about acts2fellowship
Our Story
In 2014, after attending the candlelight vigil following the tragic Isla Vista shooting, a small team from Berkeley sensed God calling them to respond. Having witnessed the deep brokenness and questions college students faced, these postgrads felt burdened to create a space where students could encounter the hope of the gospel and wrestle honestly with life’s biggest questions about God, purpose, and suffering.
In faith they left jobs, packed their bags and kids, and said goodbye to friends and family to plant a church in sunny Santa Barbara. Their hope was to bring the good news of Jesus and an Acts 2 community to students at UCSB and Isla Vista.
Since then we have been a church on wheels, setting up on campus and in IV week after week. Through every season we’ve seen God at work, faithfully changing lives and building a Christ-centered community. Today much of our staff team consists of UCSB alumni who chose to stay after graduation, serving as co-vocational ministers. They work full-time jobs while investing their time and hearts into discipling students and continuing the mission God began here. What began as a step of faith in response to tragedy has grown into a lasting gospel presence, rooted in hope, community, and the transforming love of Jesus.
acts2fellowship santa barbara is part of the Acts 2 Network — a family of churches across the U.S. and around the world that shares our heart to reach the next generation.
Meet Our Pastoral Couple
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Our campus pastor, Calvin, and his wife, Esther, have been ministering to college students for over 15 years. They moved to Santa Barbara in 2025 with hearts to see students encounter Jesus and grow in their faith. Whether sharing a meal, leading a small group, or cheering students on through college’s ups and downs, they love walking alongside students during these formative years.
In their free time, they love running by the Bluffs, making delicious Thai food, and spending time with their two kids.
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I’m the son of Chinese immigrants and grew up chasing achievement—perfect grades, high test scores, top college admissions (yes, I was that kid in your class). But even as I hit every milestone, I felt hollow—proud yet insecure, always needing the next win to feel like somebody.
Coming into college, I started asking the bigger questions: Why am I working so hard? What’s the point of my life? Is there a God? Through mentors at church and studying the Bible, I discovered a God who knows the worst about me and yet still loves me. His grace was something to receive, not achieve. In January 2007, I made Jesus my Lord and Savior. For the first time, I felt full and at peace.
Since then, it’s been quite a ride. In 2013, my wife and I joined a team to start a collegiate church at UCLA (where I was training to become a pediatrician). It’s been thrilling to see lives changed by Jesus, and even more thrilling to be part of the Body of Christ He’s using to do it. Recently, after some time practicing as a pediatrician, I left medicine to step into full-time ministry.
I love coffee, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, basketball, and doing life with Esther and our kids. -
My life was completely changed during my freshman year of college when I came to a humbling realization: no matter how put-together my life looked—good grades, college acceptance, popularity—I was still a sinner in need of a Savior. None of those achievements could fill the growing emptiness I felt inside. That changed when I personally encountered Jesus for the first time, through a group of Christians who genuinely lived out the Scriptures and loved one another deeply. Their joy, peace, and authenticity were so compelling that I had to find out why. More than 15 years later, I’m now part of that same community. Together, we raise our kids, meet the needs of our neighbors & students on our campuses, and gather daily to read the Bible and try to live it out. Much of our free time is joyfully spent figuring out how we can share the gospel with as many people as possible! My husband, Calvin, and I—along with our two kids, Audrey and Grant—love being in ministry. Our children especially enjoy spending time with the many college students who visit our home and share their lives with us. We’re deeply thankful for the privilege of being part of God’s grand rescue mission! Besides this, I love milk tea & cheesecake, lakes & beaches, and wish I could bring everyone to my favorite place, Yosemite.
Meet the Mentors
Our mentors serve co-vocationally, which means we pursue our professions while also serving in ministry. We’re product managers, engineers, criminalists, designers, teachers - and above all, followers of Jesus who care deeply about college students.
