Our Story

God called me to create The Dove Faith Café in 2017. He showed me a vision of a person on a stage at a microphone telling their faith story. I was overwhelmed with the vision and knew it was God’s plan. He put the dream in my heart without sharing the details of when, where, or how. I am a details person, so I can tell you it was with extreme patience that I didn’t pester God for the particulars. I am also well-aware of God’s timing and I knew that it would happen when God was ready, when God had prepared me and the way to allow this to come to pass. My job was to say Yes, and see what God would do.

Two years passed this way with me wondering what God was up to. I offered many times to assist God in the planning, but I received no word that it was time.

January 2, 2019, began a period of trial, the likes of which I hope never to endure again. In every area of my life was I tested. Disaster upon disaster fell on me. In those months I thought often of Job and Job’s struggles. Like Job, I was determined to endure and to wait (not always patiently) for God to deliver me. I also knew that the enemy usually comes against God’s people the hardest just before a tremendous blessing from God.

In mid-September of that year, the disasters ceased. God’s blessings began to flow. I had a sudden urge (like fire shut up in my bones) to tell people about The Dove Faith Café. Now, God? Is now the time? I was prompted to share the idea with some participants at a retreat. I was urged to share it with the leadership in our church and in the diocese. All were very encouraging about the idea. How could they not be? The idea was God’s.

Over the next months I met with, called, and tracked down grant funders, venue operators, and leaders in our diocese. I worked out the details of how the program would run so that I could put together a budget. I attended webinars hosted by grant makers. Each time I met with an obstacle, God re-directed my steps so that a different door appeared through which I walked. As I wrote narratives for grants to fund the project, whenever I became stuck, a prayer to the Holy Spirit always worked. My family edited my work, talked through the challenges and roadblocks with me, and usually came up with a creative, God-honoring solution. They challenged me, encouraged me, and took over my other duties so that I could write.

At times the challenges were nearly overwhelming. I recited to myself hundreds of times, “Be anxious about nothing. Pray about everything.” I remembered that God would put the people in my life I needed when I needed them. I also remembered that this was God’s project, not mine, and if details needed to be sorted out, they would be, even if God had to stop time to do it.

Amid the planning and preparing, the world experienced a global pandemic. It seemed as if the time still was not quite right. During that year-long delay, God put plans into place that ultimately strengthened the project. God was preparing me and setting the table, so to speak.

With the support of the Holy Spirit and friends, family, and colleagues, I finished writing and submitting the grants as we emerged from COVID-19. As word came in that the grant proposals were accepted, one after the other, I was awash with relief. My joy and gratitude could not be contained. God did exceedingly above and beyond what I thought. God pulled it off. The Dove Faith Café moved from dream to reality.

Now that the year of live Dove Faith Café events is over, I can look back in wonder at all God has done. The live events were powerful and touched people deeply. I felt God’s Spirit present at each event. The friendships forged and the connections made were worth every difficulty. It was so successful, that I had thought that we would continue the live events for decades to come. There is a saying that People Plan and God Laughs.

I was confused when God closed the door on continuing the live events. I remained in prayer knowing that God’s ways are better than my ways. Eventually, in January of 2022, God clearly spoke to my heart to continue the journey in podcast form. Just as in the beginning, when God gave me the vision for Dove Faith Café, I did not know any particulars or how to even begin, but I had learned to trust God to take care of the details. My job is simply to say Yes, and see what God does.

God, you amaze me!

-Marie Gambetta 11/2022