Josh von Damm
“City Parish has become my Petaluma family; an answer to my prayers and a testimony of God’s faithfulness and grace.”
I grew up going to church, and always had two pillars of faith to look up to in my parents. While I didn’t accept Christ until halfway through college, I was always under the influence of good examples that God graciously put in my life-something I realized only recently. Following the typical American dream, I graduated college and started job-hunting. At the time the job market was tough; and it took four months of interviews to land a job. The job felt anything but ideal as it was a ten-hour drive north of home where I wouldn’t know anyone. Though I was excited to start my career, I found myself having little hope of finding a community. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was leaving a part of me with my family and friends back home which I wouldn’t find again.
My fears deepened a month after I made the move. I’d visited numerous churches but didn’t connect well with the teaching or the people. But I kept praying and seeking community. I visited two more churches, and while I didn’t see myself being a regular attender, I met some amazing people that have become good friends. At that second church a leader mentioned City Parish; that it was a younger church plant which was also walking distance from my apartment. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen that church in all my searches. A week later I was at City Parish’s doors—albeit with the same attitude I’d started to adopt visiting all the previous churches, wondering, “Am I just going be disappointed again?”
But I was immediately met with a small, vibrant community that was so close it looked like a family. The teaching was close to the Scriptures but also called each family member to grow. I can’t say that the second I walked in I felt like this church was home, but I went back next week… then the week after. It’s been four months now and City Parish has become my Petaluma family; an answer to my prayers and a testimony of God’s faithfulness and grace.