Photos by Jay Vallejo, Josh Larson, & Others

Russell Christensen wanted to be part of Calvary La Habra’s (CLH) disaster relief trip to Punta Gorda, FL, last fall but was unable to afford it. The night before the group left, Youth Pastor Jay Vallejo called Russell to let him know someone had paid his way. “So I knew the Lord was working,” 17-year-old Russell said. “The whole time I was there, I knew it wasn’t about me. I was there to serve others, bring them closer to Jesus, and be a witness to them.”

When Lily Villagran, 17, went on her first disaster relief trip to Florida last fall, she never thought she would go a second time. “When I returned home, I thought how blessed we are to have a nice home while those in Florida were in ruins.” Understanding how God used her to be a light to others, she went back two weeks later to encourage those whose homes were destroyed, sharing, “Your foundation is in the Lord. He is the same God before and after the hurricane.”

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. I Timothy 4:12

Jay emphasized, “Those [disaster relief] experiences have been great because the youth really see how God used them where they serve. When we go to someone’s house, they are blown away to see youth coming to clean up their yards, remove debris, bring food, pray over [them], and share the Gospel.” Jay added, “They are even more astounded realizing that the kids paid their own way.”

Building Blocks of Faith

Lance Cook, senior pastor at Calvary La Habra in La Habra, CA, has been reaching the youth for over 30 years. The Committed Bible Study, based on Proverbs 16:3, started out with a group of kids on the floor of his surfboard shop and has grown into a church that continues to pour into its youth. “We try to be family with them,” Lance expressed. “We started by pulling them together on the beach, giving a Bible study, encouraging and challenging them in their faith, and then tying that into testing their faith in the water. Our goal is to build relationships. When you reach the kids, you reach the parents. That’s been our pattern of growth and part of our culture.”

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:3

Lance observed, “Public schools [are] doing their best to convince kids that there is no God. By the time they get to junior high, their thinking is errant. They’ve been persuaded by the empty philosophies of the day; and you won’t win them in a debate or Sunday morning classes. You win them over by building a relationship into their life where walls come down, trust is established, and their heart begins to open.”

Abundant Life of a Servant

Leaders at CLH desire to see students grounded in God’s Word and His love, which results in lives filled with the fullness of God. Pouring into the youth, they have built life into church. “People in their 40s and above see that life—people are drawn to life,” Lance explained. What has emerged is a large serving base within the church, a sizeable percentage being students.

Calvary La Habra’s investment has given rise to youths with a passion for serving and confidence in their witness. “This church is different,” said Russell, who has grown up in CLH and attended some of the Love Life outreaches. “The leaders want you to be a part of church, whether camping or disaster relief trips. They love to give hands-on experience and not just teaching. They are right next to you saying, ‘We are going to learn how to do this together.’ They make it practical, so it’s not just knowledge, but wisdom.”

Sarina Rae Ruelas has attended CLH since she was 3 years old. Now 15, she has a heart for people affected by disasters after seeing Hurricane Ian’s destruction last fall. “It got me thinking about helping people in that way, bringing them to the Lord and serving in the community,” Sarina reflected. “It made me want to become a missionary. I really need to pray because I don’t know if I would be good at it—it takes the Lord to reveal that.”

Jay Vallejo, mentoring youth for 26 years, has served as the high school youth pastor at CLH since 2008. Balancing his marriage and raising three sons while pastoring has been a challenge. He found that keeping his wife and children involved in ministry has had a two-fold purpose: “It was important that [my children] be there, not as a distraction, but to see what God was doing with their parents and create a desire to serve the Lord and bless others. Secondly, the Lord put it on my heart to teach the youth about love and family, not just words but [by] demonstration. We have children coming from broken homes. We wanted to give them a picture of a family who serves the Lord in all our imperfections. As an extension of our family, they see these things are real.”

Growing in the Faith

Opportunities for youth involvement are numerous at CLH. Beside the typical Sunday and Wednesday verse-by-verse teachings, they have Friday night Guy/Girl Discipleship groups for high school students and a Sunday morning worship discipleship where students are taught the meaning of worship—with singing and instrument lessons being offered. In the summer, Wednesday night youth service moves to a park where games, food, worship, and Bible study attract many.

For high-schoolers sensing a ministry call, an intensive summer internship program involves them in the life of the church. “They come in four days a week and Sunday and are part of everything we do—facilities; VBS; worship; high school and junior high ministry; Bible study instruction; and sharing their faith,” Jay specified. “Last year, they completed a book on apologetics and how to deal with current issues.”

Building Bridges

It is not all work at CLH. Dynamic retreats, camps, and other activities integrate intentional fellowship and biblical life teachings that foster relationships between the generations. “If we want to relate to parents more effectively, we need to know a bit about who they are raising,” Lance explained. “You don’t glean that from pulpit to pew; you learn that by reaching [youth] where they are.” 

Lance instructs youth at Surf Camp and makes it a point that he and his wife Lori are a part of the high school retreats. “It’s a blast to be with them, get to know them, and just hang out,” Lance declared. “Whatever they are doing, I want to do with them. I call it my ‘pastoral privileges,’” he chuckled. “It’s amazing the bridges that are built when you spend time with them.”

Whether it’s whitewater rafting on the American River, camping at Lake Tahoe or Lake Nacimiento, wakeboarding on Lake Havasu, or winter camps at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Forest, the pastors and leadership at CLH make the time to step into the youths’ world. Lance elaborated, “Jesus gathered and stepped into people’s worlds. It was His initiating that opened their hearts. That’s what grace is, stepping into their world. It’s not a Bible study about grace—He showed them what grace is.”

Russell, Lily, and Sarina recognize how unique their church is and how fully the leaders invest in each youth to teach and come alongside, helping them live out their faith. “I love our [church] community; everybody is so welcoming and comfortable with each other,” Sarina shared. “They pull in the youth, asking us to help in all the events. I help in the children’s ministry too—I mean they are crazy,” she laughed. “But between that and what [leaders] do with us and all the trips, it has really built up my character.”

“You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 11:19

“There is an army of people here who have a heart to reach kids and instill in them a desire to be part of the body,” Lance described. “It’s a biblical pattern, based on Deuteronomy 6, the Shema: Train up your children to love the Lord our God with all their heart, soul, and strength by teaching them when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise up. A quiver of arrows is designed to be shot out, so it’s God-honoring when a church invests in youth. He will honor and capitalize on that.”

Learn more about Calvary La Habra at calvarylh.org

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