About

Vision and Values

UrbanLife is an organization dedicated to loving and serving middle school, high school, and college students in San Diego.

Our vision is for every student to be transformed into world changing leaders in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. The reality is, many obstacles stand in the way of that vision including drug and alcohol abuse, gang activity, apathy in school, family issues, violence, and the list goes on. We desire to help students overcome life’s challenges, so they may discover and reach their God-given potential.

Our potential and ability to change the world begins with finding a relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. Each and every student deserves the chance to hear about a relationship with God in a safe environment, where their decision doesn’t change how much they are loved and cared for. UrbanLife is committed to providing that environment, that message, and opportunities to respond.

Through weekly programs, special events, overnight trips, tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, and simply “hanging out”, we are committed to building an authentic community of meaningful relationships that are transforming students to positively affect and serve others, their community, and the world.

We hope and pray that you will join us in this adventure. We look forward to meeting you soon!

The Team

Jake Medcalf / Executive Director of UrbanLife

Phone: 858.334.5325
Email: jake@urbanlifesd.org

Jake was born and raised in Olympia, Washington. He went to Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Washington and received a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. While there, he met Joan and they married shortly after graduation and moved to San Diego, where Jake served as Area Director for YoungLife in Point Loma. During his time on staff with Young Life Jake attended Fuller Seminary. He received his Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained as a Reverend in the Presbyterian Church USA in 2008. Jake was hired at La Jolla Presbyterian Church as the Youth and Children’s Pastor and began to invest in students at Mission Bay High School. While there, he noticed that many students at Mission Bay were bussed in from City Heights and started Sunhouse Urban (the urban branch of La Jolla Pres’ youth ministry). As Sunhouse Urban grew, Jake and several students formed a church in City Heights for students and people living in that neighborhood. Since then, Jake and Joan have moved into the neighborhood, and Jake is now the Executive Director of UrbanLife, as well as the head basketball coach at Crawford High School, and father of two children, Addison and Samuel.

Romin Irani / City Heights East Middle School & CollegeLife Director, Facilities Manager

Phone: 858.229.6155
Email: romin@urbanlifesd.org

Romin was born and raised in San Diego as an only child. He went to UCSD and it was there that his life was changed by God. It was in college that he learned what it really meant to serve God and the people around him. Through a friend, Romin was pulled into the world of UrbanLife since its inception. He started as a volunteer and grew to love being with students and a few months after graduating college decided to become part-time staff. He since has become full-time and has now grown into leading and pioneering the middle school side of UrbanLife; he also leads worship at the UrbanLife service. Romin is recently married to the love of his life, Naomi.

Kathy Pham / High School Director, City Heights West

Phone: 714.717.6519
Email: kathy@urbanlifesd.org

Kathy loves her hometown of Little Saigon in Orange County; she grew up there with an older brother, divorced parents and a HUGE, loving extended family. While attending CSULB, she was in leadership on campus and church, worked in the education/tutoring arena then was a Target Executive Intern. After graduation, she was a Target executive for a couple of years. Eventually, she became burnt out in ministry and unchallenged/bored at work… she was not living the life God had for her. After some time of being bummed, sweet time traveling in Asia, eating and driving across America, reading amazing books, helpful conversations with wise friends, really seeking God and experiencing His grace and freedom, she responded to God’s call to go on missions which landed her in City Heights as Summer Staff with World Impact, then working with Harbor Church and now UrbanLife. What began with just giving a Summer away is now her living her calling: to love students and to help students know and love Jesus! Sidebar: if you know a God-fearing, single man, you should introduce him to Kathy.

