A West Covina Church Built Around the Word
Tucked along West Puente Avenue in the eastern reaches of the San Gabriel Valley, Christ Community Church gathers each Sunday morning around a single conviction: that the Bible, taught verse by verse, is the surest guide to a life that glorifies God. The non-denominational congregation, pastored by Lance Sparks, has shaped its entire identity around expository preaching and a structured ministry of the Word. Members describe their purpose in a fourfold rhythm printed on every bulletin: "Our passion is to pursue Christ, our priority is to portray Christ, our purpose is to proclaim Christ, and our practice is to praise Christ."
What makes CCC distinct is not its building or its traditions, but its commitment to opening Scripture in a way that congregants of every age can follow. Two Sunday services and a midweek study run back to back through books of the Bible, and the same preaching ministry is replicated in Spanish each week. On a single campus at 1432 W. Puente Avenue, English-speaking and Spanish-speaking believers sit under the same conviction that God's Word shapes how a husband loves his wife, how a parent raises children, and how a church reaches its neighborhood.
Sunday in West Covina: Two Services, One Word
Sunday at Christ Community opens with two duplicate services designed to give every family a place to belong. The 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services are each approximately 75 minutes long, with the same preaching and the same hymnody duplicated hour by hour so that parents, children, and youth can rotate through classes while one adult attends worship and the other attends an elective or Bible fellowship group. Ushers, greeters, and staff are stationed throughout the campus to direct first-time visitors, and the auditorium is opened for both services without reservation.
During each hour the church offers an entire network of classes. Sunday School classes run for 2-3-year-olds, PreK/Kindergarten, 1st-3rd graders, and 4th-6th graders, with weekly lessons built around a memory verse, singing, prayer, an offering, a Bible lesson, and a take-home craft or activity. Nursery care is provided for both services, and the Spanish Ministry operates an Escuela Dominical at 9:00 a.m. while the English congregation worships. At 9:00 a.m., youth gather for the Ministers of Truth program (Jr. High and High School), and parents of young children meet under the Young Families Ministry banner for fellowship and teaching. The Prayer Ministry is also available in the auditorium before each service.
At 10:45 a.m. an Adult Bible Fellowship class convenes alongside the second English service and the Spanish Servicio Dominical. The duplication allows every member of a household to attend at least one worship service and one Bible study during the morning.
Wednesday Nights: A Doctrinal Deep-Dive
Wednesday evenings at CCC carry the same expository weight as Sunday mornings. At 7:00 p.m., the entire body gathers in the auditorium for an adult Bible study, currently working through the "Redeeming the Time" series. A prayer group meets a half-hour earlier at 6:30 p.m. for those who want to come early and lift up the night's teaching.
While adults remain in the auditorium, the children's wing lights up with Adventure Club for ages 3 through 6th grade. Adventure Club is divided into three age-appropriate units - Trackers (ages 3-5), Scouts (grades 1-3), and Trailblazers (grades 4-6) - and includes a mix of large-group teaching, small-group time, and music. Nursery care is offered throughout the 7:00 p.m. hour. Youth staff run a parallel Ministers of Truth program for Jr. High and High School students, and the Spanish Bible study "Escudriñando las Escrituras" (a study of Proverbs) meets at the same hour.
Christ Community en Español
The Spanish Ministry of CCC, led by Elder Esteban Bustos, runs a complete parallel congregation under one roof. The corazón of the ministry is the same as the English ministry: expository preaching (verse by verse), fellowship of the saints, biblical membership and discipline, and the ordinances Christ gave His church.
The weekly Spanish schedule includes Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. (a study of Hebrews), a Sunday worship service at 10:45 a.m. (working through the Gospel of Luke), and a Wednesday Bible study at 7:00 p.m. on Proverbs. On the first Friday of each month, a Spanish-language prayer meeting gathers in members' homes at 7:00 p.m. Women's Bible studies meet on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at 9:30 a.m., and a men's Bible study meets on the fourth Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
The ministry's stated goals are discipleship ("reproducing disciples of Him" from Matthew 28:19), service (motivating one another in love from 1 Peter 4:10), pastoral care (caring for the sheep through qualified men from 1 Peter 5), government (calling a plurality of elders from 1 Timothy 3), and mission (saving the lost through gospel preaching from Mark 16:15).
Ambassadorship Ministries: Doors, Trips, and Prisons
CCC treats evangelism and missions as the work of ambassadors for Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20 is the ministry's banner verse. Ambassadorship Ministries breaks that calling into five practical arms.
Evangelism Training. An elective class runs each Sunday morning throughout the year, developing the congregation in the effective proclamation of the Word.
Door to Door. Teams fan out into West Covina, Irwindale, and Baldwin Park to engage neighbors with the truths of the gospel.
Short-Term Missions Trips. The church has sent teams to Argentina, Uganda, Ecuador, and Russia, where they partner with indigenous churches to strengthen and encourage local believers.
