From Past to Present

As I said, I'll be bringing you up to speed on some events that took place over the last few weeks. On June 3rd Rose and I had the honor of going to an ordination service for a very special person. This is me and one of my youth leaders, Frank Taubitz (Associate Pastor at Calvary Missionary Church in Livonia, MI). About a month or so before this photo Frank had asked if I would come and lead worship for his ordination service. For all that he and I have been through and for what he has meant to me over the years, I didn't even have to hesitate, the answer was 'Yes, I'm there'.

Over the month of June at church we were going through a series called "Love Wins" and one week we talked about thinking back to those people in our lives who have helped us meet Christ and helped us grow in our relationship with Him. Frank was definitely one of those people in my life. I'm sure at the time Frank felt like many of us in ministry (not just pastoral but more importantly those of you who volunteer).

When I met Frank he worked in the field of computers, had two small children and a wife yet he felt so compelled by the love of Christ in his own life that he felt God calling him and his wife to work with the youth at Allen Road Missionary Church. Frank was fairly new himself as a Christian at the time and used to play in a bar band called "The Key". Little did he know, (this sounds distinctly like a line from "Stranger Than Fiction", sorry for that side note - great movie though) that God was about to use his life to influence and touch the lives of many people. Little did he know at the time that he would be a major influence in helping me get to the place that I am now in my life, a youth pastor and worship leader.

There is so much more I could tell you about my friend, mentor, brother - Frank. I talk about him and some of my other youth leaders often when I talk ministry with others. The great part about Frank that I hope will encourage many of you, is that Frank at the time was just someone who wanted to be used by God and he used those gifts and talents that he had to use for God's glory. Frank eventually felt the calling to going into the ministry which is awesome and I know he is and will do great things for God BUT know that to me Frank was my pastor before he became a pastor. To those of you who feel called to use what you have for God to change the lives of others, even when you feel like you don't have much to offer, you are still pastors to those students, co-workers, friends, neighbors, (enter your own group of people here), and God can use you in mighty ways if you'll just say "God, I'm IN because Love Wins".