Troy Pascley is a young man of many talents, mostly known for his outstanding athletic ability in football and record breaking titles. However there is much more to Troy Pascley. He has overcome a lifestyle that once involved gangs, drugs and alcohol to become a Christian husband and father who has developed a close relationship with Christ. Troy is now living the Christian life and is learning how to enjoy a new found freedom with his family and friends by his side. Troy has a new passion for life and is committed to sharing his story that others may come to know how the love of Christ can change one’s life.
Pascley grew up in Alliance, Ohio where he was raised in a single parent home. His early years were lived in poverty, gang affiliations, drugs and all that goes along with the street life. He used football as a way out of a dead end situation. Pascley’s love for football began in his last year of elementary school. By the time Pascley began High School he was on the rise to becoming one of the most talented football players in Ohio and the country. Pascley was rated one of the top players in the country as a wide receiver and in his senior year he had over 30 scholarship offers.
In 2006 Pascley began his football career at the University of Louisville. Pascley continued to blossom as he was a part of the 2007 Orange bowl championship team. He also was a three year starter and his first two career catches were touchdowns. In 2008 he finished second in the Big East in touchdown receptions and led the Big East in yards per catch with 22 yards per catch. Pascley’s love for football had kept him focused and disciplined and once he started college he began to see the dynamic that academics played alongside football. “School was a lot more important and football was more than just practice. We had film study, position meetings and weight lifting. Then we had study hall and classes before we started practice. There was some added pressure to perform as well because the competition was always fierce and everybody was good enough to play”, according to Pascley.
In Pascley’s Junior year at Louisville his discipline and focus started to unravel. He began to turn to his old ways to deal with the pressure of living up to expectations. “I was always involved in stupid drama that involved bad decisions and then alcohol along with drugs had become a bigger part of my life than sports. I was falling fast and I knew there was something missing in my life and I really needed to change. The stress of taking care of my family, school and football made me turn to things that only made life harder”, according to Pascley.
It was now time for a change that only God could cause. Troy was introduced to Christ through his team Champlain and invited to an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meeting. During the first meeting the Chaplain addressed the book of James, life struggles and why we go through them. Pascley’s first meeting challenged him to trust Gods comforting love and to let him in. “I let God in by surrendering my life and all my dreams to His will. The more I read my bible I was amazed by who He was and what He had done for me while I was still a sinner.
It was evident that He had been protecting me and that He had a plan for my life”, according to Pascley. Due to Pascley’s new relationship with God, he decided to hold off on professional football. Troy suffered a season ending injury during his senior year and in his free time he encouraged others and shared Christ with them. During his last three semesters at Louisville, Pascley became campus leader of FCA. During this time Pascley also spoke at local high schools and youth conferences. “I found so much joy and fulfillment in ministry when I lost football that I was content and wanted to keep football where I left it”, according to Pascley.
Along with being a man of God and an inspiration to many, Pascley is a family man. Pascley and his wife Brittany have been married since 2010 and have two sons together, Troy Jr. who is four and Adrian who is one. Troy’s family is his motivation for everything he does. “My wife is the most important person in my life. The only thing I value more than her is my relationship with the Lord. My two sons have challenged me to be a better father and leader than anyone has been to me”, according to Pascley. Troy didn’t know his father until his last year in high school. From that point on he made a vow to God that he would be a faithful father to his son’s.
Perhaps one of the biggest influences in his life right now is Pastor Bruce Douglas. Bruce is a former N.B.A. player, who understands the pressures of success in athletics and is the Pastor of Walking in Grace Community Church in Plainfield, Illinois. Troy met Pastor Bruce through his friendship with his son Brock Douglas. Pastor Douglas invited Troy and his family over for dinner and since that day Pastor Douglas has been a blessing to Troy and his family. Pastor Bruce has been a spiritual leader for my wife and me. He has helped us grow in our knowledge of the word of God and helped us build our personal relationship with Christ”, according to Pascley.
Currently Troy is a free agent in the NFL. During this time he plays Arena league professional football and is training for the upcoming NFL free agent combine which takes place on March 17th. In April Pascley plans to sign with an NFL team. With Pascley’s great faith in God and Christian foundation, he definitely will lead his two young sons’ the right way, if they decide to have a career in sports. “I want my son’s to play sport’s to glorify God not to glorify themselves. If God has given you a gift, use it, but only for his glory not yours. Always have a backup plan and get an education”, said Pascley.
Troy and his lovely family are faithful members of Walking in Grace Community Church. On Sunday March 25, 2012, at the 10:30am Worship service Troy Pascley will share his testimony of where God has brought him from, his relationship with God and how God has changed his life.
When asked what three points do you want people to know about God through your story, he simply replied:“He is faithful! If you call out to GOD with a sincere heart he will deliver you from anything in your life.” “The atoning blood of Christ is unlimited! If you put your trust in Christ he will save you and prepare a place for you in heaven. Nothing you’ve done is outside of God’s grace no matter how bad it may be. “His will is perfect and he has a plan for all of our lives. Often his plans are different than ours but he has never made a mistake. Trust Him.”

