Linda Kitchen
2009
Linda grew up in North Central Indiana, where she was a very active youth involved in athletics, music, 4-H, youth group and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her family, including parents and 3 siblings, were regular church goers. It was at the age of 15 when she understood her sinful nature and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior while at a weekend FCA retreat. She chose education as her career choice, because she felt she could affect many people’s lives through the classroomand one-on-one opportunities.Linda pursued degrees in Physical Education, Athletic Training, and |
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Her first two years of teaching and coaching were in Cleveland, Ohio at a K-12 private girl’s school. Then she moved back to Indiana and began directing a Recreation Management program/major at Indiana Wesleyan University while attending graduate school at Ball State. It was during this time of her life when she became involved with Great Commission Ministries. Upon completing her Master’s Degree in 1990, Linda began teaching Fitness/Wellness, Athletic Training, and Physical Education professional courses at Ball State University. During the next 5 years while teaching at Ball State, she also served as the Faculty Advisor for the GCM campus ministry and enjoyed working with students in a variety of ministry roles, including mentoring, music team vocalist, leadership facilitator, and a life group leader and coach. It was during this time, Linda began more and more to see and live out the “big picture” while capturing the vision of reaching the lost for Christ.
In the summer of 1995, Linda’s life moved in a new adventurous direction which led her to Orlando, Florida, as a church planting team member. In 1998 she went on staff with GCM to reach teens through high school ministry. Then in Mid-summer 2003 she was asked to consider being a part of assisting a GCM church plant in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. God called her once again to step out in faith to pursue Him and make Him known. Linda moved to Amsterdam in November 2003 and is currently serving the Lord there by reaching out to young Dutch and Europeans in this very International and spiritually dark city of less than 800,000 inhabitants where only 1-3 % have a relationship with God.
For over 25 years she has worked with young people through education, athletics and ministry influencing their lives by sharing God’s love and encouraging biblical values. Linda’s heart’s desire is to be effective in reaching out to young adults through her life example and whatever ministry path God places her on. She trusts that each aspect of her life’s work will draw others to Christ and assist them in strengthening their walk with Jesus Christ, in addition to training them for making an eternal impact in the lives of their peers.