From Scalpels to Scripture: Erik Rayo on Trading Medicine for Business as a Ministry

Erik Rayo, owner of Christian Outlets, shares how a season of profound loss and loneliness led him to faith in 2020, and set him on an unexpected path from aspiring neurosurgeon to Christian business owner and minister. Erik opens up about growing up without a father figure, losing his grandfather, and being on his own as a teenager when his mother was deported to Juarez. He talks about how God met him in that isolation, how a pastor's willingness to show up on a random weekday changed his life, and how his calling to be a "fisher of men" ultimately shaped his vision for Christian Outlets. Erik shares how the store, both online and at its brick-and-mortar location in East El Paso, is more than a retail shop. It's a gathering place, a ministry hub, and a space where the Christian community can come together across church lines. He talks about partnering with local Christian makers and vendors, the challenges of navigating permits and business logistics, and why showing love even to difficult people has been one of his greatest tools in business. Christian Outlets is located at 9640 Montwood Drive, Suite F300, El Paso, TX. You can find them on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook at @ChristianOutlets, or visit ChristianOutlets.com. This episode is a beautiful reminder that for some of us, faith isn't just something we bring to work — it is the work.