Staff

Our Pastor

Pastor Mike Sasso

I placed my faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior in 1971 during the Jesus Movement at a Calvary Chapel Maranatha concert in the Long Beach Auditorium in Southern California. Several high school friends had been reaching out to me, inviting me to concerts, Bible studies and various Christian events. These Christian brothers took me under their wing and discipled me in Christ. We began daily Bible studies at lunchtime at Downey High School and soon we were gathering in weekly home Bible studies. Since my conversion I felt a call to serve the Lord in ministry and looked for every opportunity to be used by Him. i.e. witnessing, leading worship, discipling new believers, etc. After serving the Lord over 10 years doing everything from Sunday school to convalescent ministry; my pastor (Pastor Jeff Johnson) invited me to join the pastoral staff at Calvary Chapel Downey where I served as an assistant pastor for over 20 years. After that I served the Lord for 7 years at Calvary Chapel Boise as an assistant pastor. In May of 2011 the Lord blessed the humble beginnings of our new Calvary Chapel Eagle church plant where I now serve as senior pastor.

Contact: (208) 891 2635 / pastormike@cceagle.org

Our Assistant Pastor

Pastor Jeremy Gayou

I grew up attending Church and a Christian school. While I knew about the Lord Jesus, I did NOT know Him personally. I always felt drawn to the things of God, but it was not until I had graduated from high school that I hit a low place in my life. One night, I was alone at my parents’ house, and felt that I had no hope and no future. I had thoughts of suicide. Right then, I cried out to God and asked Him that if He was real, He would reveal Himself to me and that He would give me a reason to live. As I was finishing that prayer, I looked over and saw a small wooden plaque, that someone had given me, with the name “Jeremy” coming from the name Jeremiah, meaning “Appointed by God.” Right then, the Lord brought it to my mind that my mom had a big white Bible downstairs. I ran down stairs and opened it to the book of Jeremiah and starting reading. Then, I came to Jeremiah 29:11 – 13 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” NKJV. It was through this passage of scripture that the Lord revealed Himself to me and His purpose for my life. The Lord told me to never forget how I felt that night, because in the world, even at that exact moment, there were countless people who were just like me. People who needed to know, as the Lord revealed to me, how He feels about them. That Jesus loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them, to give them a future and a hope. That night, I committed in my heart to search for Him daily. Ever since that night I have been compelled in my heart to share the hope and love of Jesus with everyone.

Since that time, the Lord has used me and my family to help plant churches, to do door to door evangelism, to teach His Word openly in parks, to teach and serve in convalescent ministry and children’s ministry, and now to serve under Pastor Mike as an assistant pastor, as the Lord Jesus builds His Church.

My heart is that we would spend every day in prayer, in the Word, in fellowship, doing all, in and compelled by the love of Jesus, that God be glorified, the body edified, and the lost reached, as we follow Him, where He has us this day.

Contact: (208) 918-6490 pastorjeremy@cceagle.org

Support Staff

Linda Sasso

Women's Ministry & CCE Secretary

(208) 891-2635 or lindasasso@cceagle.org

Like Mike, I was saved during the “Jesus Movement.” I have been a pastor’s wife for over 37 years. At Calvary Chapel Downey I worked with Women’s Ministry for 20 years; teaching, helping with the women’s study, leading small groups, planning retreats, writing and performing in plays and so much more. I have worked as a substitute teacher at a Christian school for several years, home schooled my girls for 8 years, in June I was able to retire from working with special education students in the public school system.

For the last 40 years I have also worked alongside Mike in ministry. I always told him, “Your God is my God and your ministry is my ministry.” We started by serving together in the Convalescent Ministry. We worked together when he was Jr. High Pastor 5 years and High School Pastor 5 years. During that time we took groups of teens on mission trips to Russia, England, Scotland, Mexico, skid row-Downtown Los Angeles and more. When he became the Mission’s Pastor, I was his secretary for 7 years. We love serving Jesus together! Now I get to serve alongside Mike by serving you, the women of our church. It is such a privilege and blessing to be able to serve you. Feel free to contact me lindasasso@cceagle.org or 208 891-2635.

God Bless,

Linda Sasso

Jennifer Kalnas

Children's Ministry

I have had the privilege to be part of Children’s Ministries for 10 years now. In 2011, our family moved from Anaheim CA, where we attended Calvary Chapel East Anaheim. I served in the Children’s Ministry as the Elementary Coordinator for 8 yrs.

I was saved in 1991 & I love that the Lord is using my family to serve Him in Children’s Ministry. I have 2 boys who also serve alongside in the Children’s Ministry in various capacities. I love to see their hearts grow into wonderful servants for the Lord.

It brings great joy to watch the children who are coming to Calvary Chapel Eagle grow in their love & knowledge for the Lord. “Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” NASB. Here at Calvary Chapel Eagle, we have a wonderful team of faithful & dedicated individuals to serve in God’s Kingdom.

Blessings to you!