Deacon Candidate Kelvin Kluver

1. Share your testimony. How did God draw you to faith in Christ?
   I grew up in a home where we worshiped every Sunday, read the Bible around the dinner table daily, and were brought to youth groups and catechism classes. I had a lot of knowledge about Jesus, church life, and the doctrines of faith. When I transferred to the U of MN and moved into the dorm, I met some guys who helped me move in, were friendly, and who invited me to a meeting about Jesus on a Friday night. I went and saw an illustration that showed me that it wasn’t enough to simply know that sin separates me from God or to know that Jesus is the payment to make me right with God. I learned that by acting on the knowledge that this gift could be mine, my separation from God could be ended, and that I could have my own relationship with God through Jesus. That night, I prayed that Jesus would carry me over the separation between God and myself by paying for my sin and giving me the gift of new life in him. In the following year, I learned what it meant to spend daily time with the Lord in Word and prayer, to memorize Scripture, and to share my faith; and I was baptized.
2. Why do you want to be a deacon?
   I understand the role of deacon to be one that upholds the ministry of the elders by providing practical/physical service to the body of the church. The Lord has given me practical skills, and I want to use them for him. The Lord has shown me mercy, he knows and remembers me and shows me that my life matters; I want to be a means of the Lord helping others in the body to see and to know this about themselves too.
3. Are you currently serving Bethlehem Baptist in any ministry area?
   I co-lead a small group with my wife, Jonell, and one other person, which we host in our home. I also assist in the Gardens of Praise ministry.