Stories

Summer Day Camp has brought children at Mariners and their friends on the Coastside closer to Christ for more than 15 years. Taylor Duncan, who will minister to children as a Day Camp station leader for the first time this year, recalls how important the experience...

Curt Vanderstelt, youth pastor at Mariners, found a heart for his ministry when he was a teen-ager. “I had a youth pastor, Chip, that came to our church during a very important time in my life,” Curt said. “Chip’s influence and example showed me God’s love in very...

Fabiola grew up in Brazil in a family who attended a Catholic church. But rather than baptize Fabiola and her siblings as infants, her mother decided to let them make their own decisions for Christ. Fabiola made that decision at age 12. “I went to a Christian church...

The success of the children’s ministry at Mariners relies heavily on the support of parents and other volunteers dedicated to helping out in the classroom on Sunday mornings, during midweek programs and at summer camps and special events. The difference these ministry...

Len Banks, Connections Pastor at Mariners, traces his heart for connecting church members with God and each other to his mother’s struggles to find a place in her church when he was growing up. Len recalls that his mother struggled to maintain her faith after a...

Following Christ isn’t always easy. And sometimes it can be deadly. Saviz Kasray was born to a Muslim family in Iran. As a youngster, she had a hard time finding God within the restrictive Islamic rules of worship. Then at age 8, she began to have dreams about Jesus....

Ivette Moctezuma, outreach director at Mariners, found her heart for engaging with the Coastside community by watching her grandmother and mother serve here. “My grandmother was a fixture in her little home town in Mexico, and then here in Half Moon Bay as well. I...

Sometime around 2013, Jason was living in New Jersey and dating Karen. He started going to church with Karen and her Mom. Karen’s Mom was the choir director.  Karen’s father was the pastor of a different church in NJ.  Jason was starting to become interested in this...

Whether as an employer, teacher, volunteer or parent, being a servant leader requires an active interest in the well-being of the people we lead. God recently taught Mike Ng a valuable lesson in the power of faith in action in the workplace. First through informal...

Since 1994, preschoolers at Mariners Church have benefited from an organized group designed specifically for them: Little Lambs Club. As the club celebrates 25 years of existence, it’s a good time to look back on its history. Pam Sayles enjoyed serving in children’s...

New Wave is our vision that everyone on our Coastside has an opportunity to hear and respond to the love of Jesus Christ. Kaitlin Gehret, Children’s Ministry Director, found her heart for teaching children about Jesus right here at Mariners Church as a young volunteer...

Although Kenji and Bonnie Gjovig loved each other dearly, they had a tremendous amount of conflict.  It was a marriage with a high degree of difficulty.  At times, the presence of children was the only thing that kept them together. ​ Once their third child, Annika...