From a Rough Start to a Renewed Calling: Raven Vance’s Journey at Greenville University

Published: March 02, 2026

Author: Lydia Cahill

Last fall, Raven Vance gave a Vespers message of hope and perseverance that few, but her teammates and closest friends, had heard before. Vance’s story is filled with early heartache, but her trials growing up have helped her faith to bloom.

Vespers is a completely student-led ministry that takes the form of a worship service every Thursday night at 9:30 pm. At this weekly event, attending students can gain spiritual formation credits and take on leadership roles in the areas of musical praise or teaching. Each semester, students apply to speak at Vespers, molding their message around that term’s theme.

At Vespers, Vance explained her hardships that started in her childhood; her parents divorced, and soon after, her father began using drugs. After a time of difficult housing, constantly switching between her parents’ homes, Raven’s father died in a car crash.

“After that, I lived with my mom,” Vance said. “But she had a rare lung disease that she battled for a long time. I think she was in her early 30s when they put her on oxygen. Two years later, she passed away, and I stayed with Jeremy, my stepdad.”

Vance recalled that the first steps in her faith journey occurred before her mother’s death.

“Before my mom passed away, she and I started going to church. She started going because she became really thankful after receiving a double-lung transplant. She was incredibly grateful that she was alive, because those can be really risky. At the time, I was young and kind of immature, so I didn't really realize what faith was.”

After her mom talked with her about what faith looks like, Vance said that she “started walking with Christ” herself.

Running into Greenville

Now a member of the GU cross country and track teams, Vance first heard about the University through the recruitment process.

“Coach Nathan Potts recruited me at a cross-country meet in Festus, Missouri. At that time, I didn’t know whether I wanted to go to college; I thought I might go to cosmetology school. Coach Potts came up and talked to my friend and me about Greenville,” she said.

“My friend shared with me that it is a Christian school. I thought it sounded scary at first. However, when I looked at it on the website, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I would love this place,” Vance said.

“After that, it was on my heart to visit, and when I did, I knew this was where God wanted me to be. I felt called here,” she added.

First Year, New Friends

Vance said that since her first year at Greenville, her cross country and track teammates have been among the most influential people in her life, shaping her character and helping her grow spiritually.

“People like Norah Atkins, Sedina (nee Logan) Atkins, and Vanessa Compton on the cross-country team really influenced me to change positively, even though I don’t think they realized it,” Vance said. “When I got here, I thought I was a pretty humble person, but then I realized I needed to grow. Coming here isn’t all about cross country. It's about the people, the love of Christ, and love in general.”

Vance has not only seen changes in herself, but the very people she has looked up to have been amazed at the growth of her faith.

Norah Atkins said, “During Raven’s time at Greenville, I’ve seen how her walk with God has become more and more important to her. I was specifically reminded of this when she spoke at Vespers, and I couldn’t help but think that the freshman version of Raven would be shocked at the wisdom, knowledge, and boldness that she has now.”

“Walking with God is never a perfect linear process, but I’ve watched Raven hold fast to her faith and allow Him to mold her into becoming more like Him,” Norah Atkins added.

Sedina Atkins supported Norah’s comments, “When Raven first came to Greenville as a freshman, I felt like her maturity already stood out. It was clear that her faith was thoughtful and genuine. I have loved watching her grow even more since then by openly sharing what God is doing in her life.”

“I believe her Vesperas message was such a powerful reflection of her growth. She genuinely encourages others simply by living out her faith, and she leaves a lasting impression on everyone around her,” Sedina Atkins finished.

Through Greenville, Vance been able to meet mentors as well as some of her best friends, including Jillian Beilsmith, who gave her own Vespers message the week after Vance. They became roommates in their sophomore year.

“Jillian’s family and life are everything that I hope to be when I get older. The way her family walks with Christ, every day, all the time, is a big blessing for me,” said Vance.

“God Called Her to Speak Even Though She Had No Voice”

For more than a year, Vance felt led to share her testimony at Vespers. However, even after she gained the courage to sign up to speak, her journey was only beginning.

“I felt like I should speak, but I didn't know what to say,” she said. “I was afraid, but I knew everything I was going to say was true; it was just hard for me to feel it.”

As the week of Vance’s message approached, she began to grow apprehensive about her message.

“One day, I was sitting in church, and there was an altar call. I felt I should go up with others who approached, but thought, ‘Their problems are more important than mine.’ Immediately, I felt like God was saying, ‘You are just as important as they are.’ I broke down in tears, and the lady behind me asked if I was okay,” said Vance.

“I told her how bad I felt about talking at Vespers; she hugged me and came to Vespers even though I didn’t know her beyond our meeting at church. She hugged me again after I was done speaking; it was so nice to get hugged again by someone who's a mother, who has that love in her eyes and her heart.”

The days leading up to Vance’s message, life had one more curveball to throw her way—she caught a cold. This sickness not only made her fatigued but also left her almost completely without her voice. However, Vance still decided to give her the message.

“God called her to speak even though she had no voice,” Beilsmith said, knowing there was still power in Vance’s testimony even as she struggled to speak.

At Greenville University, Vance has grown in her own faith while also being deeply invested in the spiritual development of those around her. She has become a leader on the cross-country and track teams, and her love for her teammates is apparent, no matter their age or ability.

Her life is an example of the transformative power of Christ, demonstrating that God not only brings light to our future but also redeems our past.