Someone You Should Know: Chris & Kyrsi Connelly

In our Someone You Should Know series, Chris Tornquist interviews Faith members to help us get to know them, see how God is working in their lives, and make new connections within our community. In this episode we get to know Chris & Kyrsi Connelly.

• Automated Transcription

• Dan Jarms 0:00
  Today on faith matters, we have another installment of someone you should know. Chris Tornquist is going to interview Chris and Kyrsi Connelly.
  
  Dan Jarms 0:15
  I'm Dan Jarms. And you're listening to faith matters a podcast to help update you on matters of faith Bible Church, as well as equip you in matters of the Christian faith.
  
  Chris Connelly 0:42
  Well, hi, everybody. This is Chris Tornquist. And I am thrilled today to have the Connellys with me, welcome.
  
  Chris Connelly 0:51
  Thank you for having us, Chris.
  
  Chris Connelly 0:54
  So we're just gonna go through to get to know you a little bit. And so that we might be encouraged, we know how to pray for you, and that we can go from there. So let's start out basic bio stuff, name, where you're born. And then you can share which ones of you want to talk about family. Great. Yeah. So I grew up in Central PA. So your first name is? Oh, yes.
  
  Chris Connelly 1:16
  I'm Chris. That's, well, isn't
  
  Chris Connelly 1:18
  that coincidental? It is. Yes. That's why I asked you. Last name. Yeah. So we're only actually a mum only doing podcasts with people who were named as Chris. So it'll be very short length, the podcast
  
  Chris Connelly 1:28
  will go home. And so yeah, I grew up in Central PA, or Pennsylvania for the non educated that way. So I'm still a Nittany Lions fan and a Steelers fan. So Michigan, I know. So no, but grew up there, graduated in 92, and then joined the Air Force. And then the Air Force eventually brought me to Spokane in late 92. So I've been here ever since.
  
  Chris Connelly 1:50
  Very good. And you're better half
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 1:53
  Hi, and Keirsey and I have been born and raised in Spokane. And I have been at Beacon chapel. And then when we got married, we stayed at Beacon chapel, and then it turned to Beacon Bible. And there you are, there we are. And then a long story short, they're here at Faith Bible Church, which is where we met and married 28 years ago, I
  
  Chris Connelly 2:18
  was just gonna say, How long has it been? And it has been family. Tell us about what's that?
  
  Chris Connelly 2:24
  Well, we have three adult children all in their 20s. And we have three grandchildren. So we have two daughters and a son. And then we have two granddaughters and a grand son. And we have their significant others as well. So Young God has been good to us and we have a full life with them as well.
  
  Chris Connelly 2:46
  Then I just read that maybe you have somebody just moving back to
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 2:49
  Cameron is our son, he lives in North Dakota, I lovingly refer to it as coda, the armpit of the world.
  
  Chris Connelly 2:57
  Now now now you're talking to a Midwestern er here, too far from there. So be careful. The
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 3:03
  happy news is that he is coming home to he's joining the reserves, and he's looking for a job and they'll be living with us until he gets a job and they're able to move out on their own.
  
  Chris Connelly 3:15
  So we have two our son and his wife, our two grandkids with them and their two cats.
  
  Chris Connelly 3:20
  Oh, well, that's important. It's gonna be a dad to be cat, two dads and cat grandmas is really important. So to put food on the table and a roof over your head, what are we doing these days?
  
  Chris Connelly 3:33
  Well, Kiersey, and I do real estate together. So I got roped back in in 2015, with her dad to come back and help him. And then in about 2018 Keirsey joined when our kids were kind of up and out. And then you know, but here's he always has her side hustles with different things. So she's,
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 3:52
  I teach out. It's called achieved today. And I teach drama. I love that.
  
  Chris Connelly 3:57
  Oh, wow. This puts up with all the drama that you have. With that will do so there's family connections within the church. Yes. Help people make those connections.
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 4:07
  My parents are howling, cheering green. And for those that know them, they are part of the counseling ministry.
  
