Nick Costa
Testimony
After becoming disillusioned with the inability of religion to answer relatively simple questions regarding God and Salvation, I lived my entire teenage life never giving a thought to spiritual issues. I rebelled against all authority and ended up in bondage to sin.
Because of my deviant behavior, A Christian co-worker once told me that I "had the devil in me" which did not bother me in the least as at that time I was playing guitar in a successful heavy metal band not realizing I was on my own "Highway to Hell". After being pummeled in the basement of a bar for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person, I found myself at my co-worker's church, black and blue, hair past my shoulders and wearing sunglasses to cover my bruises. After the message, members of the church gave me a Bible and a cassette tape of the message on Ezekiel 38 and 39.
I went to work the next day remodeling a drug re-hab center in New Jersey [which I should have been a patient of rather than a worker at], and decided to listen to the tape of the message instead of Rush 2112. While listening to the message I felt the presence of Jesus; i.e. peace, holiness, etc...everything I was not.
Soon after, while in a music store trying out a new Stratocaster with my drummer, I said for reasons I did not know at the time, "I'm tired of playing this evil music". A man interrupted and handed me a card for a recording studio he said he owned. It was named King David Studio and he asked me if I wanted to record. He wrote on the back of the card "Read Amos 5:23".
Later I called and the number was disconnected. We went out in search of the "studio" which we later found did not exist. We ended up on a dead-end street which would turn out to be my last "dead end street". We knocked on the door of the church to ask directions. The Pastor answered and said that he never heard of the studio, and then he asked if we knew Jesus Christ and proceeded to give us the Gospel; i.e. the free gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We both accepted the Lord on the spot!
What Jesus Means to me: Jesus is the Truth. I am nothing without Truth therefore Jesus is everything to me; my Life, my Light and my Love.
What Calvary Chapel of Yelm means to me: Simply the greatest group of people gathered in one place at one time.
My Ministry: Pastor and Teacher of the Word of God...Line by Line...verse by verse... and Chapter by Chapter...forever.
Greg Williams
There is a time that is right to be joined with another person in marriage. We don’t always know that time and for many of us, the time is wrong. My first marriage was in the wrong category. I was selfish and self-centered. I thought my wife was responsible for my happiness and comfort. After seven years I wanted out and proceeded to make that happen. I was out to live life to the fullest on my own terms. Little did I know that God had a plan.
At this time, I did not know God and really had no room or desire for Him in my life. After moving back to D.C. where my family is from, a younger brother was nearly killed in a random shooting as he was returning home one evening. He was rushed to the hospital with 11 bullets in his body. He was not expected to live through the night. I found myself praying to a God that I did not know but offered my life for my brother’s. Today he is confined to a wheelchair, but he is alive.
A few weeks later, this God, to whom I was now indebted, summoned me back to the marriage alter with the words “Go home”. I now had a new perspective and attitude about marriage. He is lord and savior and the foundation of my marriage. My new wife and my first wife are the same person and we both live our lives for Christ. This is marriage the way it was meant to be.
Chris Brownell
I was born in Seattle Washington, raised in Southern California and moved back to Yelm Washington in 1980. I am married to Teri and have 2 children and 3 granddaughters. I began my career as a meat-cutter and later started my own business as an owner/operator of a trucking company.
I began attending Calvary Chapel of Yelm in August of 2007 and came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior in December of the same year. The sign said "verse by verse"... What a different concept from all my former experiences. My eyes were opened and with ears to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I moved from darkness to light and from death to life.
I have been serving as a deacon at CCY since 2011 and help maintain the ground and building projects as needed.
My relationship with Jesus means being a Follower of Christ and not just a fan; it means dying to self daily. Luke 9:23
Calvary Chapel Yelm: The body of Christ and its working parts move me greatly. In fellowship we share in Christ and the reality of His love fills my heart. I feel His presence whenever I'm in fellowship as I did when I first came through the doors of Calvary Chapel Yelm in 2007.
Patrick Whitney
I was born and raised in Seattle WA, and moved to Yelm, WA in to 2007. I am Married to Ashley and have 4 children 3 Daughters Riley, Quinn and Jovie, and a son Abraham.
I first attended CC Yelm in 2010 and then deployed and had a 2nd child and finally found my way back to church and ultimately to Jesus in 2013. In 2013 while attending church sporadically, Pastor Nick was going over the book of Revelation and I started to question what I knew and why I was attending church and if understood what it meant to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I whole heartedly accepted Jesus' gift of salvation and was Baptized in 2014. This is when my life started to change for the better, I was no longer questioning my faith and I was now worried about my salvation.
In 2015 I lost my father who was not saved until just days before he passed away. Pastor Nick and Greg Williams made the trip to Seattle to pray with my father while he was in the hospital. It was then that I felt the Lord working again in my life. My father who was not a believer accepted Jesus on his death bed. The peace I felt when he passed was undeniable knowing that he was going to inherit the Kingdom of the Lord. The understanding of needing to finish well has motivated me to be more intentional with my time and words and helped me to grow in my faith every day.
I am so thankful to be a part of Calvary Chapel Yelm. The honest straight forward teaching is exactly what my family and I need to continue growing in the Lord. The fellowship and the sense of family that I feel every time I walk through the doors is what keeps me coming back.
Doug Fox
I was born and raised in Spanaway, WA. My wife is Sandy and we have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. Growing up, my father and uncles were all in the drywall trade so naturally it became my trade at a pretty young age.
My parents did not attend church and I believed that because I was an American, I was a Christian. It wasn’t until I was a young man, that I heard the good news of the Gospel and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
We moved to Yelm in 2016 and we love it here. In 2020, the church we were attending shut down and we asked a friend where he was going. He pointed us to Calvary Chapel Yelm and we have been going and growing there ever since. We were shocked to find a church right here in Yelm that teaches the truth of the Bible unapologetically. We learn so much and are blessed to be a part of a church family that is growing every week as we explore the Word of God verse by verse. Every time we walk through the doors at Calvary Chapel Yelm, we feel like we are home.
Bill Hounsley
I had the privilege of going to a christian school growing up. I can’t hardly remember a time when I didn’t know about God. Even though we didn’t attend church, I was immersed in the Word of God. I have been very thankful for all the memory work we were required to do. Even though I learned about God, it wasn’t until I was 16 that I accepted Christ.
At 19 I married Betty and we have 2 daughters. We moved to Arkansas, where we raised the girls. My first life changing event was when we went to a revival out of state. I asked God to change me, He did, and I haven’t been the same since. Not long after Betty died the Lord said He wanted me to move to Washington, so I got ready to leave. Little did I know that He would bring Sandi into my life first. After 2 years we were married and shortly after we moved to Federal Way.
My second life changing event was when we started at CCY in 2019. After being in private school and most all my life in church, I finally learned how to study the Bible. In retrospect I can see how God has used the events in my life to shape me into the person I am today. Sandi and I both enjoy helping others and enjoy the fellowship with everyone that God has given us the privilege to know. At Calvary, we both enjoy learning what ever God has brought, and try to pass it on to those we meet.