Impact Staff
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Malachi Nyhuis | Youth Pastor
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Taylor Westering | Coordinator
I was born and raised in a Christian home in Oregon. I accepted the Lord into my heart when I was six years old…
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Kiara Frantz | Intern
I’ve lived in Washington my whole life and always been connected to churches in the area…
High School Leaders
Alexa Pedersen
Jill Newman
Karl Newman
Kellen Westering
Mateo Zacapu
Middle School Leaders
Anders Pedersen
AJ Pearson
Caden Pedersen
Isaiah Knouff
Fernanda Duran
Lola Green
Additional Leaders
Randy Guzman
Staff Bios
Malachi Nyhuis | Although I received the gift of salvation when I was 9, my journey with the Lord didn't take off until I was 13 when He rescued me from certain physical death. He brought my life up from the deep (literally) and carried me onto dry ground. Ever since that moment, my life has been filled with an indescribable joy as I learn how to serve our good and faithful Father more fully, with all of my heart, through each passing day.
I’ve been attending Fellowship Bible Church my whole life, and I love this church community deeply. I’ve had the privilege of serving on both the sound team (13+ years) and in youth ministry (10 years). My heart & passion are for the young men of our church, and although my job as a UPS Driver (as well as the needs of my growing family) often prevent me from serving on Tuesday nights, I have stayed as involved and intentional as possible by helping wherever I am able. I love my beautiful wife, Margo, and I love to play with each of my sweet children as they grow older. I enjoy reading/listening to books and podcasts, board gaming, tinkering with/fixing literally anything, road-trips, deep, biblical conversations and in learning, all around.
Taylor Westering | I was born and raised in a Christian home in Oregon. I accepted the Lord into my heart when I was six years old. For most of my life I had been going through the motions, attending church regularly, reading my bible every so often, attending church camp and the occasional youth group if it didn’t interfere with sports. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school where I felt the Lord put on my heart to make my relationship with him my own; it was time to stop going through the motions. I was baptized that summer at my childhood church camp and from that point forward began to take my faith more seriously and grown in deeper relationship with Him.
Working and serving youth has always been something that I have been passionate about whether it’s through coaching or mentorship. Navigating your early teens and high school is a challenging time; I know that mentorship and support from a Godly community is something that I could have greatly benefited from when I was this age. I have a passion to love and serve the youth of FBC and remind them whom their identity comes from and that the Lord is their foundation.
I have been attending FBC for the last four years after I married my husband Kellen Westering, in October of 2022! He also serves at Impact. We have a 15 month old daughter named Rowan and she is the joy of our lives! In our free time we enjoy trying new restaurants, traveling, card games, and spending time with friends and family. I am so incredibly grateful to be part of this amazing Impact team!
KIARA FRANTZ | I’ve lived in Washington my whole life and have always been connected to churches in the area, though I took my relationship with God for granted until I was a sophomore in high school. The Lord met me where I was, and I’ve been walking next to him in closeness ever since. I emphasize the importance of taking your relationship with God seriously due to the immense changes for the better I saw in my own life and others who walk with him.
I’ve been attending Impact at FBC since 2018 and have been coming to church full time at FBC since 2023.
When I’m not at work I enjoy; Reading, running, writing, cliff jumping and other adrenaline driven activities :)
Leader Team Bios
Alexa Pedersen | I have been coming to FBC since I was in high school (2009). Youth Group was where my faith became my own, and not just something I did with my parents. Now I get to encourage students to develop a personal relationship with Jesus, just like I did! I went to college for Piano Performance and love to play in the worship band. I work for the Seattle Symphony, and fortunately I get to work from home most of the time. But when I take the train to Seattle, I enjoy reading my Bible or listening to Christian podcasts and audiobooks. I’ve been doing the same bible reading plan since 2019, and I’m passionate about challenging students to cultivate a love for God’s Word. Ask me about my Bible reading plan anytime, and I’ll happily talk your ear off!
Aside from that, I enjoy Disneyland, cats, memes, classical music, and any behind-the-scenes/how-it’s-made content from my favorite movies or TV shows. My husband, Anders and I just got married in 2023. He is a middle school boys leader and also plays electric guitar in the worship band. We enjoy serving together, playing tennis together, and having friends over to our house, which is only 5 minutes from church!
Anders Pedersen | I’ve been coming to FBC my whole life and love helping lead in youth ministry. I remember how much growth I saw in my own life and faith during my time in youth group. I had leaders encouraging me to read my Bible and helping me find friends who were serious about their faith. I hope to similarly encourage the students at Impact as they seek to make their faith their own.
When I’m not at youth group, I enjoy reading, playing guitar, and programming. I also enjoy spending time with my lovely wife Alexa, who is one of the high school girl leaders.
AJ Pearson | I was born and raised in Kennewick Washington. I grew up going to church but lived a completely immoral and ungodly life for the first three years I was in high school. I repented and started truly living for Jesus when I was eighteen years old. Reflecting on my own experience makes me understand how important it is to be surrounded by believers & have godly role models in our lives.
I now live in Gig Harbor and have been at FBC since August 2022. I enjoy reading, hiking, running, golfing, fishing, and boating. I am currently pursuing a degree in Bible Apologetics through Liberty Online.
