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Youth Group

For middle and high school students

Real faith & real friendships at a pivotal time in life

Our youth group is here to help you navigate the highs and lows of middle school and high school life. Sixth- to twelfth-grade students are welcome to come hang out with us and learn more about Jesus each week.

Sunday morning group

During the school semester, our youth group meets each Sunday morning during our 9:00am service for relevant biblical teaching, small group discussions, games, and plenty of snacks. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging environment for middle school and high school students to connect with God’s Word, to develop meaningful friendships, to ask questions, and to learn what it means to walk with God.

Attending service

After the group meeting, we encourage the youth to attend the 11:00am service along with the youth group leaders and adult congregation to hear the sermon and experience worship. The youth have the option to either sit with their peers and youth group leaders or with their families for service. Sitting with the group can help foster an ongoing sense of community amongst the students, but they are welcome to sit wherever they are most comfortable. 

Enjoying life together

Outside of our weekly meetings, we also have monthly fun nights for students to connect and to invite their friends. We’ve done board games and pizza hangouts, Mario Kart tournaments, pumpkin carving, baking nights, sports in parks, movie nights and much more.

During summer, we take a break from our weekly Sunday morning meetings and have monthly events such as beach days, graduation parties for our seniors, and overnight retreats.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

Youth Group Leaders

Diego & Maddie Cervantes

Diego and Maddie have been married for three years. Diego is a chemist for a biopharmaceutical company, and Maddie is a writer. Being kids at heart, the couple felt called to youth ministry and have a passion for helping students use their teen years well. In their free time, Diego and Maddie enjoy watching movies, discovering new dairy-free treats in LA, and finding funny videos to show the students.

We hope to see you soon!

Check us out on Sundays for snacks, games, good discussion, and friendship! We look forward to meeting you and your families.

For specific times and locations, please contact the Youth Group leaders, Diego and Maddie Cervantes.

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Meet the Staff

Eric Siryj

Assistant to the Pastor

Eric and his wife Jess have been married since 2020 and have a son named Josiah. Eric has been part of Church in the Valley since its founding and previously served in college ministry for 11 years at USC. He also works in the healthtech industry as a product manager. Eric is grateful to be part of this community that treasures God’s Word and genuinely seeks to love each other. If you ever need a board game or sushi recommendation, don’t hesitate to ask!

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Meet the Staff

Stacie Klepzig

Administrative Assistant

Stacie Klepzig serves as our Administrative Assistant and has been a part of Church in the Valley since its founding. Her role involves coordinating and communicating with staff, volunteers, and members, and preparing printed and digital communications on a weekly basis. She has a passion for seeing people’s lives transformed by the gospel and enjoys the opportunity to invest in eternal things. She lives in Montebello with her husband, Mark. They have two adult children starting their own families.

Meet the Staff

Jenn Richert

Finance Director
Jenn and her husband Jonathan have been married for 14 years. She is a licensed CPA and is the Finance Director for Church in the Valley. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she also works for a small CPA firm while being a full-time stay-at-home mom and homeschooling her and Jonathan’s son, Joshua. Jenn has attended Church in the Valley since it was founded in 2013 and enjoys seeing all of the families grow and the lasting friendships that the children have with one another.
Meet the Staff

Jonathan Richert

Sunday Service Teams Director

Jonathan serves as our Sunday Service Teams Director and has been a part of Church in the Valley since its founding. He appreciates the opportunity to team with this loving community in reaching the people of Los Angeles with the good news of Jesus. Jonathan lives in Alhambra with his wife, Jenn, and their son, Joshua. Jonathan works as a Principal and Director of the Los Angeles office in an architecture firm downtown. 

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Jeep Underwood

Groups Director

Jeep serves as our Groups Director here at Church in the Valley and was on the original launch team when the church was founded. He says, “This is a community where I belong, where I can grow in my walk with God, and where I can team up to make a real difference in the lives of others. What I love about this church is that it opens the possibility of this experience to anyone who would like to join in.” Jeep, his wife Cate and their grown children, Patrick, Molly, and Donovan live in Monterey Park. Jeep works as the Engineering Division Chief for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, in Downtown LA.

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Hannah Bustrum

KidZone Director

Hannah Bustrum is our KidZone Director and leads the discipleship initiatives for our children. She is a social worker that has spent a majority of her career working overseas, investing in churches and helping people grow in every season. She is passionate about seeing kids take steps towards faith in Jesus and loves that Church in the Valley Alhambra is a place where people of all ages can know and experience how much God loves them. She enjoys living in L.A. and is on a quest to try every bubble tea shop in the area. Hannah is married to Mark and they have three adult daughters, one son-in-law and the cutest grandson ever!

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