Come and See some of the history of 25 years in SB

Why Santa Barbara felt like home!

“For me, Santa Barbara was part of our story before it became our ministry home. Austin played a semester of baseball at Westmont between Arizona State and Grand Canyon. I had just started dating him, so I visited—and began falling in love with him and with the place. I remember thinking, ‘What is this place? It’s the most gorgeous place I’ve ever seen.’

“About a year or two later, UCSB hosted an FCA camp for high school students. College athletes from Arizona were invited to help, and I went up to serve. Jen Shinn was the huddle leader coordinator. I got to see her faithfully doing ministry in her lane and thought, ‘She’s incredible. I want to be like her.’

“After serving on FCA staff in Arizona and then Chicago, I ran into Daniel Rich at a Real Time gathering. He asked me what my dream was. I told him I’d love to do college ministry for FCA on a beach somewhere. A couple of months later, Barry reached out about a position in Santa Barbara. Eventually, Austin said yes, too.

“On our vision trip, we met Jen and Garth at Panera. Jen told me about the secret menu, and I remember thinking, ‘You are so cool—how do you know about these things?’ More than that, Jen and Garth were incredibly supportive. Jen had served faithfully in Santa Barbara and guided us with wisdom, without trying to take over the work. She and Garth welcomed us into a community that was already deeply rooted. Jen continues to be someone I look to and think, ‘I want to be like her.’ Having her guide us was a gift from God.”

Austin and Kristin Stockfisch