Cell Contest Winners

Below are the winners of the What My Cell Means To Me survey contest and the surveys that they submitted.


1st Prize Elizabeth Hostetler

My name is Elizabeth Hostetler and I am part of a Sunday Cell, taught by Maria Younger called Overcoming Addictions & Compulsive Behaviors. It’s a class about how to overcome, and this is what I have needed in this season of my life. Ben & I married and dated for 6 years long distance, and then we got married and moved to Tulsa in August of 2006, where Ben had been attending ORU. He is originally from Indiana & I lived in Texas. We had no connections except those Ben made through Victory and ORU, so getting connected and involved was extremely important to us. I came out of a very small denominational church before Victory, so I know how overwhelming Victory can seem at first. I have found that cell groups here made a large church feel smaller, more personalized, and more like family because when people get involved they feel a part and are more likely to stay and see that they are valuable and have something to contribute. Anyway, this last year I can say I have been blessed to have my leader, team leaders, friends & family (long distance) support me in a very stormy time of my life. My husband Ben was diagnosed with cancer last year. Our lives seemed to be out of control and we didn’t know what to do. My cell group, and other Christian friends & family held us up in prayer, gave us encouragement, helped us financially, and made themselves available. When you feel like your whole world is turned upside down, when the doctor’s are giving no hope, the first thing you need to do is cleave to your anchor Jesus, but secondly your family of believers are also meant to be a support as well. I have realized without them I don’t think I would have made it this far without falling apart. I have realized through all of this that I am not made to be an island, alone fighting by myself. As a body, we are all gifted to help & encourage, pray, and support each other. My husband just went home with the Lord on March 3 and I can tell you I miss him a whole lot, but the love that has flowed from my brothers and sisters has helped me not to feel alone and to see God’s love too. They have been the hands and feet of Christ. I also realized I am not defeated. All of us together fought a good fight, including Ben. Even in the last few hours of Ben’s life I was surrounded in my home with my cell family & church family, as we prayed and worshiped Ben into God’s kingdom. So in sharing al of that testimony was to say, that is is necessary to stay connected with believers for our growth and life, in our case they come in the form of cell groups.


2nd Prize Stacy D. Henderson

My cell group means to me “family” away from home. I moved to Tulsa three years ago to attend law school. I visited Victory Christian Center and went to the altar and Patrie Jones prayed with me. Later that week she called to pray with me. She invited me to attend the cell group she led, Spiritual Warfare in the Workplace. In this cell group God blessed me tremendously and I was able to have a family away from home. The cell members prayed with me so that I would obtain scholarships and through those prayers I received three scholarships. The cell members also prayed for me to obtain law clerkships. I was blessed to receive several clerkship that were the best jobs of my life. My cell group enriched my life by enforcing the word of God and by giving me the opportunity to fellowship with fellow believers. At my graduation Patrie and Martha, fellow cell members sat in the audience as I crossed the state. For those cell group members that were not able to attend my graduation they sent me a card and a monetary gift. My cell group means family.


3rd Prize Louise Marr

I thank God for leading me to Victory Christian and the cell group Battlefield of the Mind with Pam Burnough. When I came to Victory last fall I had just left an abusive marriage and had begun the weary process of a divorce and custody battle in court. I joined the cell group a completely broken person praying for healing and praying to strengthen my walk with God. The support I received from the group was an answer to my prayers. I have learned that the biggest challenge as a Christian is having the mind of Christ. The group prayed with me as I faced days in court, dealt with the hurt my two daughters and I struggled to overcome and each step to rebuilding my life. I have gotten a job, enrolled in night school at the University of Tulsa, and face my legal issues with a new strength (as a conqueror). I want to be a model for my daughters and put God first in my life. Battlefield of the Mind has provided me with the tolls to do this. Pam and this cell group are truly gifts from God! I see how God has called us as Christians to support one another on our daily walk.