Written by Matthew Fiock
My name is Matthew Fiock, and I am currently a senior at New Hope Christian College, pursuing a degree in Ministry Leadership with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Studies. My journey may not be what you would call typical, but it is a testament to God’s faithfulness and the way He works all things together in His perfect timing.
In 1998, I attended Eugene Bible College right out of high school. After three years, however, I felt the Lord prompting me to move in a different direction. I returned to the workforce and continued serving Jesus through music and worship, missions, the local church, and the marketplace.
Years later, my family and I moved to a small town in Texas. We found a church, immediately became involved, and began building our life there. We were all excited to see what God had in store for our family in this new season. However, just as unexpectedly as the prompting to move had come years before, life began throwing us curveball after curveball that impacted every part of our lives. Our church experienced a split that deeply affected our community. At the same time, our family was carrying the grief of losing my mom. Shortly afterward, my sister shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
We were taking hit after hit, and eventually, I reached a point where I felt like I could no longer carry the weight of it all. I began questioning my faith and deconstructing what I believed. Eventually, I withdrew from ministry and found myself consumed by doubt. After 25 years of believing we knew what God’s will was for our lives, suddenly we weren’t sure what He was doing.
Eventually, we found a church that came alongside our family, counseled us, and helped us begin to heal. During that quieter season, something unexpected started taking shape. God was beginning a new thing in us—something that hadn’t even been on our radar.
An opportunity to serve on a mission trip took us overseas to New Zealand. There, we watched God open doors for connection, provision, and faith. As I witnessed Him move in the lives of the people around us, I also began experiencing healing in areas where I had struggled. God was doing something new.
Later, as a family, we traveled back to Oregon to visit family. While we were in town, I decided to make a quick visit to Eugene Bible College. When we arrived, I discovered that it was now under a new name, with a fresh vision and so much having changed. We toured the campus and heard about all that God was doing through the school. More importantly, we heard the heart behind its mission: to build the leaders of tomorrow.
Once again, I felt that familiar prompting. In that moment, I knew it was time to pick up where I had left off and answer the call God had placed on my life so many years before.
After praying with my family and preparing for all God had ahead of us, we began making plans to move across the country in the fall of 2024. We officially moved in the winter of 2025—and God has been so faithful. Some people thought we were crazy, but we knew the Father was calling us to continue the process He had already begun in us. As a family, we chose to trust Him and follow His call.
My kids have made it clear that being involved at New Hope Christian College and New Hope West Church has had an eternal impact on their lives. They have grown in their desire to follow the Lord in ways they hadn’t before. Our two oldest girls, Anika and Annabelle, are serving by leading worship for New Hope West Middle School ministry, as well as serving backstage on Sunday mornings and occasionally running ProPresenter. They are growing in their NHW Life Groups and are loving the Word of God! Our boys, Noah and Gideon, are in 7th and 5th grade and have chosen to read their Bibles on their own consistently, almost every evening. These young warrior men lead prayers of healing for others when they sense someone needs a touch of God’s love. My wife Mandy works hard on the photography team and has recently jumped full force into serving backstage and occasionally helping with ProPresenter. She has an incredible desire to love women to Jesus and has a passion for women’s ministry. The best part is when we gather as a family to pray and worship at home; the kids pick up instruments and join in. I look at them and realize these are the years God has been using to build and strengthen the Fiock crew!
I know that I am here to grow in my skills, character, and theology, but I also know that my story is about more than simply earning a degree. We are a living testament that God works all things together for good and that His timing is perfect. We are incredibly blessed to be part of a community that has embraced us as a family. There truly is something here for each and every one of us, and for that, I am so grateful. Making a move this significant certainly came with challenges, but seeing the eternal impact on my children has made every sacrifice worth it.
It wasn’t easy, but it was better.
