Keith Rogers: A Testimony of Transformation

By Faithwalking

Growing up in a family of five boys, Keith Rogers often felt overshadowed by his older brothers. They would regale the family with interesting stories about their accomplishments in the classroom and on the sports field. Keith loved his brothers and enjoyed listening to their stories, but as a younger child who struggled academically, he often wondered if he had any stories to contribute that would match up to his brothers’ deeds. With time, Keith drew into himself and began to struggle with low self-worth.

[blockquote type=”left”]Early childhood feelings of inadequacy led to a belief in a “false self”—a self that never seemed to be enough with very little to contribute. In the past few years, however, Keith has experienced a personal transformation that has given him quite a powerful story to tell.[/blockquote]

Coming together to reach out

As a family friend of Faithwalking co-founder Trisha Taylor, Keith was one of Faithwalking’s first participants. Besides currently serving as Associate Pastor of Clear Lake Baptist Church, Keith also leads a missional community as President of Christian Outreach Alliance (COA), a volunteer-run non-profit seeking to foster safety, nurture success, and bring about transformation in their community. COA is a collaboration of five churches in Clear Lake working together to provide services and support to low-income apartment complexes and their surrounding communities. Some of COA’s programs have included an after school tutoring program, a Girl Scout troop, a preschool ministry, and sports camps. As word gets out about COA, cause activists have approached them for partnership. In one such example, COA recently added their influence to fighting homelessness and human trafficking.

Presently COA is in the midst of achieving an “impossible goal”—a youth outreach center to meet the lack of positive role models and to provide a wholesome hangout spot for teens. This center, named “The Deck,” would include a coffee shop, mentoring, tutoring, art and music programming, job training, college prep, and more. The vision is to create a sanctuary for teens—not just a place to play, but a safe place to experience transforming relationships with other teenagers and adults. Recently, some land has become available and COA is in the process of acquiring it to fulfill their dream of building The Deck.

Over the years COA’s influence has expanded, drawing unsolicited help from people who simply want to support their cause. Keith is amazed at how COA experiences God supplying their every need. He also praises the cooperation among the churches involved with COA: “We have a vision for the whole community and we enjoy working together. We all sense an extra measure of God’s grace and power when we work together.”

how keith’s life changed

Keith correlates the growth of COA with the personal growth he has experienced through Faithwalking. “Faithwalking revealed deep-seated shame, and helped me dismantle my false self. I am beginning to understand who I truly am. I am beginning to love who I am more and more.” Faithwalking also helped Keith process his former struggle with chronic anxiety. “Because I didn’t think I had anything to offer, I was absorbing everything anyone threw at me. I had adopted this idea that Christians should not get mad or angry—we just take it,” Keith explains. “I was not exerting my own identity or personal authority, I was just absorbing others’ anxiety.” Through his personal growth, he no longer suffers from chronic anxiety. He is learning to “say what is so” for him and allow others to say what is true for them without letting that disturb their relationship.

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Today, God is writing an incredible story of transformation in Keith’s personal life, one that is reflected on his brightened countenance. Through the healing that has occurred internally, he has grown into a leader with big vision for his missional community. Keith says, “The effectiveness and growth of the COA community is in total proportion to my understanding of self and to my ability to live authentically with God, myself, and others. Beyond messages, beyond techniques, I believe that is what is true for me and for my group.” By growing in his ability to step out from behind the false self and lean instead into his authentic self, Keith is learning more about himself, about God, and about God’s ability to transform individuals and communities.