incredible visionary and saw how athletes could be
discipled and reach others with the gospel.”
Kirsten’s
strength was in the area of “human resources” and eventually she became more
involved in the lives of female athletes. When the opportunity came about to
switch roles and become a publicist for the music ministry of Cru, she spent
two weeks praying before deciding.
Although
this was completely new to her, she trusted God for direction. Besides working
in publicity and staff development, she had the opportunity to travel with choirs
to Manila and the former Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. It was an exciting
time, especially since the Soviet Union was beginning to dissolve politically.
People not only greeted them enthusiastically but were open to hearing the
gospel and hungry to receive Bibles.
Eventually
Kirsten moved back into the Athletes in Action ministry. Now based in Ohio, she
devotes her time to caring for staff members who are over 55 years old through its
Legacy division. As someone who understands seniors, she encourages them to continue
using their gifts, wisdom and experience to mentor and inspire others.
“There’s never a time when people don’t need
you to be Jesus to them,” she shares.
Senior staff members going through major life
changes, such as when a spouse develops dementia, need care and a person to
whom they can go. With Kirsten’s help, they can realize their value and
importance in God’s kingdom at this stage of their lives.
Still filled with the love of God and a
passion for sharing Christ with others, Kirsten does not have plans to retire.
She loves the work that she does.
Thank
you, Kirsten for your faithfulness in serving our Lord. You made the right
decision! *Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
For
more info on Athletes in Action, go to www.athletsinaction.org
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