Growing up in church, Lauren Frock saw worldly success as the mark of a Christian, leading her to model her life after the examples set by friends and family. When she became an adult, she pursued success in every area of her life but never found true fulfillment.
Because the lives around her seemed inconsistent with the truth of the Bible—that the adequacy of Christ is the only true success—Lauren was turned off of church. Instead, she invested her time and energy in school, music, unhealthy relationships and eventually her career.
"I was double majoring in music and journalism, taking more than 20 hours a semester. Most nights I would stay up until 2 in the morning, trying to live up to the expectations of somebody—I don't even know who."
Lauren soon began to feel like she was climbing a never-ending ladder as she labored to meet the standards of this undefined and unsettling "somebody." That is, until a member of her college marching band invited her to visit The Village Church.
"I was able to see the connectedness of worship to community to the Bible to the church. It was a softening of my heart."
"Immediately, I felt this atmosphere of love. And it was real. People weren't trying to be something they weren't. They lived the same lives outside of the church as they did inside,” she marveled. “It was there that I began to see how disjointed I had been. I saw how God had blessed me with the gift of music to help me understand how powerful worship can be. I was able to see the connectedness of worship to community to the Bible to the church. It was a softening of my heart."
As God began this transformation in Lauren’s heart, she no longer felt the need to chase her far-reaching goals. Her pursuit became Christ alone.
A few weeks after visiting The Village, Lauren returned to her childhood home and began browsing her bookshelves, filled with Christian titles she had never bothered to open. One by one, she began to pore over them. Before long, Lauren was studying the Bible, listening to podcasts and utilizing every resource she could get her hands on. She knew a change needed to be made. "Before, there had been a certain numbness that failed to allow me to consistently be the same person, both in church and in other aspects of my life. I had to make a choice."
Lauren soon became a Covenant Member at The Village and was baptized in 2012. She joined a Home Group, began attending Steps and chose to drop her double major in order to graduate with a degree in journalism. She currently works at a public relations firm in Dallas.
It is now Lauren’s belief in God's purpose for her life that gives her confidence, optimism and hope for the future. "I see people every day who either hate their jobs or live for the weekends or next vacation, but that's no way to live. Life is more than getting to the next step."
Lauren's passion for the kingdom continues to grow through her volunteer work with Champions of Hope, where she mentors a 12-year-old girl. "A lot of the kids we work with don't come from Christian homes. It's so rewarding to spend time with her, showing her the love that God has shown me. Sometimes, she’ll even steal her mom's phone to send me texts."
Lauren also serves on the committee of a nonprofit, Melody of Hope, where she uses her gifts of music and public relations to help spread the word about the organization’s purpose. "Where I used to believe success would fill the void in my life, I now desire to make a difference in my community for the glory of God."
Because of God’s renewing work in Lauren’s life, no success can bring her such satisfaction as sharing her joy in Christ with others.