Southern California Conference

Lauren Lacson

Articles by Lauren Lacson

  • Glendale Adventist Book Center: A Place for Hope and Wholeness

    Glendale Adventist Book Center: A Place for Hope and Wholeness

     When a customer walks into the Southern California Conference (SCC) Adventist Book Center, it’s not just about business or transactions. Often, the store is a place where customers can find a listening ear and receive a prayer. The shelves are stocked with encouraging and thoughtful books to uplift their spirits. The variety of healthy food…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Valley Crossroads Church Breaks Ground for New Community Center

    Valley Crossroads Church Breaks Ground for New Community Center

    Over 65 years ago, a small but mighty group of believers took a bold step of faith after being displaced by eminent domain near Foothill and Paxton,” Valley Crossroads Pastor Roscoe Shields Jr. explained. “We purchased the land you’re standing on today—a three-acre parcel— through sacrifice, fundraising, and God-given vision. The original design called for…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Ephesus Church Celebrates 45th Anniversary

    Ephesus Church Celebrates 45th Anniversary

    It was on January 7, 1980, against the backdrop of the social issues of the ’60s and ’70s that the Ephesus church found its start. Beginning with 75 members as an overflow of the 54th St. church, the new Ephesus congregation met first at Inglewood Park, a Presbyterian church on Normandie Ave., then at 53rd…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Hollywood Church Partners With Studio 526 to Host “We Are the Light” Art Gallery

    Hollywood Church Partners With Studio 526 to Host “We Are the Light” Art Gallery

    A “friend to the city for 100 years,” the Hollywood church has fostered relationships in the community that help them meet the needs of those who come through their doors. The church’s current partnership with social services agency The People Concern’s Studio 526 demonstrates the active and practical outworking of the Christian faith that has…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Glendale Filipino Celebrates 50 Years

    Glendale Filipino Celebrates 50 Years

    Fifty years ago, a small group of members in Glendale came together as the question was asked, “We live in Glendale—why do we have to go far away to go to church when we could have our own church here in Glendale?” The Central Filipino church in Eagle Rock, planted in 1957 as the first…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Turning No One Away: La Voz Sylmar Spanish Church Food Bank Serves Hundreds Each Week

    Turning No One Away: La Voz Sylmar Spanish Church Food Bank Serves Hundreds Each Week

    Each week, hundreds of people visit the La Voz Sylmar Spanish church in San Fernando Valley to receive free food. For 10 years, the church has hosted this weekly food bank ministry that does much more than distribute food to people in need. There have been many baptized as a result of the ministry. “This…

    Lauren Lacson
  • Southern California Fires: An Outpouring of Support & Blessings Amid Tragedy

    Southern California Fires: An Outpouring of Support & Blessings Amid Tragedy

    On January 7, an extreme Santa Ana wind event gave momentum to two destructive fires in Southern California. By the next morning, much of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities in Los Angeles County were destroyed, leaving thousands of residents evacuated and homes burned. The fires continued to burn for days, while new fires continued…

    Araya Moss & Lauren Lacson
  • All Things Are Possible: The Reality

    All Things Are Possible: The Reality

    Overwhelm. Anxiety. Stress. Worry. Fear. Trauma. These terms are more than familiar to many of us—they’re our inescapable experience. We don’t want to live this way, but finding a way to break free of these emotions when trials befall us is easier said than done. This perspective of struggle can become the lens over our…

    Lauren Lacson
  • A Century of Grace: Vallejo Drive Church Celebrates 100 Years of Ministry

    A Century of Grace: Vallejo Drive Church Celebrates 100 Years of Ministry

    One hundred years is a remarkable milestone—whether it marks the health and vitality of a centenarian or the enduring legacy of institutions rooted in tradition and growth. For the Vallejo Drive church, its century-long journey reflects both—a vibrant testament to faith and community and its unique legacy of promoting both spiritual and physical well-being. Organized…

    Lauren Lacson
  • One House Arts and Music Festival Brings Christian Creatives Together

    One House Arts and Music Festival Brings Christian Creatives Together

    Hundreds of people gathered this spring for a creative showcase for the third Southern California Conference (SCC) One House arts and music festival at the Temple City church. “Our goal for this event is simply to allow a safe space for young adult creatives to display their gifts and talents,” shared Geoff Sewell, SCC senior…

    Lauren Lacson