April 24, 2025 • 34 mins
Natalie shares her journey from skeptical teen to passionate social media manager and youth leader at Shoreline Church, revealing how God met her in her darkest moments and transformed her life.
• Finding faith during COVID through a devotional book found in a junk drawer
• Building and leading a social media ministry team at Shoreline Church
• Using technology and social media to share the gospel and invite people into church
• Working with middle school students and addressing their questions about faith, identity, and self-control
• The importance of authenticity in reaching the next generation
• How modern church environments can eliminate barriers between everyday life and spiritual experience
• Discovering ministry as a calling despite initial resistance
• Balancing the positive potential and pitfalls of social media in ministry
• Finding fulfillment in caring for people beyond technical responsibilities
If you're looking for a church in the Austin area, we encourage you to check out Shoreline Church. Services are also available online if you'd like to join from afar.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Piet Van Waarde (00:00):
No.
Natalie Galeano (00:00):
I didn't even know spring break happened.
Piet Van Waarde (00:02):
I was just kind of there I'm like, why are
there a lot of?
Natalie Galeano (00:04):
people in town.
Why is Whataburger filled at 10pm?
But yeah, because Whataburgeris my spot, I go there with my
friends like every night.
That's the only thing open.
Austin's such a big city, butnothing's open past 1 am.
Piet Van Waarde (00:18):
Well, what are you doing after 1 am?
Natalie Galeano (00:20):
Not drugs, not partying, and so there's nothing
else to do.
How?
Piet Van Waarde (00:24):
about sleep.
Natalie Galeano (00:25):
No, no, not for the young Drink water.
I feel energized, I feel happy.
Good, how are you feeling?
Piet Van Waarde (00:34):
I'm feeling good too.
I went to bed at 10.
10 pm.
Like I'm.
You know, I'm getting tired at945 and trying to get ready,
yeah.
Natalie Galeano (00:49):
I met up with my friends at 1030 last night.
Yeah, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (00:53):
I wouldn't even know when you got out.
I mean, if you tried to text me, it was already.
My phone was already up.
Natalie Galeano (01:01):
No no.
Piet Van Waarde (01:15):
But you know I am older, so that's okay.
Thank you for joining us foranother Sidewalk Conversations.
We're so grateful that you'vecome and participated.
We have another great guestwith us today.
I'm so thrilled to have one ofthe youth workers at Shoreline.
But before we get into theconversation, let me take a
moment to actually thankShoreline for their sponsorship
(01:35):
of this broadcast.
So we have a number ofdifferent sponsors over these
broadcasts and there is one thatis going to be doing today's
and that's Shoreline Church.
So if you're looking for achurch in the Austin area, I
would encourage you to check outShoreline, and they also have
services online so you can joinus from afar if you'd like as
(01:56):
well.
So today I have as my guestNatalie.
How are you, natalie?
Good to see you.
Natalie Galeano (02:05):
I'm doing good.
How are you?
Piet Van Waarde (02:06):
I'm good.
We were just talking about,when you got up today, crazy Bed
at 2.33 am Am and awake at 9 am.
Natalie Galeano (02:20):
I mean that's a good amount of sleep.
That's what.
Like seven hours, yeah, I guessso Two three, four, five, six,
seven.
Piet Van Waarde (02:25):
Yeah, whatever.
Yeah, that's there Way to go.
Yes, well, let's start off with.
What do you do?
What keeps you busy during theweek?
Natalie Galeano (02:33):
So I work at Shoreline Church as a social
media manager and marketingassistant.
Okay so that means I'm doingall on the deliverables ordering
things, getting things shipped,communicating with companies,
going back and forth withcommunications, communicating
with people upstairs, doing allthe things.
And then social media is asocial media post planning
(02:54):
content, creating all the funstuff.
Piet Van Waarde (02:56):
Love it, and then you're also involved with
the youth right.
Natalie Galeano (02:59):
On my free time .
On Sunday nights I volunteerwith the youth program as a
middle school youth leader.
So real fun.
Piet Van Waarde (03:07):
All right.
Well, let's back up a littlebit.
You have an interestingupbringing.
So, tell me a little bit howyou grew up.
Some of your key influences,that kind of thing.
Natalie Galeano (03:15):
Yeah, I grew up in a household that was pretty
Christian, lukewarm.
I went to church, saw the wholeVeggieTales stuff in preschool,
lived in Spring Texas, thenmoved to El Paso and immediately
after we moved to El Paso,around eight years old, I never
went back to church.
Piet Van Waarde (03:33):
Oh, okay.
Natalie Galeano (03:35):
Yeah, I stepped into a church maybe two or
three times the entire duration.
Piet Van Waarde (03:40):
Was that your decision, or was your family
just kind of not that much intoit?
Natalie Galeano (03:43):
Yeah, good question.
My family, I mean, didn't careto go.
It wasn't anything we talkedabout.
My dad he believes in God, theconcept of it, but just never
really pursued it, and that'skind of how I grew up.
I didn't care for God.
It wasn't that I didn't thinkhe existed.
I knew something existed, Iknew something was out there.
I just wasn't sure what it was.
And so, yeah, I never went tochurch because I just never
(04:11):
cared for it.
My mom and my little brotherkind of attended every now and
then and my best friend actuallyshout out to Hannah.
I went to school with her andshe was such a light.
She was such a light in theworld and just so joyful.
And I just noticed she wasdifferent from everyone else and
I used to ask her, like what'sdifferent about you?
And she was like, oh, like I'mchristian, I know god.
Blah, blah, blah.
(04:31):
I was like, okay, cool, didn'task really, I didn't need the
whole spiel right, but sheinvited me to church and stuff
and I'd go and I really did notlike it I did not like going to
church it was.
It was not my scene, it was toolong of dresses too, I don't
know.
I just didn't vibe with it.
And then I just rememberstepping out of the church being
like, oh, never again, I'm fine, I'm good sticking with the
(04:54):
idea of something exists, justnot sure what it is.
So I didn't care for it.
And then I moved to Austin acouple years later and my
next-door neighbor invited me toShoreline.
She's about 87 years old now.
Piet Van Waarde (05:08):
Oh, really, yeah, Okay, and you listened to
an older woman.
Natalie Galeano (05:12):
Yeah, it was during COVID time, and so she
became my best friend.
She taught me how to knit,taught me how to bake.
She's German, so she taught mesome German words too.
Piet Van Waarde (05:20):
Oh, so cool yeah.
Natalie Galeano (05:21):
And she needed a ride to church.
So she asked me to go with herand invite my mom.
So we went and from that dayforward I never stopped going.
I loved going to Shoreline.
Piet Van Waarde (05:31):
I loved Shoreline, so was it just the
church experience that?
Natalie Galeano (05:33):
was different, or?
Piet Van Waarde (05:34):
was there something also happening in your
heart that kind of made youmore open to it?
Natalie Galeano (05:38):
Yeah, it's like reverse back of what I was
saying.
I had met God during COVID,when I moved to Austin, and so
God met me in my lowest placeand I just knew that he was the
one and only God.
He was truly like the.
Piet Van Waarde (05:50):
God, Now what happened?
Did he show up in some personalway?
What was it?
That kind of got your attention?
Natalie Galeano (05:56):
Yeah, no, I was going through a really dark
period of life, like depression,shame.
I felt like I couldn't beredeemed.
I felt like nothing was goingto get better and I was stuck
here in this hole and my bestfriend would invite me to bible
studies and stuff and I would.
I would reject it and it wasn'tuntil I found a devotional book
my mom had bought and she leftit in the closet downstairs like
our junk drawer closet.
(06:17):
Anything and everything goes inthere.
There's a jang of pieces on thebottom floor.
But, um, I found that adevotional book and I started
filling it out and it wasn'tnecessarily me doing it because
I believed in god, but becauseit was like a form of therapy
for me okay, it was like oh,what do you think before today?
what are you praying for?
What bible verse?
Blah, blah.
And so I fill it out as like aprayer to be saved, to be
(06:37):
forgiven.
I don't know who I was talkingto, I just knew that I wanted to
be forgiven, um, and just feelbetter.
And I kept doing it.
And then, just one day, Istarted asking more questions
about who I was talking to.
Like, who is this God?
What does he mean?
Like, what is blah, blah, blah?
And so I'd opened up my Bibleand I started reading it and
none of it made sense to me.
But I Googled it and I keptasking questions, and there
wasn't a specific moment.
(06:58):
I just, day after day, I justbelieved more and more.
And the more curious I became,the more answers he gave me.
Piet Van Waarde (07:04):
And so so was it during that time where you
were also invited to?
