From the parking lot, it didn’t look like much. A sorely neglected mall, all but abandoned. The clientele was an odd mix of retired mall walkers and homeless people seeking respite from Florida’s relentless heat and humidity. Every now and then, someone with spending money would show up but find themselves woefully short of places to spend it. The fountain worked when it worked, same story for the air conditioning. Every month, it seemed, another store disappeared and a for lease sign went up.
And then there was the church. It had grown over the years and had filled up a good-sized chunk of the mall with a cafe, gym, school, bookstore, recording studio, offices, and meeting rooms. It was a beehive of activity, a warm and friendly place where people walked the Christian walk. While the mall itself stood neglected much of the time, the church was meticulously built and maintained, and was a surprise to newcomers who only knew it by the sign outside and a parking lot with endless available parking.
A couple of years back, the mall was sold, and the new owners revealed lofty plans to tear down half of the structure and rebuild something more useful and contemporary. That meant Oceans Unite Christian Center needed to find a new home. There was plenty of warning and God provided 26 acres of land. In a year or so, the church will move into its own brand-new permanent home. In the meantime, however, we are moving to an interim spot as of this Sunday. So last Sunday was the final time we would gather in the mall location, and as you can imagine, it was bittersweet.
That building is where I came to know God on a personal level and not just by reading the Bible. It’s where I met the network of close friends we have now, and our kids are growing up with their kids. It’s where we worked through some of the toughest times as a family with the support and teaching of an incredible team of pastors and church leaders. And it’s the church that I protect, along with a team of twenty other dedicated volunteers, all of whom have proven themselves courageous, highly capable, fiercly loyal, and powerful Spiritual Warriors and servants of God.
I thank God for bringing us here literally every day.
Alex Pappas and his wife Naomi were called to build this church over ten years ago. God had called him to ministry and in obedience he walked away from a very successful business to plant a church. The first service had less than ten people in attendance. We now enjoy the company of well over a thousand each Sunday. I have never met a man and wife more committed to God and the calling He has placed on their lives. He doesn’t profess to be perfect, but he is relentlessly humble before God and continually growing, and has been an example of how a Christian man should walk out his life to me and countless others.
On Sunday after the last service, and after everyone had gone home, the weight of responsiblity lifted for a moment. He turned to his pastoral and leadership team who were present and thanked them. It was heartfelt and emotional, and his words bore the weight of thousands of days and nights, countless sermons and counseling sessions, endless prayers for those in need, painful losses, glorious victories, lives changed and lives lost, hurt and healing, and the relentless pressure of doing God’s work. The moment belonged to him, yet he gave all the praise to God and then to those who stood by his side through it all.
There is so much to say about Pastors Alex and Naomi Pappas, but I know if they were to read all I have in my heart to say, they would have that uncomfortable look on their faces I have seen more than once, as they would prefer that I not gush praises on them, earned or not. Instead, they would appropriately give all the glory, honor, and praise to God.
So how do I thank and honor two people we care so much for and have hearts bursting with gratitude for all they have done?
This spring, God willing, I will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Ministry Studies. I have prayed about it, and I believe the best way to thank and honor them for all they have been and done for my family, our church, and community is to put that education and experience to good use in service to God. I don’t fully know what that will look like, but if you follow me, you will see it develop over time.
And I hope that one day you get to meet my pastor and his wife. For now, you can see his services on youtube, but trust me, it’s nothing like being there.
