Katie Roman grew up in West Chester and started attending Covenant Fellowship in January of 2019. She recently married her husband, Mikey, in June of 2020—a bona fide pandemic wedding! They now live in Wayne and attend the Menser’s community group, in addition to serving at College Life, Cross Culture, and IMAG. Read on to find out more!
Katie, tell us a bit about your family and where you grew up.
Up until now, I’ve lived in Exton, PA my whole life—well, excluding my time at Penn State for college. I was born in West Chester and grew up attending the West Chester Area School district. Southeast PA is definitely my home, haha!
There’s a lot I could say about my family because it’s in the process of growing! I have an older brother who is married and has two wonderful kids, an older sister who is also married, and a younger sister in her sophomore year at Liberty University. My parents and all my siblings and their families live in southeast PA, which is really nice, to have all my family so close. I also just gained more family members in marrying Mikey, and together Mikey and I have a cat and our own little one on the way!
How did you start coming to Covenant Fellowship Church?
I had heard the name tossed around a couple of times and I had been working in Glen Mills and passed the church for several years. After I graduated from Penn State and moved back home, I knew I really needed to find a church community of my own, and God kept putting Covenant on my heart so I thought I would give it a try. I joined a community group right after I attended my first service, and I’ve been here ever since.
You and Mikey serve together in several ministries. Can you talk about how you have seen God work in one of those ministries?
Right now, I spend most of my time serving with College Life. We just had our retreat a couple of weekends ago and I was blown away by the growth I’ve seen in our students in such a short time serving. Their hearts for the Lord inspire me and challenge me in my own walk. Our group feels like a tight-knit family too. We push one another, are vulnerable with our weaknesses, and encourage one another to keep Christ at the center of our lives. It’s been such a blessing getting to know so many students, build relationships, and help grow such a strong community.
Related to that, where have you seen God work in your own life?
My identity. I feel like I’m finally “me” and comfortable with myself—and by that I mean I’ve totally lost myself. It sounds contradictory, but by God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit over almost the past two years, I found peace with who I am by completely losing myself in Christ.
One day I realized all the insecurities, fears, anxieties, selfishness, and desires for control that were holding me back suddenly weren’t as influential as they once were. The idea of trying something new, speaking to people at a social event, going somewhere by myself used to terrify me. I think it’s because my focus was solely on myself, and relying on my own strength. I was hyper-critical of how I appeared to others even though I’m pretty sure the thoughts I had about myself never crossed the minds of those around me.
People who knew me two years ago would definitely be able to tell you how different I am now. I really can’t explain it other than one day I woke up and realized I was different because I now found my identity in Christ. I’m by no means perfect, and don’t pretend to be, but I praise God every day for this obvious area of growth in my life.
What is your favorite verse or passage of scripture, and why?
All of Romans 8. I feel like that’s a pretty popular response, but this chapter was really pivotal in growing my faith and leaning into Christ. Anytime I feel like I need some direction or encouragement, Romans 8 is always a go-to. There are some awesome truths in this passage that I will continue to glean more and more wisdom from, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Romans 8 is such a beautiful description of the Gospel and all Jesus has done for our souls.
Speaking of favorites, what’s on the top of your bucket list right now?
Japan! Mikey and I were supposed to spend two weeks in Japan for our honeymoon…and then COVID happened. Japan is definitely #1 on our bucket list and we’re dying to go see Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and so much more. With a baby on the way, we’re not really sure when we’ll get a vacation or our actual honeymoon, but we remain hopeful that one day we’ll be flying that way!
Lastly, how can we be praying for you?
Please pray for this pregnancy. The first trimester has been really rough. I have barely had any energy for weeks now, and every day is an all-day battle with nausea. I must admit that I feel like I’ve just been surviving and there’s been very little thriving. My joy has felt quenched, and I’ve not felt like myself. It’s been a struggle to find energy to get things done—even when it comes to my quiet times. I really don’t know how other moms do it! So prayers that the rest of the pregnancy will be smoother and that I’ll remain satisfied in Christ alone would be great
