Josh Kapchinsky is the Youth Pastor at Granite Creek and he has been serving the church for many years. Beginning at age nine, he ventured on his first missions trip smuggling Bibles into China, since than he has been on countless mission trips eventually focusing his eyes on a degree from Westmont in Art History. In his senior year of college, he was involved in an archeological dig in Israel that uncovered rare and amazing artifacts. He is now, 36 and is married to his wife Meko, an employee at Azusa Pacific University, with a newborn daughter named Sophia Suki. His worldwide experiences have impassioned his heart about global issues, which has translated through the youth group into monthly homeless feedings locally and on Skid Row, and fasting to starve out hunger in The 30 Hour Famine. He is zealous about seeing his flock succeed in a life with Christ, and the youth group is blessed by his encouraging energy. Through exciting special events or small bible studies he gives his all to the youth and devotes himself to showing the love of Christ through relationships. He says, “I have been teaching elementary Sunday school for years and I have always felt anxious bumping up my 5th grade students into the youth group and having them mix in with the high school seniors. So I am excited to be the interim youth pastor and help to make that right of passage from child to young adult. The gap between age groups is huge physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. So we have felt the need to separate the Jr. High from the High School ministry on Wednesday night.”