Natalie Galeano (07:10):
Shoreline Was that kind of a dovetail
experience there.
Yeah, so like immediately oraround that time, I started
praying for community because Ididn't have any Christian
friends.
My only Christian friend was inEl Paso and I was still in
Austin, and so it took God threemonths to eventually have my
next door neighbor, who's alsonamed Hannah, to invite me to
church.
Piet Van Waarde (07:26):
How cool is that yeah?
Natalie Galeano (07:28):
She invited me to church and I went and at that
point I'd been cravingsomething deeper than just Bible
study, deeper than just sittingalone in my room reading my
Bible.
And I went and the worship justchanged me the way that it felt
like a Coldplay concert, but agood way.
It was a surreal moment.
I've been craving concert, I'vebeen craving worship, I've been
craving a deeper sense ofcommunity.
(07:48):
It was all there in one.
Piet Van Waarde (07:50):
I love that so cool.
So, now that you are a followerof Christ and you are quite
devoted we've had conversationsover the years about it and
you're active in youth ministrywhat are some of the things that
you enjoy doing around thechurch, outside of your role?
Natalie Galeano (08:11):
I enjoy just serving, just serving anywhere
and everywhere.
If anyone needs help, I'm there.
I used to serve, or my goalused to be as an intern.
When I was an intern was toserve at least everywhere.
Once the only place I've neverfully served was the coffee shop
.
I just never did.
But everywhere else I've served.
Piet Van Waarde (08:30):
And do you have a favorite place of service?
Natalie Galeano (08:33):
Probably tech.
I love serving the tech team.
They're very chill, very laidback.
There's always a spot to dosomething.
And so the camera, mobilecameras having the big old
cameras on your shoulder, likewalking around with them, is
like a power move on a Sunday.
I'm like, oh, you're talkingduring service.
Ha, you're on screen now, youknow.
It's really fun.
Piet Van Waarde (08:51):
So you have also picked up a camera in your
life outside the church.
What kind of piqued thatinterest.
Natalie Galeano (08:58):
That is a great question.
I used to love photography as akid, but it wasn't anything
more than just shooting on myphone.
There was a moment about twoyears ago that the social media
manager at the time was going onmaternity leave and she was
like hey guys, I'm leavingtomorrow for the next couple of
months.
Who is taking over my role?
And no one at the time was likeI don't know, no one had the
(09:21):
time to do it, no one had thecapacity.
And as an intern, I was like noone had the time to do it, no
one had the capacity.
And as an intern, I was like Ihave, I can do it.
I can do social media whileyou're gone.
I had no social media experience.
I didn't even have an Instagramaccount, and so that day I
downloaded Instagram for thefirst time and I became a social
media manager, and so with thatit is.
It's a blessing.
(09:42):
I don't know how I got there,but God put me in that position
at the right time, right space,and um, along with that he gave
me.
There was a camera there thatno one was using.
It was like a production camera, but no one really used it, and
so they're like Natalie, if youwant to use it for social media
, please go ahead and do it, andso someone at the time taught
me how to use it.
(10:03):
He was busy as well so he didin-between services every now
and then and I just picked it upand I kept learning, I kept
asking questions and from thereon I started building a social
media team and now there's asocial media team at Shoreline
on Sundays that serves and takesphotos and videos, and you're
part of leading that group,mm-hmm.
I'm super proud of it.
Yeah, you should be.
(10:25):
I want to be humble, but I didbuild it up and I'm so thankful
and grateful that I couldn'thave done it without God.
The people on my team are sodedicated.
They love what they do, andthat's something only God could
put within them, and I'm sograteful for it.
Piet Van Waarde (10:36):
Yeah, I'm guessing they also like hanging
around with you as well.
You're such an upbeat person.
You're like, okay, yeah, we getto hang out with Natalie too.
Yeah.
Natalie Galeano (10:46):
My office they talk about it kind of often.
My office is always filled withpeople, even when they're not
serving.
They come in and just hang outon my couch and we just talk and
chat about service and it's agreat time.
It's definitely a point ofcommunity for people.
Piet Van Waarde (10:59):
Okay, now let me, since you're in the social
media world, you have a lot ofconnections to what's going on
in social media and I thinkthere's a lot of critique in the
culture about social media.
It can be all-consuming,addictive People are always on
their phones or whatever.
So when you look at that,obviously you see it through the
(11:21):
positive lens of communicatingthe gospel and inviting people
into church and so on.
So, from your perspective, twoquestions really on it.
One is like what are the waysin which you're using it for
good?
How do you see it having apositive impact?
And then I want to follow it upwith a question about, like
what are some of the risks?
Natalie Galeano (11:42):
Yeah, there are always negative and positives
to everything With social media.
When people push back on it,like, oh, we shouldn't have
social media within service,like that's a delicate, rare
moment, like we should keep itjust for the moment and I agree,
there are some moments that Ifeel shouldn't be recorded,
shouldn't be put on social media.
However, my response to most ofthat is and people don't know
(12:03):
what's going on inside thechurch.
If they've never stepped into achurch, they don't know what's
going on.
And so we have the ability tominister to people online to
show them hey, there's livesbeing changed right now.
There's people who are goingthrough breakthroughs right now,
in this moment.
How else would they have seenthat?
if it wasn't through scrollingthrough Instagram.
And so I would just say socialmedia changes lives.
I mean, I know I've seenchurches, I've seen so many
(12:25):
videos of people just beingtransformed just by scrolling on
my phone.
Who else has that ability inthe world that doesn't have
access to information online?
Piet Van Waarde (12:34):
Yeah, and I think too.
One of the things I've watchedhappen with people's spiritual
development is most people,especially if not familiar with
church, won't just come in offthe street and risk going to a
service right, yeah and so ifthey have a chance to kind of
sneak a peek which social mediaallows you to do, yeah, they'll
(12:57):
be like oh well, that looks kindof cool.
I think I could go there andnot feel intimidated.
And yeah, it won't be weird,you, you know.
And so social media gives peoplea chance to have, like an
inside look without having to go, and who knows how many people
have been prompted to actuallygo as a result of that right.
Natalie Galeano (13:18):
It's like window shopping, almost Like oh,
I see what's going on there, oh, look at this great deal, like
someone's crying on the middleof the floor of worship.
That must mean there'ssomething there, there's
something going on, and I thinkthe more that we engage on
social media and post our ownthings and show people like
lives are being changed, themore people are inclined to go.
I know that when I repost stuffto my story, people are asking
(13:39):
oh, what's this event that'sgoing on?
Oh, what's that shoreline,what's coming up?
And I can respond.
I'm like, hey, come to churchand I'll show you.
And it's an invite, it'ssharing the gospel, quite
literally with one button onyour phone.
Piet Van Waarde (13:49):
Yeah, Now what do you think are the risks?
Natalie Galeano (13:51):
Ooh, social media in general, or like.
Piet Van Waarde (13:57):
Well, because what you're counting on is that
people will engage social mediain order to be exposed to the
things you're posting, but onthe other hand, you know, are
you contributing to theaddictive components of that.
Natalie Galeano (14:13):
I feel like anything can be addictive on
Instagram.
The algorithm is designed tokeep you on there, and if it
keeps you on there and it keepsfeeding you Bible content,
that's great, but also mostInstagram algorithms.
It keeps feeding you Biblecontent that's great, but also
most Instagram algorithms arenot feeding you Bible content
unless you're repeatedlyengaging in it.
So most times, if not, it'sfeeding you content that makes
(14:36):
your brain feel numb, like ifyou're on Instagram, it's to
hide away from what you're doingin real life, and I know that
when I get home from a rough day, I'm on Instagram scrolling for
hours just watching reels thathave nothing to do with anything
.
It does not make me think.
I just watch them and so it isa negative and I feel like
(15:01):
church Instagram can contributeto it.
But most times, if not, itshould redirect you to the right
place, should redirect youtowards God, to the Bible.
I know that a lot of times whenI'm just brain rotting on
Instagram.
Piet Van Waarde (15:06):
I get a reel every now and then.
Natalie Galeano (15:07):
That's like oh, go read your Bible.
Have you read your Bible todayyet I'm like you know what?
I have not.
Let me go read my Bible.
So, there are cons and thereare pros, but it depends it's in
the eye of the beholder.
You control what you see onInstagram, so that's most.
Piet Van Waarde (15:22):
Yeah, and I think you know it's like
everything you have to have abalanced perspective and you
have to know your limits, andsometimes it's actually a good
thing to say all right, you know, I'm going to give myself some
time to enjoy this and just kindof veg out.
But then I'm going to put atime limit on and say, OK, I've
had enough.
