Mike Atencio is pastor for our High School and Junior High kids. He served our Junior High as pastor for three years, moved to Colorado for a year and is now back with us in this new capacity…we’re so grateful!

Mike’s passion is for the kids to know God through experiencing the Living Word. His heart is that worship and the Word would come alive in them and flow out into life-giving relationship with one another.

He has had a heart for youth ministry and been active in serving that way for 13 years. He’s now only 31. Mike was a youth intern in his church in Colorado for four years and then began doing youth evangelical conferences with his youth pastor throughout the Western United States. He served in the Coast Guard for four years and met his lovely wife Michelle and settled in Long Beach where their son Tobey was born. The next step was to Colorado and now back here – in answer to the prayers of all of us who missed them.

Mike likes to play volleyball, and is totally immersed in being with his family and friends. Anyone who hangs out for long with Mike gets his love for people and his enjoyment in being with them.