NEW HARVEST CHURCH TEAM
OUR TEAM
click to view
Hello my name Clerisa Chavez I am the Assistant Director here at New Harvest. I have been working here at New Harvest for 2 ½ years it will be 3 in January. I have my A.S. Degree in Child Development and have 32+ units in child development. I have been working with children for 8 years, I started off as an Infant teacher, for about 2 years I then moved onto a full-time Nanny for 4 years with two different families, and I then found my way to New Harvest. I have three children a boy name Jaylen who is 9 yrs old and a daughter named Olivia who is 5 months old and a step-daughter named Raissa who is 10yrs old. I enjoy my time working here at New Harvest, but when I am not here I am enjoying my time with my husband and our children.
Jeanette became a part of the New Harvest Church family in 2008. At the prompting of her step-daughter, “I know you and Daddy want to visit other churches, but on the weekends when I’m with you, could we just come here (New Harvest)?” Through the mouths of our little ones, the Lord’s truth is spoken.
Jeanette holds a degree in Music Education, with an emphasis in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. Little did she know that through her many years of teaching and performance the Lord was preparing her for something much bigger.
To some degree, Jeanette has always been involved in the church. Her faith and trust in Christ always guiding her through life. In 2009 Jeanette accepted the position as the Elementary Coordinator at New Harvest. As she helps coordinate the curriculum for Highway 14 and Innerchange (Grades 1-6) each week, the Lord has never ceased to amaze her. Through every “Servant’s Heart” expressed through every volunteer; with each prayer lifted up to the Lord by every child each Sunday; with every note sung in Large Group during worship; with every scripture read in Small Groups, Jeanette is reassured that “this” is where the Lord needs her to be.
The “3 Basic Truths” taught in the New Harvest Children’s Ministry are ‘truths’ that Jeanette holds very dear to her heart: 1) “Wisdom” – I need to make the wise choice. 2) “Faith” – I can trust God no matter what! 3) “Friendship” – I should treat other the way I want to be treated.
“I know the plans I have fore you,” announces the Lord. “I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Jeanette can be reached at jeanettesaxton@nhclife.org
A Bakersfield native, Jeremy spent most of her adult years on the Monterey/Carmel Peninsula as mom, manager of a small, boutique hotel, a high end wine tasting room, several retail establishments and a field seed processing plant in Bakersfield. Other employment included decorating homes and for special events.
In 2004 she moved to Fresno and came to work at New Harvest Church in 2005, bringing many of her experience and work skill sets to the work place, applying them towards facility event scheduling and promotional development.
She is a mother of 3 adult children, (2 daughters and a son), and is a grandmother to 8 girls and 1 boy, ages 5-15. In addition to her family what she enjoys most is, good food, friends and family, reading, decorating, cooking and Leading Ladies. Her life verse is “All things work together for good for those who love God.” Romans 8:28.
She is grateful and blessed to have such wonderful, satisfying employment serving Him and being surrounded by such a faithful supportive team!
Jeremy can be reached at jeremyanderson@nhclife.org
Jocelyn's spiritual journey began in February 2001 when she accepted Christ as her Savior. Her life as a New Harvest community member began in July of 2001. She has served on the Welcoming Team, has been an office volunteer, and is currently serving as the Starting Line Coordinator, serving families birth thru Kindergarten.
In August 2009, she was baptized and continues her walk with God on a daily basis. She is a Fresno State Alumni. Prior to working at New Harvest Church, she taught elementary school and then began a family with her husband of 7 years, Casey. She is the blessed mother of Cate and Carson.
Jocelyn can be reached at jocelynrogers@nhclife.org
Born and raised on the west side of Fresno by loving, caring and hardworking parents in a farming community with an older brother and younger sister. Kathy’s family has been blessed with many loving relationships in their family and with friends (even before acknowledging God and His faithfulness). Kathy and her husband, Rudy, will be celebrating our 30th anniversary this year along with the greatest gifts of all, their children, Eddie and Ashley and son-in-law, Justin. They enjoy going to the coast for rest and relaxation, walking, bicycling, and gardening. She worked in the secular world for over 30 years before given the privilege and honor to work at New Harvest Church. It has been life changing on many levels, which she will be forever grateful.