Natalie Galeano (15:40):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (15:40):
I think we need that in many areas of life
right.
Natalie Galeano (15:42):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (15:44):
All right.
So now you're.
I want to dive in a little biton the work you do with young
people.
Yeah, so we've had otherconversations about your work
with young people, but maybepeople haven't heard some of the
other things we've talked about.
So, just generally speaking,when you look at what's
happening in the youth culture,what are some of the things that
(16:04):
you're talking to people abouton a regular basis?
Natalie Galeano (16:09):
That's it, I feel, the question of sexuality
with young students.
A lot of my middle school girlsask me about that all the time,
Like where does God stand onsexuality?
Or like where does God standwith gossiping?
I know a lot of my studentsstruggle with that.
Even adults struggle withgossiping and I know that they
know the answer but it's justhow do we apply it?
(16:32):
And I feel like a lot of well,every time we have small group
circle times, they're telling meabout their day, about their
weeks, about whatever I wantedto fight this girl.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
Okay, well, how did you respond?
Like Jesus would, how did yourespond to that moment?
And most times if not, is themstruggling with self-control?
Self-control with their words,self-control with gossiping,
self-control with what they'redoing, what they're watching,
(16:53):
all the things?
Yeah yeah, but sexuality comesup a lot quite often.
Piet Van Waarde (16:58):
Now, when you say that, what do you mean
specifically?
Is it like the conversationabout gender and identity and
that kind of thing?
Or is it about intimacy andwhether or not it's okay, or is
it all of it?
Natalie Galeano (17:10):
It's all of it.
I feel like the deeperconversations come from their
identity.
They don't know who they areand they feel insecure.
I know that I became a leaderbecause I know as a middle
school girl I was very insecureand I know that the girls around
me fed into my insecurities atthe time, and so I became a
leader to show these girls like,hey, your insecurities, you
(17:32):
might feel this way, but Godsays this about you that you're
beautiful, you're loved, you'reGod's daughter, and so I just
remind my girls of that.
But it's constantly beingshaken up by the world, by the
culture around them, aroundpeople at school that tell them
they're this way or they're thisthing, and so I have to, sunday
, remind them.
Piet Van Waarde (17:47):
Jesus says this and do they listen, do you?
Natalie Galeano (17:53):
find that they hear you on those things.
Yes, to an extent as much assomeone who tells you advice
once a week can do.
I don't see them every week.
I do some of my girls.
I do mentor some students, buton a regular Sunday it's like
they can come in.
I can tell them.
But I do mentor some students,but on a regular Sunday it's
like they can come in.
I can tell them, but unless theyactually apply it and keep
themselves accountable, I can'tdo anything, and so it's just
being real with them on Sundaysas much as I can, with the
(18:15):
relational equity that I havewith them, but also
understanding that they're girls.
They're 13 to 12-year-old girls.
I can't you know.
They're going to make mistakesand I kind of have to just watch
them do it.
Piet Van Waarde (18:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Is there something that you'reencouraged about, like things
that you see happening in theyouth culture, maybe even
specifically at church, thatyou're excited about?
Natalie Galeano (18:38):
I love the passion, the passion they have,
the fire that they have.
If you look around on a Sunday,the people that are jumping
around are the young adults andthese students.
You know, um, the the fire thatthey have on a sunday night in
that room when they're jumpingall together and worshiping and
rapping the jesus lyricstogether.
It's like that's a.
Where do you find that outsideof church?
You know, um, they have so muchenergy and light and, like we
(19:01):
talked about earlier about megoing to sleep super, super late
and waking up early and yougoing to sleep really early,
waking up really early.
It's like you don't have thesame energy that I do, because
you're older.
Piet Van Waarde (19:12):
What are you saying?
Natalie Galeano (19:12):
Old I'm just kidding I used to like you.
Piet Van Waarde (19:19):
I'm sorry I got you off track.
No, it's okay, I'm going to crynow no, they have so much
energy.
Natalie Galeano (19:24):
And that energy can be put towards Jesus,
towards changing the lives ofpeople around them, towards
staying up late and preachingthe gospel to people on the
street, which I can start doingnow.
But God is good and he'sshowing these kids that he is
good.
He's showing them through theworship, through the sermons,
through the small groups onSunday, through consistency, and
so I think that's a lot ofthings.
(19:45):
Kids lack consistency throughother lives.
They have their groups and theyhave their people at school.
But that changes the next year,the next semester, the next
whatever.
But church stays the same, inthe sense of it is the same
schedule every Sunday, the samepeople they see every Sunday,
and that's what they need.
Piet Van Waarde (20:01):
Yeah, so is there a story and you don't have
to share a name, but maybe ascenario where you have seen
this kind of change that you'retalking about, where a person
moved from the sidelines of achurch experience to kind of
moving into a place of passionand excitement about Jesus?
Have you seen that?
Natalie Galeano (20:21):
I could say myself I definitely was on the
sidelines for a little bit anddove deep into church culture.
When I first started attendingShoreline, yes, I loved it, but
I didn't serve because I didn'tfeel like it.
I didn't feel passionate to doit.
And once I was invited to do aninternship, I dove deep into it
.
I became passionate.
I came on fire for Jesus.
(20:43):
Everyone knew my name because Iwas around everywhere, serving
everywhere, Even with one of mystudents.
I'm still working on her.
Jesus is still working throughher.
Jesus is working through all ofus.
But I've just seen thetransformation of where she was
to where she is now, justrepeating and reminding her what
Jesus calls her to do, whatJesus says about her, and I've
seen her just the way sheinteracts with people.
(21:05):
There was one Sunday where shejust sat alone in a corner by
herself on her phone.
I was like, hey, do you want togo talk to those new girls?
Hey, do you want to come dothis with me?
Hey, do you want to come meetwith me on Wednesday nights?
We can talk about Jesus andstuff and just the way that
she's opened up and just pursuedJesus on her own accord, while
also pursuing Jesus with othergirls.
I've seen her find these newgirls and invite them into her
(21:25):
life and walk the life thatJesus calls them to do together.
That's awesome, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (21:31):
Now looking at maybe the bigger picture when it
comes to the Big C Church.
Natalie Galeano (21:37):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (21:38):
And you know we all have different opinions
about like what it should be.
But I'm curious from yourperspective, what are some of
the things that you think wouldbe like when you look through
the lens of your own journey andsome of the girls that you
talked about, what do you thinkthe church needs to be focusing
on?
To speak to the quote unquotenext generation.
Natalie Galeano (22:02):
Authenticity we need to be more authentic in
everything that we do.
Authenticity we need to be moreauthentic in everything that we
do, authentic in our mistakes,authentic in where we're going,
authentic in, um, just who weare.
A lot of kids are craving that.
They want the real jesus, theywant the real church, they want
the real people.
Um, you could stand up on astage and have pearly white
teeth, but unless you'respeaking true, authentic words
(22:24):
and speaking truth into people,they don't want it you know,
we're tired of the filters.
I'm tired of the filters.
I just want true, raw Word ofJesus.
You know, yeah, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (22:36):
That's interesting because you know we
are in a church that has aplatform and lights and haze and
all the things.
Yeah, does that work against,do you think, the authenticity?
Natalie Galeano (22:49):
No, I don't think so.
I think that you could see itthat way, but also view it as a
way to pursue authenticity.
It's like we set up the stageand people are almost like it's
eye-catching.
You invite people into the roomand then, whenever you're on
the pulpit, you're speakingtruth, you're speaking
authenticity.
I know, for Sunday nightsespecially, they have all the
lights, they have the haze, theyhave all the things, but when
(23:11):
they're on the stage, they'respeaking nothing but word that
God, directly from God.
There's no fluff to it, it'sjust the truth.
It is what it is.
Piet Van Waarde (23:20):
I remember too, for me when I was going to
church.
I grew up in a very traditionalchurch that had the pews and
the stained glass and the formalcandles and all the ornaments
and things like that and it wasjust like I almost felt like I
was stepping back in time towalk into the space.
(23:40):
It was like no other space Iwas ever a part of.
And that kind of hadcommunicated to me that like,
this is not life, Like this issomething you go into and you do
for a you know, you do yourritual, you say your things and
then you walk out and you quoteunquote, go back to your real
world.
And one of the things I do likeabout the church employing all
(24:04):
these other technologies is likethis is like everything else in
my life, Like when I go to aconcert, this is what I see.
Or when I'm, you know, engagingwith something on video, this
is what it looks like.
And so there's this integrationof modern technology with this
ancient wisdom that I thinkreally works for people,
(24:27):
especially maybe young people.
Would you agree with that?
Yeah?
