The Ministry of Showing Up

The Ministry of Showing Up

Jason and Julia Caudill didn't arrive at First Presbyterian by accident.

Like many faithful church members, their journey has taken them through different seasons, churches, careers, and callings.

Today, they have quickly become familiar faces at First Presbyterian. They volunteer with the college ministry, are active in the Carrick Sunday School class and the Morrows' First Fellowship Group, have embraced opportunities to serve, and are preparing to officially join the church. But long before they walked through the doors on State Street, God had already been shaping them into people who understand the importance of simply showing up.

Both Jason and Julia grew up in Southern Baptist churches, where Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday nights were a part of life.

For Julia, faith became personal during college after moving from Michigan to Tennessee. Unsure where to find a church, she visited a college ministry in Memphis. There, a simple conversation changed everything.

One young woman mentioned that she read Scripture every day because "God talks to you."

"I didn't really believe that," Julia remembers with a laugh.

So she picked up the Bible for herself. As she read, she felt God meet her in those pages, and her faith became more than something she had inherited. It became her own. That decision led her far beyond Tennessee.

She spent two years overseas in India, partnering with local pastors and church leaders to teach biblical storytelling as a tool for discipleship in communities where oral tradition is central to everyday life. Instead of simply delivering information, she helped leaders tell the stories of Scripture in ways people could remember, share, and pass from one generation to the next.

One memory still stands out.

After spending an entire day walking through the stories of Scripture with a group of women in India, many of whom were facing significant hardships in their daily lives, one woman stood and said, "If God could take care of Moses and Abraham, then I believe He can take care of me too."

"You got it," Julia remembers thinking.

Those years overseas taught her something important. While she loved ministry, she also discovered that God had uniquely wired her for something deeply personal: caring for people one-on-one. She returned to Tennessee, completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Tennessee, and eventually realized she wanted to become a clinician. Nursing school followed, and today she serves as a nurse practitioner.

Until last year, Julia worked in surgical oncology, caring for patients recovering from cancer surgery. Today, she works in a family practice, continuing her passion for caring for others in a new season of her career.

After they married, Jason and Julia began searching for a church where they could put down roots together. Both had grown up Southern Baptist, but over time they found themselves drawn to a tradition that connected them more deeply with the historic practices and rhythms of the Christian faith.

That search led them to a Lutheran church.

"There was more Scripture in every service," Jason says. "The Old Testament mattered because it pointed to Jesus. The rest of the New Testament mattered because it showed us how to live as the church.”

"It was really the first point in my life where I developed a deep understanding of Scripture," he says.

Their years there became a season of growth and service. They poured themselves into youth and young adult ministry, opening their home, hosting monthly gatherings, and building community around meals and conversation. Jason laughs that he nearly wore out his smoker feeding everyone.

Hospitality became one of the ways they loved people.

Cooking remains one of Jason's favorite hobbies. Whether it's homemade banana pudding, fresh bread, scratch-made desserts, grilling, or smoking meat, feeding people has become one more expression of caring for them.

Outside the kitchen, they both love spending time outdoors. They enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and exploring East Tennessee together. Julia recently returned to running after several years away and has completed two half marathons.

Eventually, they sensed it was time for another transition. While searching for a new church home, they visited First Presbyterian during the church's Kirkin' of the Tartans 230th anniversary celebration. Jason, whose family has deep Scottish roots, was intrigued by the history. They found a community where they could put down roots.

They sat near Diana Curtis, who welcomed them, invited them to lunch, and made them feel at home before they even realized she was the pastor's wife. "It just stuck with us," Jason says. When they returned after a few years, they quickly realized Diana wasn't the exception. "The whole church is like that."

Within weeks, they found community in the Carrick Sunday School class and the Morrows' First Fellowship Group. Soon after, they were invited to help with the college ministry alongside John and Virginia Schroeder. It felt like confirmation they were exactly where they were supposed to be.

Their careers have provided important opportunities to live out their faith. As Professor of Business and Program Coordinator at King University in Bristol, TN, Jason spends much of his time mentoring adult students balancing careers, families, and school. He often says there are surprising parallels between being a professor and being a pastor.

"Every disaster that happens lands in my inbox," he says. "Deaths in the family, illnesses, babies being born, people getting married... all of life."

Helping students earn a degree is only part of his work. Just as important is walking alongside them through life's hardest seasons. Years later, former students still reach out for advice, recommendations, or simply to share where life has taken them. "Those are the best days," he says. "That's when you realize the work mattered."

Julia sees similar opportunities every day in medicine. Whether treating a routine illness or helping someone manage a chronic disease, she believes trust begins with genuine compassion. "You can do all the medical things," she says. "But when people know you really care, it becomes more than just a patient encounter."

Patients often teach her as much as she teaches them. Many of those she has cared for have been people of deep faith, and watching them persevere through cancer treatments and chronic illness has left a lasting impression.

"They don't know what's next," she says. "But they know God is in control."

Toward the end of the conversation, they were asked one final question: How do they hope people would describe them?

Jason didn't hesitate.

"If it's two o'clock in the morning and absolutely everything has gone wrong," he says, "we're the couple people know they can call."

Julia smiled and added, "We're good at communicating. You learn how to do that over time. You work through things because you don't give up. God's never going to give up on us. He wants to hear from us. Relationships are built by communicating. Don't shut people out. Be there for people. Show up for people."

Maybe that's the simplest way to describe Jason and Julia Caudill. One spends his days helping students find a path forward. The other spends hers helping patients heal.

Together they mentor college students, open their home, cook meals, answer late-night phone calls, and invest deeply in the lives of others. Whether in a classroom, an exam room, or around a church table, they reflect the steadfast love of Christ through ordinary acts of faithfulness. They understand that ministry often begins by being present, listening well, and walking alongside others through whatever season they may be facing.

Their witness is quiet, but unmistakable. We give thanks for the gifts Jason and Julia bring to the life of First Presbyterian. Their lives bear witness to God's grace, and our congregation is richer because they are part of this community of faith.