  Chris Connelly 4:13
  Wonderful. That's great that lets people know some of the background. Let's talk about your involvement at Faith Bible Church. Chris, start with you. What's what's going on? What are you involved with right now and do it? Yeah.
  
  Chris Connelly 4:25
  So I'm part of the Counseling Ministries. Well, I've got my certification last year with ACBC. So I, you know, primarily do a lot of young and single men along with marriage counseling with Keirsey. So we do marriage counseling. And then also we help lead the marriage class together twice a year. I mentor a lot of guys too on the side as well. So just working with a lot of those types of relationships and
  
  Chris Connelly 4:47
  stuff and you are in development to be Oh,
  
  Chris Connelly 4:52
  yes. I'm also an elder in training so wonderful. That's for the acronym of Eat it.
  
  Chris Connelly 4:59
  Eat Okay
  
  Chris Connelly 5:05
  I'll take the bad jokes. Okay. Okay, that'll be great.
  
  Chris Connelly 5:10
  Good to be known for something is. Tell me about your involvement. Keirsey.
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 5:14
  So I help Chris with counseling, in the counseling center for marriages. And that's been a very sweet experience. Sometimes we've had some hard cases, and that is challenging to my, to my walk and my faith, but God is good. And he gives me help in that area. And then also, I help in the marriage class. And then I do a little mentoring on the side, good
  
  Chris Connelly 5:38
  for you so busy, sounds like this. I could just tell, I know that this is a joyful time for you and you love to be with other people give me help. But you can, I'll tell
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 5:48
  you, our daughters do not walk with the Lord. And so when we came to faith, we joined the marriage class. And at that time, Annie and Denny, were leading the class, and she became my mentor for a very long time. And the one walk away. Well, there were so many walkways, but one that was very impactful in my life was that Annie's Son also does not walk with the Lord. And so she decided that she was going to pour into the lives of the women here at church, and I decided that that was a good thing. And I wanted to follow in her footsteps. So I am trying my hardest to pour into women here at faith.
  
  Chris Connelly 6:31
  So now we know something that we can pray for you guys about Yes, yes. About that. Because that's obviously a burden on your heart. Yeah, pray a lot. Yeah, huh. No fooling. As you think about past in your relationship with the Lord, what is he taught in the past year,
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 6:47
  we need to stand on the Word of God alone. Our world is very rapidly changing environment. And unless we stand on the Word of God alone, we have nothing. I see our world careening headlong into darkness. And I see. It's just a very sad time. And I want to just cling to the Word of God.
  
  Chris Connelly 7:13
  All right, good. Christian about you. Same question.
  
  Chris Connelly 7:15
  Yeah. So I would say I rejoice in God's patience and compassion towards me, which then helps me especially in the counseling realm, because, as you know, you know, biblical change, or just sanctification is a slow process. And so working with others, it can be a slow and painful process. And so I think God has reminded me of that in my own life of how patient he has been when I have clearly known to my conscience what I should do, and I didn't do it again, God didn't whack me over the head, but he was patient and gentle and kind with me. So for people
  
  Chris Connelly 7:49
  that have been huge been counseling with whether it's individuals or couples. I know, in my own experience, even though they're experiencing difficulties, and I'm supposed to be the one that's trying to help sometimes by discussing with them, it kind of gets me to to remind myself some things. Have you experienced that too? Yeah.
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 8:12
  Yeah, absolutely. Especially marriage class. Every time we go through marriage class, it's a refreshing my own heart about the values and the things that we hold dear.
  