Is that a reasonable assessment.
Natalie Galeano (24:33):
I love what you said about how you feel like
you're being transformed to adifferent space when you're at
church, like the old pew churchwe're compared to now, and I
definitely agree.
It's like there's a song calledmonday morning faith of like
how your faith isn't just forsundays, it's for throughout the
week, it's for every day, and Ilove that.
Our church encouraged people tocome and whatever they want
when they're nice clothes orshorts.
(24:54):
You know, yeah, and I see thestudents come in on Sundays and
I know some of them dress upreal big, but I know a lot of
them come in clothes that theywore to school or clothes that
they wore to their practices orwhatever, and they come and they
get to learn about Jesus and gohome and apply it.
You don't have to wear yourSunday best to get the Word, you
don't have to wear your Sundaybest to.
You don't need just pews to getto know the Word of God.
(25:17):
You know, and so I love it.
Piet Van Waarde (25:20):
Yeah, and I think part of what you know.
Again, it's probably mygenerational thing showing, but
you know we were in our home,you know we would dress up for
God Like it was a matter ofrespect.
But I think for a lot of youngpeople now, as I talk to people
like yourself, it's like yeah,but that can be also for the
(25:44):
show.
You know, it's like you'reputting this thing on like I'm
better than I actually ambecause I look good or I sound
good, and there's somethingabout just being able to say I'm
going to come into thisenvironment as I am and that
might mean shorts and flip-flops.
I may not have the resourcesfor something nice, and so the
(26:08):
fact that in the youth group andI think our church overall is
this way it accepts peoplewherever they are and whatever
they can do and whatever theycan bring to the picture.
And that's what God's like right?
Natalie Galeano (26:20):
Yeah, absolutely yeah.
I literally had this debatemultiple times with people and I
don't necessarily lean oneither side of like.
Should we wear our Sunday best?
Should we not, you know, comein your Sunday flip-flops
because that's all you havesometimes.
But it's also like if you'remaking big bucks but you're
coming in with your tennis shoesand you're not really you know.
It's like what are you doing?
I feel God wants us to show upwherever we're at.
(26:42):
In a sense of like.
If I'm feeling like I'm wearingmy best Sunday clothes today,
I'm going to do that because I'mhaving church with the king,
but it's also like I'm havingchurch with the king every
single day.
This is not.
It is a special day, but it'snot necessarily.
It's not going to be.
I don't know, actually, I don'tknow.
I don't know how I feel.
I always go back and forth,because I don't lean on either
(27:03):
side, because I get it it's likeyou're having, basically having
breakfast with the king theword but also like he loves me,
no matter what I'm doing.
What do you think?
What do you lean on?
Piet Van Waarde (27:14):
Yeah Well, I like both.
I like the way you put it inthat if there's a day where I'm
feeling like I want to honor theking by putting on my best and
that's authentic with who I amand where I'm, at that time I
think absolutely.
But if there's a risk, let'ssay like I won't go if I can't
(27:35):
dress up.
I'm like no, no, however, youare, just get there, It'll be a
good thing.
If it means you have to come inyour shorts and a t-shirt and no
makeup or whatever, then itdoesn't matter to God, it really
doesn't.
And I think the more importantthing is that we're there.
As, however, we are.
Natalie Galeano (27:55):
Yeah, for sure.
Just God wants us to be there.
Show up, be there, get the word, let us not forsake the
assembling of ourselves.
Yes.
Piet Van Waarde (28:04):
All right.
So when you think about yourfuture like where are you headed
, what are the things you'relooking forward to?
Natalie Galeano (28:10):
I was thinking about that.
It sounds really depressing,but I feel like I've hit all my
goals, like the things I wantedin life, like it is a blessing
but, like I say, depressing inthe sense of like, oh, now I
have nothing else to lookforward to, but like I have
achieved what I wanted to, thethings I've been praying about
God has given me, and I'm soblessed and so thankful.
And so I'm like what do I?
What am I looking forward tonext in life?
(28:31):
And I think just seeing theflower, seeing the fruit from
what I've plowed, or seeing thefruit from what I've planted in
the past years.
And I know I'm just lookingforward to seeing my youth
students, seeing them grow up inChrist, seeing them become the
women of Christ that I know theycan be, and also looking back
on what I've done as a person,just the relationships I've made
(28:53):
in my life, what has come fromit.
So I'm looking forward tolooking back.
I'm looking forward to becomingold and going to bed at 10 pm
and looking back and seeing allthe things that have changed in
my life and what I've grown fromto what I am now.
I'm just blessed.
Piet Van Waarde (29:13):
So do you see yourself like you're in ministry
now and do you see this as aquote unquote career track?
Do you feel like you're goingto be involved with the church
as a vocational thing, or is itstill like you're questioning
whether or not that's what youwant to do and you don't have to
like know for sure.
(29:33):
How dare you?
Natalie Galeano (29:35):
No, I know that God has called me into ministry
.
I wanted to fight it.
He told me very vividly you'regoing to be in ministry, you're
going to be in ministry.
I was like, no, god, I don'twant to.
And I know God gives us freechoice and I could quit my job
and I could do whatever I wantedto do.
But I know that this is whereI'm called to be.
This is where I feel like Ibest fit.
(29:57):
All the abilities, all thegoals I have, all the gifts I
have fit where I'm doing thingsnow, and so I want to continue
doing this because I know itmakes me feel happy and I know
the people around me feelblessed for what I get to do as
well, and so if I can blessothers and bless myself with
God's hand on everything, then Iwant to do that.
(30:18):
Yeah so yeah, I see lives beingchanged every Sunday, whether
it's through taking photos orwhether it's just being able to
take care of my volunteers.
There was one Sunday that Iremember that one of my
volunteers she had been late andshe texted me like hey, like
I'm going to be late, I was OK,Well, I was waiting, I'm waiting
for you, Let me know whenyou're here.
And she texts me halfwaythrough worship and she's like I
(30:39):
can't come in, I'm in my car, Ican't come in.
So what's wrong?
She's like I'm having abreakdown right now I can't do
it.
And so I put down my camera andI ran out to the and I just
remember hugging her and tellingher like it's going to be okay.
And I knew in that moment thatmy photography, my social media
(31:03):
job, my marketing, it's morethan that.
It's taking care of people andministering to them.
And so from that day forward,like she, we mentor each other
in the sense that we take careof each other and spiritually
walk with one another.
But I just know that that iswhat I love.
I love taking care of peopleand ministering to them and
leading, and I love marketingand all the fun stuff.
(31:24):
It all combines together intoone career and I love it, and so
yes.
Piet Van Waarde (31:29):
Well, I think, if I can make an observation, I
feel like one of the things I'vereally enjoyed and it's one of
the fun things about being inthe same church for a period of
time is that you get to watchthe development of people, so
people that were kind of hangingin the background and moving
into places of leadership.
It's been really fun to watchyou take on a mantle of
(31:53):
leadership to be good at yourcraft, which you are, on a
mantle of leadership to be goodat your craft, which you are.
But then also, what you justsaid is to have a heart for
people which.
I think is at the core ofministry.
It's like yes, we have ourtasks, we have our assignments,
whether it's speaking or socialmedia or technology, but the
main assignment, of course is tocare for people and to make
(32:16):
sure that we are leading them byserving them and, from what I
can tell, you're doing thatreally well.
Natalie Galeano (32:24):
Thank you so much.
It's been fun to watch.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate that.
What about you?
What about your upcoming things?
What are you looking forward to?
Piet Van Waarde (32:34):
You're allowed to ask that question, I am.
Natalie Galeano (32:36):
It's my podcast now.
Piet Van Waarde (32:39):
Well, yeah, I'm excited about a couple things.
So I have this cancer groupthat I lead and I'm very excited
about that.
It's one of the ways in whichGod's redeemed this cancer
journey is being able to serveand help other people who are in
a similar position.
I love this podcast thing thatI do weekly.
(33:02):
I have a chance to talk togreat guests and I'm just
fascinated by interestingstories and you know, I set out
to just talk, to quote, unquoteordinary people who I see doing
pretty extraordinary things, toquote ordinary people who I see
doing pretty extraordinarythings, and so that's been a
real joy.
I also do a couple of differentthings with speaking at
(33:23):
churches and I do a littlephotography on the side as well,
and so I just kind of do anumber of different things.
I'm at a stage in life where Ihave the freedom to create my
own schedule.
Natalie Galeano (33:33):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (33:34):
And and so the things that I'm doing, I I get,
I choose to do, I love to do it.
Natalie Galeano (33:39):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (33:40):
Yeah, that's what I'm about, right now,
that's great yeah it's good.
