Chris Suitt practices more than a Sunday faith

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Last week’s Day of Prayer brings to mind the many pastors who minister in and around Canyon Lake.

Pastor Chris Suitt has been bringing hope to the local community since he and his wife, Jan, moved to the area in 1991 and started New Hope Community Church. In those early days, the church met at the Kay Ceniceros Center in Sun City. It moved to the East Port shopping center in 2000, and then to its present location in the Canyon Lake Towne Center in 2009.

Chris challenges himself and his congregation by asking the question, “If the church (New Hope) were no longer here, would Canyon Lakers even notice?”

Chris has written a book, “More Than a Sunday Faith,” complemented by daily thoughts he shares in his website, www.morethanasundayfaith.com. His goal is to help those who call themselves disciples of Christ to get better at listening to and following Jesus wherever they go throughout their day, “using the tools of a biblical worldview” – that is, the knowledge of scripture.

He says, “These tools enable us to filter out all the other voices vying for space in our heads to hear only Jesus’ voice in order to draw closer to and become more like Jesus – the only source of lasting love, significance and security.”

Although he is the founder of New Hope, Chris calls himself one of “many pastors” who serve there. They call their building The House, as it is the meeting place for the New Hope congregation as well as several other ministries run by members of the congregation.

Pastor Paul Krueger. Photo by Sharon Rice

Canyon Lakers who attended the National Day of Prayer at the Lodge on May 7 got to hear from Pastor Paul Krueger, who leads the Hope Learning Academy for at-risk youth, one of the primary ministries that meets at The House.

An extension of that program is Parent Project, which provides resources for parents seeking to help their at-risk youth – teens who have gotten into trouble with the law and who often are involved with substance abuse. (Learn more about the Hope Learning Academy at www.atriskhope.com.)

The focus on at-risk youth recently attracted a young man whose father beat his mother to death when he was just 5 months old. Paul Davis Nootbar, now 29, was shuttled between his father’s home, foster care and group homes. He grew up with anger and hopelessness and was often in trouble.

Paul Davis, a life coach at the Hope Learning Academy, is using his non-profit “Extreme Outreach” to take students to the great outdoors. Photo by Sharon Rice.

Along the way, he became a Christ follower and vowed to make a difference in the lives of other at-risk youths by taking them on outings to the beach and mountains. It has become his life mission to get his ministry, Extreme Outreach, up and running. He recently obtained his 501(c)(3) tax exempt status and is partnering with New Hope Church and the Learning Academy to take local kids surfing, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking.

He says, after one recent outing to the beach, he pointed out to his van full of students that they hadn’t needed to smoke weed all day because they were channeling their energy into a healthy activity.

“Outdoors is a great place to be,” he says. “Adrenaline is my drug. But a lot of kids don’t get to be outdoors. I think I’ll be doing this the rest of my life.” Paul eventually would like to start a youth center, but for now he sees The House as a good stepping stone. Follow Paul and this ministry, Extreme Outreach, on Facebook.

Another ministry that is based at The House is “eXtreme Tour,” which uses extreme sports and music events in communities across the U.S. to reach at-risk and counter-culture youth. Pastor Ted Bruun coordinates the training of Christian bands and musicians to be “musicianaries,” using their talents to reach young people where they’re at with the love of Christ. Last year, eXtreme Tour hosted a concert at the Audie Murphy Sports Park to reach youth gathered at the new skate park.

The Friday Flyer often promotes children’s events at the Canyon Lake Farmers Market coordinated by New Hope member Cyndi Hermanns. Chris says Cyndi and other women in the church look for ways to be of service to the community in order to follow Jesus’ instructions found in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

These are but a few of the means by which Chris seeks to encourage his congregation to practice “more than a Sunday faith” and to make a difference in Canyon Lake and the surrounding communities. There are many more. And whether Canyon Lakers are aware of the small church or not, their lives are impacted directly or indirectly by the faith and service of its members.