If I had to distill the reason behind my departure from the tech world and my decision to join a team of passionate individuals with a powerful mission into a single word, it would be “Go.”
Recently, a sermon at my church struck a profound chord with me. Not every sermon resonates so deeply, but this one felt as if it was delivered directly from God to my heart. It shed light on my feelings and actions, and I realized the profound significance of the word “Go” in my life as we launch our new business, Outdoor Jack.
The Journey
The Great Commission commands us to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” The moment I was rescued by grace was also the moment I was invited into a rescue mission. Despite my efforts to grow as a Christian—attending Bible studies, reading Scripture daily, meditating, and serving my community—I found myself stagnant. I was soaking in knowledge and spiritual growth, but not truly giving back. Although invited on a rescue mission many years ago, I have never truly worn that badge. I have not been on a rescue mission.
A recent conversation with a dear friend of mine, who happens to be Catholic (I am protestant so those conversations are a ton of fun), highlighted a crucial truth we both agreed upon: as Christians, we’re called not just to absorb God’s love but to actively demonstrate it through our actions. Our faith should not only enrich us but also be a vessel through which we give to others. As the recent Sunday morning message underscored, our faith is like a body of water—it’s not meant to be stagnant but to flow and give.
Philippians 2:4 reminds us, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Over the past 24 months, this verse has become increasingly significant to me. After spending nearly 18 years in the professional opera and tech worlds—entertaining audiences and trafficking software—I realized that while I had gained much, I had not fulfilled the Great Commission. My professional success came with a realization that I had not been actively serving others with purpose as I should have been.
It’s a humbling truth. Many Christians in the tech industry, like me, experience great professional success and personal faith growth but struggle with the challenge of giving. Fear and comfort can hold us back from embracing the full call to serve. And, oftentimes, it is just hard to understand how to serve or what it means to actually be on a rescue mission. For years, I wrestled with this, often stubbornly resisting the call to go. My take was, this call to go was for ministers, priests, and missionaries, but not for a business executive and entrepreneur like myself. After all, I watched my brother in laws and father in law follow this calling with such amazing faith as ministers and missionaries.
I was just a business man, using “My gifts” to…
To do what?
But God’s perfect timing and loving nudges have led me to this new chapter. My eyes are open.
I believe we are on the brink of witnessing a wave of Christian tech professionals transitioning to roles that better align with the call to serve. If you feel this nudge, I encourage you to listen and act on it. Reach out if you want to hear more about my journey. You never know, maybe there’s a place for you at Jack!
The Next Chapter
As I stated, my eyes are now open and my ears are tuned to God’s calling at this stage in my life. And, guided by faith over fear, this Outdoor Jack team is embarking on a mission to serve others with excellence. I am not naive to think that we are called to some great mission to save people for Christ through offering home services. To be clear, God does the saving.
While our work involves providing home services, the true mission is to reflect Christ’s love through our actions. Today, we are working for people because God loves all of his children, and we are doing it with excellence for something bigger than ourselves. We see our work as a form of worship and a testament to God’s standards, as Colossians 3:23 instructs: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Our mission, through Outdoor Jack, is to glorify God by building connected communities and helping busy individuals reclaim their weekends. We aim to support families in spending quality time together, alleviate the burdens of single parents, and allow elderly families to enjoy their golden years without home maintenance worries. This is our version of a rescue mission.
While generating revenue is part of our business, it supports our mission. Without financial stability, we cannot serve effectively. Thus, we are dedicated to building a thriving business that aligns with our mission to serve.
Join us as we, a team of tech refugees and a former international missionary, work together to strengthen communities and make a difference.