Natalie Galeano (33:43):
Wow, being old and having so many great things,
that's like the third time yousaid that.
My apologies.
Piet Van Waarde (33:54):
I don't think you're sorry.
Natalie Galeano (33:55):
I'm not.
Piet Van Waarde (33:56):
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
I'm appreciative of Nataliebeing here and I thank you for
joining us as well.
And join us again on SidewalkConversations next week.
No.
Natalie Galeano (00:00):
I didn't even know spring break happened.
Piet Van Waarde (00:02):
I was just kind of there I'm like, why are
there a lot of?
Natalie Galeano (00:04):
people in town.
Why is Whataburger filled at 10pm?
But yeah, because Whataburgeris my spot, I go there with my
friends like every night.
That's the only thing open.
Austin's such a big city, butnothing's open past 1 am.
Piet Van Waarde (00:18):
Well, what are you doing after 1 am?
Natalie Galeano (00:20):
Not drugs, not partying, and so there's nothing
else to do.
How?
Piet Van Waarde (00:24):
about sleep.
Natalie Galeano (00:25):
No, no, not for the young Drink water.
I feel energized, I feel happy.
Good, how are you feeling?
Piet Van Waarde (00:34):
I'm feeling good too.
I went to bed at 10.
10 pm.
Like I'm.
You know, I'm getting tired at945 and trying to get ready,
yeah.
Natalie Galeano (00:49):
I met up with my friends at 1030 last night.
Yeah, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (00:53):
I wouldn't even know when you got out.
I mean, if you tried to text me, it was already.
My phone was already up.
Natalie Galeano (01:01):
No no.
Piet Van Waarde (01:15):
But you know I am older, so that's okay.
Thank you for joining us foranother Sidewalk Conversations.
We're so grateful that you'vecome and participated.
We have another great guestwith us today.
I'm so thrilled to have one ofthe youth workers at Shoreline.
But before we get into theconversation, let me take a
moment to actually thankShoreline for their sponsorship
(01:35):
of this broadcast.
So we have a number ofdifferent sponsors over these
broadcasts and there is one thatis going to be doing today's
and that's Shoreline Church.
So if you're looking for achurch in the Austin area, I
would encourage you to check outShoreline, and they also have
services online so you can joinus from afar if you'd like as
(01:56):
well.
So today I have as my guestNatalie.
How are you, natalie?
Good to see you.
Natalie Galeano (02:05):
I'm doing good.
How are you?
Piet Van Waarde (02:06):
I'm good.
We were just talking about,when you got up today, crazy Bed
at 2.33 am Am and awake at 9 am.
Natalie Galeano (02:20):
I mean that's a good amount of sleep.
That's what.
Like seven hours, yeah, I guessso Two three, four, five, six,
seven.
Piet Van Waarde (02:25):
Yeah, whatever.
Yeah, that's there Way to go.
Yes, well, let's start off with.
What do you do?
What keeps you busy during theweek?
Natalie Galeano (02:33):
So I work at Shoreline Church as a social
media manager and marketingassistant.
Okay so that means I'm doingall on the deliverables ordering
things, getting things shipped,communicating with companies,
going back and forth withcommunications, communicating
with people upstairs, doing allthe things.
And then social media is asocial media post planning
(02:54):
content, creating all the funstuff.
Piet Van Waarde (02:56):
Love it, and then you're also involved with
the youth right.
Natalie Galeano (02:59):
On my free time .
On Sunday nights I volunteerwith the youth program as a
middle school youth leader.
So real fun.
Piet Van Waarde (03:07):
All right.
Well, let's back up a littlebit.
You have an interestingupbringing.
So, tell me a little bit howyou grew up.
Some of your key influences,that kind of thing.
Natalie Galeano (03:15):
Yeah, I grew up in a household that was pretty
Christian, lukewarm.
I went to church, saw the wholeVeggieTales stuff in preschool,
lived in Spring Texas, thenmoved to El Paso and immediately
after we moved to El Paso,around eight years old, I never
went back to church.
Piet Van Waarde (03:33):
Oh, okay.
Natalie Galeano (03:35):
Yeah, I stepped into a church maybe two or
three times the entire duration.
Piet Van Waarde (03:40):
Was that your decision, or was your family
just kind of not that much intoit?
Natalie Galeano (03:43):
Yeah, good question.
My family, I mean, didn't careto go.
It wasn't anything we talkedabout.
My dad he believes in God, theconcept of it, but just never
really pursued it, and that'skind of how I grew up.
I didn't care for God.
It wasn't that I didn't thinkhe existed.
I knew something existed, Iknew something was out there.
I just wasn't sure what it was.
And so, yeah, I never went tochurch because I just never
(04:11):
cared for it.
My mom and my little brotherkind of attended every now and
then and my best friend actuallyshout out to Hannah.
I went to school with her andshe was such a light.
She was such a light in theworld and just so joyful.
And I just noticed she wasdifferent from everyone else and
I used to ask her, like what'sdifferent about you?
And she was like, oh, like I'mchristian, I know god.
Blah, blah, blah.
(04:31):
I was like, okay, cool, didn'task really, I didn't need the
whole spiel right, but sheinvited me to church and stuff
and I'd go and I really did notlike it I did not like going to
church it was.
It was not my scene, it was toolong of dresses too, I don't
know.
I just didn't vibe with it.
And then I just rememberstepping out of the church being
like, oh, never again, I'm fine, I'm good sticking with the
(04:54):
idea of something exists, justnot sure what it is.
So I didn't care for it.
And then I moved to Austin acouple years later and my
next-door neighbor invited me toShoreline.
She's about 87 years old now.
Piet Van Waarde (05:08):
Oh, really, yeah, Okay, and you listened to
an older woman.
Natalie Galeano (05:12):
Yeah, it was during COVID time, and so she
became my best friend.
She taught me how to knit,taught me how to bake.
She's German, so she taught mesome German words too.
Piet Van Waarde (05:20):
Oh, so cool yeah.
Natalie Galeano (05:21):
And she needed a ride to church.
So she asked me to go with herand invite my mom.
So we went and from that dayforward I never stopped going.
I loved going to Shoreline.
Piet Van Waarde (05:31):
I loved Shoreline, so was it just the
church experience that?
Natalie Galeano (05:33):
was different, or?
Piet Van Waarde (05:34):
was there something also happening in your
heart that kind of made youmore open to it?
Natalie Galeano (05:38):
Yeah, it's like reverse back of what I was
saying.
I had met God during COVID,when I moved to Austin, and so
God met me in my lowest placeand I just knew that he was the
one and only God.
He was truly like the.
Piet Van Waarde (05:50):
God, Now what happened?
Did he show up in some personalway?
What was it?
That kind of got your attention?
Natalie Galeano (05:56):
Yeah, no, I was going through a really dark
period of life, like depression,shame.
I felt like I couldn't beredeemed.
I felt like nothing was goingto get better and I was stuck
here in this hole and my bestfriend would invite me to bible
studies and stuff and I would.
I would reject it and it wasn'tuntil I found a devotional book
my mom had bought and she leftit in the closet downstairs like
our junk drawer closet.
(06:17):
Anything and everything goes inthere.
There's a jang of pieces on thebottom floor.
But, um, I found that adevotional book and I started
filling it out and it wasn'tnecessarily me doing it because
I believed in god, but becauseit was like a form of therapy
for me okay, it was like oh,what do you think before today?
what are you praying for?
What bible verse?
Blah, blah.
And so I fill it out as like aprayer to be saved, to be
(06:37):
forgiven.
I don't know who I was talkingto, I just knew that I wanted to
be forgiven, um, and just feelbetter.
And I kept doing it.
And then, just one day, Istarted asking more questions
about who I was talking to.
Like, who is this God?
What does he mean?
Like, what is blah, blah, blah?
And so I'd opened up my Bibleand I started reading it and
none of it made sense to me.
But I Googled it and I keptasking questions, and there
wasn't a specific moment.
(06:58):
I just, day after day, I justbelieved more and more.
And the more curious I became,the more answers he gave me.
Piet Van Waarde (07:04):
And so so was it during that time where you
were also invited to?
Natalie Galeano (07:10):
Shoreline Was that kind of a dovetail
experience there.
Yeah, so like immediately oraround that time, I started
praying for community because Ididn't have any Christian
friends.
My only Christian friend was inEl Paso and I was still in
Austin, and so it took God threemonths to eventually have my
next door neighbor, who's alsonamed Hannah, to invite me to
church.
Piet Van Waarde (07:26):
How cool is that yeah?
