Summer Wiersma

Summer grew up in small-town Iowa and was homeschooled alongside her six siblings. Her family prioritized church attendance and often had conversations about family values, theological views, and the character of God around the supper table. Summer grew up knowing what sin was and felt she had a grasp of how to do things the way God intended, but she struggled to follow God’s rules and felt enslaved to anger and sin.

She was baptized at age 14 with a sincere longing to follow Jesus but still couldn’t seem to change her behavior to meet God’s standards. Although she was aware that God loved her, she didn’t fully grasp what that meant and wrestled with the shame of not measuring up throughout high school and college. Summer heard about God’s grace all her life, but deep down, she didn’t feel that it applied to her. She felt that since she had grown up “knowing better” and still doing the wrong things, His grace didn’t cover her sin.

Her faith in and devotion to God felt like a pendulum—swinging away from Him in shame and guilt, then back in confused desperation. It wasn’t until a few broken relationships and unfruitful striving left her feeling depressed, anxious, and completely crushed that she began to detangle her view of Christ from man-made ideas and return to Scripture. In this dark space, she started to piece together who Jesus truly is and came to understand the vast love and grace of Christ. He revealed Himself not as rules and legality, but as transformative friendship and soul-renewing truth.

She realized how much she needed His grace—and that it had always been available to her, even as she stumbled along in her feeble strength. In the last few years, Summer has begun to experience the everlasting love and freedom that is found when you abide in and receive Christ, and she now has a newfound desire to share what Jesus has done for her.

She has been working as a nurse in a behavioral health hospital for the past two years and has seen the challenges and deep brokenness many adolescents are facing. She is excited to partner with Collision in reaching those who don’t yet know that His love and grace are available to them too.

She currently lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Levi, and their son, Ridge. They will be moving to Phoenix, AZ, in October in hopes of bringing Collision to that area.