God Uses Haywoods' to Ignite Deer Park Church

by Kathy Marson

Joel and Nicole Haywood enjoy their position as Bible worker coordinators for the Deer Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. They began this type of ministry in the Moses Lake Church shortly after they were married in 2008, each following different paths to come to this point in their lives.

Nicole was raised in an Adventist Home but in her late teen years she didn’t fully understand why she believed. Then she read The Desire of Ages by Ellen White and saw a more complete picture of Jesus, which brought a spark to her life. “I had a burden give coworkers books about Jesus,” says Nicole. “When you really know Jesus, you can’t help but share.” It was also at that time she began praying for the man she would marry.

Nicole began her career as a Massage Therapist and started building a cliental. When she was presented an opportunity to attend Mission College of Evangelism, she almost talked herself out of it. But because she had felt God’s pull to dedicate her life to Him, she decided to go and learn how to tell her friends about God.

Joel was the youngest in his family and grew up in a non-practicing Adventist home. He was on a fast lane into various addictions common in the world. One day he decided to attend Stone Tower Adventist Church in Portland, Ore. When an evangelistic series was held there by Mission College of Evangelism, he decided to go. Through the series, he decided to attend Mission College of Evangelism and be baptized. While there, he met Nicole. Don’t you want to go behind the scenes sometimes just to see how God orchestrated the timing?

When asked what had sparked the desire to learn more about God, Joel says, “I had a praying grandma. She gave me tapes from time to time to listen to. The Lord convicted me that if I want to live, I have to turn around. His parents are going back to church now and Joel attributes this to his 180 degree turn.

Joel and Nicole are convicted and inspired to minister and evangelize at the Deer Park Church. They continue to knock on doors and give Bible studies. “We know the members see the difference in their church. They see the change more than we do.”

Several members have gone with Joel and Nicole to give Bible Studies. One day they'd had little success knocking on doors until they came to the last house on the street where a lady answered the door interested in studying about the Sabbath. She will be baptized soon. At one home they met Aaron, who had no interest in the Bible. But he invited them back to visit. That time when they knocked on the door, they heard a commotion of some furniture being moved in the house. As they entered he had chairs set up for the Bible study. He, too, is ready to be baptized.

Joel and Nicole are happy the members are involved and helping with a summer diet and stress seminar, and a fall reaping series. They have a Saturday night ping pong event and plan to hold a cooking class. Planned for next spring is the opening of a community garden.

The Deer Park Church is located in Upper Columbia Conference in the state of Washington and serves an active community of about 4,000.