ExRocker

Pretty amazing to find this forum! I was reading about Jim McCotter on wikipedia and two hours later found myself here.

I came to Christ in 1976 through the efforts of two guys from Solid Rock. Members of the church used to come up to the burb in which I lived on the edge of the OSU campus. They came to my junior high and used to talk to the scruffy hippy kids (which incl. me) out front in the smoking area. One of the guys played in a band that regularly played at our school dances. Being a musician myself, I would hang around and talk to this guy after he played.
Eventually he and his friend invited me to see a Hal Lindsey movie down on campus. After which one of them shared "The Five Spiritual Absolutes" with me. A few months later I accepted Christ and began regularly attending the Rock.

Being only 16 years old, I had no idea what church was supposed to look like. The zeal was infectious, the end-times stuff pervaded everything. I remember being given a book by William Macdonald, "Think of Your Future" which convinced me not to go to college, but rather "sell out for Christ."

I was around the church for about four years. I think I managed to survive because I led a double life, sneaking away on Friday nights to party and jam with musician buddies. I finally found another local fellowship where the partying wasn't so frowned on. Boy, was that going from the proverbial frying pan into the fire! But that's another story.

My wife and I have been at Vineyard Columbus for years and are happy there. I am thankful for those guys who reached out to me all those years ago and I am still in touch with them. But my memories of the control stuff are plenty. I guess I was enough of a rebel to make it through those strange early days of my walk.

Anyway, nice to meet you all!