Kathy can be reached at kathyrudolph@nhclife.org
Linda joined the New Harvest Church staff family in August of 2008 and enthusiastically accepted the position of Children’s Ministry Director in February of 2009. Linda was born and raised in the Central Valley and graduated with honors from Fresno State University’s Journalism/Public Relations department.
Linda’s work experience includes more than a decade of managing customer service for companies in three different industries in the Fresno and Sacramento areas.
“Created for such a time as this”…a quote taken from the story of Esther…would most describe how Linda’s colorful faith journey works together for this current season of service. Born and raised Mormon, first marriage Catholic, never feeling “good enough” anywhere, Linda spent most of her early life confused and rejecting religion. At age 32, after giving her life to Christ in Granite Bay, CA, Linda discovered the Grace, Truth and Freedom of a life lived completely in and for Jesus. Gone were the lies of “not good enough,” replaced with blessings that come with becoming a disciple--someone continually searching, learning and sharing.
Linda is now joyfully married to Derek and their blended family includes three children. Derek and Linda enjoy “bringing the mission field into their living room” and have hosted 7 different high school exchange students from Germany and Brazil. Linda’s passion is using easy resources to teach and model Godly principles in the home so families can live as disciples seven days a week, not just Sunday. And children grow to stand firm as disciples of Jesus. This passion overflows in her current work, and her prayers to see families strengthened in Christ.
Linda can be reached at lindastephens@nhclife.org
Coming soon.
Michelle was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She began her early childhood education after moving from Morro Bay and raising her son. During these years she decided to go back to school after receiving a Child Development degree 15 years earlier. Since that time, she has worked as an aide, teacher, assistant director, director and site supervisor for many different types of preschools.
Six years ago, she returned to Clovis with a new beginning. She found Christ and was baptized and her whole world began to change. During this time she also reunited with the love of her life They enjoy riding their motorcycle, traveling and wildlife photography.
Michelle has since found her calling working with children in a Christian environment. She has been with New Harvest Childcare Center from day one, and started as a three year old teacher. Having enjoyed every minute of her time spent with the children, Michelle now looks forward to the new adventures God is guiding her towards. Her goal is to incorporate faith based educational environment that is both nurturing and inviting to all ages.
The “story” of Mitch Ribera illustrates the amazing things God can do through a person who possesses a spirit willing to be directed by his subtle promptings. Our lead pastor originated from a family whose parents divorced when he was young, and after his mother remarried, the new blended family totaled nine members! Mitch grew up living and breathing sports, so it seems perfectly fitting that his “spiritual birth” took place at a basketball camp! In the summer of 1973 while Mitch was attending the hoops camp, a speaker came, and using nothing more than silverware was able to convey the Good News with such impact, that Mitch and his brothers accepted Jesus Christ. And, like all things in life, Mitch approached his budding relationship with God with fiery passion!
Mitch has been blessed with a life rich in academic, athletic and personal rewards, but it is his introduction to his future wife, Jami, that Mitch considers to be one of his greatest gifts from God. Both attended Fresno State, she was pursuing a degree in child development, he an avid soccer player working on a business degree. And what began as a great friendship soon turned into an enduring desire to spend the rest of their lives together.
While Mitch’s academic focus illustrated a talent and a drive to succeed in the business world, he had an unrelenting feeling that his professional life was meant to be more directly related to serving God. And so it is a testament to God’s wisdom that he would allow Mitch to find his calling to ministry through a business project! Completed during his junior year of college, the assignment was to research an industry and a company that he was interested in and assess how his gifts, talents, ability could benefit this potential employer. Mitch researched the Baptist General Conference and his home church-Northwest.
Additionally, Mitch sought wise counsel from trusted advisors, including his pastor Bufe Karraker, his parents, and Jami. Mitch relates that it was through his efforts and experiences for this project that he realized that God was speaking to him, and calling him to become a pastor! No bright lights, no fireworks… just a firm and unchanging realization that his career and his heart should belong to God.
After graduating from Fresno State in December 1983, Mitch married his wonderful bride, Jami, on January 7th, 1984. Wasting no time, the day after his honeymoon, Mitch started as a college intern at Northwest Church. Yet after 17 wonderful years of ministry at Northwest, 17 fantastic years of marriage, and 4 awesome kids (Jenna, Jordan, Jonah, and Jaycee), God led Mitch to a surprising mid-course directional change.
