25 Stories | Ella Luttmann

What ministry (or ministries) are you most involved with at Central?

Mission and Outreach / College Central / Kid Central

How did God show up in your life in the last 12 months?

18 months ago, I moved back home after attending a semester at college. At the time, I was struggling with my mental health, battling depression and anxiety and I wasn’t sure what the next step in life was. I didn’t know if I was supposed to go back to college like all my friends or try to find a job. Everything in my life had changed, and I was desperate for something steady, something that wouldn’t change with my circumstances. I needed an unshakable hope.

About a year ago, I got connected with a staff member at Central, who introduced me to the College Central Pastor, Austin. I shared part of my story with him, and he encouraged me to get involved by serving with College Central. Around that time, I also had the opportunity to go on a trip to Ethiopia with Central. It was there that I encountered that unshakable hope. I had traveled to Africa twice before then, but God opened my eyes in a new way. I saw so clearly that we serve a God who is steady, constant, and never changing. How freeing it is that we get to turn our eyes to our circumstances to the One who holds them. I realized that He is someone I can rely on more than anyone or anything else in this world.

How do you live differently knowing God is alive & active in your life?

Today, my life looks completely different. God has transformed me. Before I fully surrendered to Him, I relied on my own strength and the things of this world to get me through each day. Now, I depend fully on the Lord. My hope is secure in Him and that has changed everything.

How did you share the love of Jesus this year with someone who doesn't know Christ?

I’ve had the opportunity to serve in many different areas, but one of the most meaningful experiences was mentoring a new believer. When I first sat down with her, I sensed the Holy Spirit inviting me into that space, to walk alongside her as she began her journey of following Jesus. Together, we opened the Bible for the very first time, prayed prayers of surrender, and began to discover what it truly means to love and live for Jesus.