Pastor Tim Jones, Community Lutheran Church, Oceanside:

At Community Lutheran in Oceanside, our mission is building committed followers of Jesus Christ. We believe there are two aspects to this mission. The first is building up and equipping people within the community of our congregation with the Word of God. To accomplish this mission, we rely on God¹s grace and Spirit to help us keep His Word at the center of our teaching, worship, and use of the sacraments (baptism and communion). Our great desire is that people would continually grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through an ever-increasing knowledge of Him, His grace, and His ways as they follow Him.

The second aspect of our mission is laying a foundation to build upon in the life of people who are not yet Christ-followers. We do this by sharing the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ with them. We seek to do this through various means - demonstrating God¹s love by serving others in practical ways like helping the Bread of Life and other agencies, supporting overseas missions, and looking for creative ways to meet the needs of people around us. The other is by training our members in different methods of evangelism.

Pastor Chris Clark, East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church:

Our church¹s purpose is rather simple: to help people discover and do God¹s will.

That¹s because it was Jesus who identified the Greatest Commandments: to love God and love people. Jesus was also the One who described the one who loved Him: he was the one who kept Jesus¹ commandments. So if we want to fulfill the Great Commandment, we need to be about doing what Jesus commanded. In other words, we need to be about doing God¹s will.

How are we accomplishing this? We are busy helping people who do not believe in Jesus Christ to discover God¹s will for them, which is to become believers in Jesus Christ. So, we share the Good News of Jesus with them.

Once a person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, we want to help him discover God¹s will, which would be to become a follower of Jesus. So, we help them with ways to fellowship with Jesus daily.

Once that person is following Jesus as His disciple, we want to help him discover God¹s will even further, which is to become a doer of His word. So, we provide opportunities for them to be involved in ministry and service.

Pastor Milton Hopkins, Sr., Central Church of Christ, Oceanside:

According to Matthew Chapter 28:18-19, the mission of the Church as given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a two fold mission. That is to ³Save the Lost² and ³Keep the saved, saved.²

We carry this out at Central Church of Christ by proclaiming his life changing message in sermons each Sunday, that Jesus Christ is Lord of our life and that He has a message that will heal the hearts and souls of men in this complex world in which we live. No matter what our situations are, Jesus is the answer to the problem and His spirit can empower us to greater living.

At Central, our goal also is to create an environment whereby Christ can be seen in our lives, so that we can be that light that the world is so desperately in need of.

Pastor Gary Boggs, Calvary Chapel Coronado:

When it comes to a question like this, there are plenty of standard answers: ³We¹re here to be salt and light,² or ³Our purpose is to spread the love of Jesus in our community.² These are valid answers, and very true -- but there is more. The church exists to fulfill the commission of our Lord to ³¹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit¹...² (Matt 28:19) The next verse has come to be our purpose in the community: ³...¹teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.¹ Amen.² (Matt 28:20)

 The focus of our ministry at Calvary Chapel Coronado is to teach the Word of God simply and plainly, so that people understand who Jesus is and what having a personal relationship with Him truly means. We offer worship services and studies throughout the week that focus on the inter-relation of the whole counsel of God as laid out in the Bible, and its application to our everyday lives today.

Pastor Jose F. Munoz, Trinity Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, Chula Vista:

The purpose of Trinity Fellowship Christian Reformed Church is to demonstrate the openness and genuineness of Jesus¹ love to those inside and outside His family.

We anticipate seeing God¹s power at work in other¹s lives through our prayers and outreach -- restoring those alienated from God, healing the broken and feeding the hungry. Partners with the Holy Spirit, we look forward to being those who love and care deeply.

Our vision as people called by God, we see the church as a growing, diverse family of vibrant congregations in which thousands worship God celebratively, grow in his Word, and honor the Creator as Lord. We also see Christ¹s forgiveness liberating women and men, boys and girls in all places and cultures, shaping the church to respond with gratitude; the Spirit releasing gifts to all for ministries of love, mercy, and justice -- combined with an articulate witness, which changes hearts and lives by proclaiming wholeness in Christ alone.

Pastor George Bender, The Neighborhood Church, Escondido:

Our church views its purpose as three-fold. First, we exist to worship God. We seek to provide an atmosphere where people can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Second, we exist to edify the believer. We seek to provide a place where people can learn, grow and mature in their relationship with Christ, fellowship with other believers and train to effectively minister to our community.