Natalie Galeano (07:28):
She invited me to church and I went and at that
point I'd been cravingsomething deeper than just Bible
study, deeper than just sittingalone in my room reading my
Bible.
And I went and the worship justchanged me the way that it felt
like a Coldplay concert, but agood way.
It was a surreal moment.
I've been craving concert, I'vebeen craving worship, I've been
craving a deeper sense ofcommunity.
(07:48):
It was all there in one.
Piet Van Waarde (07:50):
I love that so cool.
So, now that you are a followerof Christ and you are quite
devoted we've had conversationsover the years about it and
you're active in youth ministrywhat are some of the things that
you enjoy doing around thechurch, outside of your role?
Natalie Galeano (08:11):
I enjoy just serving, just serving anywhere
and everywhere.
If anyone needs help, I'm there.
I used to serve, or my goalused to be as an intern.
When I was an intern was toserve at least everywhere.
Once the only place I've neverfully served was the coffee shop
.
I just never did.
But everywhere else I've served.
Piet Van Waarde (08:30):
And do you have a favorite place of service?
Natalie Galeano (08:33):
Probably tech.
I love serving the tech team.
They're very chill, very laidback.
There's always a spot to dosomething.
And so the camera, mobilecameras having the big old
cameras on your shoulder, likewalking around with them, is
like a power move on a Sunday.
I'm like, oh, you're talkingduring service.
Ha, you're on screen now, youknow.
It's really fun.
Piet Van Waarde (08:51):
So you have also picked up a camera in your
life outside the church.
What kind of piqued thatinterest.
Natalie Galeano (08:58):
That is a great question.
I used to love photography as akid, but it wasn't anything
more than just shooting on myphone.
There was a moment about twoyears ago that the social media
manager at the time was going onmaternity leave and she was
like hey guys, I'm leavingtomorrow for the next couple of
months.
Who is taking over my role?
And no one at the time was likeI don't know, no one had the
(09:21):
time to do it, no one had thecapacity.
And as an intern, I was like noone had the time to do it, no
one had the capacity.
And as an intern, I was like Ihave, I can do it.
I can do social media whileyou're gone.
I had no social media experience.
I didn't even have an Instagramaccount, and so that day I
downloaded Instagram for thefirst time and I became a social
media manager, and so with thatit is.
It's a blessing.
(09:42):
I don't know how I got there,but God put me in that position
at the right time, right space,and um, along with that he gave
me.
There was a camera there thatno one was using.
It was like a production camera, but no one really used it, and
so they're like Natalie, if youwant to use it for social media
, please go ahead and do it, andso someone at the time taught
me how to use it.
(10:03):
He was busy as well so he didin-between services every now
and then and I just picked it upand I kept learning, I kept
asking questions and from thereon I started building a social
media team and now there's asocial media team at Shoreline
on Sundays that serves and takesphotos and videos, and you're
part of leading that group,mm-hmm.
I'm super proud of it.
Yeah, you should be.
(10:25):
I want to be humble, but I didbuild it up and I'm so thankful
and grateful that I couldn'thave done it without God.
The people on my team are sodedicated.
They love what they do, andthat's something only God could
put within them, and I'm sograteful for it.
Piet Van Waarde (10:36):
Yeah, I'm guessing they also like hanging
around with you as well.
You're such an upbeat person.
You're like, okay, yeah, we getto hang out with Natalie too.
Yeah.
Natalie Galeano (10:46):
My office they talk about it kind of often.
My office is always filled withpeople, even when they're not
serving.
They come in and just hang outon my couch and we just talk and
chat about service and it's agreat time.
It's definitely a point ofcommunity for people.
Piet Van Waarde (10:59):
Okay, now let me, since you're in the social
media world, you have a lot ofconnections to what's going on
in social media and I thinkthere's a lot of critique in the
culture about social media.
It can be all-consuming,addictive People are always on
their phones or whatever.
So when you look at that,obviously you see it through the
(11:21):
positive lens of communicatingthe gospel and inviting people
into church and so on.
So, from your perspective, twoquestions really on it.
One is like what are the waysin which you're using it for
good?
How do you see it having apositive impact?
And then I want to follow it upwith a question about, like
what are some of the risks?
Natalie Galeano (11:42):
Yeah, there are always negative and positives
to everything With social media.
When people push back on it,like, oh, we shouldn't have
social media within service,like that's a delicate, rare
moment, like we should keep itjust for the moment and I agree,
there are some moments that Ifeel shouldn't be recorded,
shouldn't be put on social media.
However, my response to most ofthat is and people don't know
(12:03):
what's going on inside thechurch.
If they've never stepped into achurch, they don't know what's
going on.
And so we have the ability tominister to people online to
show them hey, there's livesbeing changed right now.
There's people who are goingthrough breakthroughs right now,
in this moment.
How else would they have seenthat?
if it wasn't through scrollingthrough Instagram.
And so I would just say socialmedia changes lives.
I mean, I know I've seenchurches, I've seen so many
(12:25):
videos of people just beingtransformed just by scrolling on
my phone.
Who else has that ability inthe world that doesn't have
access to information online?
Piet Van Waarde (12:34):
Yeah, and I think too.
One of the things I've watchedhappen with people's spiritual
development is most people,especially if not familiar with
church, won't just come in offthe street and risk going to a
service right, yeah and so ifthey have a chance to kind of
sneak a peek which social mediaallows you to do, yeah, they'll
(12:57):
be like oh well, that looks kindof cool.
I think I could go there andnot feel intimidated.
And yeah, it won't be weird,you, you know.
And so social media gives peoplea chance to have, like an
inside look without having to go, and who knows how many people
have been prompted to actuallygo as a result of that right.
Natalie Galeano (13:18):
It's like window shopping, almost Like oh,
I see what's going on there, oh, look at this great deal, like
someone's crying on the middleof the floor of worship.
That must mean there'ssomething there, there's
something going on, and I thinkthe more that we engage on
social media and post our ownthings and show people like
lives are being changed, themore people are inclined to go.
I know that when I repost stuffto my story, people are asking
(13:39):
oh, what's this event that'sgoing on?
Oh, what's that shoreline,what's coming up?
And I can respond.
I'm like, hey, come to churchand I'll show you.
And it's an invite, it'ssharing the gospel, quite
literally with one button onyour phone.
Piet Van Waarde (13:49):
Yeah, Now what do you think are the risks?
Natalie Galeano (13:51):
Ooh, social media in general, or like.
Piet Van Waarde (13:57):
Well, because what you're counting on is that
people will engage social mediain order to be exposed to the
things you're posting, but onthe other hand, you know, are
you contributing to theaddictive components of that.
Natalie Galeano (14:13):
I feel like anything can be addictive on
Instagram.
The algorithm is designed tokeep you on there, and if it
keeps you on there and it keepsfeeding you Bible content,
that's great, but also mostInstagram algorithms.
It keeps feeding you Biblecontent that's great, but also
most Instagram algorithms arenot feeding you Bible content
unless you're repeatedlyengaging in it.
So most times, if not, it'sfeeding you content that makes
(14:36):
your brain feel numb, like ifyou're on Instagram, it's to
hide away from what you're doingin real life, and I know that
when I get home from a rough day, I'm on Instagram scrolling for
hours just watching reels thathave nothing to do with anything
.
It does not make me think.
I just watch them and so it isa negative and I feel like
(15:01):
church Instagram can contributeto it.
But most times, if not, itshould redirect you to the right
place, should redirect youtowards God, to the Bible.
I know that a lot of times whenI'm just brain rotting on
Instagram.
Piet Van Waarde (15:06):
I get a reel every now and then.
Natalie Galeano (15:07):
That's like oh, go read your Bible.
Have you read your Bible todayyet I'm like you know what?
I have not.
Let me go read my Bible.
So, there are cons and thereare pros, but it depends it's in
the eye of the beholder.
You control what you see onInstagram, so that's most.
Piet Van Waarde (15:22):
Yeah, and I think you know it's like
everything you have to have abalanced perspective and you
have to know your limits, andsometimes it's actually a good
thing to say all right, you know, I'm going to give myself some
time to enjoy this and just kindof veg out.
But then I'm going to put atime limit on and say, OK, I've
had enough.
Natalie Galeano (15:40):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (15:40):
I think we need that in many areas of life
right.
Natalie Galeano (15:42):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (15:44):
All right.
So now you're.
I want to dive in a little biton the work you do with young
people.
Yeah, so we've had otherconversations about your work
with young people, but maybepeople haven't heard some of the
other things we've talked about.
So, just generally speaking,when you look at what's
happening in the youth culture,what are some of the things that
(16:04):
you're talking to people abouton a regular basis?