For many of us, our years at UCSB were more than just a season of classes and campus life - they were a defining chapter in our spiritual journeys. It was here that we encountered Jesus in deeper ways, asked hard questions, built lasting community, and saw our faith take root and grow.
Our heart is to see more students encounter Jesus, grow in authentic community, and live out their faith in everyday life. We love walking alongside them through questions, challenges, and victories, creating a space where they can explore God, build lasting friendships, and be equipped to become the next generation of kingdom workers, bringing His love to into college campuses and the world.
What we believe
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The Bible is God’s Holy Word, without error, and is the sole authority for life.
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There is one God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; who subsist in unity, and also as three separate distinct Persons.
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We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity and is the eternal, all-powerful, all-loving, just and perfectly holy, sovereign Ruler and Sustainer of the universe.
(Gen. 1:1; Eph. 4:6; John 1:12-13, 5:19-21, 17:1-5; Isa. 40:21-28, 43:10-13, 46:8-11; Rom. 8:14-16).
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We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity and God’s Son. He was born of a virgin as both God and man, lived a sinless life, died to atone for the sins of human beings, was buried, arose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will literally return to earth.
(John 1:1,14,18, 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 2:3,9; Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22-24; John 1:29; Rom. 3:25-26; Heb. 10:5-14; 1 Pet. 2:24, 3:18;John 20:20; Phil. 3:20-21; Heb. 1:3; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1; Acts 1:11; Heb. 9:28; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess 2:7; Matt. 24:44; Rev. 19:11-21; Rev. 21-22).
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The Holy Spirit is the divine helper, assistant, counselor and instructor and His work is to reveal Christ, convict of sin, lead to repentance, guide believers, comfort, strengthen, and sanctify the soul.
(1 Cor. 13:8, 14:22; John 16:7-8; 1 Cor. 6:19, 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30; Gal. 5:16-17, 22-23; Rom. 8:5-13; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; Rom. 12:3-8).
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Man is the special creation of God, made in His image. Man was created to glorify God, worship and serve Him, and have fellowship with Him. Man fell through sin by disobeying God, thus incurring both physical and spiritual death, which alienated him from God. All men are sinners, utterly lost, and totally incapable of saving himself and coming back into right relationship with God by his own merit or effort.
Genesis 1:26, 2:6-17, 3:17-24; Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:9-19, 23, 5:8; Luke 18:26-27; Ephesians 2:13
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Salvation is a gift through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Every person who truly is saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ and will spend eternity in heaven, while those who die in their sins will spend eternity in hell.
Ephesians 1:7, 13-14; John 1:12-13, 3:1-7, 14-16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 1:16, 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 8:14-17, 31-39; John 10:27-29, 14:6; Acts 26:20; 1 Peter 1:3-5
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Every Christian should live for Christ to God’s glory. By obedience to the Word of God, each believer should mature and progressively become more like Jesus. In the power of the Spirit, each believer should live a holy life; be part of a Christian community to build up the body of Christ through serving others; and be personally involved in making disciples to fulfill the great commission.
Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 1:15-16, 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Romans 6:11-13; Ephesians 2:10, 4:11-12, 22-24; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:10; John 15:8, 16
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The church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head. The purpose of the church is to make Christ known to lost men and to make disciples, and glorify God on earth.
Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23, 4:1-6, 12-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 17; Colossians 1:24-29
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Fill out the Get Connected form and someone will contact you!
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Our gatherings typically include worship through music, prayer, Bible teaching, and time to connect with others. Messages are rooted in Scripture and aim to speak to real questions and challenges college students face. We'll typically end with lunch and some group sports times afterwards.
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Not at all. Many students come exploring faith or with honest questions about God. You are welcome whether you are curious, skeptical, new to Christianity, or have been following Jesus for years.
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Come as you are. Most students dress casually, and there is no formal dress code.
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Students can get involved on Sundays by serving on teams like tech, worship, food, welcome, or elderly care ministry. They can also connect with a mentor to explore opportunities to serve in outreach and make a difference on campus and in the wider community (ie. youth!).