The Slow Work of Love

At Surge, we believe the future of the Church will not be shaped only by our pastors and platforms.  It will also be shaped by every day disciples faithfully following Jesus in their “ordinary” lives. Too often, we spend more time speaking than listening. This question matters because we want to hear from those living at the intersection of faith, family, work, creativity, and mission. Their hopes, frustrations, observations, and longings may help us better understand what the Spirit is doing in our cities and what kind of Church is needed for the generations to come. We sat down with one of our favorite persons in the city. Meet Calli Hostetler, typically she is on this side of the work but we flipped on her this month. 

As a creative, mother, and follower of Jesus in Phoenix, what gives you the most hope about the Church right now, and what makes you want to keep your distance from it?

What do you long for the Church to become for your children, your neighbors, and your city?

Although I feel my adulthood has been riddled with back-to-back life changing events,  becoming a mom has given me a new perspective on the Church. As most parents can relate, it has made me realize the weight and responsibility of relationship. Raising children has shown me that formation doesn't happen through information alone. It happens through presence, consistency, and love. Life changes when you realize the real evangelism comes from being observed (and you are always being observed.) My children are witnessing me serve at church just as much as they watch me gossip behind closed doors. 

If the fruit of your spirit is what flows from you when you’re not actively trying to impress or evangelize, are you still bearing good fruit?

That conviction isn't new for me. Before becoming a mother, I spent time serving men and women workers in the Red Light District in Amsterdam. What I learned there continues to shape how I think about discipleship today. While there were certainly moments of direct evangelism and conversations about faith, the deepest transformation rarely came from a single conversation. It came from seeing people as whole human beings rather than projects. It came from learning their names, hearing their stories, showing up consistently, and loving them with dignity. Lasting change was often rooted in relationship. That experience taught me something I believe Jesus demonstrated over and over again: people are transformed when they know they are genuinely seen and loved.

There is a certain poetry in my mind that correlates the idea of God creating man from the dirt - going as low as the Earth to make sure we knew love. What does it look like for us to go lower than eye-level and actually serve someone at their feet?

That is what gives me hope for the Church. I see ordinary believers faithfully following Jesus in their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and friendships. I see people choosing the slow work of walking alongside others. Those kinds of relationships are where real transformation happens, and I believe they are still alive and well in the Church.

At the same time, what makes me weary is feeling misrepresented by people who carry the same title of "Christian" that I do. There is a certain grief that is carried when I find myself floating between differing (and opposing) opinions from people I truly, deeply love and look up to. People that I know cherish The Word and desire to follow Jesus intentionally. There are moments when I find myself wondering: Are we reading the same Gospel? Are we responding to the same Jesus? Are we practicing the same repentance, humility, and compassion? When the loudest voices associated with Christianity seem disconnected from the character of Christ, it can create distance and disappointment.

What I long for is a Church that is known less for what it is against and more for how deeply it loves. I want my children to encounter a Church that looks like Jesus: compassionate, honest, humble, and courageous. I want my neighbors to experience a community that sees them before it seeks to change them. And I want our city to be impacted not simply by church attendance or programs, but by disciples whose lives reflect the goodness of God in everyday places.

If the future of the Church is going to be shaped by the next generation, I hope it is shaped by people who understand that discipleship begins with relationship. Before we can teach, correct, or lead others, we must first love them.