Natalie Galeano (16:09):
That's it, I feel, the question of sexuality
with young students.
A lot of my middle school girlsask me about that all the time,
Like where does God stand onsexuality?
Or like where does God standwith gossiping?
I know a lot of my studentsstruggle with that.
Even adults struggle withgossiping and I know that they
know the answer but it's justhow do we apply it?
(16:32):
And I feel like a lot of well,every time we have small group
circle times, they're telling meabout their day, about their
weeks, about whatever I wantedto fight this girl.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
Okay, well, how did you respond?
Like Jesus would, how did yourespond to that moment?
And most times if not, is themstruggling with self-control?
Self-control with their words,self-control with gossiping,
self-control with what they'redoing, what they're watching,
(16:53):
all the things?
Yeah yeah, but sexuality comesup a lot quite often.
Piet Van Waarde (16:58):
Now, when you say that, what do you mean
specifically?
Is it like the conversationabout gender and identity and
that kind of thing?
Or is it about intimacy andwhether or not it's okay, or is
it all of it?
Natalie Galeano (17:10):
It's all of it.
I feel like the deeperconversations come from their
identity.
They don't know who they areand they feel insecure.
I know that I became a leaderbecause I know as a middle
school girl I was very insecureand I know that the girls around
me fed into my insecurities atthe time, and so I became a
leader to show these girls like,hey, your insecurities, you
(17:32):
might feel this way, but Godsays this about you that you're
beautiful, you're loved, you'reGod's daughter, and so I just
remind my girls of that.
But it's constantly beingshaken up by the world, by the
culture around them, aroundpeople at school that tell them
they're this way or they're thisthing, and so I have to, sunday
, remind them.
Piet Van Waarde (17:47):
Jesus says this and do they listen, do you?
Natalie Galeano (17:53):
find that they hear you on those things.
Yes, to an extent as much assomeone who tells you advice
once a week can do.
I don't see them every week.
I do some of my girls.
I do mentor some students, buton a regular Sunday it's like
they can come in.
I can tell them.
But I do mentor some students,but on a regular Sunday it's
like they can come in.
I can tell them, but unless theyactually apply it and keep
themselves accountable, I can'tdo anything, and so it's just
being real with them on Sundaysas much as I can, with the
(18:15):
relational equity that I havewith them, but also
understanding that they're girls.
They're 13 to 12-year-old girls.
I can't you know.
They're going to make mistakesand I kind of have to just watch
them do it.
Piet Van Waarde (18:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Is there something that you'reencouraged about, like things
that you see happening in theyouth culture, maybe even
specifically at church, thatyou're excited about?
Natalie Galeano (18:38):
I love the passion, the passion they have,
the fire that they have.
If you look around on a Sunday,the people that are jumping
around are the young adults andthese students.
You know, um, the the fire thatthey have on a sunday night in
that room when they're jumpingall together and worshiping and
rapping the jesus lyricstogether.
It's like that's a.
Where do you find that outsideof church?
You know, um, they have so muchenergy and light and, like we
(19:01):
talked about earlier about megoing to sleep super, super late
and waking up early and yougoing to sleep really early,
waking up really early.
It's like you don't have thesame energy that I do, because
you're older.
Piet Van Waarde (19:12):
What are you saying?
Natalie Galeano (19:12):
Old I'm just kidding I used to like you.
Piet Van Waarde (19:19):
I'm sorry I got you off track.
No, it's okay, I'm going to crynow no, they have so much
energy.
Natalie Galeano (19:24):
And that energy can be put towards Jesus,
towards changing the lives ofpeople around them, towards
staying up late and preachingthe gospel to people on the
street, which I can start doingnow.
But God is good and he'sshowing these kids that he is
good.
He's showing them through theworship, through the sermons,
through the small groups onSunday, through consistency, and
so I think that's a lot ofthings.
(19:45):
Kids lack consistency throughother lives.
They have their groups and theyhave their people at school.
But that changes the next year,the next semester, the next
whatever.
But church stays the same, inthe sense of it is the same
schedule every Sunday, the samepeople they see every Sunday,
and that's what they need.
Piet Van Waarde (20:01):
Yeah, so is there a story and you don't have
to share a name, but maybe ascenario where you have seen
this kind of change that you'retalking about, where a person
moved from the sidelines of achurch experience to kind of
moving into a place of passionand excitement about Jesus?
Have you seen that?
Natalie Galeano (20:21):
I could say myself I definitely was on the
sidelines for a little bit anddove deep into church culture.
When I first started attendingShoreline, yes, I loved it, but
I didn't serve because I didn'tfeel like it.
I didn't feel passionate to doit.
And once I was invited to do aninternship, I dove deep into it
.
I became passionate.
I came on fire for Jesus.
(20:43):
Everyone knew my name because Iwas around everywhere, serving
everywhere, Even with one of mystudents.
I'm still working on her.
Jesus is still working throughher.
Jesus is working through all ofus.
But I've just seen thetransformation of where she was
to where she is now, justrepeating and reminding her what
Jesus calls her to do, whatJesus says about her, and I've
seen her just the way sheinteracts with people.
(21:05):
There was one Sunday where shejust sat alone in a corner by
herself on her phone.
I was like, hey, do you want togo talk to those new girls?
Hey, do you want to come dothis with me?
Hey, do you want to come meetwith me on Wednesday nights?
We can talk about Jesus andstuff and just the way that
she's opened up and just pursuedJesus on her own accord, while
also pursuing Jesus with othergirls.
I've seen her find these newgirls and invite them into her
(21:25):
life and walk the life thatJesus calls them to do together.
That's awesome, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (21:31):
Now looking at maybe the bigger picture when it
comes to the Big C Church.
Natalie Galeano (21:37):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (21:38):
And you know we all have different opinions
about like what it should be.
But I'm curious from yourperspective, what are some of
the things that you think wouldbe like when you look through
the lens of your own journey andsome of the girls that you
talked about, what do you thinkthe church needs to be focusing
on?
To speak to the quote unquotenext generation.
Natalie Galeano (22:02):
Authenticity we need to be more authentic in
everything that we do.
Authenticity we need to be moreauthentic in everything that we
do, authentic in our mistakes,authentic in where we're going,
authentic in, um, just who weare.
A lot of kids are craving that.
They want the real jesus, theywant the real church, they want
the real people.
Um, you could stand up on astage and have pearly white
teeth, but unless you'respeaking true, authentic words
(22:24):
and speaking truth into people,they don't want it you know,
we're tired of the filters.
I'm tired of the filters.
I just want true, raw Word ofJesus.
You know, yeah, yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (22:36):
That's interesting because you know we
are in a church that has aplatform and lights and haze and
all the things.
Yeah, does that work against,do you think, the authenticity?
Natalie Galeano (22:49):
No, I don't think so.
I think that you could see itthat way, but also view it as a
way to pursue authenticity.
It's like we set up the stageand people are almost like it's
eye-catching.
You invite people into the roomand then, whenever you're on
the pulpit, you're speakingtruth, you're speaking
authenticity.
I know, for Sunday nightsespecially, they have all the
lights, they have the haze, theyhave all the things, but when
(23:11):
they're on the stage, they'respeaking nothing but word that
God, directly from God.
There's no fluff to it, it'sjust the truth.
It is what it is.
Piet Van Waarde (23:20):
I remember too, for me when I was going to
church.
I grew up in a very traditionalchurch that had the pews and
the stained glass and the formalcandles and all the ornaments
and things like that and it wasjust like I almost felt like I
was stepping back in time towalk into the space.
(23:40):
It was like no other space Iwas ever a part of.
And that kind of hadcommunicated to me that like,
this is not life, Like this issomething you go into and you do
for a you know, you do yourritual, you say your things and
then you walk out and you quoteunquote, go back to your real
world.
And one of the things I do likeabout the church employing all
(24:04):
these other technologies is likethis is like everything else in
my life, Like when I go to aconcert, this is what I see.
Or when I'm, you know, engagingwith something on video, this
is what it looks like.
And so there's this integrationof modern technology with this
ancient wisdom that I thinkreally works for people,
(24:27):
especially maybe young people.
Would you agree with that?
Yeah?
Is that a reasonable assessment.
Natalie Galeano (24:33):
I love what you said about how you feel like
you're being transformed to adifferent space when you're at
church, like the old pew churchwe're compared to now, and I
definitely agree.
It's like there's a song calledmonday morning faith of like
how your faith isn't just forsundays, it's for throughout the
week, it's for every day, and Ilove that.
Our church encouraged people tocome and whatever they want
when they're nice clothes orshorts.
