Stories

Andy and Diana Anderson knew when they married that they were at different points on their faith journey. Andy, who had grown up as a Lutheran in Des Moines, Iowa, felt strongly about the positive influence of church in his life. Diana, who was born in Colombia and grew up in Switzerland from the age of 12, was less sure, having experienced church as a singular, not communal, experience. Andy and Diana were each working in different divisions of a pharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland when they ran into each other at a dinner party.

“When we first met, Andy asked me ‘do you go to church?’ and I said ‘no, actually I stopped,’ ” Diana said, reflecting on a lack of connection and outreach she had felt while growing up. “I can pray at home. My church is in my heart.”

In contrast, Andy’s faith was a North star for him. As a child he was drawn to Jesus’ message to give to others and make a difference in the world. He attended St. Olaf for college, a Lutheran university.

When they settled their young family in the United States, Andy was eager to find a church home. “He was looking more than me,” Diana said. After stops in Washington, D.C. and Belmont, the Anderson family arrived in Wellesley in 2018 and dropped in at Wellesley Village Church.

“When I strolled through the doors, I was very impressed by the warm welcoming of everyone and how they were embracing new people who were coming in to this beautiful church,” Diana said. She could feel how different Village Church was from her prior experiences with church.

“We get to experience this sense of community and what we can do now for others and help everyone grow together. I feel so much gratitude for that.”

Andy and Diana especially appreciate the spiritual nourishment that surrounds their children, Sofia Grace and Raphael, and the potential that awaits them. “The kids are learning so much by seeing, by helping,” Diana said. “It’s being joyful while learning about God and Jesus and growing into a spiritual life. That has been a wonderful experience that I could never have imagined-how to break it down to a level where they are able to enter it in a way that is understandable, joyful, playful for them.”

Andy, who serves as a deacon of the community ministry, agrees: “One of the most amazing things about Village Church is the impressive impact the youth group has on children and developing their faith-not only at the little kid level but as they progress into teenagers.”

The family has come a long way. Andy and Diana are grateful for their walk in faith together. “Diana and I were very much in different places from a faith perspective,” Andy said. Belonging to Village Church “has been very meaningful to us both now because we’ve seen the impact on our kids and we’ve seen the impact we have been able to have as part of Wellesley Village Church to make a true and meaningful difference in our community, locally, as well as around the world.”