Chris Brewster / City Heights West Area Director

Phone: 619.495.8153
Email: chris@urbanlifesd.org

Chris was born in Arizona and met his wife Anastasia as high school teammates on the cross-country and track team in suburbs of Phoenix. They married in 2000, after Chris graduated from Azusa Pacific with a B.A. in Sociology in 1999. He and Anastasia felt called back to Phoenix, where he began working for Neighborhood Ministries and discovered his love for leadership development. In 2006 Chris and Anastasia decided to move to the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego to work with Harbor Church. Since moving here Chris has been coaching the Cross Country and Track teams at Hoover High. In 2008, he completed his Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Bakke Graduate University. His relationship with UrbanLife Ministries was formed through a personal relationship with Jake Medcalf centering on shared values and vision. Chris joined the UrbanLife staff in Spring of 2011, where he is helping to coordinate the college ministry, and is currently working with a team preparing to form a second UrbanLife site of students and young adults primarily from Hoover High School. He and Anastasia have two children, Madeline Grace Brewster, born in 2006, and Tobias Scott Brewster, born in 2008.

Sarah Wiese / Director of Women’s Leadership Development, City Heights East

Phone: 619 .206.5863
Email: sarah@urbanlifesd.org

Sarah was born and raised in Southern California (LA and Escondido). In high school God revealed his heart for the city and his concern to undo wrongs of the world and reconcile ALL people and ALL things to Himself. She attended college at Cal State LA hoping to find a community to join Gods work in the city. After 6 years of working in group homes for adolescent aged moms she moved to Philadelphia to study Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary. In 2010, she returned to San Diego and moved into City Heights to be part of Harbor Church. She is falling in love with its people, and excellent Pho and Mexican food, and quick access to the Pacific. At the end of the New Heights Project in the summer of 2011, Sarah finally found herself at home, loving what God was doing through the UrbanLife community and the young people of City Heights. It was an answer to an unspoken desire, when she was invited to join UrbanLife. Sarah’s greatest joy is listening to the stories of young folk, looking together at the Great Story and finding ourselves in it; recipients of the great love of a great God who is inviting us into his great mission. You will likely find Sarah running, taking advantage of any opportunity to be in the great outdoors, eating good food with good friends, and spending time with her sister, brother in law and 2 beautiful nieces who live in Oceanside.

Justin Phillips / City Heights East Area Director

Phone: 619.952.8496
Email: justin@urbanlifesd.org

Justin and his wife Melissa moved to City Heights in 2000, upon graduation from PLNU, poised to contribute to the long-term renewal of the city. Justin started by teaching English, coaching basketball, and coordinating AVID at Hoover High School. For two years, he trained and mentored pre-service teachers throughout San Diego Unified School District. After returning to graduate school to study Exercise Science, Justin spent the last three years at Cuyamaca Community College, teaching adjunct and coaching Men’s Basketball. Desiring to re-engage the youth of this neighborhood particularly, Justin stepped into the role of High School Program Director for UrbanLife in 2012. Justin and Melissa live in City Heights with three of their four children: Atsede (8), Amare (5) and Matias (2). Their oldest Ricardo (23), recently graduated from college. Melissa teaches at Ibarra Elementary School in City Heights and co-leads San Diego Refugee Tutoring.

Kevin Weiser / Executive Assistant

Phone: 719.650.6268
Email: kevin@urbanlifesd.org

Kevin was born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO, the youngest of two. After graduating from high school, he moved to Spokane, Washington and attended school at Whitworth University. He spent the summer of 2009 as an intern for UrbanLife and found a passion for urban youth and the inner city in general. Kevin graduated from Whitworth in 2010 and moved to San Diego that summer for another internship, during which he applied for a part-time administrative assistant position with UrbanLife. He was hired in the fall of 2010 and became a full-time executive assistant in the spring of 2011. Since then, Kevin has worked closely with the high school branch of UrbanLife and co-led the CollegeLife ministry. Kevin is engaged and will be married this summer.