Pastoral Training. Elders have committed to training indigenous church leaders, pastors, and elders in Ecuador, Argentina, Mexicali, Uganda, and Russia - equipping them to make disciples (2 Timothy 2:2) and plant new churches.
Prison and Jail Ministry. Teams minister at several prison and jail facilities in Southern California, bringing the gospel to the incarcerated, encouraging those who have come to saving grace, and seeking repentance and forgiveness.
The Family at the Center: Children, Youth, and Young Families
CCC treats marriage and family as its primary earthly ministry. The Young Families Ministry, led by Pastor of Family Ministries Alan Gardiner, sets out four goals for every marriage and family: to Exalt the Lord, to Exemplify marriage to the next generation, to Encourage and Exhort the next generation through discipleship, and to Evangelize through the testimony of a Christ-centered home. A small library of recommended reading backs the ministry, including works by Jay Adams, Voddie Baucham, Alistair Begg, John MacArthur, Wayne Mack, Tedd Tripp, and a series of marriage and family books by Pastor Lance Sparks.
The Children's Ministry runs on three rhythms: Sunday School at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m., Adventure Club on Wednesday nights, and nursery care during every service and most special events. Each Sunday School level runs through the same elements - a memory verse, singing, prayer, an offering, a Bible lesson, and a hands-on application - so children learn how a worship service unfolds.
The Youth Ministry, called Ministers of Truth and led by Ignacio Vargas, exists to equip and assist parents in the work God has given them (Ephesians 6:1-4 and Deuteronomy 6:4-7). The youth staff teaches the Gospel and the basics of salvation, helps parents with their children's spiritual growth, and trains students to defend and articulate their faith (1 Peter 3:15). Four key terms are emphasized throughout the year: Gospel, Discipleship, Evangelism, and Apologetics.
The Generations of Women, the Men's Bible Studies, and IMPACT Young Adults
The Women's Ministries of CCC, called "Generations of Women," encompass women of all ages (described as 18 to 118) under Director Peggy Casler. The purpose is to minister to women with the Word of God through connectedness, compassion, comfort, confrontation, and challenge. Year-round Bible studies meet on Tuesday mornings and select weeknights, with additional events such as Makers of Design, Saturday Seminars, Spring Fling, Summer Nights, Fall Gathering, Women's Conferences, and Widows of the Word.
Men's Ministry, overseen by Elder Roger Flores, gathers men for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship every other Saturday. The IMPACT Young Adults Ministry, directed by Tim Gruchacz, exists to equip young adults to impact their church, community, and culture with the gospel. Bi-weekly Sunday-evening Bible studies cover the truthfulness of the Christian faith, the importance of a biblical relationship with Jesus Christ, fulfilling biblical roles as men and women, and speaking truth in love. Events have included broomball, video scavenger hunts, game nights, fairs, concerts, summer retreats, and service projects.
Worship Ministries: A Lifestyle, Not a Song
Worship Ministries, led by Tim Gruchacz, defines its calling broadly. "Worship is a right response to revelation," the ministry's statement reads. "It is our entire being responding with praise for all that God is, glorifying Him through our attitudes, actions, thoughts, and words, based on the truth of God as He has revealed Himself." The team's task is to lead and assist the congregation in structured corporate worship during Sunday and Wednesday services and other events, and to model a lifestyle of sincere worship that is consistent every day of the week.
Bible Fellowship Groups: The Congregational Units
Bible Fellowship groups function as the primary congregational units at CCC. Some groups meet regionally across the San Gabriel Valley; others meet at the church on Sundays and throughout the week. The church outlines eight objectives for these groups: to edify and enrich every member in the understanding and application of God's Word; to encourage and develop close, caring, supportive relationships; to educate and provide opportunities for the development of spiritual gifts; to empathize and care for the physical, material, and relational needs of members; to esteem and love the saints and strangers outside the normal circle; to exhort and train every person to share their faith; to elevate and foster the worship and praise of God; and to enable and promote the sending of its members as missionaries to other cities, countries, and cultures.
Teachers in these groups must maintain active membership at CCC for at least 12 months before being considered, must model a lifestyle of integrity (Psalm 15; 1 Timothy 4:12), and must meet the standards of biblical leadership in Acts 6:1-6 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Elders approve any exceptions.
Prayer Ministry: "A Sincere, Sensible, Affectionate Pouring Out of the Heart"
Gil Saldana leads the Prayer Ministry under a quote from John Bunyan: "Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to His Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God." The ministry sees prayer as accomplishing two purposes: the glorification of God in obedience and submission to His will, and the edification of the Body of Christ through unity of the Word, the exercise of spiritual gifts, and purity through His Word. Prayer Ministry groups meet on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday nights (at 6:30 p.m.), and Sunday mornings before each service.
