San Diego First Assembly
“The Pentecostal church is the fastest growing movement in the history of the world. It has grown from nowhere to half-a-billion people,” said Pastor Todd Hudnall. “God is fulfilling his great commission to the world using the Pentecostal church. Pentecostal Power is all about Acts 1:8 power, to be a witness to God.” In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised the church power through the Holy Spirit to evangelize the entire world. Pentecostals hold a distinctive belief that there is a second baptism for believers. “The first baptism is into Christ. The second baptism is into the Holy Spirit,” said Hudnall. “It is an empowering of what you could not have done before. For me, [my second baptism] gave me a new exuberance and passion. [Christians] have a tendency to become satisfied and complacent with what we’ve received,” said Hudnall.
Full Article: San Diego First Assembly
Read MoreEscondido United Reform Church
“There is a renewal of interest in the Reformed faith from people who have grown weary of the subjectivity of the broad evangelical faith,” said Pastor Stephen Donovan. “In the first 45 years of our church’s existence [Escondido United Reformed Church], we attempted to plant a handful of churches. But of all these churches that were started, only one survived.” Donovan said in the past five years, their church has helped start two successful churches. “For [a Reformed church] this is radical.” The Reformed tradition may be best known by the name Calvinism. A central belief of Calvinism is that salvation is based on God’s choice and an individual’s faith is a gift from God. “People’s faces light up in response to the [doctrine] of the Reformed faith. They say, ‘you mean to tell me it’s not what I’ve done but it’s what Christ has done that saves me?’,” said Pastor Phil Vos. Pastor Vos said there is no other faith like that of the Reformed tradition. “Other faiths all seem to have a works-based righteousness in them. Heretical movements like Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons are all works-based.” Vos said works-based faith can be found in many evangelical churches. Vos said the response Reformed Christians should have is a life of obedience based on gratitude.
Full Article Escondido United Reform Church >
Read MoreGrace
“Traditional churches are in a panic. A lot of pastors are tired. They have lost their love for people, for the lost, and the ability to innovate. These pastors hope they can survive for ten more years because they have no other vocation. These pastors feel threatened. They think they will be replaced by younger pastors,” said Pastor Bill Impey. Impey said he knows pastors who have been replaced. In one case, “The pastor’s congregation forced him out. The congregation wanted to go in a different direction than the pastor.”
Full Article: Grace San Diego Church
Read MoreCalvary Chapel, Point Loma
Pastor Mitchum’s sermon began with a 15-minute story about wild pigs and a family trip to San Luis Obispo. On this trip, Mitchum and his daughter prayed that God would send a big wild pig. “I knew if this prayer isn’t answered it will take a big dent out of [my daughter's] faith,” said Mitchum to the 35 people who attended the morning service. After the prayer, a 400-pound pig emerged from behind a car. Mitchum said his daughter smiled, looked over to him, and said, “Daddy, prayer works.” Prior to the sermon, communion was served in thimble-sized cups and as fragments of cracker. “The Lord can relate to our weaknesses and took our weaknesses to the cross,” a man said as people partook of communion. Pastor Mitchum preached from the 27th chapter of Acts. In Mitchum’s sermon he read a passage from the Bible and then reworded the text as the sermon’s message. “It is the same fire that melts the wax that also hardens the clay,” Mitchum said of responses people have to the message of Jesus Christ.
Full Article: Calvary Chapel Point Loma
Read MoreMidtown Church (United Church of Religious)
“In a traditional church, God is over here,” said Paula Brandes as she reached her hand away from her body. “In Religious Science, God is within us. We don’t have to reach out to find God. We see God as our equal.” Brandes serves as the teacher for the children’s group at Midtown Church. “Christians want to be your parent, laying down the law for you. Christians, and most religions, have all sorts of rules. Christians have a need for this. They need and want this structure.” Brandes compared Christians to children who thrive in a disciplined environment. “For me, I don’t want a structure. I don’t want to pray to God, I want to pray with God. I am equal with God. I know this seems so New Age, and yet it is inherent in who we are as people. If people were given their own free choice, I think they’d want this. I just can’t see God as a god who wants to be the boss as [these other religions do].
Full Article: Midtown Church (United Church of Religious)
Read MoreNorth Park Apostolic Church
“The Apostolic Church is probably the only truly orthodox church. We teach the apostles doctrine from the original 12 apostles. We do not follow post-apostolic teachings,” said Bishop Joel David Trout. “For example, we are not a classic Trinitarian church, where there are three separate and co-equal, co-eternal persons. We believe there is only one God. He was manifest in the flesh as Jesus. We reject the idea that God the Father was revealed in Jesus. We reject people inserting language besides how God describes God. People don’t understand the trinity. It is extra-biblical.” Bishop Trout went on to tell me that “Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are an amalgamation of paganism with Christianity that was not part of the first-century church. If they want to continue the traditions of Peter, then do so. They have extra-biblical teachings.”
Full Article: North Park Apostolic Church
Read MoreDrew Goodmanson
CEO of Monk Development creators of Ekklesia 360. Co-Founder of Kaleo Church where I served as Pastor for 8+ years and helped coach several church plants in San Diego. Co-Founder of the GCM Collective, President of the Board at the Center for Church Communication, Board Member of the Entrepreneurship Organization, Internet/Technology Advisory Chair at the Christian Leadership Alliance. Connect
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