(24:54):
You know, yeah, and I see thestudents come in on Sundays and
I know some of them dress upreal big, but I know a lot of
them come in clothes that theywore to school or clothes that
they wore to their practices orwhatever, and they come and they
get to learn about Jesus and gohome and apply it.
You don't have to wear yourSunday best to get the Word, you
don't have to wear your Sundaybest to.
You don't need just pews to getto know the Word of God.
(25:17):
You know, and so I love it.
Piet Van Waarde (25:20):
Yeah, and I think part of what you know.
Again, it's probably mygenerational thing showing, but
you know we were in our home,you know we would dress up for
God Like it was a matter ofrespect.
But I think for a lot of youngpeople now, as I talk to people
like yourself, it's like yeah,but that can be also for the
(25:44):
show.
You know, it's like you'reputting this thing on like I'm
better than I actually ambecause I look good or I sound
good, and there's somethingabout just being able to say I'm
going to come into thisenvironment as I am and that
might mean shorts and flip-flops.
I may not have the resourcesfor something nice, and so the
(26:08):
fact that in the youth group andI think our church overall is
this way it accepts peoplewherever they are and whatever
they can do and whatever theycan bring to the picture.
And that's what God's like right?
Natalie Galeano (26:20):
Yeah, absolutely yeah.
I literally had this debatemultiple times with people and I
don't necessarily lean oneither side of like.
Should we wear our Sunday best?
Should we not, you know, comein your Sunday flip-flops
because that's all you havesometimes.
But it's also like if you'remaking big bucks but you're
coming in with your tennis shoesand you're not really you know.
It's like what are you doing?
I feel God wants us to show upwherever we're at.
(26:42):
In a sense of like.
If I'm feeling like I'm wearingmy best Sunday clothes today,
I'm going to do that because I'mhaving church with the king,
but it's also like I'm havingchurch with the king every
single day.
This is not.
It is a special day, but it'snot necessarily.
It's not going to be.
I don't know, actually, I don'tknow.
I don't know how I feel.
I always go back and forth,because I don't lean on either
(27:03):
side, because I get it it's likeyou're having, basically having
breakfast with the king theword but also like he loves me,
no matter what I'm doing.
What do you think?
What do you lean on?
Piet Van Waarde (27:14):
Yeah Well, I like both.
I like the way you put it inthat if there's a day where I'm
feeling like I want to honor theking by putting on my best and
that's authentic with who I amand where I'm, at that time I
think absolutely.
But if there's a risk, let'ssay like I won't go if I can't
(27:35):
dress up.
I'm like no, no, however, youare, just get there, It'll be a
good thing.
If it means you have to come inyour shorts and a t-shirt and no
makeup or whatever, then itdoesn't matter to God, it really
doesn't.
And I think the more importantthing is that we're there.
As, however, we are.
Natalie Galeano (27:55):
Yeah, for sure.
Just God wants us to be there.
Show up, be there, get the word, let us not forsake the
assembling of ourselves.
Yes.
Piet Van Waarde (28:04):
All right.
So when you think about yourfuture like where are you headed
, what are the things you'relooking forward to?
Natalie Galeano (28:10):
I was thinking about that.
It sounds really depressing,but I feel like I've hit all my
goals, like the things I wantedin life, like it is a blessing
but, like I say, depressing inthe sense of like, oh, now I
have nothing else to lookforward to, but like I have
achieved what I wanted to, thethings I've been praying about
God has given me, and I'm soblessed and so thankful.
And so I'm like what do I?
What am I looking forward tonext in life?
(28:31):
And I think just seeing theflower, seeing the fruit from
what I've plowed, or seeing thefruit from what I've planted in
the past years.
And I know I'm just lookingforward to seeing my youth
students, seeing them grow up inChrist, seeing them become the
women of Christ that I know theycan be, and also looking back
on what I've done as a person,just the relationships I've made
(28:53):
in my life, what has come fromit.
So I'm looking forward tolooking back.
I'm looking forward to becomingold and going to bed at 10 pm
and looking back and seeing allthe things that have changed in
my life and what I've grown fromto what I am now.
I'm just blessed.
Piet Van Waarde (29:13):
So do you see yourself like you're in ministry
now and do you see this as aquote unquote career track?
Do you feel like you're goingto be involved with the church
as a vocational thing, or is itstill like you're questioning
whether or not that's what youwant to do and you don't have to
like know for sure.
(29:33):
How dare you?
Natalie Galeano (29:35):
No, I know that God has called me into ministry
.
I wanted to fight it.
He told me very vividly you'regoing to be in ministry, you're
going to be in ministry.
I was like, no, god, I don'twant to.
And I know God gives us freechoice and I could quit my job
and I could do whatever I wantedto do.
But I know that this is whereI'm called to be.
This is where I feel like Ibest fit.
(29:57):
All the abilities, all thegoals I have, all the gifts I
have fit where I'm doing thingsnow, and so I want to continue
doing this because I know itmakes me feel happy and I know
the people around me feelblessed for what I get to do as
well, and so if I can blessothers and bless myself with
God's hand on everything, then Iwant to do that.
(30:18):
Yeah so yeah, I see lives beingchanged every Sunday, whether
it's through taking photos orwhether it's just being able to
take care of my volunteers.
There was one Sunday that Iremember that one of my
volunteers she had been late andshe texted me like hey, like
I'm going to be late, I was OK,Well, I was waiting, I'm waiting
for you, Let me know whenyou're here.
And she texts me halfwaythrough worship and she's like I
(30:39):
can't come in, I'm in my car, Ican't come in.
So what's wrong?
She's like I'm having abreakdown right now I can't do
it.
And so I put down my camera andI ran out to the and I just
remember hugging her and tellingher like it's going to be okay.
And I knew in that moment thatmy photography, my social media
(31:03):
job, my marketing, it's morethan that.
It's taking care of people andministering to them.
And so from that day forward,like she, we mentor each other
in the sense that we take careof each other and spiritually
walk with one another.
But I just know that that iswhat I love.
I love taking care of peopleand ministering to them and
leading, and I love marketingand all the fun stuff.
(31:24):
It all combines together intoone career and I love it, and so
yes.
Piet Van Waarde (31:29):
Well, I think, if I can make an observation, I
feel like one of the things I'vereally enjoyed and it's one of
the fun things about being inthe same church for a period of
time is that you get to watchthe development of people, so
people that were kind of hangingin the background and moving
into places of leadership.
It's been really fun to watchyou take on a mantle of
(31:53):
leadership to be good at yourcraft, which you are, on a
mantle of leadership to be goodat your craft, which you are.
But then also, what you justsaid is to have a heart for
people which.
I think is at the core ofministry.
It's like yes, we have ourtasks, we have our assignments,
whether it's speaking or socialmedia or technology, but the
main assignment, of course is tocare for people and to make
(32:16):
sure that we are leading them byserving them and, from what I
can tell, you're doing thatreally well.
Natalie Galeano (32:24):
Thank you so much.
It's been fun to watch.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate that.
What about you?
What about your upcoming things?
What are you looking forward to?
Piet Van Waarde (32:34):
You're allowed to ask that question, I am.
Natalie Galeano (32:36):
It's my podcast now.
Piet Van Waarde (32:39):
Well, yeah, I'm excited about a couple things.
So I have this cancer groupthat I lead and I'm very excited
about that.
It's one of the ways in whichGod's redeemed this cancer
journey is being able to serveand help other people who are in
a similar position.
I love this podcast thing thatI do weekly.
(33:02):
I have a chance to talk togreat guests and I'm just
fascinated by interestingstories and you know, I set out
to just talk, to quote, unquoteordinary people who I see doing
pretty extraordinary things, toquote ordinary people who I see
doing pretty extraordinarythings, and so that's been a
real joy.
I also do a couple of differentthings with speaking at
(33:23):
churches and I do a littlephotography on the side as well,
and so I just kind of do anumber of different things.
I'm at a stage in life where Ihave the freedom to create my
own schedule.
Natalie Galeano (33:33):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (33:34):
And and so the things that I'm doing, I I get,
I choose to do, I love to do it.
Natalie Galeano (33:39):
Yeah.
Piet Van Waarde (33:40):
Yeah, that's what I'm about, right now,
that's great yeah it's good.
Natalie Galeano (33:43):
Wow, being old and having so many great things,
that's like the third time yousaid that.
My apologies.
Piet Van Waarde (33:54):
I don't think you're sorry.
Natalie Galeano (33:55):
I'm not.
Piet Van Waarde (33:56):
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
I'm appreciative of Nataliebeing here and I thank you for
joining us as well.
And join us again on SidewalkConversations next week.
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