my story

Andy Vanderveer...

The Goodie-Goodie

One of my most vivid childhood memories is of my brother Joey being driven into a corner by my mother, wielding a sudsy bar of soap. Joey’s cry still echoes in my ear, “I said ‘shoot’!  I said ‘shoot’!” My mother raised us with strong morals. And I grew up in a church that really harped on the do's and don't's of the Christian life. So I knew the rules and I had morals. But I was still dissatisfied. I knew at some point I needed to “believe in Jesus.” But I didn't really know what that meant. I thought I had to be strong enough to follow all of the rules before I believed in Jesus. So, basically I was just going through life, waiting for my proverbial flashing neon sign saying, "Now you're strong enough. Now you can believe in Jesus."

The Thinker

All through high school, I knew I was incomplete, unfulfilled and dissatisfied. I had great friends, but never felt that I truly belonged. I was on an intellectual quest to discover the true purpose and meaning of life. Many nights I would spend literally hours in my bedroom, on my beanbag, staring at the wall pondering the deepest thoughts and concepts that I could conjure up. Strangely enough, I never quite arrived at any significant contribution to 20th century thought. I was still dissatisfied.

The Observer

Just after high school, Blake, my fellow garage band member, lured me to church with the promise of donuts and cute girls. Right away I saw something unique about Blake and his friends. I witnessed true joy and fellowship for the first time. And when I would engage them in deep philosophical dialogues about the meaning of life, they didn't just have more questions. They had answers; answers to life, eternity and purpose. But I had not yet "believed in Jesus."

The Procrastinator

I was still waiting to be strong enough. I began to wonder if my neon sign would ever come. One night at band practice, Blake explained to me that I don't have to be strong enough to follow all of the rules. I simply need to come to Jesus as I am. Then Jesus would help me to be strong—to be more like Him. I needed to believe (or trust) in Jesus. Until then, I had been trusting in my own ability to live “a pretty good life” to get me into heaven. However, the Bible says that we are not saved by what we can do, but through faith in what Jesus has already done. I simply needed to believe in Jesus right where I was. I already believed that Jesus existed (much like George Washington), but I had yet to believe in Him—to place my trust in Him for my salvation and commit to live for Him.

The Believer

Blake asked me if I was ready to make the decision to believe in Jesus. It seemed clear to me for the first time. I felt God prompting my heart. So, that night at band practice, I prayed something like this, "I believe in You, Jesus. I believe that You died to pay for my sins. I receive You, and now stand before God, pure. And now because you died for me, I will live for You." I didn't have a fuzzy feeling in my stomach or anything. But I did, for the first time in my life, know for certain where I would spend eternity. I truly belonged, in the body of Christ. I knew my purpose. My new life in Christ began that day. The more I read the Word of God, the more I grew in my faith. And to this day, God blesses me with ever-increasing joy that comes from knowing him more and sharing Him with others.

The Husband

One fateful night, October 8, 1998, at a Jars of Clay concert on the UNT campus, I met an amazing woman who was way out of my league in every way. She went by the name, Kristin Kazee. Despite my irresistible charm, amazingly, she does not remember meeting me that night. She had made quite an impression on me. But apparently, I was quite forgettable. Yet what I lacked in desirability, I made up for with persistence. We soon became best friends and fell deep into love. After two long years of dating, I finally proposed. In a momentary lapse of judgment, she said "yes." And I've gladly held her to it ever since. Kristin is beautiful, funny, kind, a steadfast believer, a model parent, and a realist who perfectly balances my optimism. She's perfect for me in every way. God has blessed me with my dream girl for a wife.

The Father

When I thought life couldn't get any better—after first, knowing Christ, and second, being married—when I thought I couldn't possibly experience more joy...I held my first baby boy, Logan. The immense and instantaneous love I felt shattered all of my expectations. Equally as monumental was the birth of my second boy, Ian, two years later. It's so cool to see them already developing unique personalities. Logan, who shares his mother's affinity for order, is often found pulling out every DVD we own and arranging them in perfectly straight lines that stretch across the living room. He will occupy himself with this (and similar organizational tasks) for hours. Logan is also our picky eater. Ian on the other hand, who already rivals Logan's size, eats anything and everything that comes near his mouth. Ian is also plagued by an uncontrollable urge to bob his head and dance to any noise that is repetitious enough to slightly resemble a beat. By far, my favorite trait is that they both love to wrestle, and most days attack me as soon as I walk in the door from work. I'm still amazed at the joy God has given us through these boys and the fact that He has entrusted them to us for a time. We are so undeserving, so grateful and so in awe!

The Youth Pastor

Click here to see my philosophy of ministry and ministry experience. (0.6MB pdf)

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