Troy is a special person that God has unleashed His marvelous grace into his life and we want all of the youth to join us on March 25 at our 10:30am Worship service to hear Troy’s powerful story. I promise you that it will challenge you to want to know Christ for yourself. Following the service we will have a reception for everyone. You will have an opportunity to meet Troy and ask him questions. We will also have refreshments and drinks, so we look forward to seeing you all there, bless you Pastor Bruce.

Article written by Candace McCollum

WIGCC will begin the New Year with some changes in the time we have Bible study and Worship on Sunday. This year our Bible study will begin at 9:30am and our Worship time will start at 10:30am. We are excited about the New Year and the changes that God has planned for our ministry in 2012, so please mark you calendars with our new times. Our Pastor will be starting a new series for the New Year entitled “It is Time to be Free.” Don’t start your new year out with empty resolutions that have no power to change your life. God never intended for us to be frustrated, discouraged or live defeated lives. You no longer have to be hostage to a purposeless life. Jesus came not only to set us free, but that we might live an abundant life. Join us for Worship this Sunday at our new Worship time as we discover God’s purpose to becoming the New You and living the victorious Christan life in 2012.

Our 2nd church anniversary celebration was a unique worship experience as we gave thanks to God for His faithfulness during our first two years of ministry to reach the lost for Christ! The Lord showed up in everything we said, sang and did as we testified to His grace, power and presence in our ministry. We can’t stop praising God for all that He’s doing in our lives and ministry at WIGCC. The celebration concluded with a time of great food, sweet fellowship and wonderful memories of God’s goodness.

On December 4, 2011 at 10:00am, Walking in Grace Community Church (WIGCC) would like to invite you to Worship the God of all creation with us on this joyous occasion as we give thanks for His faithfulness and power on our journey to build up His kingdom. Our theme for this occasion is “Marching with a Mission, Sharing His Love and Proclaiming His Grace,” Acts 1:8. During our second year we witnessed God’s Spirit show up in our ministry in a powerful way in the lives of people. We want to testify to all of our friends that God is still changing lives, restoring marriages, delivering from addictions, healing physical bodies, and giving new life through our ministry at WIGCC. We have experienced the blessings of God’s faithfulness in our ministry to touch the unchurched and unsaved people with the love of Christ. It is an exciting time for us as we continue to lead people to Christ and baptize them into the new life. Our vision is to develop a diverse community of believers, who are committed to loving Christ, loving one another and loving all people for the purpose of building up God’s Kingdom. Please mark your calendars for this grace filled anniversary. We will have a reception immediately following the service. Please come as you are, but don’t expect to leave without being changed!

Pastor Bruce was filled with joy as he introduced seven new candidates who have committed their lives to Christ and now look forward to Baptism. We at WIGCC are excited about the new converts that God has saved and changed for eternity. We are also thankfu for the privilege of guiding these Christians into a new life and a new relationship with Christ. We will be baptizing them on the first Sunday in November at Broadview Baptist Church. Baptism is just the identification of the salvation that we have received. These new Christians will establish their new identity in Christ according to the Bible by immersion. The baptism sets a birth date that can be celebrated annually as the day we recognize our commitment to live for the Kingdom of God and our dying to the old life as well as the world’s ways. It is an exciting time at WIGCC as God continues to use our ministry to impact lives for His Kingdom and glory.

