Our Story

Like most newlyweds, Tressa and I (Eric) had no idea how to make a marriage thrive when we both said “I do” in May of 2007. Past trauma, alcohol dependence, drug addiction, and children from previous relationships were on the long list of things we brought into our relationship. Still, we tried the best we could. We immersed ourselves in a local church and attempted to get started on the right foot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before old habits re-surfaced and caused all sorts of problems.

It wasn’t all bad, though. We had two children together. Tressa went back to school, and I even coached little league for several years. However, the baggage we brought with us ultimately suffocated our good intentions, and by 2016, domestic violence, drug abuse, drunkenness, and infidelity had become the norm. By October of that year, we had enough and divorced.

But it didn’t take long for our romance to rekindle. We call it Divine intervention. Somehow, we put the past aside and realized that if this was ever going to work then drastic change was needed. We got sober and moved to northeast Iowa in the fall of 2017. For the first time in our lives, we began seeking real relationships with Jesus. We plugged ourselves into a Christian community at The Bridge Church in Charles City and God began restoring us individually. At the same time, he restored us as a couple, and by August of 2018 we rededicated our lives to one another in marriage.

The last few years have been nothing short of a miraculous story of the redemptive love found in Jesus Christ. Our relationships with our children are now thriving. I received a call to vocational ministry and started working as the Celebrate Recovery pastor in the very church God saved us in. Tressa put her past experiences to work by helping those who come from similar backgrounds, and God’s infinite grace continues to restore and strengthen us.

Not long ago, Tressa and I received a call to plant OneChurch in Mason City. We believe that God wants to use our mess as a message of hope and inspiration for His glory. The living God worked a miracle in our lives, and we believe He wants to do the same in yours. Join us at One Church, where we walk with you towards your miracle.