Sarah Carter / Southeast Area & Farm Director

Phone: 619.339.3333

Email: sarahcarter@urbanlifesd.org

Sarah came to San Diego to go to college at UCSD, where God transformed her life through the community of people in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IV). Sarah came on staff with InterVarsity and served there for 10 years, working with nine college campuses in San Diego and watching God transform college students into amazing leaders. It was through IV that Sarah met her husband, BJ, rode a camel around the pyramids, and developed a passion for seeing communities transformed by the power of Christ. Sarah went back to school while on staff with IV to get her MBA through Bakke Graduate University, specifically to figure out how business can bring transformation to our cities and neighborhoods through jobs, small businesses, and entrepreneurship. She is excited to use this training to develop UrbanLife Business, and create job opportunities for urban youth and families. Sarah and her husband are committed to seeing transformation through the local church, and are helping plant churches both in San Diego through UrbanLife, and with a team of missionaries working in SouthEast Asia. Sarah and BJ live on an urban farm in Southeastern San Diego with another family, where they raise goats, chickens, cats, dogs, and various other living things.

The Board

Stan Beard

Stanley Beard has been married to his wife Marie for 46 years. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren spread throughout Washington and Arizona. Stan has been an Associate Pastor at La Jolla Presbyterian Church since 2002. Before, he was the President of the Southwest Leadership Foundation in Phoenix and a Young Life employee from 1966-1995 in San Diego and other parts of Southern California as well as in Colorado Springs. Stan graduated from Pepperdine University in 1964 and received his masters degree from Fuller Seminary in 1985. Your best chances of finding Stan are at the golf course, walking, sitting in the stands watching the Padres play, with his family or reading.

Paul Cunningham

Paul Cunningham has been pastor of La Jolla Presbyterian Church since 2006. Previously he has served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, in Lubbock, Texas, and as associate pastor of Fain Presbyterian Church, in Wichita Falls, Texas. Cunningham earned a bachelor’s of science degree in finance from Santa Clara University in 1988. He received an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1994 and was ordained by the Palo Duro Presbytery that same year. In 2010, he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Shannon, who is an artist, have two children.

Marina Durazo

R. Marina Durazo [Ruth “Marina” Durazo] was born in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents and 4 siblings when she was 8 years old. She has been a U.S. Citizen since April 2001. Marina attended Brooklyn Elementary; Roosevelt Jr. High; and finally graduated from San Diego High School. Marina is currently attending San Diego City College part-time and attempting to transfer to USD Law School to become an attorney (EVENTUALLY). She is a full time legal secretary at a prestigious law firm in Downtown San Diego. Marina is a widowed proud single mother of 4 teenagers, all of whom attend Urban Life. She loves to serve and help, especially Urban Life, when God calls her. Marina was raised catholic and turned to Christianity about 5 years ago. Marina and her children were baptized Christians in 2009 at the first church they were part of before moving out of the area and landing in this amazing place called Orange Avenue Church/Urban Life. She believes she has many blessings in life; Jesus Christ, her children, her family and friends and an ever changing and magnificently evolving Orange Avenue Church/Urban Life (and all the amazingly gifted leaders in it).

Brad Feldmann

Bradley (Brad) H. Feldmann serves on the Session of Harbor Church. He has been a believer for a number of years and has a passion for God’s Word. He has some experience serving the poor on various missions projects. He is thrilled to serve on the Urban Life board to help transform youth and their neighborhoods for the sake of the Gospel. Brad is happily married to Debbie for 26+ years. They have 6 children and live in Carlsbad, CA. Brad helps lead Cubic Defense Applications, a San Diego based, Defense electronics company. He has a BSEE (distinguished graduate) from the US Air Force Academy and an MBA (with honors) from San Diego State University.

Ron Harper

Ron Harper is Chairman of the Board for Harper Construction Company, Inc. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1959 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He serves as an elder at La Jolla Presbyterian Church and as a trustee for the San Diego Children’s Hospital Foundation. Ron and his wife Kaye love golfing and travelling and they have four children: Ron Jr., Jeff, Kathy and Ginger. They also have thirteen grandchildren, one of whom is married.