The WIGCC Family day was full of great food, fantastic fun, wonderful fellowship, magnificient music and plenty of prizes. The day provided the opportunity for our church to develop relationships and connect with families in our community. We had great discussion about ways to serve families and it also provided many of the members at WIGCC opportunities to share their personal testimonies of God’s grace at work in their lives. The day was full of sun, activities and prize giveaways. Our Pastor encouraged all in attendance to seek Christ through a personal relationship as he shared the mission of WIGCC, which is to help people connect and commit to Jesus Christ. The day concluded with an inspirational concert led by the WIGCC Praise team along with a guest choir from Broadview Baptist Chruch. Pastor Bruce stated that our Family day was a great success for our church as we had the opportunity to touch people with the love of Christ, provide physical and spiritual nourishment, give praises to God as well as build effective relationships with families. Our community of believers worked in unity and love with purpose all day long in serving the people in the Plainfield community. Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to use us as a light in our community and a bridge over troubled water.

Mark your calendars for the WIGCC Family Day celebration that will take place on July 30-31. Pastor Bruce and the Walking in Grace Community Church will be inviting the community to join them for a day of fun, food, fellowship and Praise to the God of our salvation. The event will take place on July 30, from 1pm-5pm at Eagle Pointe Elementary School where the church holds their Worship services. The day will be full of activities for everyone that will take place outside for the children, youth and adults. There will be plenty of good food, fellowship and giveaways during the day. The celebration will culminate on Saturday with a concert led by WIGCC’s praise team along with a guest choir from Broadview Baptist Church. The celebration will conclude on Sunday at WIGCC’s worship service at 10:00am. We are praying that our community will be touched with God’s love and compelled to join God’s family. It is an exciting time for us at WIGCC as we continue to help people connect and commit to Jesus Christ.

WIGCC honored the Lord for His faithfulness to their ministry to reach the unchurched and unsaved in the Plainfield area. WIGCC’s Praise group along with their guests, soloist Kim Leffew and Broadview Missionary Baptist’s, Praise Ensemble led the people in a time of wonderful praise and worship to the God of all creation. The music included a variety of songs, styles and tempo’s as God’s people lifted up the name of Jesus. The program involved sharing the history of God’s calling and establishing Walking in Grace Community Church in the Plainfield area. It also reviewed the missions that WIGCC is currently serving in and the vision that God has given them in developing a diverse community of believers going forward. Pastor Bruce preached on “Walking Worthy in Unity” as the key for WIGCC to reach lost people. The service was full of Praise, passion, joy, and the truth of God’s word. Pastor Bruce wants everyone to know God’s message of love and forgiveness that provides eternal life. WIGCC is committed to sharing that message in word and deed to all people everywhere. Our first year has been an incredible walk with Jesus, we have learned to walk by faith and trust in God’s word. We have established our presence, power and purpose in the community as a church who is touching lives with the love of Christ. We at WIGCC are looking forward to building up God’s Kingdom for His glory through His power in the Plainfield area in our next season of ministry. We want to thank all of you that participated and celebrated with us. We pray God’s peace and joy into your lives in the upcoming year.

Walking in Grace Community Church is embarking on their One year anniversary of Kingdom building in the Plainfield area. We would like to invite you to come celebrate with us as we give thanks to God for His goodness and grace in our ministry to reach the unchurched and unsaved for Christ. On December 5, 2010 at 10:00am we want all of our friends, families and neighbors to join us in Worship as we give praise to the God of our salvation for His faithfulness and favor on our journey to build up His Kingdom. Our vision is to develop a diverse community of believers who are committed to loving Christ, loving one another and and loving all people for the purpose of building up God’s Kingdom. Our mission is to help people connect and commit to Jesus Christ through a personal relationship. God has called us to impact our culture and community with the love of Christ. During our first year God has blessed us tremendously and we would like to bless others in return. Our prayer is that we can introduce you and your families to a New life, New love, and New longing to be a part of a community of believers that are reaching the unchurched and unsaved with the love of Jesus Christ.

The WIGCC family touched the community with the love of Christ as they hosted the first annual “Back to School Block Party”!  We had a day of fellowship, food and fun for everyone in the community.  The Block Party allowed us to connect with youth, parents and families.  There were plenty of activities, games and most importantly time for us to build relationships with people in our community.  The Lord blessed us with opportunities to share our mission and our testimonies of God’s faithfulness in planting the church.  Most importantly to the WIGCC family is for the community to feel our presence and know that we are here to serve all in the name of Christ.  God provided us with perfect weather and the church worked in perfect unity as we cooked, served, and cleaned to the glory of God.  We are in the process of building up a diverse community of believers who are committed to helping people connect and commit to Jesus Christ.  The “Block Party” was a great success and the family had a great time.  Our Pastor ended the day with prayer and thanksgiving to the Lord for allowing WIGCC to reach out and touch someone with the grace of God along with the Love of Christ.