My name is Jonathan Bernstein

          and this is my story....


My story is about a journey, one where God has placed the lives of the ones I love and have loved next to me.

My story begins in Philadelphia in a home which demonstrated a strong belief in family values and traditions. I found a solid footing in love and playfulness surrounded by those who loved me back. Growing up in my Jewish heritage, my grandparents practiced their faith but they did not pass this on to my parents. I only remember attending synagogue twice in my life. We celebrated holidays from a cultural aspect but these celebrations had no connection to faith. I understood God as someone who existed as a figurehead, but nothing more. Religion was not an important stronghold, but tradition was.

Despite the strong focus on family, my parents divorced when I was 9 years old. This was a very difficult time in my life. My mother married my step-dad who was Presbyterian - the first time anyone in our family had married outside of the faith. Even though they were married in a Christian church, my mom remained tied to her Jewish culture. My step-dad lived in Pittsburgh, so we moved across the state, leaving our extended family behind. My small family had been my life. I felt a longing to be near them again.

This was a difficult transition for a teenager. I was fortunate to move into a neighborhood with 5 other kids who were the same age as me. These new friends all had families that were diverse but a common string tied them together - a faith in God. I became enveloped in these new friends and their Christian families. They invited me to church and to their holiday celebrations. I saw the way they made their faith a part of their lives. I sensed something in these families. It caused me to realize there was something missing in my own life, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

At the end of my high school years, my grandmother passed away. She is a life that I will cherish always. Her passing brought me to begin my real soul searching. I was left with a hole that I was not sure how to fill. This actually became my first real step towards God. I began to invite myself to go to church with my friends instead of waiting to be invited. I started reading to learn more about God. I wanted to try and understand more about Him. I was still not exactly sure what was missing in my life. It was like I was trying to fill an empty bucket with a hole in it by using a slow trickling spout. It was going slowly and never quite filling.

I attended Penn State University, earning a degree in marketing and communications. It was after college that I met Sara. We made an instant connection with each other. Sara has a way with words, a way with me, and a way of knowing that sometimes holding my hand is all I need. She was raised in a strong Christian family. I quickly became attached to her family as well. After three years of Sara and I dating, we were married by Sara's uncle, a Pastor of a Baptist church.

We moved to Emsworth and sought a church to call home. We did some test-driving of a few churches; we would visit once or twice but nothing was a good fit. At the time, Sara was working at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill. Her co-worker knew someone who had attended Orchard Hill and suggested that we give it a try. From the moment we walked in, we knew it was a perfect fit. From the band starting with a song that I recognized from the radio through every spoken word in the service I was touched in my heart. The pastor said, "Welcome to God's living room," and that's exactly how I felt. Talking about it even now sends chills down my arms. That day was so powerful. When we left, I knew we would be back.

Orchard Hill has indeed become our second home and the place where I discovered how to fill that empty bucket that I had been trying to fill with a trickling spout. I distinctly remember the day that the spigot opened to a full flow - the day when I bowed my head and asked God to come into my life and fill me completely. That is the day that my head and my heart connected and I gave myself over to God. Every day that I am here, I give myself back to God. I am learning every day and eager to learn. God is no longer a figure head; He is very real to me. The emptiness in my heart is now filled to overflowing.

Sara and I have been married 4 years. Our beautiful son, Jack, is now I year old. When Sara and I decided to have Jack baptized as a declaration of our own faith, I realized that I had never been baptized myself. I chose to take part in this sacrament with my son to declare our faith in God to each other and to our family and friends. Though he is young, it will always be something we can look back and know we shared together

I stand here as a man on a journey thankful for all of the people who have been placed in my path to help me reach this step in my life. I stand here because of God and his relentless love and passion for me and my relationship with Him. I stand with pride and love in my heart that this is just another step in my journey. My name is Jonathan Bernstein and this is my story.
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