Jenni Wade Festa began serving as Director of Ignition Middle School Ministries. Jenni is a gifted and visionary leader who brings a servant’s heart for middle school students to this call.
Jenni spent the last two years serving at River Valley Community Church as a leader for Middle School Ministries while completing her undergraduate education. She previously served as a youth ministry intern at Church of the Four Seasons in Winfield, Indiana and as a summer camp counselor for four years with Impact 2818 in Pine Creek Indiana. In addition to her youth ministry background, Jenni is a gifted vocalist (she was named Outstanding Choir Student at her college) and she brings a passionate heart for worship to her ministry with students.
Jenni moved to Pleasanton from Mishawaka, Indiana, and is a graduate of Bethel College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Youth Ministry and Adolescent Studies, and a minor in Music (May 2009). She was named Outstanding Upperclassman-Youth Ministry Major and was selected to receive the Servant’s Heart Award for her involvement and commitment. In speaking with people who have worked with Jenni in academic, supervisory, and ministry settings, there was unanimous praise for her giftedness, relational capabilities, creative leadership, and her amazing potential to make a huge difference in students’ lives.
Through a creative arrangement involving Centerpointe’s new After-School program (an extension of Centerpointe Preschool), we have been able to offer Jenni the equivalent of a full-time ministry position, serving half-time in Ignition Middle School Ministry and half-time with the After-School program.
We know that once you meet Jenni, you will know why she is our unanimous pick for this position. Please join us in prayer for her as she settles into her new role (and life!) and ask God to use her powerfully in the lives of the students she will serve.
In her philosophy of Ministry Statement, Jenni notes, “My bottom line in ministry is that each student can know who they are in Christ, serve their community, live in community with other students, and have fun! … It is not about the numbers, it is about the depth of their walk with Christ. I know that once we solidify who they are in Christ, each student can begin to see what God has called them for on earth.”
In her letter accepting Centerpointe’s call to serve, Jenni writes,
Dear Centerpointe Presbyterian Church,
I just want to start off by saying thank you for this amazing opportunity to be able to build up the generation that is going to change how the world sees Jesus. I am so excited to come to California where I can experience life with each middle school student. I am passionate about seeing these students impact the world for Christ. Middle school students are my favorite because they are bold, powerful, and have tons of questions. They rock my socks off in Indiana; so I am pretty sure they are going to rock my flip-flops off in California.
My vision is for each student to be radically changed by the gospel. Each student will know the life of Jesus in the Bible, and start applying the gospel to their everyday life. Jesus has called us to love the un-loveable, hang out with the lepers, shelter the homeless, and feed the hungry. This is what Shane Claiborne would call an “ordinary radical.” Now don’t worry they won’t be crazy, but just crazy enough to change the world. (I can give you all a little history lesson on “ordinary radicals” when I arrive.)
I am looking forward to this new and exciting time of life for me and for my new “kids.” I know that God has called me to California to impact the Tri-Valley area with the power of Jesus Christ through His chosen generation. Thank you again!
Ready to Rock for Jesus,
Jenni Wade Festa
Our youth ministry program for junior high school students is called Ignition. Please learn more about our activities and upcoming events or click here to look at our calendar.
Fall Frenzy and Ignition Ski Retreat are opportunities for 7th-8th graders to get away for the weekend, have fun with friends and adult leaders, and grow in their relationship with God.