A Massanetta Story: Top of Their Lungs

Steven Hall is the Director of Worship, Music, & Arts at Burlpres Church in Burlingame, CA.   Music has always been part of the very fiber of the Hall family. Steven’s mom was the church organist at First Presbyterian Church in Asheboro, NC,  and Steven played in the youth worship band. They were very involved in the church, including youth group. But as is the case with most middle schoolers, when Steven was in sixth grade, his faith was changing from something passed down to him at home and church to something he wrestled with on his own.  Little did he know that when his youth director told them they were going to try this new (to them) thing called Massanetta Middle School Conference, that he’d find lots of new friends to help him grab onto faith for himself.

“That experience was life-changing for me as an 11 year old,” Steven said about his first trip to Massanetta. “It was the first time I realized that worship could come in the form of recreation and play – in the form of hundreds of middle schoolers jumping up and down and singing at the top of their lungs in a building that was older than our grandparents.” This first time at Massanetta gave Steven the opportunity to experience God in a new way, building relationships with others who were also just trying to find their way through the awkwardness of middle school and love God in the process. “I’ll forever remember those moments of choosing Christ for myself.  Now as a church musician, when I interview for positions, I usually write a statement of faith as part of the process.  Times at Massanetta are always in the first couple paragraphs.” . 

After numerous experiences as a participant and Enabler (now Advocate) at Middle School Conferences, Steven often returns as an adult to lead music. It’s the experiences that Steven had at Massanetta during his middle and high school years that make it so important to him to come back in hopes that he can contribute to the same for someone else. “Massanetta was my first opportunity to lead worship outside my home church, and I learned so much,” Steven remembered. “When I choose hymns at my church now, lessons I learned about the importance of language and including all God’s children in song still shape my choices.  My life was poured into at Massanetta, so I feel it’s important to do the same for others.”  And it’s all of these that make Massanetta, for Steven, one of the places that defines his current ministry …and that make the answer to any ask to serve on leadership at Massanetta a resounding, ‘yes!’  

Those that pour into Massanetta’s ministry through their generosity are helping young people just like Steven sing their own songs of faith and to become Christian leaders.  Your generosity has an impact well beyond the gates of Massanetta Springs, it echoes throughout the church for years to come.  Thank you.