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Mike Newton
I didn't grow up in a Christian home and never attended Church so I never knew anything about Jesus Christ. I had heard that He was a nice guy who died on a cross. I didn't know He was God and that He died to save me from my sins. In High School I was a big party kid, I was popular and did that whole thing. I was a football player for Petaluma High School for all four years of High School. During my senior year I tore my knee in practice. All of my friends deserted me except for the two Christians. Instead of leaving they prayed for me. I was blown away, I had never had anyone ask to pray for me. I started coming to Church because I saw how different they were than everyone else. I didn't understand why they loved people and I came to find out it was because of Jesus Christ. So I continued to go to church to truly seek the Lord and find out what He was about, then I was convicted of continuing in my life of sin. One day at Church it was Super Bowl Sunday and Pastor Zach said "why wouldn't you believe? and if you want to start believing... stand up so we can pray for you" So I looked at my friend and said "that's stupid" then next thing I knew I was standing and my eyes filled with tears because I knew the life I lived was shameful. So that Summer, after graduation, I began volunteering in the High School ministry because the Lord had placed a burning passion in my heart for the kids who don't know the Lord that are in High School. I remembered what it was like not knowing the Lord, it was terrible... I was popular but I was so miserable because life was empty. God has done amazing things in my life and it is my desire to spread God's Word throughout the High Schools in Petaluma and see this next generation raised up to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The verse I base my life on is 2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus Christ's sake." | |
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Jennifer O'Brien
I became a High School counselor in the summer of 2007. I had been attending Calvary Chapel Petaluma for a year, and the Lord had used that year to let me sit at His feet, not busy with the ministry, just growing in relationship with Him. I had always been very involved in ministry in the past, but the Lord had graciously opened my eyes to ways in which I was not right with Him, and He used my first year at CCP to quiet my life, redirecting my relationship with Him, and preparing me again for His work. Then I was asked to be a counselor for the high school's summer camp. As I prayed for God's clear direction, He opened and closed specific doors, guiding me and providing for me to attend the camp. That week of camp was an amazing blessing! I quickly fell in love with the high schoolers and their ministry. When we returned from camp I spent another week in prayer, asking God to confirm if I was to be a counselor. He answered by giving me such a heart for the high schoolers, that I was thrilled to have the privilege to serve in their ministry. My prayer is that I would be a woman like those described in Titus 2, training up the younger women in the ways that honor Lord. |
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David Meyers
I went through what all high school students go through, peer pressure to conform to a secular society and all that it entailed. I knew who Jesus was through my religious training and church attendance as a child but by my early teens I was a rebel without a clue. I figured I could do whatever I wanted, so I did. I was fully immersed in the culture of the '70s and all the things it offered.
I know firsthand what pressures our youth face today, and I gave in to every one of them. In 1976, as I stumbled my way into adulthood, I joined the military and spent the next 20 years serving our Country but not the Lord. In 1996 that all changed. Through my daughter's attendance at a local church in New Jersey and her dragging me in to watch her sing, I found the love of Jesus Christ and was saved, my wife soon followed. Since that time, the Lord has gifted me with a servant's heart so I use that as much as I can to bring glory to Him.
With the "in your face" media of today, the pressure on our kids is even more intense and the job of guiding them through life's obstacles has never been more important. I have been a High School counselor at Calvary Chapel Petaluma since 2002 (with a short break in 2006) and have loved every minute of it. I see counselors as those who provide a helping hand to parents in teaching and setting an example to our youth about how to live Godly lives and avoid life's big temptations. Being even a small part of the High School Group and witnessing kids giving their lives to the Lord and growing in His love brings me great joy and certainly brings glory to our great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. | |
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Jordan Yee
I grew up in a Christian household as the middle child of 3 brothers. My parents taught me to be moral and brought me to church every Sunday morning. Life was great. But then things changed in middle school when I started trying to fit in by being a jerk and dressing up cool. Then my close friends got into drugs. Luckily I had parents who loved Jesus very much and an older brother to help me make good decisions. This helps me understand today the importance of fellowshipping and discipleship, which is something that everybody needs.
Just because I've grown up in a Christian household doesn't make my story any less great or significant than those who have not, because I've seen those like me sadly choose to abandon their relationship with Christ. Since I've been walking with the Lord at a young age, I desire to continue to growing in my relationship with Jesus, taking to heart Mark chapter 4, 'The Parable of the Sower.' I wish not to be choked up by the worries, riches, lustful desires or heavy burdens, but I'd rather be wholly committed to seeking after God's heart and being fruitful. |
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Colleen O'Grady
I grew up in a Catholic family and attended Catholic school for a period of time before moving to Petaluma. During my later elementary school years, while attending Catechism I began to discover that there is more to learning about the Lord than answering questions out of workbooks and started going to AWANAS with friends from school. I wanted to read the Bible, something that was lacking from my Catechism class. I had a desire to learn more about who God is and loved that I was learning and memorizing His Word. I am so thankful for the family God has giving me who encouraged me to go to youth group and for my aunts and uncles who I’ve had many encouraging conversations with.
In junior high, my friend and I wanted to have a Jesus Club at our school, just like the high school kids. I began to see the Lord work in incredible ways as we worked with people from Calvary Chapel Petaluma to establish the Jesus Club at Kenilworth. That is how I got connected with CCP. Through my junior high and high school years I attended High School Youth Group at CCP while staying actively involved with the Jesus Club at Casa and served at church in the Toddler Ministry.
Today I desire to live my life in a way that glorifies the Lord above all other things, to serve Him with all my heart and to spend time sitting at His feet. For the past 2 ½ years I have been serving in the 3rd to 6th grade girls where we have are be learning what it means to be a disciple who is set apart for the Lord. I began serving in the High School Ministry in August 2009 and am excited to be part of this ministry.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 |
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Maria Ortelle
I am so honored and humbled to be able to be a part of the high school ministry here at Calvary Chapel. Having grown up in this church, I have experienced firsthand the importance of being surrounded by believers at the high school age. High school is a time of big choices, and the choices that are made can be so easily clouded with the things of this world: social status, unhealthy relationships, material things, etc. It is the enemy's goal to see the youth of today put anything and everything before God in their lives. But as Christians we have the amazing promise that "He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Through fellowship with Christ and fellowship with each other we are built up in the faith and given the power to be in the world and not of it. It is my prayer that the youth in our community would be strong not only in words, but in deed and in truth, that we might see more come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. | | |
