A Story of Calling, Suffering, and the Relentless Love of Jesus
- dstrong22
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Austin’s story begins in a place familiar to many—a family marked by brokenness, uncertainty, and
the quiet grace of God moving long before anyone recognized it. His mom didn’t meet her father until she was 12. His father had grown up in an abusive home. Yet even in the early years of this story, threads of redemption were already being woven.
When Austin and his twin brother Logan entered preschool, Jesus captured their parents’ hearts in a profound way. The transformation happening in their home swept the boys into the current. Austin describes it as a fire igniting in his belly—the unmistakable awareness of Jesus’ impact on the lives around him. Life change wasn’t abstract; it was happening right in front of him.
As he grew, Austin fell deeply in love with the Bible. At eleven years old, he made his faith public through baptism. Through middle school and high school, he navigated the process of figuring out what it meant to walk with Jesus personally. During those years, the Lord gently pruned him and began drawing him into ministry.
That calling eventually reshaped Austin’s plans. He pursued an undergraduate degree in Bible and theology, and in the midst of his studies, he met his future wife. After getting engaged and married, the two moved to Grand Rapids, where Austin spent a year working in the nonprofit world before they both found themselves planted at The Local Church (TLC).
Church had always been a fragile space for Austin, shaped by complicated experiences, and ideas swirling around in his head from his undergraduate studies, but TLC surprised him. It was a place that lived out biblical truth, genuine care, and meaningful community. Through TLC, he discovered the profound importance of the local church and received the gift of diverse spiritual experiences that would later shape his pastoral heart.
During this season, Austin and his wife welcomed their first son, then their second. Each birth deepened his understanding of discipleship in ways he never anticipated. Becoming a father marked his faith journey with new depth, tenderness, and responsibility.
This chapter would test him in profound ways. It was actually during this same time that their first son was born that Austin's father was diagnosed with cancer.
Then, when their second son was born a month after they planted The Beloved. Two different parts of the same chapter woven by the same creator: God.
At twenty-seven, Austin saw his father as only fifty-one years old as the disease started to take its toll. Walking with his dad through treatment, decline, and eventually hospice care became one of the most spiritually defining experiences of Austin’s life. This season opened up a deeper awareness of Christ’s love, comfort, and presence in suffering.
John 15 became a lifeline:
“Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”
Dependence on Jesus stopped being a theological concept—it became a daily necessity.
It was near the end of his father’s journey, in the middle of grief and exhaustion, that God spoke clearly:
Plant Beloved Church.
Austin’s first response was simple: No. The timing felt impossible. The pain was too raw. The calling felt overwhelming.
But God kept speaking.
The Lord used Scripture, prayer, and the Body of Christ to confirm the calling. Meals appeared unasked for. Friends and family stepped in. People did yard work, brought groceries, and surrounded Austin’s family with a love that carried them. The leadership at TLC showed extraordinary sensitivity, offering flexibility and support that became a lifeline in a season of turmoil.
Resources like Tyler Staton, Pete Greig, and the rhythms of 24/7 prayer shaped Austin’s spiritual formation during this period. He learned firsthand that in seasons of deep suffering, the Lord often reveals spiritual authority. Austin encountered God’s power, grace, and nearness like never before.
Through all of it, one truth rang loudly:
Rejoice in sufferings. Obey. Trust Him.
And so, with trembling faith, Austin obeyed.
Beloved Church was planted—and God moved quickly. By the second week, a few folks got baptized, with a total of 6 in the first month! People began stepping through the doors for the first time, seeking Jesus, finding hope, and experiencing transformation. Stories began piling up—names, testimonies, moments of breakthrough. And with every story, Austin kept repeating the words that anchored him:
“This is why we do this.”
In West Michigan, a region where cultural Christianity runs deep, Austin carries a burning conviction: Christians must rekindle a fire for the lost—especially for those who believe they are spiritually fine but have never truly surrendered.
His message is simple and urgent:
“Jesus wants your whole life.”
Beloved Church values the rhythms that anchor the Christian story—communion, baptism, and a benediction that sends people out with the nearness of heaven over their lives.
Through suffering, calling, community, and obedience, Austin has learned a humbling truth:
He has little to offer—yet Christ offers everything.
This is the story God is writing through him.
And he is grateful simply to be part of it.
If you are interested in following along with The Beloved Church, take a look at the links below!
Website: https://www.belovedgr.church/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebelovedchrch/