Say Hi to Crystal Knudson
At first glance, a crystal is colorless. But when cut several ways and refined, it reflects a beautiful light. Crystal Knudson may seem like an ordinary mom and pastor's wife, but life has cut her. And through those difficulties, God has refined her. She glows relentlessly and reflects God's wonderful goodness.
The Greek meaning of crystal, krystallos, is translated as: carrier of Christ. In Latin, the root word translates as: follower of Christ⎯ this defines her perfectly. Crystal has allowed God and His Word to shape her life. She is anything but colorless and ordinary. She is a warrior. She shines brilliantly. She is a light in the darkness.
Crystal says, "His Word is truly our source for everything we will ever need in life. The Lord speaks through His Word revealing who He is and who we are." She believes it to be the instruction manual for navigating every high and low in life. God's Word is the sword that wields her faith; it sharpens her. When the world tries to cut her down, she becomes brighter and brighter. More like Him. She says, "When we become convinced that no word from God will ever fail, we will start seeing the power of the Word in our daily lives."
Crystal has a passion for helping women develop a love for God's Word. It is one of her greatest joys to witness a woman see the Bible come alive for herself and discover her identity in Christ as His Word washes away lies and strengthens with the truth. Women become empowered by the Word to thrive through life's challenges rather than become victims. Crystal loves to walk beside women in their place and purpose in God's Kingdom.
Crystal says, "When we align our lives with the Word and abide in Him, we'll experience provision, healing, joy, peace, and hope in every challenge in life. The Bible both equips and empowers us to be strong in the Lord and able to stand in a place of victory before any battle begins."
Crystal made the decision to follow Jesus at a PennDel Kids' Camp at ten years old. Once fully committed, she dedicated her life to knowing Him and making Him known to others. Crystal has been in the ministry now for 19 years. She is credentialed with the AOG and is in the process of fulfilling the remaining requirements for licensing.
Crystal serves many roles for many people. She always has co-pastored with her husband and held additional positions in the church, from children's ministry director, women's ministry director, outreach/evangelism coordinator, and children's pastor. Can you say multifaceted?
She has ministered on eight mission trips and is a trained small group leader with Beyond Survival Ministries. She has served in the district as the North Central Girls Ministries Rep from 2012-2016. Currently, she is on staff at her church, Life Spring Fellowship, as the student ministries pastor. In addition, she serves on the PennDel Women Dream Team for the South Central East Section. She is also on the board of Unique Kidz Ministry.
The Lord keeps revealing opportunities and new territory to Crystal and her family, who are obedient in taking those steps. She and her husband, John, have been married for 23 years. They live in Lititz, PA, a charming Hallmark town, especially at Christmas. Crystal feels a burden for those walking through life with a defeated mindset or without purpose, which often goes hand in hand. She says that both believers and unbelievers can live in a place of defeat and hopelessness with a lack of purpose and vision.
Crystal references Paul who suffered. She says we know that life is going to be hard, but those who belong to God are more than conquerors. Our hope is that every battle we face is already won because of what Christ did for us. Crystal is a conqueror in her own life. She has seen God come through time and time again. As a result, she has an urgency to share it with others. She says, "When we learn to trust in the Lord, He will fill us with so much joy and peace that we will naturally overflow with hope. I desire for every person to understand and take hold of the life they can have when they surrender everything to Christ and His ways."
If you thought her life wasn't jam-packed enough, Crystal is also a mother. With seven children, she is in a transitional stage of life, with half of her kids still at home and half moved out and into their calling. Her oldest son, Brett, is 22 years old and a Digital Media/Recording Arts major at UVF. Her next son, Derek, is 20 years old and a Biblical Studies/Youth Ministry major at NorthPoint Bible College. Nathan is an Active Duty Army serviceman at 19 years old and is currently stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington. Next, Ryan is 17 years old in the U.S. Army National Guard and just completed basic training this summer. He will finish his senior year in high school and then train to be a combat medic with the Army. Samantha is a 15-year-old sophomore and plays year-round field hockey. Zak is a 14-year-old freshman who plays trumpet in concert, jazz, and marching band. Finally, Hannah, her youngest at 13 years old, plays piano and is in a choral ensemble.
Crystal is excited about all her kids are doing, but naturally, as a mother, her heart aches in the absence of her older kids. During this personal transition, she also feels this unique transition in ministry. She says, "While the call never changes, sometimes how we live out that call does. I feel like the Lord is leading me to lay down a few things so that I may be able to step into a new or different area of ministry, but it feels like a soon, but not yet, season. It's exciting but also feels frustrating at times. I just need to keep on trusting the Lord's timing and process."
During this transitional period, she recalls one of the best pieces of advice she ever received. "Work yourself out of your job," said Former PennDel CE Director George Krebs. Crystal believes that we as leaders should pour into others and raise them to do what God calls them to. Sometimes that means we need to step back to help them flourish in a way they may never have been able to. Crystal says, "In doing this, people can step into areas of leadership they may have never imagined or thought possible, and it opens us up to new opportunities we wouldn't have had if they had not been able to step up. I love being in the driver seat, but I will happily slide over to the passenger seat when the Lord leads me to someone I can nurture and equip."
She continues to heed the voice of the Lord in all her endeavors and transitions. She can point to so many moments over her life when the Holy Spirit spoke clearly and specifically. "I hear him call me, guide me, heal me, assure me, and even save me from myself. Moments that let me know how deeply loved I am by Jesus, that showed me He has a plan beyond what I can imagine and has saved a seat for me at the table." There were moments when the Lord provided for their family when, in reality, they should have crumbled. There were moments of healing when it felt like the blood of Jesus was coursing through her veins. "So many moments with Jesus have shaped me into the woman of God I am."
Crystal loves spending time with her family, whether having movie nights, camping, taking walks, or going to the town pool. She also enjoys impromptu coffee dates with her husband. She loves the theater and relishes any opportunity to see a good show. Her favorite food encompasses all Thanksgiving foods. She loves trying the food of cultures different from her own; these include Indian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Thai, and so much more.
Crystal shines because she is so saturated by Jesus. She reflects Him. Just last Fall, she invited the women's ministry leaders of her SCE section to a dinner to connect. It was a time of encouragement and shared ideas. The Lord had them shine so brightly that their server was encouraged by the conversation. To this extent, she started sharing her story.
She is finalizing the details to have another time for her section's women's ministry leaders in late September or early October. Invitations will go out at the beginning of September. Calling all South Central East Section, that's for you! The best way to contact Crystal is through email at cgk1114@gmail.com.
Crystal's life is packed and, at times, chaotic. The enemy is constantly trying to attack because this woman is taking so many giant leaps forward for the Kingdom. But remember that crystals form by a process called crystallization, which signifies a transition from chaos to perfection. The Lord is constantly working the chaos into her beautiful perfection in Christ. Indeed, reflecting the most beautiful light.