Jonathan Lim

Jonathan Lim, M.D. is Managing Partner at City Hill Ventures, LLC, a health care investment firm he established in 2010. He is Chairman, CEO and a Co-Founder of Eclipse Therapeutics, Inc. and NexDx, Inc., and an Advisor to Independa, Inc., all of which are City Hill Ventures portfolio companies. Prior to City Hill from May 2003 to December 2010, Jonathan was President, CEO, and Board Director of Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO). Under his leadership, the company went public and raised $300 million from financing and corporate partnerships with Roche and Baxter, achieved two U.S. FDA approvals, and built a pipeline of two Phase 3, two Phase 2, and two Phase 1 product candidates. Jonathan’s prior experience includes management consulting at McKinsey & Company, NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard, and two years of general surgery residency at New York Hospital-Cornell. Jonathan is an active member of CEO Forum and is a member of the Finance Team at Harbor North County Church. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford, M.D. from McGill, and M.P.H. from Harvard.

John Mecklenburg

John Mecklenburg joined First Citizens Bank & Trust Company in 2008 as a Senior Vice President with over 28 years of experience in the real estate development industry. Prior to joining First Citizens John started a homebuilding division from “scratch” and grew the Division into one of the top 15 homebuilders in the San Diego marketplace. Prior to being the Division President for the San Diego Division of John Laing Homes, John served as Regional Manager for Richmond American Homes and was a Project Manager for the Presley Companies and Watt Industries.

John has served on the San Diego Building Industry Association Board of Directors (BIA) and has served as President of the BIA Cares for Kids board of directors and numerous other BIA boards. He also serves on numerous charitable boards and is actively involved with many worthy causes such as The Alliance Defense Fund, Urban Life, Hope Leadership Foundation and Pro Kids Golf Academy & Learning Center.

John, his wife (Gwen) and their two daughters, Carly and Katrina, reside in Rancho Santa Fe. He enjoys photography, baseball and especially his family.

Bill Nichol

William Nichol has over 40 years of strategic planning and management experience in the banking and real estate development industries, having served as president and chief financial officer of a privately owned real estate development company in San Diego and in executive management for major financial institutions in Southern California and the Southwest. He has been an active member of La Jolla Presbyterian Church since 1985 and currently serves as president and a member of Session. Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Muskingum College and a MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Stephen Phelan

I, Stephen, grew up in Montgomery, Alabama and then spent eight years in Charlottesville, Virginia, pursuing an undergraduate degree and also a law degree at the University of Virginia. During this time my lovely bride Bradford came waltzing into my life and blessed me beyond any measure that I ever thought was possible. Bradford grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and went to Auburn University. She graciously put me through law school by using her gifts as a preschool special education teacher, but I just couldn’t get enough of the academic world, so I went to Orlando to pursue a Masters of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary. Shortly after, we headed west where I became the Director of Mercy Ministry for Harbor Presbyterian Church and also an Assistant Church Planter. While in San Diego, God blessed us with Ford Phelan, whom we adopted in Los Angeles upon birth. Nine months later, Bradford gave birth to our precious daughter, Milly Carlisle Phelan, and once again three years later with our daughter Virginia Grace. Bradford and I, along with an exceptional team, planted Harbor Mid-City Church, a bilingual, multi-cultural church in the Mid-City area that began worshipping in September of 2007 and is seeking to bridge race, class, and culture through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our church is actively involved in the work of Christian Community Development through Urban Life.

Dean Schiffman

Dean Schiffman is long-time San Diego resident and member of La Jolla Presbyterian Church. He works as a criminal defense attorney and is active in jail and prison ministry. Dean recently co-authored the book, “Lord of Long Beach” which chronicles the life and faith of former Long Beach gang-leader August Hunter, now Pastor of Prison Ministry at The Rock Church, San Diego. Dean’s wife is Christian Family Therapist Mary Schiffman.