Saddleback South Bay and LA Move in Faith

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NLT).

As part of our Daring Faith campaign, we want to grow our church family by filling God’s house with 40,000 worshipers at our weekend services by the year 2020. A key component to meeting this goal is expanding our reach to new communities as we strive to advance God’s kingdom. This often means being fast, fluid, and flexible to change, even if that requires leaving a place of comfort and relocating part of our church family.

Illustrating this act of obedience are two of our campuses––Saddleback LA and South Bay––that recently moved locations and opened their doors to new facilities.

“Moving is a big part of Saddleback’s history,” explains Ron Keck, Pastor of International and Regional Campuses. “Our Lake Forest campus moved 77 times before settling into our permanent location. We relished every move and always experienced dramatic growth. It’s in our DNA.”

Campus relocation not only allows our church a chance to expand throughout the community, but it also gives our members an opportunity to invite new people and reach one more for Christ.

After just five months at Torrance High School, Saddleback South Bay embraced their new location at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, viewing it as a re-launch for their campus. On July 3, they hosted their first service at the new location where they hope to remain for the foreseeable future. People from the community were welcomed with free snow cones and a warm invitation to become part of the Saddleback family.

The catalyst for the move was the high school’s plan to renovate the property, which would limit Saddleback’s use of the auditorium for weekend services. It was then that the leadership team started looking at options for possible locations.

“The Torrance Cultural Arts Center was our top choice when we first opened the South Bay campus,” says Pastor Leo Galarza. “They couldn’t work with us at the time due to scheduling conflicts. But when we starting talking to them again, God made it work for us at the right time.”

In helping meet our Daring Faith goal of “filling God’s house,” the new South Bay location is a community landmark that holds large events throughout the year. The foot traffic passing through the Cultural Arts Center will allow South Bay members a chance to share God’s love.

As Pastor Leo explains, “With the love our people have to reach the South Bay area, and that kind of ‘free advertising,’ more people will know that our church is here and ready to serve the community.”

Currently, LA county is one of the most un-churched areas in the country, often feeling like the “wilderness,” which is why South Bay chose Isaiah 43:19 as their verse for this season. Their hope is that Saddleback South Bay will be the “river” that God can use to refresh the community.

While South Bay celebrated their new campus at the Cultural Center, Saddleback LA simultaneously settled into their new “home” at the Sportsman Lodge. From the Palladium in Hollywood to the Lodge’s Event Center in Studio City, the strategic move marked the beginning of a new chapter for Saddleback LA. Demonstrating that the church is a family, and not a building, nearly 280 volunteers united to help in the transition, proving that Saddleback LA is unshakeable.

“We are still in our pioneer years,” says LA Campus Pastor, Aaron Crumbey (A.C). “Moving to a new facility creates energy that says ‘we are in this together and are willing to do what it takes to make it work.’ It’s remarkable to see people sacrifice their time, money, and comfort during a move. Picking up and starting again really helps us figure out who we truly are.”

Already, the new facility has been well received by people in the community, as well as members who recognize that this is where God has called them to be—in a place they will use to the best of their ability. The move also creates an opportunity to help meet our Daring Faith “F” goal, in reaching more people for Christ. In the first month alone, an element of curiosity throughout the community led to new people spontaneously attending services.

While the Palladium might have been a Hollywood icon, the Sportsman Lodge offers more space for Saddleback Kids, ample parking, room for CLASS training, and storage facilities. The new venue also provides an element of “ownership” to meet the needs of people by bringing hope to the community.

As with any major shift, there will always be challenges, but the Saddleback LA family has put their trust in God to help them do what they do, even better! Already, God has opened doors to more of a partnership with the facility, giving them favor with use of additional space they never expected.

“We’re excited to plant some roots and become a beacon of hope for LA,” says A.C. “­­­­­ — a place where people can grow in their faith, come open and unashamed, and feel welcomed and accepted.”

Echoing these sentiments is South Bay campus pastor, Leo. “My dream is to bring true and honest community to the area. Community is such an important piece for our story, and I know it is for God. As we reach South Bay in this step of faith, just imagine a community that is taking its own step of faith, and the ripple effect that an act of obedience can make. There are over 700,000 people in that area. Our church can impact so many lives, and at the end, it will impact their eternity.”

For service times and locations, visit saddleback.com/southbay and saddleback.com/LA.