There’s freedom in that.

“There’s freedom in that.” 

If you found Kimmie serving at Northwoods, that is what she would tell you. 

She would tell you that God has the power to free you from your past. 

She would tell you that God wants all of His children to walk in freedom. 

She would tell you her story. 

Kimmie’s story starts when she was a child. At three years old, she got her first taste of gymnastics and never looked back. She loved the thrill of competing for the top score. Gymnastics became a staple in her life, and Kimmie was good—good enough to earn herself a full-ride to compete at Division I college. 

But Division I was not all it was cracked up to be. The time commitment and work necessary to compete at such a high level took control of her life. Gymnastics lost its fun. For the first time, Kimmie found herself asking, “What am I doing?”  

While confused about her identity in gymnastics, she graduated with a degree in dietetics, and ended up with a job in Peoria.  

Kimmie had been a Christian her entire life and was looking for a church to call home. At first, Northwoods looked intimidating from the outside, but once she got involved, she realized just how small the big church felt. She attended a couple of small groups and got connected with a group of friends that she related to.  

But something was still nagging at her. She found herself asking, “Where is my identity?” Even knowing Jesus her whole life, she realized there was something holding her back. She decided to set up a deliverance appointment. 

“I didn’t know if freedom was what I needed, but I knew I needed help.” 

When she was in the appointment, Pastor Cal Rychener asked the Lord what was burdening Kimmie’s heart. She didn’t have an answer to this, but God did with“performance”. 

Kimmie’s entire life had been based on performance. She always felt like everyone else’s  eyes were focused on her. Gymnastics was centered around being judged based on performance. Being a dietician, Kimmie felt that she needed to eat perfectly and keep her body in perfect form at all times. She didn’t realize how much this was affecting her mindset and identity. 

Tears rolled down Kimmie’s face, but it was accompanied with a smile. 

“I felt like a weight was physically lifted off of my shoulders,” Kimmie said. “I knew I was saved, but now I can receive the fullness of Christ better. I realize I am everything I need to be in Christ.” 

Before Kimmie’s appointment, she experienced a lot of stress and was even considering moving on from her current job.  After her deliverance appointment, she was able to sleep soundly. For the first time she could remember, Kimmie feels at peace, and free to express herself in worship. She longer worries about being judged. The expectations are gone. She even got baptized. 

She has taken the Four Steps class to become a member of Northwoods, and graduated from the Doing What Jesus Did class. 

“Going through deliverance was scary. I didn’t know what to expect,” Kimmie said. “I would encourage anyone who is struggling to try it. I went in without knowing what was wrong, but now I walk around in complete freedom.”