Finally, we exist to evangelize the lost. We seek to proclaim the message of Christ Jesus to those parts of our community void of the presence of God.

Our mission statement reflects our purpose: ³Where God¹s power changes lives, to impact our community.² Our strategic plan is rooted in being intentional about our mission. Everything we plan and attempt is strained through this three-fold purpose. We are committed, with the Lord¹s guidance and assistance, to seeing God¹s purpose for our community become a reality.

Pastor Homer Allen, Community Full Gospel Church, Imperial Beach:

Our purpose is to reach the unchurched in our community for Christ. We have designed a church to meet the needs of people who are not drawn to the conventional church.

Our methods are always changing, but meet the needs and interest of people who were not raised with a church background. Each sermon is designed to present the truths of God as they apply to our everyday lives.

Our goal is to lead this community to a personal relationship with God.

Pastor Robert Pascoe, Living Water Foursquare Church, San Marcos:

The Lord has created an atmosphere in our church where seekers can find fellowship, participation, worship and a deeper study of the Bible for application. The Word teaches us in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We believe Jesus Christ is the Savior, Healer, Baptizer and soon Coming King. Our church has a heart for the community and the youth of this generation. We are witnessing God¹s miracle working power in both body and heart.

Our church provides a 10 a.m. Sunday service with K-6th grade Kid¹s Church at the Hampton Inn in San Marcos, as well as a Tuesday 7 p.m. Bible study and worship time in the small chapel at Crossroads Church, San Marcos. We welcome all who would like to join us as we explore the Word of God and the movement of His presence.

Pastor Bert Fairweather, Crest Community Church:

The Crest Community Church is dedicated to the purpose of fulfilling Christ¹s great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. To accomplish this objective we have a number of programs to reach our community. During the summer months we have an outreach to the youth of our area through a Vacation Bible School and youth camps. We also have an Awana program to help our young people learn and memorize the Bible. On Sunday evenings we have a program of food, fun, and faith. Our kids can come and eat and play games and hear about faith in Christ. We also have services to teach and instruct all ages in the Word of God.Every Easter, our church, with the cooperation of the other churches in Crest, have a Sunrise Service in Nancy Jane Park. It has been an annual event for over 12 years.After the fire of October 2003, our church helped to distribute clothing and material goods to those in need. For the past two years, the Mennonites and the Reformed church have used our facilities for cooking their meals. These organizations helped rebuild homes that were destroyed in the fire. We trust that the people of our community will understand that we are interested in their total being. We trust God will bless our area and may all people hear and see that God loves them.

Pastor Terry Yoder, Calvary Baptist Church, Oceanside:

Our first priority is to love the Lord, to richly enjoy Him. Flowing out of that joy, we glorify Him through cheerful obedience, as our community¹s greatest need is to see God¹s holiness in us. To do that we must love His Word, so our goal is the careful study and application of the Scripture, championing its inerrancy and sufficiency, and through expository teaching and preaching to be full of grace and truth. Our community needs truth, so we must be people of truth with the skill to apply it in wisdom to the needs of man.

Secondly, we must love the brethren. When the community sees committed relationships across cultural lines, they see Jesus at work, so our goal is to tangibly love each other through work parties, picnics, birthday celebrations, moving days, etc. When neighbors see us bringing meals, visiting the sick, mowing lawns, and cleaning houses, they see the testimony of Christ¹s saving power.

Finally, we must love the lost. When we understand the gospel, we are motivated to pray for and share truth with those without Christ. We aim to do this through ongoing evangelism training, monthly outreaches, prayer meetings, and personal witnessing.

Pastor Steven Barnard, Metro Church, La Mesa:

The purpose of Metro Church San Diego is to reach the lost by spreading the good news to all the world and to equip the saints to be the light and salt we are all called to be. The harvest is greater now more than ever, the world is hurting now more than ever, there is more brokenness and darkness now than ever before. The world needs the church now more than ever before.

 Metro Church has for 35 years always been a house of healing and restoration, a spiritual hospital where some are being restored, some are learning to restore and others are being used of God to restore. Our purpose for worship at Metro is to put Him first; we don¹t gather at His house for ourselves, we gather for Him. We don¹t come to His house to ask, but we come to serve. We humble ourselves to bring Him the glory and then He in due season exalts our lives.

