Rev. Kristian Eikevik, Pastor of Student Ministries & Community Engagement
I was raised under Spirit-filled, Jesus-loving parents. They came from a few generations of wild and mostly-faithful Norwegian farmers and fishermen, many of whom ran their own races with Jesus and had prayed for us before our day. But our family was renewed and nurtured in the Evangelism Explosion movement in Ft. Lauderdale. Those covenant years formed me in rich Christian community and a context of prayer. I was regularly asking Jesus into my little heart. It was a seedbed for the years to come.
Pressing health issues led my family north for my teen years. We inherited Minnesota accents and thicker blood. And we found ourselves among congregational Baptists and then nondenominational megachurches. But I did not fair well in the private wilderness of adolescence, developing a self-life that had no anchor point in Christ. This long slide into passive and prodigal years lasted through college, spending the inheritance on self-gratification and later attempts to become wise apart from Jesus. Who knows how many long-answered prayers of family and friends covered me in this time!
The Lord brought me back slowly under faithful preaching and the study of His Word. Such grace, undeserved. I wished in college there was someone to talk to me about my lostness. I wished in occasional church services that there was someone to go forward with me for an altar call. But in His timing, the Holy Spirit brought fire and renewal, aflame with wonder and new affections. That began this long road Home, learning wisdom and obedience, a slow progress in discernment and priorities. The way has led thus far through two seminaries (Northwestern St Paul and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), three cities (Minneapolis, Chicago, Fargo), a dozen ministries, internships, a five-year pastorate, tested mentors, and quite a few hard lessons.
The greatest grace and influence has been my wife Lydia. She is better in ministry than me and grew up with a longing for overseas missions, but has chosen to be a strength at my side. She has trusted Jesus since before she can remember, and had walked in the gifts of wisdom and discernment of good and evil, with great instincts for obedience. Marriage has been our training grounds together, learning to pray and communicate in grace and wait on the Lord. Our two toddlers, Bear and Evie, are wild delights! They have great need, that we cannot meet ultimately: we are entrusted, stewarding, raising them for Another. They are forcing me at last to be Fathered by my Go—far more than I had the courage to trust before.
Trinity Wellsprings has been a unique blessing for us to step into. We came to shepherd, but were honest about needing to to grow in healthiness and wisdom as a pastor and family, and eager to continue making disciples among the next generations. We have found plenty of all these things here in Christ. It is a joy to be called in this community. Let’s abide and make much of Jesus together!