This week, I had the privilege of speaking to several hundred teenagers. It was at our middle school and high school youth camp from the church my wife and I started 39 years ago. Later, when I saw a social media post of dozens of photos of the teens worshipping, being prayed for by the adult leaders and them weeping as God was doing His work on the inside, I wept.
“Available” is the key word that I repeatedly used when speaking to the teens. I started my message with the story of being called into the Principal’s Office at Western Christian School in Salem, Oregon when I was 14 years old. Mr. Roth simply asked me the question, “Have you ever thought of becoming a pastor?” I had not. I only planned on following the generations before me and becoming a farmer. But I determined that day to be available.
Thank you to youth and kids ministry volunteer Jamie Irvin of Wave Crest Aerials for the images.
In the next few years leading up to the day before registering for my classes and choosing my college major, I internally told God that I was available. And then I heard a radio message that day from a pastor calling young people to consider becoming pastors. In my college dorm room, I told God once again, yes, I’m available. The next morning, with a registration counselor’s guidance, we laid out a plan for four years of college classes to prepare me for going on to a graduate school pastoral track in seminary for three additional years. Seven years later, I finished the formal preparation, and I was available.
In August 1979, I was licensed and later ordained as a pastor. It was a challenging but rewarding time. My first pastoral job included things I knew were a part of the call and also aspects of dealing with situations I didn’t anticipate. But, I was available and committed to the journey of serving in my calling. The good, the great, the bad, the ugly. I have no regrets.
Forty years ago this week, I met with our leadership team to let them know I wanted to be available for planting or starting a new church. This meant lots of prayer, discernment, discomfort, facing the unknown, selling our first home that we loved, wondering where we would be a year from now and, do I have what it takes? What if we move our family somewhere to plant a church and it never takes root, grows and bears any fruit? But, we were available.
The next ten months were both exhilarating and exhausting. We received and made phone calls, filled out applications, wrote letters (there was no email back then), inquired, prayed, discerned, and interviewed. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Montana, California, Iowa and Florida. Where would we end up? Only one thing was certain. We were available.
Then it happened. After being told four months earlier there was no opening for planting a church in Cape Coral, FL, we received a phone call while sitting at the dining room table with our realtor. We were signing a counteroffer to sell our beloved home. The call started with a simple question, “Are you still available?” Starting a church in Cape Coral was back on the table. The caller asked if we would consider starting a church in Florida? Could we come for a visit and an interview?
Four months later, our family of five were Florida residents. We were available and ready to lay the foundations of starting a church that would reach out to young families who had no church experience or connections. To now see thousands and thousands gathering every weekend at two locations for worship and to see the impact Cape Christian is having on southwest Florida is so rewarding and fulfilling.
And now, on this same week 40 years later when I agreed to be available to start a church, seeing hundreds of teens make themselves available like the many teens in the Bible that I pointed them toward (Samuel, Mary, Jeremiah, Miriam, Joseph, David, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, John, Andrew, James and more) in my camp chapel message, I have such joy. For all of us, when we continue to stack our “yes” upon “yes” to every “Are you available?” question, God will do exceedingly above and beyond anything we can ever ask, imagine or think (See Ephesians 3:16-20).
QUESTION: Where is God inviting you to be available?
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