 The purpose of Metro Church is to preach the good news to the poor, offer hope and healing to the broken hearted, to declare that deliverance is here for the captive, that recovery is possible to the blind, that freedom is available for the oppressed and He is accepting to those who think they are unacceptable.

The purpose of His house is to be a house of faith, hope and love.

Pastor Mike Fleischman, Riverview Church, Bonsall:

The purpose of Riverview Church is to be a community of grace where ordinary people are being transformed day-by-day and helping others along the way.

The first part of that definition is grounded in authenticity to genuinely be that which we are calling others to be. To be people who are honest about our own shortcomings, who desperately cling to the grace of Jesus Christ, and are growing every single day to look less and less like who we used to be, and more and more like who we¹ve been destined to be.

The second part of our purpose is to assist others in experiencing the same thing. This demands relevance in meeting people where they really are at. This demands the truth of God¹s Word, which points the way back. This demands ongoing encouragement, to not only point the way but to walk with them step by step along this spiritual journey.

It is our passion to be hope-peddlers and grace-givers...fire-starters and dream-builders...undying believers that no matter who you are, or where you¹ve been - no matter what you¹ve done -- because of what Jesus did on the cross you can safely come home again to the Father.

Pastor Kevin Clark, Scripps Mesa Bible Church, San Diego:

At Scripps Mesa Bible Church, our mission is ³to live by faith, to be known for love, and to be voices of hope.² Living by faith is tough in a world filled with international conflict, racial tension, skyrocketing gas prices, uncertain paychecks, and shaky relationships. At SMBC, we take God¹s word seriously. We work hard to teach others and remind ourselves daily that God is always faithful, that his plan is bigger than our circumstances.

We meet our goal to be known for love by caring for people from different life stages and cultures. We have activities for younger kids, specialized programs for junior and senior high, and small groups and topical classes for adults. We share our facility with African-American and Korean congregations, and hope to add a Vietnamese ministry. We send missions teams to work in poverty-stricken areas of Jamaica, and regularly interact with teams serving in Mexico, East Africa, Indonesia, and the Middle East.

Ultimately, our purpose is to lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus, the one who gives lasting, permanent hope. Our hope is that each person who encounters SMBC will have an authentic, personal, intimate experience of God¹s truth, grace and love.

Pastor Martin Shrout, Del Oro Hills Community Church, Oceanside:

Del Oro Hills Community Church defines its role in the community as one that invites people to discover the love of God, leads people to maturity and ministry in Christ, and ministry to families.

We are currently reaching into the community through participation in the SUN project, feeding the homeless, involvement with the Youth Group of Oceanside, and ministering on school campuses through FCA and Christian clubs. We invite the community through a series of TV commercials on the USA channel, and delivering flyers into the community through direct mail and walking door-to-door.

We provide small groups, Sunday school, and preaching services to help individuals grow in their knowledge and relationship with Christ. We offer individual discipling and a C.L.A.S.S. series to help individuals establish a relationship with Christ and lead them to understanding their spiritual gifts and ministry. We desire to minister to the family. This includes a dynamic youth and children¹s program and sermons and counseling on marriage and relationships.

Pastor Steve Cooper, Nu-Way Christian Ministries, San Diego:

Your community has heard that your city is closing the church building where you attend. Would they get hammers, nails and plywood to assist the city in your closing, or would they protest to keep the doors open because of your relevance.

Well, one of the ways that we would hope the community would keep the doors of Nu-Way Christian Ministries open is through an exciting event each February called, the Heritage Day Festival and Parade. It¹s a parade and a festival immediately following! For details, visit www.HeritageDayParade.org. At this citywide event we include schools at every grade level and colleges from all over to participate. We collaborate with businesses, residents and organizations to be vendors. It also includes a job fair, a kids zone where the children are free to play and roam in an exciting secure area with an array of activities, an exciting health component where we work with hospitals, the National Bone Marrow Donor Program and Raven of ³That¹s So Raven² looking for bone marrow matches. Finally, there is an intense entertainment stage where celebrities and entertainers appear in front of a captive audience where we ultimately share the love of Jesus.

So, the purpose of Nu-Way is to take the transcending principles of Jesus to the city and that city back to the church. How is that done? It¹s by a Nu and Living Way.

