Daily Inspiration: Meet Sammy Pawlak

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammy Pawlak.

Hi Sammy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always dreamed of being a rock star. Bright stages, loudspeakers, adoring crowds, the whole scene. Problem is, I was raised in a pastor’s home, singing gospel music with my mom and sister. There was almost an expectation in the family that I would follow the multiple generations before me to respond to the “higher calling.” As a young person, I ran away from that calling, foolishly believing I’d never accomplish my musical dreams if I put faith first. Overcome by my own ambition and feeling a failure on the course I chose, I had my very real “come to Jesus moment” and decided to finally stop running. But, that decision didn’t consign me to living a missionary life in a hut, as I’d feared. I was offered a job without an audition, singing full-time at the brand new Universal Studios in Orlando in 1990. This new path allowed me to not only sing in front of thousands but also made me aware of an entire industry full of young, talented, and sometimes ambitious people who were struggling with their own sense of faith and purpose. And the most amazing part, I lost that internal craving to be famous. I had not-so-accidentally stumbled into my destiny. After a decade of pursuing vocational ministry and musical performance, my wife, Shannon and I had the idea to come back to Orlando to start a church for people in the creative arts, who had been burned by organized religion or disenfranchised by tradition, God’s House Orlando was born in 2003.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been many challenges along the way. Working full time in an ever-changing industry like entertainment while being available to help people at some of the most significant moments in their lives has taken much time and patience. Also, because we reach out to creatives, growth is a slower and more rewarding process. I’ve heard it said “hurting people hurt other people.” We’ve cried with many as they’ve recounted disappointments and scars left by people who were supposed to show love. During the shutdown of 2020, our industry was devastated, and our church feared closure, but we stayed committed to our purpose, sharing with those in need, encouraging discouraged people, and loving our city in creative ways. We not only survived, we were able to pivot and use our building as a virtual production facility. We’ve become a “center of arts to be a center for hearts.”

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My chosen vocations have allowed me to travel to 38 countries of the world, sing on every major stage in Central Florida, perform in every theme park in Orlando, and meet the most talented individuals around. My years living and working in the community have inspired other creatives to give back to our city in tangible and lasting ways. I’ve been blessed to find others who love to share their artistic talents while helping others in need.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My wife, Shannon Pawlak is my true partner in life and in music. We play in bands together, raise our children together, and serve a city together. My best friends, Jeremy and Shalisa James (Entertainment Central Productions), Lisa and Richie Compton (Metropolis Productions), Keelan and Barbie Parham (Artistic Talent Group), Allen and Michelle Arellano (Classic Entertainment) have all personified entertainment excellence and genuine love inside and outside God’s House. They practice what they preach.

Contact Info:

• Email: Info@godshouseorlando.com
• Website: Godshouseorlando.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/godshouseorlando
• Facebook: Facebook.com/godshouseorlando

Image Credits
Photo of performance at Disney by Ryan Kirkpatrick