Sharing the Love of Christ

by Pastor Jim Klausing, Connections Church, Findlay, OH

I have never been a “traditional” pastor. I don’t look or dress the part. However, about five years ago, my ministry was fundamentally changed. I still don’t look or dress the part of a traditional pastor, but God opened a door to a whole new way of living out ministry.

I had met and become friends with a member of a local motorcycle club. At the time, I had never ridden a motorcycle except as a passenger once as a kid. As our friendship developed, I felt a sense that God was up to something. At one point, my friend asked if I did counseling, because a “prospect” (prospective member) of the club was having some issues. I told him I would be happy to meet with the young man and see what I could do. It wasn’t long before my friend again came to me and asked if people came to me when they needed “stuff.” I soon found out that the motorcycle club was having a memorial ride for a fallen brother and his wife, who were tragically killed by a drunk driver. They were in need of a family to be the beneficiaries of the ride. And so began my association with this club. Over the years I have helped them find families to help out as they continue to “ride to remember” their brother. But that was only the beginning.

At first, I was greeted with a sense of distrust because I was a pastor. Why was I there, what was I up to? Did I want to convert them or get them all to go to church? “You’ll never see my husband in church,” one wife told me. “I don’t believe in God,” or “I believe in the pagan gods,” were comments that I heard when I introduced myself. It was then that I knew what God was calling me to do…show them His love, He would take care of the rest. And so my response to all those comments was, “I’m just here to show you the love of God.”

Over the last five years I have been a part of the motorcycle club community in Northwest Ohio. I have broken bread and ridden many miles with the Outlaws, Barbarians, Iron Coffins, and Warlocks motorcycle clubs. You may laugh at their names, but I have learned what true brotherhood means by hanging out with these men. I have gone from a person of distrust to a welcomed friend. Where once I was greeted by, “I don’t believe in God,” I am now asked to pray for someone who is facing one of the storms of life that we all face. I have given of my time and talents to help out the various clubs at different functions or at times when they needed something done that I can do. This ranges from painting the inside of a newly renovated clubhouse, to performing weddings, and everything in between.

Blessing of the Bikes in 2019

I have never invited any of these bikers to church, but they come. I have never initiated a “God conversation” with any of them, but still, He comes up almost every time I am around them. I have never brought a Bible to the clubhouse, but His Word is mentioned and talked about almost every time I am there. Sure, there are some things that go on that would never happen in any church I know of, but is that really what we should be concerned about? God taught me that my job is to show them the love He has for them, to be “in with them,” but not exactly like them. I am to be a mirror reflecting Christ’s love for them, because no one else does.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not for everyone, nor should it be. This isn’t a “program” that every church should copy and paste and try to replicate. However, I know that there are groups of people in your communities that have never been shown the love of Christ. There are groups of people who would never, on their own, show up at a church service or church event because they feel like they would be judged or made to feel unwelcome. Maybe sometime in their past someone at some church or someone claiming to be a Christian said or did something to give them that impression, but we must overcome it. You can’t do that with an agenda. You can’t do that by going out to make converts. Go out and show them Christ’s love for them through your actions. Your words can follow after they learn they can trust you.

When I go out to the clubhouse, or any other biker event, I am greeted by “Hey brother,” or “Hey Preacher,” and once, “Just the guy I needed to see.” I have had the privilege to help some of these men deal with some of the most difficult situations in life, to answer questions they had about God, the Bible, or life in general. I have helped them unburden themselves of issues that had been weighing them down for decades. Why me? Because I became their friend, a friend with no agenda other than showing them the love of God.

God is so very cool. I learned just how deeply I had impacted these bikers when I lost my daughter Emma this past summer. The night it happened I sent a text to my buddy that I mentioned at the beginning of this article. I simply said, “Brother, I need you.” He asked where I was, not why, or he was busy, but where are you. I told him, at my house. He was there within 10 minutes followed by 40 other bikers. As the Harleys lined the street, I learned that the word had spread about what had happened and my brothers showed up. They brought food, a cooler full of pop, water and ice, but most importantly, their support. “You have been there for us, now we’re here for you.” They helped with the visitation, and again, they all showed up (a few of the bikes present pictured above). The Findlay, Lima, and Forest chapters of the Barbarians, the Findlay chapter of the Outlaws, the Brothers Forgiven (Christian Bikers) and the White Horse Ministry (also Christian Bikers) and other Independent Riders showed up, gave flowers or money or both, but most importantly they gave support. At the funeral, the entire Lima chapter of the Barbarians was there. For weeks I received text messages and calls from them, just to check up on me. They told me how worried they were about me and if I had any issues with God because of this. They wanted me to be ok with God. How cool is that? God is so very awesome. He knew that when I started following Him to the bikers that one day, I would need them as much as they needed me. They showed me the love of God.

Let me encourage you to look around your community for people that are overlooked, judged, or otherwise forgotten. Jesus died for them as well as those who look and act like us. It may be a group of people you think you have nothing in common with, but Jesus may be calling you to show them His love. It may be a group of people that you are uniquely qualified to reach out to for God. Each of us can do this if we just remember to show them the love of God. Who knows, you might get a cool nickname like “Preacher!” And you might just make some really good friends who will be there for you when you need them the most. But most importantly, you may just change some people’s lives and grow the Kingdom of God.