Pastor Bill McLead, Shepherd's Way, Carlsbad:

In Mark 12:30-32, Jesus gave Christians ³The Great Commandment² to ³Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.²

In Matthew 28:19-20, He gave His church ³The Great Commission² to ³Go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.²

At Shepherd¹s Way, our mission is to continue the ministry of our Lord Christ Jesus by fulfilling His marching orders for all Christians. Our purpose is to:

1. Bring a message of hope to those in the world who are without hope and without God [Eph 2:12].

2. Help Christians fulfill God¹s will for their lives, that is -  to become like Jesus, to think like Him, to feel like Him, to act like Him and to love like Him.

Our desire is to see sinners converted to saints and all Christians equipped for the work of the ministry, promoting love, faith, unity and maturity in the Body of Christ.

Rev. Dr. Bernard S. Okeh, United African Christian Fellowship, San Diego:

United African Christian Fellowship is a young ministry with a unique purpose. Our services and fellowships are open to everyone that loves the Lord and the people of God. However, our primary objective is to seek out and bring together new immigrants from Africa and their families. Some are refugees who have narrowly escaped political turmoil, death, and persecution in their countries. These new arrivals always become very overwhelmed by the highly advanced American society.

Our ministry provides them with an atmosphere for worship, fellowship, and relationship that is a little bit close to what they left back home. They have the opportunity to meet new Christian friends who are willing to guide them into American life.

Through the Holy Ghost, we preach powerful, uncompromised, and undiluted gospel sermons in our Sunday morning worship that is always preceded by Sunday school teachings, and dynamic praise worship in African style. We have midweek Bible studies and a Friday prayer service. We provide counseling visitations, youth programs and many other ministry activities. All these equip and strengthen the members to face each day by faith. And in our three years of ministry, we have seen God raise hopes of many, rescue families from the devil¹s attacks, and also resettle many families in our community.

Pastors Jurgen and Leanne Matthesius, Christian City Church, San Diego:

Our purpose is to bring balance to the Force! Christian City Church San Diego, or C3 as it has become known, was started 8 months ago.

Graduates of Hillsong College in Australia, we spent seven years pioneering a church in New Zealand before returning to Sydney to take on the role of youth pastors at Christian City Church Oxford Falls, led by the apostolic leader Pastor Phil Pringle. CCC Oxford Falls is a church that moves mightily in the power of the Holy Spirit, with healings and signs and wonders.

After taking the Youth ministry from 50 kids to 1,000 in seven years, we felt God¹s calling to plant a church that was fresh, real, and powerful, where people could encounter God, not just hear and learn about what He did, but actually experience and know what He is doing now!

God is a now God and people are hungry for more than just a cute program and a nice sermonette on Sunday. They want an encounter with a God that is real, now!

So many people have been conditioned to believe that God is ³watching us from a distance² and does not involve himself in any real, powerful or tangible way in our lives. We are here to nullify that myth and reveal the truth. God is alive and awesome and wants you to experience His fullness today! ŒWhat is your church¹s purpose in your community and how are you carrying it out?¹

Pastor David Youngren, Church Without Limits, San Diego:

You can be more...you can do more...you were created for a greater purpose. Church Without Limits is only months old, bringing a message that there is no limit to the life that God has for every person!

I desire to see a radical movement of God sweep across this city.  With discipleship programs, weekly small groups, and techniques to equip strong leaders, we desire to mobilize the church to arise.

Currently the church meets Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Courtyard Marriott on Spectrum Centre Boulevard in San Diego.  Although this meeting is the main service of Without Limits, another primary outreach is called the PORCH, targeting the students of SDSU.  It is known as the Place Of Radical Christianity based on Acts 5:12-14 and believes for a spiritual awakening among the youth of the campus that will shake the entire region. The PORCH envisions a church filled with passionate and radical believers who are committed to being a light to the world. 

Church Without Limits equips the saints to do the work of the ministry by winning souls and making disciples that become healthy, active members of the body.  With a true revelation of Jesus being imparted to every person, each member will see their unlimited supply of all things pertaining to life and godliness, becoming passionate to share their supply with a dying world!