Caden Pedersen | I have had the pleasure of growing up in a Christian family, and have been attending FBC for my whole life. Because of this, there are countless people who have been a massive encouragement to me and my faith by the way they lived for Christ and for others. Having benefitted greatly from the influence of servant leaders throughout my own life, I hope to reflect the love and grace Christ has given me in the way that I live and interact with the students of Impact, as well as the leaders I serve alongside.
In August I will start Blue Origin's ELTD Rotational Program doing technical design and drafting. When I've got free time on my hands I enjoy reading, cooking/baking, knife making, bouldering, and all things music!
Fernanda Duran | I was born and raised in Washington. I have been attending church since the age of 8, but I didn’t take my relationship with the Lord seriously until 7th grade and have been growing in my faith with Him ever since. I grew to understand the importance of having a relationship with the Lord, and I saw the overwhelming joy the Lord brought not only into my life but also into the lives of those around me.
I have been attending FBC specifically since 2022. I enjoy paddle boarding, trying new coffee shops, and spending time outdoors, but I'm up for anything. I am currently in school studying elementary education.
Isaiah Knouff | Bio Coming Soon!
Jill Newman | I was born into a large non-Christian family. I grew up in small paper mill towns across the country, moving every few years. It wasn’t until I moved to Washington in the early 80’s that I really heard the gospel for the first time. I accepted Jesus as my Savior at the age of 23. Since then, the Lord has consistently called me out of my comfort zone as He works to make me more like Jesus.
My husband, Karl, and I have been happily married for over 30 years. It’s a joy to serve together in a ministry that we both love. We have two married children, whom we homeschooled through high school. We also have five adorable grandkids that keep us on our toes! Free time is full of reading, art, creative writing & studying God’s Word. My favorite part of youth ministry is getting to know each individual person and pointing them to Jesus.
Karl Newman | I accepted Jesus as my savior at age 5 and as both Savior and Lord at age 18, when I made a commitment to be changed to be like him! I have been happily married to my beautiful wife, Jill, for more than 30 years. Our two married children, their spouses and our five grandchildren make for energetic and fun family gatherings. I run a technology company in Seattle as well as a separate leadership development company.
I’m excited about helping our FBC youth serve God by discovering their gifts and talents and using them to show Christ to the world. I also enjoy hiking, biking, music, basketball and sailing.
Kellen Westering | I grew up going to FBC, surrounded by faith, but for the longest time, I didn't fully embrace or live the Christian life on the inside because I knew what it would cost. On the outside I played the game, I could tell you every popular Christian song and recite every popular verse. After living a lukewarm lifestyle and chasing worldly desires, I finally committed wholeheartedly to loving the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul in my late 20's. When I decided to truly follow Jesus, I discovered a deep and lasting joy that goes beyond temporary happiness. His love and guidance fills our hearts with peace and contentment, even in challenging times. By walking in His footsteps, we experience a true and fulfilling joy that nothing else in the world can offer. I believe God has given me energy, drive, and passion for intentional connection and I've absolutely loved serving at Impact. Being able to build God's kingdom together by nurturing the next generation in their faith is truly remarkable.
I'm married to my beautiful bride Taylor and we live in North Tacoma. I work at the YMCA Corporate Office where I help oversee Membership. In my free time, you will catch me playing pickleball or talking about pickleball!
Mateo Zacapu | I grew up going to church for as long as I can remember, but for a while, faith was just something I went along with because it was part of my family’s life. That all changed during my freshman year of high school. It was at youth group here at FBC where I really began to understand who Jesus is and what it meant to have a personal relationship with Him. The teaching, friendships, and encouragement I found here helped me grow in ways I never expected, and my faith became real and personal. Because of that experience, I felt God calling me to step into a leadership role. I wanted to give back—to encourage students the same way I was encouraged, to walk alongside them as they grow, and to help them see that following Jesus is the most important and life-changing decision they could ever make.
When I’m not at youth group, you can usually find me fishing, traveling to new places, listening to music or podcasts, playing video games, or just enjoying time outdoors. I love connecting with people, sharing stories, and seeing how God works in different lives. My hope is that every student who comes to youth group will feel welcomed, cared for, and challenged to take their next step in faith.
Randy Guzman | I’ve lived in the Lakewood/Tacoma area my entire life. I work in construction safety, and also do side work as a First Aid/CPR Instructor. I was married for 25 years, until my late-wife Stephanie passed away in 2019. I have four kids (all now young adults), all of whom love the Lord. I did not grow up in the church, but accepted the Lord as my personal Savior in my late 20’s.
I have been attending FBC for 15 years now, and have been serving in the Impact Youth Ministry for the last 10 years. I had been serving as a HS boys leader, but have more recently transitioned into a leadership role focusing on the youth worship & music ministry. I play the drums, guitar, and sometimes bass in our worship bands and have the opportunity to train up students to use their gifts to serve the Lord. I consider it a privilege to be able to work in youth ministry, and look forward to seeing how the Lord uses me to impact the lives of those students He puts in my path.
I enjoy camping, traveling, grilling, and just spending time with my friends and family!
Lola Green | Bio Coming Soon!