Stories

Steve Anderson has found himself challenged by the call to sacrificial giving on three occasions over the past 20 years as life and career has moved him back and forth across the country. And he has seen his faith and trust in God grow as he has responded to each. As...

God is faithful. He loves us; he has plans for us; and he pursues us, even when we turn away. For Charlie Gardner, it took friends and family God had placed in his life to turn him toward life in the Word he first embraced as a youth. And it took a powerful near-death...

The oldest of three children, Mary Doherty knows a thing or two about being a mother.  She was just three when her father died in a tragic work accident.  Mary’s mother was pregnant with her third child at the time, and as the first born, Mary was instantly propelled...

Ten years ago there were five girls, (Girls being a relative term), Who realized their friendship was special Beyond anything you can earn. This poem was penned in 2011 by Adora Palmer about a very special life group. In 2001, small groups (now called LifeGroups) were...

God has a plan for everyone’s life. It isn’t always easy to discern that plan while navigating the twists, turns and challenges it may involve, but Jon Yoshimine looks back with confidence that God had Bubbles and Blooms in mind right from the start. Bubbles and...

Childhood for Amy was challenging. Growing up in a household with a mother who worked multiple jobs meant Amy was responsible for maintaining the household and raising her younger brother. Amy, her mother, and brother kept to themselves and the years were filled with...

Linda Meyer lives her life with an eye toward serving God and others. She comes by it via nature and nurture.  Yet, opening up about the faith that drives her Christian service in a secular world is harder. She's working on it. Serving was engrained in Linda's' social...

As the mother of a young child, Gail Conklin had a list of must-haves when looking for a church in Silicon Valley. She visited a number of houses of worship in her search. Most importantly, she prayed very specifically for a church close to home, a solid children’s...

Michelle Spencer is keenly aware of God's work in her life these days. The single mom of two has been experiencing thoughts of a deepening of faith.  Her sensitivity is palpable; she is thoughtful and sometimes poetic in her sentiments, revealing her deepening...

Ashley Hekkert is practically one of Mariners’ own, having attending with her family since the tender age of 6, the young college student considers women like Betty Barmore and Debbie Gehret as her 2nd moms.  “I grew up attending children’s ministry from K-5, then the...

For the past six years since moving to Montara, the Avila’s have looked out from their deck onto the Point Montara Lighthouse, but they were unaware God put that lighthouse in their view almost 15 years ago, when they were still living in Fresno. Michelle and Ray,...

In March 2016, Laura McHugh, a facilities engineer and artist, was dealing with a very challenging personal situation of a relationship nature. It was clearly not all within her control as to how things were going to progress, if at all, but she was still thinking she...