Pastor Gary Bassham, Mountain View Community Church, Ramona:

Our purpose at Mountain View is to reach out to our community to share the love and salvation found in Jesus Christ, in a safe and friendly place. Each Sunday, we offer three distinct services each with its own style, so that attendees can worship in the manner that seems most natural to them (Classic at 9 a.m., Celebration at 10:45 a.m., and Summit at 6 p.m.).  Though different in style, each service is committed to clearly proclaiming God¹s life changing truth. 

We also have a variety of different programs in order to more effectively meet the needs of our church family. In these specific ministries, individuals have the opportunity to grow and build deeper relationships with other members of the church body.  Our AWANA, youth ministry, and vacation bible school programs are strong ministries that reach out to the young people and youth in our community.  Community Life Groups are another vital ministry here at Mountain View.  These adult small groups meet primarily in homes and offer attendees a chance for deeper growth, warm fellowship, and the chance to learn more about God¹s Word. 

World missions and community outreach are priorities at MVCC.  We are also affiliated with, and strongly support In His Steps recovery home, located here in Ramona.  

Pastor Bruce Balcombe, Way of Life Church, Spring Valley:

Our primary purpose and service to our community is to provide a place where people can come and be a part of a greater family. Christian life involves more than just believing - it involves belonging.

It¹s been said that every family tree has to have some sap. The dictionary describes sap as ³the watery fluid that circulates through a plant, carrying food and other substances to the various tissues.² I like that. When we laugh together, cry together, pray for one another, encourage each other, love and forgive through conflicts, we are experiencing what real family is. We are together for the marriages, the funerals, the baby dedications, the traumas, failures, successes and joys of this incredibly beautiful, fantastic life that God has breathed into us.

Belonging to a life-giving, caring local church is like having good sap running through your family tree. You are nourished, spiritually alive and growing.

Capt. Dwayne Patterson, Salvation Army Corps Officer, Oceanside:

Started in 1865 as ³The Christian Mission² in slum areas of England, The Salvation Army today is ministering to the needy in 111 countries. Its message is based on the Bible and its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

The church, known as a corps, in Oceanside, is working to minister to people in various walks of life by providing programs that will meet their needs, both practically and spiritually. In addition to Sunday morning worship services, mid-week Bible studies, and youth programs, The Salvation Army has a social services office that is open 5 days a week. Through this office people are able to receive various kinds of help, including emergency food, utilities and housing assistance, personal comfort kits, and counseling, to name a few. Once the physical needs of the person are met, our social services worker offers to pray with them about whatever is on their hearts, and always invites them to church.

³Soup, soap and salvation² was what the founders of the Army would say, meaning that once people were fed and cleaned up their hearts were more prepared to hear the Good News and more responsive to it. So that is what we try to do - feed them, clean them and give them the Word. Then we watch the power of the Holy Spirit work in otherwise hopeless and defeated lives, transforming them into people with a hope in the future.

Pastor Charles Bordner, Chula Vista Community Church:

Chula Vista Community Church (CVCC) has doubled its growth this past year by holding before us the example of Christ. That is summed up in the motto, ³Providing loving, self-forgetting service to others.²

Our spirit has been none other than wanting to meet the needs of our community any way we can. Besides offering a food bank and other usual outreaches, we provide a dynamic, growing youth theater program that has so far brought 15 families into our church doors twice a week. What remains unique is our 9 a.m. Sunday drive-in service, in which people can drive up in their cars, tune into 93.7 on their FM radio, and enjoy the worship service from our outdoor stage.

What has made all of this possible is the core group of loving seniors, who kept this church going through challenging times, and kept their faith in the God who performs miracles.

+ + +

Pastor Gary Evans, Winds of Harvest Foursquare Church, San Marcos:

Our church¹s purpose is to reach the lost for Christ and restore the downtrodden through special events. Over the last several years, God has blessed us with the opportunity to minister alongside organizations such as Green Oak Ranch Rehab Center, Bread of Life homeless ministry, Casa de Amparo foster home for children and others.

Our purpose was to take our resources and provide a special all-day event with a BBQ, music ministry, games and baptism at Buccaneer Beach for all the homeless in North County plus feed and minister to them as a guest speaker on several Sundays. At Green Oak Ranch we have been blessed to minister to them as a guest speaker on several Wednesday morning church services along with a special day of horseshoe tournaments and volleyball, BBQ, ministry and baptisms. One of our greatest blessings was providing foster children with beach parties, ³Dad for a Day² at the Padres and other outreaches. Several times God has provided the resources by bringing all these ministries together with others for a special San Diego Harbor musical Christmas party aboard the Bright Morning Star charter boat.

