Through trusted, long-term relationships with mission partners around the world, we join God in bringing hope and healing to communities facing deep physical and spiritual need. These friendships shape us as much as they serve others.
Laurel DeVera works with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship across junior colleges in the Sacramento area, where she establishes Bible studies and faith-based fellowships that support and reach out to students. A former member of First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa from her time at Sonoma State, Laurel focuses on offering spiritual healing and encouragement to students navigating emotional, spiritual, and personal challenges.
Jeff Johnson serves as the director of Young Life in Sonoma County, engaging middle and high school students from non-church contexts. Previously Youth Pastor and Associate Pastor at FPC Santa Rosa, he launched The Cove and currently leads various outreach initiatives—including a Fine Arts Club, Capernaum Club for youth with disabilities, and club outreaches at local high and middle schools.
Kurt & Laura Thiel are affiliated with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s “Link” program, overseeing U.S. staff who embark on international campus ministry in over 100 countries. Former members of FPC Santa Rosa before relocating to Elk Grove, they travel worldwide to support and train student ministry leaders serving abroad
Donald and Elizabeth Sendek serve as teachers and administrators at the Biblical Seminary in Medellín, Colombia, a multi-denominational school training Christian leaders from night classes for pastors to master’s programs for graduates.
Dustin and Sherri Ellington are serving in Jordan due to instability in Lebanon. Dusty, who once served as a youth intern at FPC, holds a Ph.D. in New Testament and teaches in Arabic at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS). Sherri edits theological English for ABTS and studies at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. ABTS’s faculty and students represent diverse denominations from across the Middle East and North Africa.
Megan and Brian Meyers are serving in Kenya, where Brian, a medical doctor, works at Kijabe Hospital and Megan, an ethnomusicologist, teaches at Moffat Bible College. Previously in Mozambique, Brian taught at a medical school and created a “pay it back” support system for students, while Megan helped churches develop worship music in indigenous styles. They also launched a school that now serves hundreds of students from kindergarten through high school.
Bob Swift has traveled to Ecuador’s Santa Elena Peninsula many times, often alongside fellow members of our church. Over the years, he has built deep friendships in the region and helped launch several grassroots initiatives, including clean water system upgrades and community development projects. Bob typically covers his own travel expenses, while the church contributes $5,000 per trip to support each project. Please join us in praying for peace and an end to the drug-related violence that has disrupted life in this once-tranquil part of Ecuador.