THE MOBILE SANCTUARY

I wanted to be the pastor of a church, but I ended up being an Uber and Lyft driver. Yet I wouldn’t change a thing. I now truly believe I’m just pastoring a very different kind of church and this is exactly where God wants me.

I always dreamed of having my own church plant and I prepared for it. As an undergraduate student, I majored in the Bible with a minor in Christian Education. I then went on to get a Master’s degree in Biblical studies.

But when I graduated, my dreams did not materialize. The church plant didn’t work out. To make ends meet, I started driving for Uber and Lyft.

I could have felt sorry for myself, but felt God was calling me to love every single person that got in my car. So I just tried to display the goodness of God to my riders. Every day, I felt challenged to plant seeds for the Lord with each rider. When I pick up someone, I start with general conversation. As we talk, I can feel the Holy Spirit giving me something to ask that person. And usually, the floodgates open.

There are a lot of broken people in the world, and so many just need a safe place to talk. I’ve given rides to alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, atheists, sick people, people with broken marriages, you name it. I’ve bought people meals to help them feel loved, cleaned them up after they passed out and had hour-long discussions after we reach their destination. I try to really listen to them and offer some encouragement.

My goal is to have them feel the goodness and grace of God so they know they’re loved by Him. I don’t judge anyone. I try to make them feel safe and valued. I want them to see Jesus’ love pouring out of me and onto them.

A number of riders have referred to my car as a “mobile sanctuary.” It is an absolute blessing for me to get to love God’s people. My goal on every ride is not to convert someone to Christ, but to plant a seed, let them return to their world, and let God do the work in them. I always wanted my own church. It turns out mine is on wheels and I see the congregation one person at a time.