Like a lot of people who move to Southern California, Scott Vanderwarf says he’s always been enamored with the idea of living here. After visiting a college friend in San Diego, Scott and his roommate Brett made plans to move from Minneapolis. The weather and the easy-going nature of San Diego were definitely appealing, but Scott says he knew even then there was a better reason to make the move.

“God put in me the desire to come out here because he had something more for me.”

Following that lead, Scott asked God for a new start in San Diego. He had grown up in a Christian home and attended church most of his life, even leading worship in some small group settings. But he wasn’t at a point where he felt close to God, where he was depending on God for purpose.

Soon after they arrived in San Diego, Scott and Brett went to Barabbas Road Church, where they met Pastor Matt Smith, his wife Rebecca, and a group of people who treated them like friends, even though they were relative strangers. When they needed a new place to stay as they transitioned to life in San Diego, someone at Barabbas Road whom they had known for a week offered his place. Scott says the kindness he was shown, and the straightforwardness of the message he heard, helped him realize Barabbas Road was part of God’s plan for him.

Now, he’s helping the church launch at a new location in La Jolla, Ca. (For more information on Barabbas Road, read When God Opened the Door). Scott’s band leads worship every other week, and he says that being part of something from the beginning is allowing him to take responsibility for the church in a way he never has before. It’s also making a difference in the way he expresses his faith to the people around him. More responsibility within a body of believers means more accountability to stick to an ideal of spiritual transformation. As a personal trainer, Scott shares his faith with his clients on a daily basis. He says he’s free to talk about what he believes because his life is aligned with his faith.

A few months ago, Scott’s other roommate Nick (also the band’s bassist), came to faith in Christ after people had been praying for him for two years. Nick’s journey is exemplary of Barabbas Road’s vision to present the Gospel in a clear, direct way that requires a response, while loving and respecting people enough to know that building relationships is key in making disciples.