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Santa Monica Church Hosts Anti-Aging Luncheon and Lecture
Anticipation ran high for the “Anti-Aging Nutrition Luncheon and Lecture” held Sabbath, September 20, at the Santa Monica church. Participants learned about the “Blue Zones” and their cultures of longevity where healthy people live to be over 100 years old in good health. Weeks in the planning, the event was organized by a small team…
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The Journey of Wellspring Congregation: A Living Story That’s Still Being Written
It was a Sabbath, in many ways, like any other. Church members and visitors gathered for worship—receiving a message, singing praise, joining in prayer, and fellowshipping over food. But this day was special. It was the culmination of 25 years of God’s leading for a congregation that would on that day be organized into a…
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SCC’s New Conference-Wide Training Draws More Than 500 Church Leaders
“I’ve been waiting for something like this,” said Helen Adarme, member of Vallejo Drive church. “We learned a lot, and we’re hoping that what we learned will trickle down to actual action not just for us but also the community—and we hope for more!” Through the years, different departments in the Southern California Conference…
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Tehachapi Church Connects With Community Through Health Expo Plus
For Tehachapi church, a desire to connect with the local community has brought about a full calendar of events. This summer, the church hosted a “Health Expo Plus” event at a local park on the main street through town. “This event was the first ever of this magnitude hosted in Tehachapi by our church,” Pastor…
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Pathfinder Honors Day Brings Together More Than 500 Pathfinders
This year’s Pathfinder Honors Day held at San Gabriel Academy welcomed more than 600 Pathfinders and leaders from the Southern California Conference (SCC). Pathfinders took classes to receive honors in a variety of categories. Throughout the day, sixteen different honors were offered, with Pathfinders able to take up to six honors. Classes ranged from one…
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Doors and Hearts Are Opened at Youth Rush
We’re living in a crazy time right now,” Angie, first time canvasser, said, “but the fact that we’re out there and books are going out, it just shows that people, despite the fear, have a longing for something greater and deeper.” Andy Villanueva, Southern California Conference (SCC) literature ministries director, knows that every summer has…
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Two Ministries, One Mission: Educator and Pastor Summit Fosters Collaboration
This summer, before the start of the new school year, educators and pastors in the Southern California Conference (SCC) gathered at Glendale Adventist Academy for a day of connection and collaboration. This One Mission Summit focused on strengthening the partnership between these two ministries under SCC’s mission to exalt Christ by cultivating healthy churches and…
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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…
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University Church Brings Hope and Gifts to Its Community
The last Sunday in June was a much-anticipated day for the University church in Los Angeles to work with God for the community. Members from the community received free gifts such as health screenings, literature about the Bible and good health, baby supplies, haircuts, new clothing, backpacks, and more. There was even a Kid’s Zone…
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Women’s Ministries Revival in Southern California Conference
After a period of inactivity, Women’s Ministries in the Southern California Conference (SCC) is experiencing a revival. Known to nurture, encourage, support, and equip women as they follow Jesus and share Him with others, the ministry aims to meet women where they are and empower them in faith, leadership, and emotional wholeness. With quarterly gatherings…
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Called to Serve: Belinda Simoni Is Appointed SCC Human Resources Director
This summer, the Southern California Conference (SCC) Human Resources (HR) Department welcomed a familiar face into a new role. Belinda Simoni, with 24 years of corporate human resources management experience prior to her roles as SCC HR generalist and assistant director, brings her deep faith and passion for people to her new position as HR…
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El Shaddai Celebrates 30 Years of Ministry
In February 1995, a small group from the Central Spanish church decided to step out in faith to form a new church community with a vision to bring the gospel to Central Los Angeles. Carlos Ramirez, who pastored the Central Spanish church at the time, led the church plant. The new congregation, originally named South…
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YOU-TURN Wellness Program Graduates Celebrate Health Transformations
The Better Living Center, a health ministry of Haven company, was created by Terence Tay, who envisioned a place for the community to learn and make lifestyle changes by adapting Hans Diehl’s research and principles in lifestyle medicine. The YOU-TURN Wellness Program is a community-based program designed to arrest and reverse society’s most common chronic…
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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…
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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…
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The Gospel & Human Worth
The Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is home to one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in the Adventist world. Our churches worship in more than 20 languages, and our schools reflect the multicultural fabric of the neighborhoods they serve. This diversity is not a challenge to be solved but a gift…
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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…
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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…
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Tehachapi Church Celebrates Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
This spring, Tehachapi church held a Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to express gratitude to the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping communities safe. The church welcomed Chief of Police Richard Standridge into their sanctuary one Sabbath where he shared about the importance in today‘s world of finding common ground to better work…
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Campus Connect Ministry Creates Communities on Campus for Adventist College Students
To address the ever-present need for spiritual community among young people, Southern California Conference (SCC) Campus Connect Ministries launched last fall under Senior Youth and Young Adult Ministries to support Adventist students attending non-Adventist colleges and universities in Southern California. At the heart of this new and growing ministry is Ruth Chung, member of Upper…