Our Story: The Longer Version
Here it goes:
I sensed the call to plant a church back in January of 2008. However, I felt like the Lord called us to fulfill the vision of the spiritual house where we were serving at that time before going after the vision that God had given us.
So, I continued faithful to the task as Associate Pastor of Templo Calvario Church until the new church sanctuary was completed. Templo Calvario’s beautiful new sanctuary had taken a lot longer to build than expected.
Asenath and I both strongly agreed that we wanted to be absolutely certain we had done everything we could do to see TC’s vision fulfilled. Once the building was completed in July 2009, our senior pastor, Danny De Leon, released us to begin preparations to plant LIFE Church in West Side Costa Mesa.
For years I had driven through Costa Mesa on my way to Templo Calvario Church of Santa Ana where I served as Youth Pastor and Pastor of Training and Spiritual Formation. I can still remember when Asenath and I were driving down Victoria St. crossing over Placentia along side of the 7-Eleven store. Something unique took place in that space.
There near that intersection I said to Asenath, “Someone should plant a strong bilingual church in West Side Costa Mesa like the strong bilingual, bicultural church Templo Calvario of Santa Ana.” It was then that tears came to my eyes because I sensed God depositing something in my spirit, along the lines of, “That someone is you!”
Naturally speaking, one might ask, “Why West Side Costa Mesa?” To which I would respond from a different vantage point: maybe because I attended Vanguard University and connected with West Side Costa Mesa when I used to go searching for good Mexican food. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my wife and I lived in Costa Mesa as newlyweds and enjoyed shopping around the Wilson and Harbor area so much. Maybe after living on the East Coast for so many years, and always promising to come back to Orange County, my wife and I had sensed that if given the opportunity Costa Mesa would be a wonderful place to serve.
Maybe after working for the City of Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation for so long and then serving as the Director of the Save Our Youth Scholarship Program and Tutoring Center, as well as, a public school teacher for two years with the NMUSD, I just felt compelled to go back or, rather, come back.
Come back to the place where back in 1991 I first sensed like I belonged in CA, to the place that helped to shape me during my college years and graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. Maybe it’s about returning to the little small side of town that I used to visit when I was home sick.
West Side Costa Mesa is not perfect of course and there are many huge needs in that part of the city. But, I do feel like we, as a church, can add value to the community.
No, we are not coming in with all the answers and we certainly do not plan to try to do anything to undermine the already great work that other churches, non-profit organizations, and community groups are doing.
On the other hand, we are coming to make a difference and seeking to partner with everyone already at work bringing change and transformation to the city.
I still believe more than ever before that Jesus Christ is the answer, that the church still offers hope for the world today, and that greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city!