Why CCC Exists: To Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever
The church's longest-running essay on its own identity leads with a line from the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." Pastor Sparks frames the church's existence against the obvious answers - "presenting the gospel to the San Gabriel Valley," "equipping the saints," "feeding the hungry" - and declares that, while all are good, none is the chief one. The highest purpose, the essay argues, is to be so totally absorbed in the person of God that all of life is viewed through eyes filled with His wonder and glory. When "glory" is in the church, hearts hunger and thirst for righteousness, flames with a need to serve God, and the surrounding community is affected. "This is why Christ Community Church exists."
What CCC Believes: A Doctrinal Statement with Affirmations and Denials
The leadership identifies expository teaching of Scripture as the priority of the church (Psalm 138:2; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Timothy 4:13). Its full theological position is laid out in a Statement of Faith, complemented by a list of specific Affirmations and Denials that clarifies how those doctrines apply.
The Affirmations and Denials turn first to marriage and sexuality. The church affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman and that sexual relationships are tied to sexual identity. It denies the legitimacy of any other configuration of marriage, denies that the sole purpose of marriage is procreation, denies that sex is merely functional for procreation, and denies that a marriage has lesser status because of an inability to bear children. The statement affirms that all human beings are born broken because of sin, denies that any sin can keep one from the saving work of Christ, and affirms that Christ can transform any individual (1 Corinthians 6:11). It affirms the sexual moral codes of the Old Testament and the sexual ethics of the New Testament and denies any teaching that treats those codes as dated. The statement also affirms that heterosexual marriage, as defined in God's Word, is best for society and is the only biological possibility. Finally, it affirms that God, out of His goodness, creates each person as male or female, denies that humans can change their God-given sexual identity through biological means, and affirms that the blood of Jesus Christ is able to save any sinner from the penalty, power, and one day the presence of sin.
Membership: A Confession and a Covenant
Covenant membership at CCC follows a defined path. Prospective members must personally receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, be baptized by immersion as a believer (Matthew 28:19-20), be at least 16 years of age, agree with the church's three major documents (the Statement of Faith, the Philosophy of Ministry, and the Constitution), attend a Membership Class, complete a Membership Application, and be interviewed by an elder.
The Membership Class is structured around four themes: Our Salvation Determines Our Destiny (assurance and the meaning of baptism and communion); Our Statements Define Our Authority (the doctrinal position of the church); Our Strategy Describes Our Ministry (the philosophy of ministry and how every function of CCC rests on Scripture); and Our Structure Delineates Our Responsibility (the scriptural teaching on leadership, giftedness, and the work of the membership). Two foundational messages on church membership, titled "Church Membership: Meaningful or Meaningless," are offered from the Media Center.
Leadership and the Shepherding of the Flock
The elders of CCC carry the oversight of the church and the preaching of the Word. Lance Sparks serves as Pastor-Teacher and an elder. Tom Mason serves as Elder of Discipleship. Roger Flores serves as Elder of Men's Ministries and Evangelism. Esteban Bustos serves as an elder and as Pastor of Spanish Ministry and Outreach.
Around the elders, a team of ministry leaders carries day-to-day shepherding. Alan Gardiner serves as Pastor of Family Ministries, overseeing Children and Young Families. Tim Gruchacz serves as Administrative Pastor and Director of both Worship Ministries and IMPACT Young Adults. Peggy Casler directs Women's Ministries and serves as a deacon and business administrator. Ignacio Vargas leads the Ministers of Truth Youth Ministry. Gil Saldana leads the Prayer Ministry. Jeremy Lamb leads Usher and Greeter Ministries, and Dustin Richmond leads the Safety Ministry.
Resources, Radio, and the Life of the Church
CCC maintains a sermon archive online, with recent messages also available through major podcast apps under the search "CCC West Covina." A list of sermon series stretches back over many years and reflects the depth of the church's expository program: studies in John, Matthew 5-7, Hebrews, Genesis, Revelation, the Psalms, Proverbs, Daniel, Elijah, Elisha, David, Samuel, Solomon, Luke, Job, Joshua, Ecclesiastes, 2 Peter, and many topical series on marriage, family, prophecy, the church, the Christian life, the workplace, hope, and discernment.
Publications produced by the church include books such as God's Hope For Your Home by Lance Sparks, which provides an engagement exam, the meaning of marriage, God's view of vows, counsel for couples, instructions for in-laws, and guidelines for grandparents. A radio ministry extends the preaching beyond the West Covina campus. Giving is available online through the church's giving page.
Visiting Christ Community Church
First-time visitors can find a place within the first moments of arrival. Greeters and ushers staff every entry point to direct families to classrooms, nurseries, and the auditorium. Nursery care is provided for both Sunday morning services, the Wednesday evening service, and most special events. Each child is registered through a children's check-in process, with printable waivers available online.
The campus is located at 1432 W. Puente Avenue in West Covina, California, with parking on site and access from the city's surface streets. Members and visitors can reach the church office at 626-960-4444 during the week for questions about meetings, ministries, and membership.
Christ Community Church gathers two Sundays a week at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m., one Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., and in homes and classrooms throughout the week, all around the conviction that the Word of God, opened verse by verse and lived out in homes, remains the surest path to glorifying the God who calls His people His own.