 Jeff and Sarah Lantz were married in 1996 in Albuquerque. Jeff had grown up in the Denver area but moved to Albuquerque in 1987 to pursue his mechanical engineering degree. He has been a part of City Church since its origination in 1991. Sarah has lived in Albuquerque most of her life. She has a strong talent for singing and drama and toured with 'The Continentals' throughout the U.S. after high school.
Jeff grew up in a Christian family that raised him with great love and teaching in Christ. He had gone on mission trips, attended church a couple of times a week, and even shared the gospel with many others. Still there was something missing. It wasn't until 1989, when Jeff was attending the Baptist Student Union at the University of New Mexico, that everything in his life changed. The speaker was talking about I John 4:10 - "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." As the speaker shared that verse, the Spirit of God came upon Jeff and all he could do was weep uncontrollably. It was the first time he understood the love of God. He didn't have to earn it, he didn't have to worry that he was messing up. It was all taken care of by Jesus. From that moment on Jeff knew his life was God's and He was committed to telling people about the great work God had done. Sarah also grew up in a strong christian home with three other sisters. She really didn't start seeking God for herself, however, until she went with 'The Continentals' christian choir on their singing tour. The first night she was there she heard the gospel preached and knew she had never made a committment to live her life God's way. She committed her life to Jesus that very night and finished the Christian tour as a Christian. Jeff and Sarah have a great desire to be leaders in God's kingdom. They want to be examples of faithfulness to those around them and show the world that living for Jesus is the only life worth living. Jeff has a particular desire to find hidden gems in the Bible relating to the Hebrew roots/culture of the Bible. Both he and Sarah have a strong desire to reach out to the Jewish and Muslim people in Israel and feel God has a future calling for them to that area of the world. |