Zach & Katie Castor were a match made by friends. He was a physician assistant and she was a college student studying to be an elementary school teacher. Their courtship was exciting and wanting to be true to their Christian faith, they married after a year and a half of dating. After the honeymoon they started realizing how hard it was to merge two different adult decision makers into one household.
Katie began attending Pathway Church alone while Zach worked at the hospital on the weekends. Katie had been to Pathway while she was in high school, and something about it made her feel at home.
When Zach’s work schedule changed, they were able to attend together on the weekends and after attending Starting Point, they quickly got plugged into volunteering: Zach on an Usher Team and Katie in a Pre-K classroom. Volunteering together was their way of outwardly expressing their commitment to being generous with their time.
Soon, Zach and Katie found a Home Team and their relationship began to further develop as they built strong relationships with others who were experiencing some of the same challenges of marriage and meshing two lives into one. In their Home Team they grew in their knowledge and love of Scripture that began having a meaningful impact in their daily lives.
Katie explained: “You keep telling yourself those words and eventually you speak that truth to yourself. We talked about words to live by in Home Team. And I did it and it changed my life. It changed our lives.”
As they built their budget, Zach and Katie were emphatic about making sure that their commitment to Christ was reflected by giving regularly to Pathway Church starting with the baseline indicator of a tithe.*
As Katie finished college and became a teacher, they were able to give more to Pathway. Opportunities for increased generosity became available as they received raises in their paycheck, and they felt the desire to give back even more to God. With each addition to their household income, they increased their giving to Pathway.
But their commitment to the mission doesn’t end there—they have been faithfully inviting friends and family members to attend and experience the love and hope of Jesus at Pathway. One particular family member has begun attending as well and is growing in his faith. Katie exclaimed: “It has been exhilarating to see God work in that way!”
*or 10% – Deuteronomy 12:5-6