Our next outreach is to bring all the rehabilitation ministries in North County together for the ³Rehab Olympics² at Green Oak Ranch with a BBQ, baptisms and a musical concert at night. Through these special events, we have seen many come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and recommended them to different churches in their area that can fit their needs.

Pastor Jim W. Baize, Midway Baptist Church, San Diego:

When asked this question, I immediately thought of our purpose statement: We exist ³to glorify Christ by making more disciples for Jesus Christ.²

That¹s a nice, tidy purpose statement. So how are we doing? Pretty well, and not so well. Implicit in our statement is the idea of winning people to Christ. You can¹t disciple them until you win them. We do a fair job of showing people their need of Christ and leading them to a personal trust in Him.

We next work at getting the new converts baptized and started down the road to discipleship with a ³101 Class² for new believers. We talk about church membership during this class, as well.

The next part of our strategy is the part we need to fine tune. I am not satisfied with the maturation process of our new believers/church members that prepares them for leadership and launches them into ministry. In fact, this is part of our strategic planning for 2006 - how do we mature believers and get them involved in ministry? If we can fine tune that process, we will make an even more significant impact on our "Jerusalem."

Dr. Robert B. Thompson, pastor, Mt. Zion Fellowship, Poway:

Our church¹s purpose is to provide a place where the people of Poway can find God¹s will for their life and learn how to pursue that will successfully. We are carrying out this purpose by having services at which all the people of the community are welcome. Also, we have a large sign facing the street with statements that we hope will help people as they drive by to pursue their daily tasks in a godly, constructive manner.

For example, a recent statement was, ³Each day in Jesus is more wonderful than the day before.² Another was, ³If you would have peace, why not come to know the Prince of Peace.²

Each Sunday morning for 45 minutes, prior to the beginning of the worship service, we conduct what is termed ³Burden Bearers.² Various members of the congregation present a devotional, which reflects their experiences with the Lord Jesus. When they finish, anyone with a burden or problem can come before those who have gathered and tell of their need. Then the group joins in prayer to assist that individual.

In addition, we have taken steps to cooperate with the Red Cross that we may assist in any community efforts to provide relief in the event of a major emergency.

Pastor Mark & Anne Stapleton, Cornerstone Community Church, Lemon Grove:

At Cornerstone, our mission is simple (but not easy): to live like Jesus, to love like Jesus and to lead people to Jesus. We are committed to be a people known by love, who live with humility and have a heart of service. Cornerstone is on a journey to become a transformative community of faith. One way we offer to help in the transformational process is through our weekly worship gathering.

Imagine a place where people can¹t wait to gather to share what they have been learning and living during the week, to discuss scriptures they are wrestling with, to link arms with others who are rejoicing or grieving. Imagine a place where people are challenged by not only the preacher, but by each other, to apply the Bible to their everyday lives and to discover the implication of the Biblical texts to the entire community of faith. Imagine an environment where you are not told what to think, but encouraged to think, to ask questions and grapple with concepts, ideas and beliefs, together. Imagine a way of doing church that not only keeps you awake during services but also invites you to participate, contribute and engage. We sit ³in-the-round² -- facing each other -- to facilitate openness, honesty and a sense of community. This is the kind of place and the kind of people that Cornerstone is seeking to become.

Pastor David Escovedo, Victory Outreach, Escondido:

We at Victory Outreach are concerned about the growing proportion of gang members, drug addicts, alcoholics, troubled youth and school violence in our community. Therefore we offer Christian recovery homes, which provide room and board to our residents at no cost to them. Our dedication to the rehabilitation of these individuals has helped thousands in finding hope through a new way of life with Jesus Christ.

Victory Outreach Escondido regularly holds evangelistic crusades throughout our community. Each year we have our annual ³Operation Hope² campaign where we present live dramas that depicts the negative effects of drugs, gangs and violence. The purpose of the campaign is to reach our young generation and give them a positive alternative in life.