  Chris Connelly 8:23
  Well, yeah, I mean, I would even say, you know, quick side story on the marriage classes, you know, you know, when we initially took it, any and any Myers, they encouraged us to take it again, right away, you know, and as I, you know, as I said, already went through it once I'm fine. And all sudden, God just kind of that second class really woke me up to where I needed to change as a husband in New Zealand father, but anyways, they had asked us to be leaders, and I'm like, marriage class over and over again, the same thing over and I just can't do that I need something a little bit different. And I tell you, every time we teach class, it's reminding us of something new in our lives that either we need to recommit to, or something to change, or like Keirsey said, you know, then we're also seeing the impact that does have on other people and how vital, healthy, godly, Christ pursuing marriages are needed in our church right now.
  
  Chris Connelly 9:12
  Yeah, absolutely. As you look around, especially with a marriage class that you've seen in these years, is there some issue that you've seen that seems to keep coming up over and over again, you just say, Boy, we just keep hearing this or seeing it? Is there one or two things to keep saying,
  
  Chris Connelly 9:33
  I think we see people get distracted by kind of our Christian freedoms. You know, Paul, Paul talks about this to the Galatians. He says, Listen, you're freeing Christ, but don't use your freedom to make a provision for the flesh to indulge the flesh. And so I see sometimes people, especially men, more willing to indulge their flesh and helping them you know, I put that away and desire to pursue Christ, whether that, that takes a whole host of things. But again, in our era, it's lots of electronics and you know, the, you know, gaming, movies, music, whatever that might be, you know, usually in the realms of entertainment or pastimes, and sometimes they'll take away from their wives for that. I think that's something I see a lot. So things
  
  Chris Connelly 10:21
  in and of themselves, but I'm hearing you, right, right. In moderation, maybe not an issue. But when it becomes, yeah, I've got freedom to do this. But it becomes then a problem in the marriage than we've crossed the line. Yeah, yeah. So we see that a lot. Okay, what else have you noticed?
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 10:38
  I think for me, the thing that I've noticed with the women is just a little bit of disrespect, or not honoring their husbands doing what they want without really wanting to pursue unity, or pursue. As Annie puts it, preferences, we tend to see a lot of, but my way is better. And it might be true, Your way is better. But what honors the Lord, honoring and respecting your husband is top priority. And that goes back to standing on the Word of God alone, it does my way might be better. But what does God's Word say?
  
  Chris Connelly 11:15
  Yeah, that's a Yeah, that's a really good insight. Well, as we wrap this up, specifically for you individually, what can the family here at Faith pray for you about in coming days and weeks?
  
  Chris Connelly 11:28
  For me personally, you know, I think we've had our recent, most recent conversations about is, you know, as I am pursuing eldership, and stuff, I say, you know, what are the things that I need to examine in my own life and heart, whether it's habits or patterns or anything like that, that I need to moderate or put away or new things like that to be a better example to those around me. And so I think it you know, that weighs heavy on my heart, so that when I'm calling other men, to not indulge the flesh with their freedoms, that I have that same, you know, that I am upholding that as well in my own life. So I think that's one of the areas I would say in my life would be to walk more faithfully in that wonderful
  
  Kyrsi Connelly 12:07
  nursing. For me, as our family or our home unit is going to change in the next few weeks, I would pray that we would put God first in our home in our life, making sure that we're having time for quiet times. And then also because it has been a temptation in the past to focus on my kids, my grandkids, that I would take my focus and put it on my husband first. And then when I have time to focus on kids and grandkids,
  
  Chris Connelly 12:37
  wow, what a wonderful thing. So listeners some take a couple of minutes right now and to pray for the Congolese, from you've heard their requests and they might continue to grow, and the Lord in their service to the Lord. I am so grateful to be able to get to know you guys over the years you've been a blessing to be just watching you. And I know your blessing to the family here. And thank you for so much being part of our broadcast today.

Chris Tornquist

Chris is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL (M.Div.) and has served as a pastor in churches in the Midwest. Chris and his wife Marty have been married for over 37 years. Chris currently teaches the Fundamentals of the Faith class and serves in the Prayer Ministry here at Faith Bible Church.

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