In the Spotlight with Dani Cromwell

When Dani was a young girl, around 3 or 4, she asked Jesus Christ to be her Lord and Savior because she learned that people who didn’t would go to Hell!  Of course, only knowing this portion of the Gospel, she says she didn’t really understand what it meant to be a Christian.  However, in 8th grade, while on a leadership team, God took hold of her life and showed her what it truly meant to follow Him.  As she and other members of the team talked about what it meant to live for Christ, she thought, “there is a huge difference between what I think it is and what I should be doing.”  That day she prayed with a leader and decided she wanted to live for Christ, “not because I’m scared of going to Hell but because I want to live that way.”  Dani’s been up here on the hill with us for about 3 years.  After coming back from a brief stint at De Anza College, Dani recalls trying to figure out where to go to church.  She had heard about Crossroads from a friend and decided to come check it out and the rest is history.

If you ask anyone around here they will tell you that Dani is one of the most involved and dedicated leaders here in our student ministries.  She has served in 20/20, is a student leader in Crossroads and is now also one of our incredible Youth Ministry Coordinators bringing a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to an already spirited (to say the least) office.  As we say goodbye to our much-loved Youth Ministry Coordinator Mandy Koski (good luck with baby Henry!), Dani says she is excited and a little nervous: “I have some big shoes to fill.”  When asked what motivates her to participate in ministry, Dani will tell you it feels like she is doing what God has called her to do and she is also able to see the work He is doing in the lives of others.  Concerning Crossroads, Dani thinks one of the best parts of serving as a fellow student, is being able to grow and face trials alongside her peers: “Since we are facing the same things, it’s easy to encourage each other.”

As Dani starts this final semester in school, she wants to encourage us all to be diligent with our work and not fall behind saying, “It’s a lot easier to start on top than to catch up.”  She also asks that we apply this same principle to our spiritual lives as well, reminding us that “If you say ‘oh I’ll start tomorrow,’ it will always be tomorrow and never today!”  Thank you Dani, for all of your hard work and dedication. You are truly an example of what it means to have passion and enthusiasm for your ministry.