About Compass
Get to know our mission and our staff!
Our Story
Compass was birthed out of a desire to see the generation of youths leaving Teen Haven and entering into adulthood find purpose, discipleship, and community. Teen Haven is and has been, equipping urban youth through Christian faith and guidance and giving young people opportunities to launch into a life of leadership and purpose by providing a safe, fun, and loving environment, diverse and creative programs, and building trusting relationships. However, the question was raised, “How do we continue to walk with this generation into their young adult years to help them maintain trusting relationships and walk into spiritual, vocational, and educational maturity?”
It was from this heart that Compass was born. The mission of Compass is to provide tools and opportunities for young adults to be successful spiritually, academically, and vocationally. The vision is to empower and equip young adults through guidance and community to find and pursue their life calling while also having the opportunity to grow in discipleship and spiritual formation. We do this by pointing people to their true North – Jesus Christ, by equipping them spiritually as well as practically with tools to live their adulthood well, by helping them to understand their true worth and identity, and by helping them to understand and define success in their own lives.
Compass operates a Life-on-life model of ministry, where the staff and volunteers seek to build authentic relationships and walk alongside the young adults through each season they are in. We are doing life together while walking and growing in faith. We demonstrate a godly community and foster the tools needed for young adults to grow where they are planted.
Our Staff
Nick Smith
Compass Director
Rev. Nick Smith is blessed to be a part of what God is doing through Compass and the Young Adult community here in Lancaster City.
Nick is a West Coast kid, born and semi-raised in southern California. He moved to Kansas as a teen where he eventually attended and graduated from Wichita State University. There he majored in Technical Theatre emphasis in Sound Design. Shortly after graduation, Nick was called into full-time ministry. He attended Asbury Theological Seminary where he received his MDiv. He was ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene and is currently licensed as a minister with Victory Church here in Lancaster County PA. Nick pastored in Kansas for 10 years before the Lord moved him and his family to the East Coast. Nick has been the Director of Compass since January of 2023.
Nick is married to his wonderful wife Kylie Jo and they have two amazing children; Isaiah and Rebekah. In his free time, he enjoys nerding out over theology, watching movies, playing guitar, and enjoying sabbath time with his family.
Teen Haven and Compass Program Manager
Diana Serrano
Diana grew up in the inner city of Lancaster and is proud of her Puerto Rican descent. Raised by a mother who did all she could to take care of her and her brothers, Diana learned at a very young age the importance of prayer and keeping God first and center above all else.
As she says, her journey has been one of many mistakes, lots of rejection and loneliness, healing, owning and disowning. She's learned to embrace all of who she is because Christ created her to reflect His image on earth!
Her hope is to impart what she's learned along the way to the next generation, teaching them how to reflect Christ and carry out His call and purpose for their lives in a way only they can; for the places He will lead them to.
The most important thing to her is knowing who we are in Christ. Our identity in Him does not change though situations and circumstances will. It’s in this never-ending, immovable fact that we can build our lives on. Because He doesn’t change, our identity in Him is always secure.