People who need help in coming to know God, have problems in the home, or are troubled by any of a multitude of other things that keep people from being happy and fulfilled, need someone who cares. And that¹s the message of our fellowship. Because Jesus cares for people, Victory Outreach is people who care about each other.

Pastor Larry D. Hudson, Pacific View Baptist Church, Encinitas:

As pastor, Pacific View Baptist Church has been my purpose driven church ministry for the last nine years. We just celebrated over 50 years of ministry here in the Encinitas-Cardiff area. Our main purpose is to actively help people become part of God’s family and then to help each one mature into biblical ministering, missionary, servants of Christ. We have been a consistent bearer of His Word and our Lord Jesus Christ in supporting mission work denominationally around the world as well as getting involved in many ways, both locally and in worldwide mission evangelism.

Many pastors can share how varied the church’s purpose in the community has ranged from sports, to helping the homeless, to helping establish a spiritual work for our Hispanic community. I have witnessed our congregation making baby blankets for military families, lap blankets for our wounded veterans, skirts and nap blankets for children of a Head Start program, food donations locally and to orphans in Mexico, and much more. We serve a Savior that takes broken lives and makes them whole again. Our work is as varied as the size, age and the leadership of our congregation has been through the years. We will continue working and serving our Savior till He comes back as Lord — that is our driving purpose.

Pastor Tim Barry, Grace Family Fellowship, Del Mar:

Grace Family Fellowship was founded for one purpose: to place the Name of Jesus in San Diego. Deuteronomy 14:23. The Lord called our family to the Del Mar/Carmel Valley area to exalt His Name.

We live in a world full of hurt and hopelessness. That is why Jesus came. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

When the angels announced the birth of Jesus they said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” That’s right! ALL people! A SAVIOR! GOOD tidings!’ God was sending His Son to die so that we could be FREE from the power and penalty of sin.

Grace Family Fellowship’s desire is to spread this Good News. Jesus has set us free from sin, sickness and poverty, and through His blood and His resurrection, He has given us victory over all the works of the enemy. We have a desire to bring the Good News, the Gospel, to this area. There is nothing impossible to him who believes in His Name.

Pastor John Bales, Community Reformed Church, Escondido:

The greater purpose of the Community Reformed Church is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are called to magnify the manifold perfections of the One, True God through the proclamation of His Word, the Holy Scriptures. It is through the proclamation of the gospel, God’s good news, along with the working of His Holy Spirit that a person can come to know Him and enjoy Him. Although this should be the purpose of every Christian church, we live in an age of much confusion regarding the church’s purpose.

Having said this, every church is different and therefore those churches which seek to glorify God will do so in ways which are unique to its context. We are not intentionally trying to become a mega church. Rather, our intention is to be spiritually alive, mature and reproductive in ministry. The two large oak trees at the entrance of the church are symbolic of our desire to be fruitful, drawing upon the life of Jesus Christ, bearing fruit in people’s lives and in the multiplication of churches. We seek to glorify God by providing biblical preaching in a reverent, classic style of worship. We also believe that God will be honored as we authentically love each other. Our church feels a special calling to leave a legacy for the next generation.

Pastor Richard Burkey, Christ Lutheran Church, La Mesa:

Christ Lutheran Church exists to develop dynamic disciples for Christ through the five purposes Rick Warren highlights in The Purpose Driven Church:

In membership, we gather together and become a part of God’s family through small group ministry meeting in homes and serving in our community.

In maturity, we grow in our relationship with God to become more Christ-like. Study of God’s Word in Bible classes, small groups, and individual devotions results in practical application in prayer, generosity and service.

In ministry, we give ourselves through using our spiritual gifts and talents. God has shaped Christ Lutheran Church to build families through a pre-school through 8th grade school, youth ministry from middle school through college age, and generational events like sock hops and over 230 participants at La Mesa’s Pick Up the Park Day.

In mission, we go and tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ. Working with Global Mission Fellowship, we’ve gone to Cuba, Paraguay, Russia, and next year Ethiopia. Working with Mission India, we’ve planted over 20 churches in India. Working with Yugo, we work to connect youth in Mexico to Jesus. Through relationships God provides, we seek to be contagious, connecting people to Jesus.

In magnification, we seek to live a life of worship that brings the glory to God. Worship in our sanctuary and gym as well as the occasional service on Mount Helix and in Harry Griffen Park celebrates the purpose God has for our lives.