Called to be Qualified: When God Meets Us Where We Are
God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God meets us where we are—whether we find ourselves lost or simply seeking, He knows how to find us. He not only calls us to where we need to be, but also walks with us throughout the journey. More often than not, God invites us to step into His calling even before we feel ready. This truth is beautifully exemplified in the story of Sherwin and Jackie Bautista, the current leaders of ICOC Marikina.
When Sherwin was a college student, he found himself praying, asking God to introduce Himself. To his surprise, that prayer was answered almost immediately when a stranger invited him to a Bible talk. He attended the gathering and began studying the Bible. Just a week later, Sherwin made the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Unfortunately, Sherwin struggled to resist the temptations around him. After a year of being a disciple, he fell away from the fellowship. Yet even as his walk with Jesus got a few major bumps on the road, Jesus never stopped walking with him. After graduating from college, Sherwin returned to his former church and began working at an advertising company, where he met Jackie. Sherwin and Jackie started dating, and their relationship eventually led to their marriage.
Little did they know, this was God’s way of not only calling Sherwin back to His kingdom but also leading Jackie toward Him.
Four years into their marriage, on an ordinary day, Jackie was strolling through a mall when a disciple approached her and invited her to church. The woman handed Jackie a calling card with her contact information and details about the church. Normally, Jackie would have tossed it aside, but for some reason, she decided to keep it. Later that day, she gave the card to Sherwin and shared her interaction with the disciple. Both were surprised but for different reasons. Sherwin was struck to see that the card came from a disciple of the church.
For him, it felt like God was calling him back; much like a sheep separated from the flock, sought out by the shepherd. Jackie, on the other hand, was stunned to discover that her husband of four years had once been a Christian, something Sherwin had never shared with her.
Sherwin contacted the disciple and expressed his desire to join the fellowship again. Though Jackie went to one Sunday service, she was not as enthusiastic about attending church. Sherwin persistently encouraged her to join him in attending Sunday services and devotionals, but she remained resistant. Still, that didn’t stop the disciples from consistently reaching out and building relationships with both Sherwin and Jackie.
While pregnant with their second child, Jackie was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), an autoimmune disorder often linked to pregnancy complications and miscarriages. Because of this, she was placed on bed rest. During this time, Sherwin was also pursuing his restoration studies and regularly attending meetings of the body. Jackie felt uneasy being left alone in such a vulnerable state, but she could not help but notice significant changes in Sherwin’s behavior. His transformation began to soften her heart toward the church. After Jackie’s bed rest, she began to join Sherwin at church, and a year after studying the Bible, she made the decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
However, much of Sherwin and Jackie’s journey as disciples and a married couple did not come without its challenges. Sherwin struggled with addiction and experienced several relapses even years after his restoration. At one point, he felt completely hopeless, especially as his struggle began to negatively affect his marriage. As stress was his main trigger, Sherwin made the difficult decision of resigning from his job as a director at an advertising company to focus on his recovery–a decision fully supported by Jackie. By 2014, he also entered outpatient rehabilitation to address his struggles with addiction more intentionally.
In 2015, Sherwin and Jackie were invited to join the missions group for ICOC Marikina. The invitation came at a time when they were still working through personal challenges and had few connections within the group. Even so, they chose to serve faithfully as ushers. As they devoted themselves to serving in Marikina, God continued to bless their faith. Sherwin has remained sober ever since they took on the mission—a testimony to God's enduring faithfulness in their lives. Indeed, more often than not, serving God ends up blessing us far more than we could ever offer Him.
Eventually, Sherwin and Jackie were invited to lead ICOC Marikina. At the time, they had little leadership experience, and stepping into this role was never part of their plans. However, they chose to trust in God and in the people He had placed around them. They found guidance and encouragement through the role models who walked alongside them and equipped them for the task.
As their faith deepened, they began to bear fruit within their own family and circle of friends. They were able to reach out to a close friend, both of their mothers, an aunt, a cousin, and two uncles.
Much like Sherwin and Jackie, ICOC Marikina also had humble beginnings. The sector started with a little over 40 members and has continued to grow, now reaching over 120. Early in their leadership, Sherwin and Jackie recognized the importance of nurturing the Youth & Family Ministry, especially since the sector is largely composed of family conversions. To strengthen relationships within the church, specifically the YFM, Sherwin and Jackie often organized casual get-togethers and activities for the sector. Together with ICOC Marikina’s Core Group, they also ensured that the lessons covered the basics of discipleship, with a strong emphasis on loving God and sharing the faith. To help raise up more next-generation leaders, they worked closely with parents and conducted training workshops focused on leadership and preaching.
Through these efforts, Sherwin and Jackie aim to help disciples deepen their love for God, others, and the mission, allowing them to grow in their spiritual maturity and be emotionally healthy. They also plan to do more community outreach and involve more of the younger generation. They also desire to grow a house church into a full-fledged sector.
When Sherwin prayed for God to introduce Himself all those years ago, he simply longed to grow a deeper relationship with Him. He never imagined that prayer would become God's way not only of revealing Himself to Sherwin but also of using both Sherwin and Jackie to introduce Himself to many others. What began as a personal prayer became a powerful testimony—one that shows how God truly meets us where we are. Whether in seasons of seeking, struggle, or service, He calls us, equips us, and walks with us every step of the way. Sherwin and Jackie’s story is a living reminder that God does not wait for us to be ready or qualified. Instead, He qualifies the called, writing beautiful stories through imperfect lives surrendered to Him.
With your support we can help Sherwin, Jackie, and the rest of Marikina Church evangelize their city!
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