Mitch was called to uproot from his comfortable staff position at a large church and launch a new church! Sponsored by the Baptist General Conference, in September of 2000, Jami and Mitch attended a church planters assessment center in Cheyenne, and officially established their church plant on January 1, 2001!
Since launching the very first service at New Harvest Church, on Palm Sunday, 2001, Mitch’s life mission continues to be "to lead and shepherd my family and God's family in becoming healthy, Christ-centered teams." His passion to cultivate healthy families, both at home and in church, continues today. More importantly to Mitch, he gets to “do life” and church with an extraordinary team of people who have experienced the fullness of God's unwavering grace!
Mitch can be reached at mitchribera@nhclife.org
Niki was born in the Bay Area and moved to Fresno at an early age, along with her mother, step-father and older brother. She graduated Bullard High School and then later received a degree from Gallen College as a Medical Assistant. Niki has been married to Phil since 2003; their blended family includes 2 teenage daughters, Samantha and Shelby.
Nikki began her walk with Christ in her sophomore year of high school, at Northwest Church, and continued onto College youth ministry with Mitch being her youth leader. While attending Northwest Church she served in mission field by going to Mexico one year. She was baptized in February 1999. Since making New Harvest Church her home church in 2005, Niki and her family have served in several areas throughout the church including children’s ministry and office volunteer.
Some of Niki’s passions are spending time with her family, traveling, reading and just being a mom to her girls.
Paul was born in Long Island, NY and moved to Winston-Salem, NC when he was seven. After struggling to make sense of who God was through a tough childhood and adolescence, Paul heard the Gospel for the first time at a Young Life camp in Colorado. It was there that Paul gave his life to Christ six days before his seventeenth birthday.
Paul graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the spring of 2000. Throughout his time at UNCW, Paul volunteered with various youth ministries, realizing that he wanted to be for other kids what his Young Life leaders had been for him. In the midst of serving youth in a local church, Paul fell in love with Mary Kate; and they were married in May of 2005. After bouncing from North Carolina to California in 2006 and meeting Greg Zuffelato in a Western Seminary class in 2008, Paul and Mary Kate moved to Fresno to serve the middle school and high school ministries at New Harvest in December 2008.
Paul has never forgotten the mindset that he had when he was struggling to make sense of life as a middle school and high school student, and he thinks that it helps him in his efforts to creatively communicate God’s heart to this next generation. He and Paul work together in making teenage disciples who will make disciples themselves.
Paul can be reached at paulmannino@nhclife.org
Scott was born and raised in Fresno, Ca and while he has a brief period of his life where he left, he came back because of the weather. He
simply loves the 100-degree difference between the summer and winter.
Scott has been serving in youth ministry since 2005 in Fresno, Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. He graduated with an astounding 2.5 GPA from William Jessup University with a double major in Bible & Theology and Youth Ministry.
Scott spends most of his time wasting his life through the reading of literature. He lives behind the dumpsters on Blackstone with his
beautiful wife, Melissa and his cat. But seriously, Scott has a huge passion for youth knowing God more intimately, learning the Bible and serving the people around them.
Scott became a Christian as a freshman in High School and felt called to the ministry only a year
later. Growing up, he never wanted to be in ministry and fought God many times on the calling that God placed on his life. God always won.
Scott has now developed a love for the students around him and wants them to
know Christ more and more each day.
Scott can be reached at scottmacneil@nhclife.org
Jeff comes to us with his bride of over 22 years Lisa and their four children Joshua, Caleb, Tabitha and Micah. Jeff brings a passion for believers to become more active in their faith throughout the broader community of Fresno/Clovis and to lovingly, but boldly, present the Truth of the Bible to the unbeliever. Jeff has been in vocational ministry almost since the day of his salvation 23+ years ago. He has worked with youth, planted a church in which he was the lead pastor for 16 years, and has been leading a faith-based community development organization, called Highway City Community Development, for almost 17 years. During this journey he achieved a Masters in Christian Ministry from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University. Before meeting Christ at the age of 30 he also obtained a Bachelor’s in Business from Fresno State. He is an adjunct professor at Fresno Pacific University and teaches Spiritual Formation and Ministry across Cultures in the degree completion program.
Jeff can be reached at JeffHarrington@nhclife.org