Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Ten Napel
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in what most today would call a chaotic home and like many others, my parents divorce impacted me in ways that I couldn’t always see. On top of the chaos happening within my home, chaos also started to place within my body, my school, and within my relationships. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a really young age, struggled to make friends, and would become a victim of sexual assault on more than just one occasion from age 5 to 20. I adopted a mindset that I was going to be the only person I could depend on, while simultaneously trying to find my value and worth in men, materialistic things, and prided myself on being emotionally distant and “unbothered” by those around me.
COVID was a life changing for many, but I truly believe it was quarantine that God would use to radically change my life and bring transformation. In April of 2020, I sat down on my bed and felt prompted to google “Who is God?” and I couldn’t believe the things I was reading. There was a God who loved me, who would redeem me, and who would never forsake me. All of that felt so foreign to me.
After a few years of wrestling with scripture and trying to learn more about this God, I was accepted into CityBridge Community Church’s seminary residency, where I truly began to know and see God for who He is and understand the depths of my depravity. I couldn’t believe everything I was learning and experiencing, it felt like a privilege and an opportunity that I was so undeserving of. I accepted a job at that same church as their students women’s coordinator, where every day, I come to work and help students and many others experience Christ and His love for them in new ways and come to know that they can be a friend of God’s. I also started working for a nonprofit ministry called Storyverse, where I get to co-host a podcast with the goal of helping others experience, embrace, and enjoy the story they were made for with Jesus Christ as the author and center.
It has been a scary and yet really beautiful journey so far and I just know I am getting to see the outworking of Genesis 50:20 in my life. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Things have not been easy, but they have been worth it. It feels so counter-cultural to sacrifice a paycheck or accept a lower paying job in order to follow the calling God has placed on my life, especially in North Dallas. And there have been many moments where I’ve fallen victim to “imposter syndrome” and comparison. It is so easy to get on social media and see these huge Christian influencers and feel like because I’m not verified or have some huge platform, that I’m not making some kind of difference in this world or helping grow the Kingdom. The Lord has been so kind to provide me with friends and a husband who are constantly in my corner and reminding me of my worth, what my calling is, and Who the glory should go to!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work for CityBridge Community Church where I oversee all of our female students and leaders! I also work for a nonprofit called Storyverse, where I am their social media and outreach director. Whether working for the church or the nonprofit, my hope and passion is to help others fall more in love with Jesus.
I believe the Lord has gifted me in hospitality, teaching, and has really given me a heart to truly care for others. I feel like the wind is at my back most when I am getting to sit with others who are hurting and provide comfort and getting to share about Jesus Christ through teaching or just causal conversations on the street. It’s not every day you get paid to talk on a podcast or take a friend to coffee and check in on them.
I have been told that I am “disarming” in ministry settings for newcomers and I have found that to be such a sweet compliment. It could be my dry sense of humor or the fact that I am covered in tattoos, but nonetheless, I feel so lucky to be a part of others journey in having a relationship with Jesus.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We are all guilty of sin (Romans 3:23) and that sin separates from God (Romans 6:23). But because God is rich in mercy and love, he has provided us with a way to be reconciled to Him through His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, a man who knew no sin, became sin and put sin to death on the cross, and if you believe that, you will be saved and spend an eternity with God in Heaven (Romans 10:9-10).
There is nothing you could have done or ever do that the Lord would not forgive, he has paid for it all on the cross. He is just waiting on you to accept His invitation to live a life walking with Him.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.storyverseministries.com/about
- Instagram: @mackxjean, @hellostoryverse, @citybridgecc
