Staff

David served as a leader in the restaurant industry with over 18 years of experience. He answered God’s calling into ministry in 2017 and continues serving people, but now it’s for Jesus. In an act of faith, David journeyed across the country from Atlanta, GA and settled in Long Beach to join staff with Cru’s High School Ministry.

David is passionate about helping others find and follow Jesus through both sharing the word and the love of God. Currently, he serves three local high schools where up to 400 students each week get to hear about Jesus and grow in their faith. David is married to Jamie and they have two beautiful daughters, Dominic and Amara.

When David is not serving in ministry he enjoys spending time with family and friends, music, cooking, and watching trains.

Carina was born and raised in Southern California, grew up in a household with four other siblings, and put her faith in Jesus at six years old. Her love and faithfulness for Him would grow from then on. Entering high school, God gave her a heart to reach her campus on a greater level. She began praying for a Christian community to help her do just that, and God answered that prayer with the very same group of people she gets to do ministry with today! Soon after high school, she became a volunteer, intern, and part-time staff with Parable!

“I wouldn’t be here today without God placing His obedient servants in my life and bringing them onto my high school campus. They have been my family. He has brought me up and called me to serve him all the days of my life, and I will do just that. I am beyond blessed and humbled to be a part of His Kingdom and this ministry!”

Spiro became a follower of Christ at the age of 22 after a drug overdose and subsequent suicide attempt. He served on Parkcrest Church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry team for over seven years, during which he led the teen version known as The Landing. It was during that time his heart broke for hurting and lost teenagers, seeing his story in many of theirs. He came into contact with a team of missionaries working with high school students and attended a rally at a local high school. It was that same day he heard the Lord call him to serve with this team. Spiro had been a stay-at-home dad for ten years. Following this calling required sacrifices for his wife Jen, and two children, Joshua and Leah.

Spiro has continued to serve as a missionary with high school students in the LA area since 2017. His own children serve in the ministry in their local high school. He faithfully continues to connect with students at multiple campuses with the help of local churches, and hopes to see the Gospel spread among teens.

Keith and his wife Susan are from the Philippines. They both surrendered their life to Jesus Christ while in high school. After a season in their respective professions (engineering and dentistry), they both answered God’s call to do cross-cultural missions. Keith served in East Asia for 12 years as a church planter and as Cru’s LeaderImpact City Director, reaching out to influential leaders, businessmen, professionals, and youth.

Keith and Susan have been married for 19 years and have one teenage son, Chesed. In 2022, God called both Keith and Susan to reach out and start a church youth ministry in Southern California. They later joined Cru High School LA Metro Team, seeing the great need to evangelize and disciple the next generation for Christ and help fulfill the Great Commission. Keith works with Cru’s Church Mobilization team in partnership with Parable.

Jeanette is excited to serve alongside the Parable team as their Virtual Executive Administrator. She joined the staff in March of 2020 under Cru, and immediately knew the new opportunity to grow God’s Kingdom with Parable would continue to be a blessing that only God would orchestrate “for such a time as this”.
Born and raised in the Central Valley of California, Jeanette, and her husband Scott, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in February of 2020. Without the promise of a plan in their move, they packed up and followed God’s plan to move to Tennessee.

Nothing could have prepared them for what followed in the world around them after their move. The blessing that did transpire was an ever increasing trust in the Lord to supply all that they needed, and little of what they wanted. “You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have”. – Corrie ten Boom
As Jeanette virtually serves to be the “hands and feet” of God, to help the Parable ministry of Los Angeles, she fully trusts that the Lord has placed her just where she needs to be, for her good and for His glory. Join her in praying for Parable, that the Lord will continue to supply the workers for a harvest that gives glory to His Kingdom!

A first-generation Cambodian-American, Josiah was born and raised in a God-fearing home in Long Beach by two ex-missionary pastors. In 2018, during his freshman year, he walked into a Cru club hoping to find Christian peers. He found friends, but also encountered genuine curiosity and godly love from the Cru staff. He learned that he didn’t need to put up a church façade or perform, but could simply be himself as a son of God.

After graduating in 2021, Josiah took a step of faith by volunteering with Cru, moved by how Jesus showed His love through them. He poured into students as he had been poured into. He volunteered for three years with Cru before joining Parable as an intern. God has given Josiah a big heart to love the students of LA as they are, just as Jesus does, and to show them His redemptive power.

David and Jen Urquhart come from Cru Inner City serving with church partners and working with college students for 15 years. Previously, David worked as an engineer with Mitsubishi Electric and Jen worked in outdoor education, leading kids on nature hikes with Inside the Outdoors.

David has deeply appreciated the mentors who have discipled him in high school and college and desires to do the same for high school students who face cycles of poverty, crippling anxiety, and abuses that Jesus wants to heal.

David went through a 4 year season of gripping chronic back pain, which nearly brought him to the end of his life. After extensive doctors meetings, scans and tests, it brought him to a mental health rehabilitation center where he lived for 3.5 months and experienced tremendous healing and brought him to 100% capacity. Their family is so thankful for God’s grace to sustain them through this journey. David loves to share about the practices he has learned as well as the spiritual truths with others who experience long suffering.

In their free time, David loves playing piano and keyboard, running, playing competitive ping pong, and woodworking. Jen loves reading, running, hiking, creative projects and homeschooled our boys for 4 years. They both love serving with their church and lead the youth group at City Church of Compton. They have lived around the corner from their church in Compton for 14 years with their three boys.