At 68, Rick Sizemore envisioned this season of life being filled with travel and writing. However, the Lord had different plans. Sizemore is a businessman, a real estate developer, and owner of a multi-functional wilderness resort. He is also a writer, publishing multiple books on any number of subjects relating to theology and the Bible, and a pastor—the title outside of his home that he is most passionate about.
The Sizemore Family: Shae, Paula, Rick, and Michele
A couple of years ago, Bishop Preston Mathena, Superintendent of the Appalachian Conference, told Rick Sizemore about a church that needed revitalization right outside the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The building was in disrepair, and the congregation needed a new pastor. In the past, Bishop Mathena had often encouraged Sizemore to plant a church in the Appalachian Conference. The timing had never been quite right. However, when Bishop Mathena told him about the church next to the Virginia Tech campus, Sizemore couldn’t get it out of his mind.
This self-proclaimed “Jesus dealer” contacted Bishop Mathena and asked a few more questions. The church is located right outside of Virginia Tech, a large university with just over 31,000 undergraduate students enrolled for the 2023-2024 school year. The church building is in the middle of Tech’s party zone, and the university students viewed it as abandoned. When Pastor Rick went by to check on the inside of the church, he wasn’t surprised to find that it was a disaster. His work was cut out for him. There was black mold in the basement, asbestos throughout, only one bathroom accessible up a narrow staircase, and many cosmetic details to take care of.
Despite everything, Pastor Rick couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling up inside of him. He could hear the students’ voices and imagine game days with hundreds of hot dogs and water being given away. He could also see the church opening up to provide food for the students during study breaks. The possibilities seemed endless! Bishop Mathena shared these thoughts about Pastor Rick: “Pastor Rick is a gifted leader with an incredible ability to connect with college and career age young people. His passion for campus ministry never seems to diminish.”
Pastor Rick and his team decided to dive in, and they have been working hard to bring the church up to code standards in preparation for its official re-launch as “Our Refuge” this fall. As part of their efforts, they opened a coffee shop called Lighthouse Coffee in the church basement in December 2023. By the end of the school year, they were serving between 100-150 students daily. The coffee has gained a reputation for being some of the best in Blacksburg: they purchase their gourmet coffee, Valor, from a wholesaler in Marietta, GA. The church is blessing the students by selling the coffee on a donation basis, asking people to “Give what you can.” The funds collected are used to pay the young women who work in the shop.
Lighthouse Coffee
Lighthouse Coffee
As Pastor Rick has prepared to open this church to the surrounding community, he and his team have decided to take a different approach to how the church services are run. As he was praying and seeking the Lord, he felt the Lord impress upon him: “I did not call you to build my church; I will build my church. I called you to make disciples.” While not new, Pastor Rick shared that this concept hit him afresh and challenged his approach to pastoring. He made a marked shift to a discipleship focus. This focus is found in these four points:
- Corporate Sunday
- Daily Devotions
- House Churches
- Groups of 2s and 3s
Pastor Rick explained that the church meets together on the first and third Sunday of every month for a “Corporate Sunday.” He will preach a sermon and introduce a topic or series during this time. During the week, he will release a Daily Devotional to point back to and expound upon the topic introduced on Sunday. On the second and fourth Sunday of every month, the church will meet together in smaller clusters in House Churches, continuing to discuss the topic and introducing new concepts along the same lines as what had been introduced the previous Sunday. Throughout the week, the pastor will again release the Daily Devotionals. Lastly, Pastor Rick will have the congregants connected in groups of 2s and 3s, meeting intermittently in a “small group” type setting, where they will have fellowship and continue to discuss the topics and scriptures at hand.
Allie Ratcliff being baptized by Madchen Myer and Lauren Latshaw
After speaking with Pastor Rick and being caught up in his passion for the students of Virginia Tech, you would never know that he and his wife of 46 years, Paula, have been fighting a personal battle for about five years. In 2019, Paula was taking off her make-up one evening and found that she could no longer see out of one of her eyes. She visited an optometrist, who referred her to an ophthalmologist oncologist, who referred her to a pulmonary oncologist, where she found out that she had lung cancer that had spread to her brain, her eyes, and her bones. The Sizemores were devastated to learn that, at best, Paula had 1-3 years left to live. Praise be to God, five years later, Paula is still alive today! Pastor Rick shared that some days are harder than others, and recently, he was sure it was time to go ahead and retire. Paula, however, was not ready! She encouraged Pastor Rick to keep going: “We will not quit; we will see this through!” Because of her compromised immune system, Paula hasn’t been able to join Rick at church since 2019. Even so, she has remained his greatest encouragement and cheerleader.
Our Refuge has already seen its share of challenges, but nothing will deter this courageous team from finishing what they have started. God has big plans for Blacksburg, and IPHC can support this church plant through prayer. Pray for funds to complete the building, an on-time opening this fall, open hearts in the Blacksburg community, and health for the Sizemores, especially Paula.
Pastor Rick’s excitement and love for the people of Blacksburg are contagious. If you make it to Blacksburg, stop into Lighthouse Coffee. Grab a cup of the best coffee in town and take a few minutes to hear Pastor Rick’s heart. You’ll walk away believing anything is possible and knowing that God loves these students fiercely.
