The Van That Changed Everything: Lessons from My First Steps in Ministry

Life has a way of preparing us through unexpected encounters. Looking back at my twenties, fresh out of the Marine Corps at 26 years old and stepping into ministry for the first time, I see God's hand orchestrating moments that would shape my entire calling.

The Transition
Three months of saved leave stretched before me—a bridge between military service and my next chapter at Bethel College, and then starting my new Youth Pastor role in Northern Virginia. I thought I knew my path: missions and ethnomusicology. God had different plans.

At Bethel, I met Jason Harms, a young jazz professor close to my age who was beginning his own journey in academia. I was stepping off the music field as a professional percussionist. Jason extended an invitation that seemed simple enough: "Come to our morning prayer meeting at my church."

I said yes. I had no idea what I was stepping into.

The White Van Moment
When that white van pulled up at 6:30 AM, Bible in hand, I climbed in, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The drive felt routine to Jason, but for me, every mile carried anticipation mixed with uncertainty.

Walking into that church building, I encountered something my limited Christian experience hadn't prepared me for. People knelt in prayer throughout the lobby. The atmosphere carried weight—holy, serious, intentional.

I felt out of place. My discipleship had been minimal. My prayer life, basic at best. Everyone around me seemed to move in a spiritual rhythm I couldn't match.

The Voice That Shattered Me

Then one man began to pray.

I had never heard anything like it. His words carried authority, tenderness, and depth that reached places in my soul I didn't know existed. Scripture flowed from his mouth like a river—verse after verse woven into intercession that sounded less like petition and more like conversation with the Almighty.

Brokenness washed over me. Tears came without warning. In that moment, desperate and raw, I cried out silently: "God, help me pray like that."

I wasn't praying during that meeting—I was listening to what felt like a sermon delivered on bent knees. The passion, the knowledge of Scripture, the intimate familiarity with God's character—it was everything I longed for but didn't know how to pursue.

The Introduction
When the prayer time ended, Jason walked me over to the man whose prayer had undone me.
"Gary, I want you to meet my pastor. This is Pastor John."

Standing before him, I felt a mix of intimidation and awe. This wasn't just a gifted pray-“er”. This was a shepherd whose heart burned for God in ways I had never witnessed.

Jason began showing me around, sharing the church's initiatives, highlighting sermons and books this pastor had written. With each revelation, my amazement grew. Here was passion unlike anything I had encountered—pure, focused, and transformative.

The Gospel in the Streets
During my three months there, I attended an event that crystallized everything I was experiencing. The worship team led with mission-focused intensity while this pastor preached as streets closed around us. The Gospel thundered through massive speakers, reaching into downtown corners and hearts alike.

I kept asking myself: "What is happening here?"

This was ministry with power, purpose, and uncompromising commitment to God's Word. Every Sunday deepened my hunger for this kind of authentic, passionate service. At this church, I studied about Edwards, Bunyan, World Missions, and my church history grew from the heroes of old. I listen to sermons on CDs and read sermons preached years before I arrived. 

The Gift That Kept Giving
Before I left, Jason shared news that seemed too good to be true: his pastor was transitioning to digital formats and clearing out file cabinets full of sermon manuscripts. Anyone who wanted them could take them.

I took everything I could carry.

Jason also arranged for me to receive all of the pastor's books at no cost. The generosity overwhelmed me, but the treasure I was receiving went far beyond material gifts.

The Heart That Stayed Behind
Flying back to begin my role as a youth pastor, newly married and stepping into ministry partnership with my wife, I carried something precious: a transformed understanding of what passionate ministry could look like.

My heart kept returning to those three months. The prayer meetings, the preaching, the encounters with God's character that left me hungry for more—these experiences had marked me permanently.
I knew I was beginning a new journey with my bride, but part of me remained in that sanctuary where I first heard someone pray like Jesus was listening just a breath away.

The Revelation
That pastor was John Piper. The church was Bethlehem Baptist.

Without knowing it, I had stumbled into a masterclass in passionate, Scripture-saturated ministry. Those three months became the foundation for everything that followed in my calling.

The Lessons That Last
Looking back, I see how God used that season to teach me truths that continue shaping my ministry today:

Authentic prayer transforms both the one praying and those listening. That morning in the sanctuary, I learned that intercession could be worship, teaching, and intimate conversation all at once.

Passion for God's Word creates unshakeable ministry foundations. Watching Pastor John weave Scripture into everything—prayers, sermons, daily conversation—showed me what it means to be saturated with God's truth.

Divine appointments come disguised as ordinary invitations. Jason's simple offer to join a prayer meeting became a defining moment in my spiritual journey.

Generosity multiplies ministry impact. The sermons and books I carried home in two LL Bean duffel bags became tools that shaped not just my own growth but the lives of young people I would minister to for years. Jason became a figure that would stick with me in my thoughts on the power of inviting.

God prepares us through unexpected encounters. My Marine Corps background and limited Christian experience didn't disqualify me from profound spiritual encounters—they made me hungry for authentic transformation.

The Continuing Journey
That three-month season ended over twenty years ago, but its impact continues today. Every time I prepare a sermon, lead a prayer, or seek to kindle passion for God in others, I remember the man who prayed like he was talking to Jesus himself.

Sometimes God's greatest gifts come wrapped in early morning van rides and moments when we feel completely out of our depth. I am so thankful to Jason for the invitation. Those three months taught me that being in over your head often means you're exactly where God wants you.

The prayer that changed everything wasn't mine—it was the one I heard that broke me open and created space for God to plant seeds of passionate ministry that are still growing today.

What unexpected encounters has God used to shape your calling? Sometimes the most ordinary invitations lead to the most extraordinary transformations.