From her small-town, southern roots in Georgia to the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Melody Koop took a single step straight into her destiny. “Before I came to Charis Bible College, I was leading small groups back home, but I just wasn’t seeing much fruit,” Melody shares. “I had compassion toward women and I wanted to help them, but I wasn’t always sure how to go about it.”
After graduating from Charis in 2012, Melody went on to complete the third-year School of Ministry and became more confident in sharing the Good News with others. “The teaching changes you by taking head knowledge and turning it into heart knowledge. Charis has grown me from a little tadpole to someone who knows how to minister to people with God’s love.”
Melody goes on to say, “During my second year at Charis, I was able to go on a two-week missions trip to Germany. I began to develop what God has placed in my heart concerning evangelism and loving people.” That trip seemed to have a lasting effect on Melody as she planned to return to Germany for a summer internship the day after her graduation. She just couldn’t get there fast enough!
“Since I graduated from Charis, I have been to Germany twice, as well as to Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Prague and Belgium, leading missions teams and evangelizing on the streets,” Melody recounts. “I absolutely love meeting new people, sharing the love of God with them, and watching their guards come down. It’s something I will never get tired of.”
Not only did her time at Charis equip Melody to be more effective in her calling, but it also gave her a glimpse of what exactly her calling is—”I desire to start different groups in different countries, go out and evangelize, and bring people in to disciple them. There are so many people out there who have never heard that God loves them, who have never heard of Jesus before. It sets a fire on the inside of me to tell as many people as I can that God isn’t mad at them and that He has a reason for them to be here on this earth.”
Today Melody serves as the women’s pastor for her church and continues to lead evangelism groups on the streets of Colorado Springs, all while planning her next trip to take the Gospel around the world.
Melody says, “I’m so grateful for the time I spent at Charis. The connections I made, the growth that took place in my heart, and the opportunities they gave me have jump-started me down a path that I couldn’t have traveled on my own. I’m so glad I took that step four years ago. I can’t wait to see what God does next.”
Are you living your life with the passion of knowing you’re doing what you were created to do? Visit www.charisbiblecollege.org for more information on how you can start your own journey.
