Tim and Pam Mobley – Life Influencers #4

When I was 11 years old, my church hired a new youth pastor.  Tim Mobley arrived with his wife, Pam, and their 1-year-old daughter, Joy.  Tim and Pam were a young couple, just in their early thirties (maybe even late twenties?) and were easy to love.  You know the kind of people that you feel like you’ve known forever as soon as you meet them? The kind that are super friendly and make you feel special every time they talk to you?  That was Tim and Pam. Pam was outgoing, warm, and always knew what to say. Tim was a crazy, fun guy who was a blast to be around.  

Shortly after coming on staff at our church, Pam asked me if I’d like to babysit.  I had loved children since I was a small child myself, so I jumped at the chance. I had just turned 11 and Joy was 13 months old (we are 10 years apart, almost to the day), and I’m not exactly sure why Pam trusted me since I was so young, but this was the start of a beautiful relationship.  I spent many, many days at Tim and Pam’s babysitting. Joy was like my little sister that I never had but always wanted.  

Tim and Pam were not typical youth pastors.  Their home was open several evenings a week to our youth group.  We’d congregate at their house and simply hang out with no agenda.  They would both invest hours upon hours in all of us as they took the time to learn the intricacies of our lives and what was important to us.  Pam would dig deep into our hearts and minds as she’d focus on whomever she was talking to at the time with her undivided attention. She was sincerely interested in what we had to say and that was obvious by the way she would actively listen while asking questions and encouraging.  I’ve never had a conversation with Pam where I left feeling down. Tim loved to laugh and have a good time with us, but he could get serious and lovingly challenge us when needed. Like Pam, he really heard us when we spoke and always had the best advice.  

Wednesday night was our youth service and our youth group quickly grew in size.  Tim and Pam spoke about Jesus every week in a real and exciting way. I had been raised in church but had never heard the gospel quite as they presented it.  They challenged us to really get to know Jesus. They reminded us of His love and of the importance of following Him and sharing Him with others. They took us deeper and deeper into His Word and encouraged us to do the same on our own time.  They taught us about the dangers of drinking and partying and premarital sex. They touched openly on every subject that pertained to teenagers. And not only did they teach us these things, but they lived it. Their faith was real and genuine and contagious.

Tim and Pam’s time at our church obviously didn’t last forever.  When it came time for them to leave, I was crushed. They had found a position at a church about 45 minutes away.  As a teenager, changes like that can feel devastating. The teen years can be so difficult. Trying to figure out who you are, what you believe, and how you want to live your life can be gut-wrenching to work through.  Finding someone who supports and encourages you through that is priceless. So when they left, it was a big blow.

I don’t know how it came to be, but once they were settled in their new house, Tim began picking me up on many Friday afternoons so that I could spend the weekend with them.  He would come on Friday around dinnertime, which was rush hour, and the entire trip (from their house to mine and back) would take about 2 hours of his time. I would spend the weekend with them and soak in every moment.  I’ve often wondered why Tim sacrificed his time for me. Why would they take the time to open their home to me weekend after weekend? I believe the answer to this question is easy. God had His hand upon me. He used both Tim and Pam to pour into me and show me His love.  I was at a complicated stage of life, still navigating life without my dad as well as adjusting to life in a blended family. Their influence had a huge impact on my spiritual formation and I still to this day think frequently of things they taught me.

One of the things I love the most about Tim and Pam is that even 30 years later, they are still working with youth.  For some people, youth ministry is a stepping stone to a higher position. For the Mobley’s, it was their life calling.  At this point in their lives, they have touched thousands of teenagers and young adults. I feel INCREDIBLY blessed that I am one of those lives.  They now live in Belgium where they have lived for several years and have a non-profit organization called Outpost Expeditions.  Check out their website HERE.

Tim and Pam, thank you so much for all the time you spent with me so many years ago. Tim, you became more like a father figure to many of us than a youth pastor. I love that you were never afraid to question decisions that I made, yet would respect whatever choice I ultimately came to (for example, when I decided to get married at 18). Yes, I was blessed with 2 great fathers, but you were yet another powerful male role model in my life. Pam, thank you for the hours and hours that you spent with me. For recognizing and encouraging my gifts and talents. You are the one who ignited my love for singing and I still use that gift today as I serve on the worship team at my church. Thank you for singing loudly as you sat next to me on so many Sundays so I could hear your beautiful harmonies. I will forever say that you are the one who taught me how to easily harmonize to any tune I hear. Pam, there are words that you said over and over to me which echo often in my mind. “Kendra, you may have lost your biological father, but God will forever be your daddy. All you have to do is climb up in His lap and talk to Him.” These are words that have gotten me through many rough days. I love you both with all that I have in me and pray that I will one-day touch half as many lives as you have.

Now for my readers, if you’ve been taking this journey with me, you should have contacted a few of your life influencers by this point as mentioned in the blog post found here.  Whom have you contacted? Who touched your life as a teenager? Who poured into your life and influenced your spiritual formation?  Don’t wait to reach out to them and let them know. Send them a card, give them a call, take them out to dinner. Look outside of yourself and reach out!  And then let us know whom you contacted on our FACEBOOK PAGE.  

Last, if you’d like to take this journey of reaching out weekly to your own personal life influencers, subscribe to this blog in the right-hand column of the homepage to get notifications when a new post is up.  We are told in Hebrews 10:24-25 to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and to encourage one another. So, that is my role here – to spur you on. REACH OUT! I am urging you to look beyond your small corner of the world and let those who have touched your life know how they have done so.  Encourage them as we are told to do. And Don’t Wait until it’s too late!