During this season of Rooted, Crosspointers are sharing stories of God’s grace and truth at work through His local church. Read this to learn more about how to share your Rooted story.

Be encouraged by the story below from Lauren and Steven Sauder. Glory to God! Click here to read other stories that have been shared.

“In September of 2022, we received devastating news in regards to my (Lauren’s) dad and his illness. In the six months that followed, our lives were turned upside down as we entered a time of chaos, unexpected sorrow, hard decisions, and ultimately deep grief as he passed away in March of 2023.

Within that time, Steven had also started harvest— so he was working long and hard hours—and my mom had come to live with us. Our kids were 5, 8, and 10 and there were days that I didn’t know if I had it in me to get out of bed to meet their many needs. Simply speaking, the Sauder household was barely hanging on.

But God.

He walked with us. He showed up in the brokenness. And He did that through the hands and feet of His church. In the midst of the dark and heavy days, we were carried and cared for by Him through so many of you.

Steven and I were leading a small group at the time and the extra responsibility was too much for us to bear. But God. The Hostetlers took the reins–on very short notice–no questions asked. They weren’t expecting to lead a group that semester, but never made us feel guilty for asking so much of them. Thank you, Phil and Holly.

Little every day tasks would often slip my mind or they would get put very low on the priority list. I was falling behind and struggling to keep up with simple things like laundry. But God. One day I received a text from Heather Steinbeck to leave my dirty laundry outside with an offer to pick it up, wash it and bring it back to us clean and folded. And even though I didn’t take her up on her offer—I just couldn’t subject her to washing our dirty underwear!— it was still one of the most impactful acts of service and love that I’ve ever experienced. Thank you, Heather.

The impact of all of this was hardest on my mom. Married to my dad for almost 50 years and being his caregiver for the previous few years, her world had crumbled and she was understandably struggling. But God. On my mom’s birthday, a fresh flower bouquet showed up at our door. You could imagine our surprise when the note was signed from Crosspoint Church. What an unexpected gift of thoughtfulness and intentionality. In her time with us, my mom fell in love with Crosspoint. To this day, she still listens online and would even consider this her “home church.” I am incredibly grateful for the way you all loved and cared for her in those months—from simple hugs to friendly hellos and conversation—it all mattered. Thank you, Crosspoint.

I cannot imagine the load Steven was carrying at the time, between harvest stress and trying to care for me, my mom, my dad, our kids, and even my extended family. But God. Steven had the elder team to lean on. Like Aaron helped Moses, this team of godly men held up Steven’s arms so he could hold me. They were a listening ear for him, checked in to see how he was doing, consistently prayed for him/us, and were a safe place for Steven to not have it all together. Thank you, Dave, Joel, Mike, Ben, Kent and Dave, for loving and supporting my husband so he could love and support his family. 

There were many days I felt like I was in a deep mental fog. It was hard for me to manage my grief while also being a young mom who still needed to help with homework, keep the schedule, and put dinner on the table. But God. This church family stepped up and brought us meals. And continued bringing us meals. For three whole months, I didn’t have to think about dinner. When the days were long, there was a sweet relief knowing a warm meal was coming. And while the food was delicious, even more impactful was that my kids got to tangibly see the body of Christ show up for our family. At the ring of our doorbell, they would see a familiar face and get a taste of true community. Thank you to all of you who blessed us with nourishment for our physical bodies as well as our souls.

And of course, Mindy Stalter. Who doesn’t have one or many Mindy Stalter stories? There are countless I could share, but the one that sticks out in my mind was during a particularly rough day. I was on the phone with lots of doctors, feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Emi was still at home with me and I was trying to entertain her while also having many complicated conversations. But God. In walks Mindy. She silently looked at me on the phone, knew what I needed, and just took Emi with her for the day. Emi didn’t skip a beat. She simply went off with my trusted friend and had a beautiful day filled with ice cream and a trip to the park. To have a friend meet a need you didn’t even know to ask is so profoundly beautiful. Thank you, Mindy.

There were countless hard things that year–loss, death, learning to humbly receive help, questioning what God was doing, trusting His plan above my own, to name a few. And yet, those are not the first things that come to mind when I reflect back on that time. Even though the situation still grieves me deeply, I don’t feel sorrow. Instead, there’s a deep gratitude. In the depths of my pain, I felt so seen and cared for by God. His goodness outshone the darkness and His light was on display in so many of the little details–many of which I just shared. We don’t walk this road alone–God is near and present and involved and His people remind us of that truth. 

In the fall of 2022, God was faithful. And His faithfulness was brought to life through this church. Isn’t that the beautiful mystery of the Gospel? That ashes can be turned into beauty. That our brokenness can be redeemed through Jesus. That death can bring forth life. And that the darkest times in our lives can make way for deeply rooted gratitude and worship. Hallelujah, praise Him. For I have lived in the goodness of God.”