Lauren Lacson

“What about an evangelism school?” Vinh Nguyen, El Monte Vietnamese church pastor, recalled a member asking him. Initially, Nguyen was hesitant, and it was challenging. “I almost wanted to give up,” he recalled. “I said to God, ‘When we have enough students, we’ll start the school.’” But he sensed God’s response: “God said ‘You have…

To God be the glory. This humble statement of praise echoed throughout a weekend celebration at the Los Angeles Tongan church, packed with prayer, reflection, and worship. The occasion was a celebration of the church’s new sanctuary—a consecration and dedication of the building for God’s mission work. Friday’s ribbon cutting and consecration focused on the…

This summer, the High Desert church celebrated a joyous reopening. But this was not only a reopening due to closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many churches have recently experienced. This was part of the occasion, yes—but there was also a second reason to celebrate. In November 2019, the community in Mojave, where the…

Every year as local students are gearing up for the school year, North Hills church partners with Hope Through Housing to provide backpacks full of essential school supplies for students in the community. 2020 was a rough year, and young students didn’t have it easy. Returning to the classroom in 2021 was a bigger task…

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” (Aesop). This is the sentiment Jesus shared in Matthew 25:36-40, emphasizing the importance of tending to the basic needs of others. The Sunland-Tujunga and Living Stones churches have been doing just that for the past two years, working together to host God’s Closet for…

God works in mysterious ways, and some would say that has never been more apparent than during this COVID-19 pandemic. SCC’s second-ever virtual week of prayer for all SCC students was evidence of this. “We have an awesome teachers-pastors team here in SCC,” said Velino A. Salazar, SCC president. “Thanks to COVID times, our educators…

“If you had asked me five years ago, I still would not have pictured myself being here—being an ordained pastor,” shared Sarah Grover, associate pastor at Camarillo church.  This May, Grover was ordained in a service that emphasized the uniqueness and importance of the occasion, as Grover is the second woman to be ordained in…

Danny Castanaza’s journey to pastoral ministry wasn’t always a clear path. With a plan to attend college in Cerritos, a call from a friend the day before class was to start altered his course and set Castanaza on a path to Pacific Union College.  “Danny, God came and interrupted your plans,” reflected Velino A. Salazar,…

This March, Kathleen V. Diaz was voted in as the new treasurer/ CFO for the Southern California Conference (SCC). Diaz joined SCC in March 2017 and has since served in the positions of accountant, chief accountant, and most recently, associate treasurer. God’s leading has been clear, and Diaz sees this position as a calling. “I…