At 611 Heliotrope Avenue in Corona del Mar, Corona del Mar Community Church Congregational UCC is the oldest church in CDM and a proud member of the United Church of Christ. It is known for traditional worship with a contemporary message: a sermon that connects scripture to daily life, music led by a choir and organ, and a congregation that welcomes committed believers, seekers, and people with questions. The church governs itself while remaining connected to the wider UCC through service, education, and shared Christian life.
Sunday Worship on Heliotrope Avenue
Sunday worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at 611 Heliotrope Avenue. The service is rooted in long-standing traditions but is intentionally made relevant to contemporary life. The pastor uses scripture to explore God's timeless love and to connect biblical teaching with ordinary experience. People can join in prayer or sit in reflective silence, and clear guidance plus inclusive language help newcomers participate.
Music is central rather than incidental. The worship program includes hymns, organ music, a choir, musicians, and soloists. Recorded sermons extend the service to those unable to attend in person, while the Sunday livestream allows participation from home. Recorded services are also available through the church's YouTube channel.
Worship does not end when the service does. The congregation invites visitors and members to stay for coffee, conversation, and fellowship after every Sunday service. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, making it a recurring part of the church's worship calendar.
A First Visit at 611 Heliotrope Avenue
There is no uniform dress expectation at Corona del Mar Community Church. Come as you are, whether that means dressy clothes or casual attire. The Heliotrope Avenue building stands in a quiet neighborhood, and street parking is available on the surrounding streets.
Children are welcome at worship, and Sunday School for children of all ages runs during the 10:00 a.m. service in a fun, welcoming, age-appropriate setting. The Christian Education Board also coordinates trained childcare for education-related church functions.
Easy-to-follow worship guides help people navigate the service and feel at ease. A visitor who feels nervous can request a worship buddy, and church staff can arrange for someone to accompany that person. The church office keeps regular weekday hours, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Hymns, Organ, Choir, and Open Rehearsals
The Music Ministries Committee supports choir, solo, and instrumental work throughout the church's worship life. Music Director Emma Whitten helps shape music's role in services and special occasions, while the committee makes room for creative expression and community among people who sing, play, or simply value music.
Open choir rehearsals are held every week, and no audition is required. The church also invites soloists and instrumentalists to offer their talents in worship and at special events. The combination of longstanding hymnody, organ accompaniment, choir, soloists, and an open invitation to participation gives the music ministry both continuity and a broad place for people to contribute.
Learning from Sunday School Through Leadership Development
Faith formation is organized through the Board of Christian Education, which works with children, youth, and adults. Its responsibilities include Christian education programs, youth fellowship, leadership development, curriculum and study materials, and regular evaluation of educational work. The church library is maintained under the board's oversight, with a librarian appointed to support ongoing learning.
The education ministry also recruits and trains teachers and leaders. Its emphasis is not only on classes but on helping people grow in faith across childhood, youth, and adulthood. Youth fellowship gives younger congregants a place to explore faith and build lasting relationships, while the upstairs Youth Lounge provides a dedicated space in the building.
Deacons support education and belonging through volunteer service. They welcome people who have signed a covenant within sixty days, support greeters and ushers, assist with Communion and Baptism, prepare the altar and Communion Table, and help organize programs for women and men. They also coordinate worship and pulpit coverage when needed, working closely with the ministers.
A Congregational Faith Within the UCC
Corona del Mar Community Church is a congregational church: it makes its own decisions, supports its shared life, and shapes its own path. Its independence does not mean separation. The church belongs to the United Church of Christ, a progressive Christian tradition marked by justice, inclusion, and an ongoing search for deeper understanding. That arrangement allows the congregation to make its own decisions while remaining part of a wider Christian community.
The church centers on the power of God's love, understood as always present and always available. It teaches that each person is created in the image of God and called to live with purpose and compassion. Rather than requiring a strict creed, the church makes room for individual faith and encourages people to explore their spiritual paths. Members renew their commitment to the community each year through covenanting.
Its stated purpose is to bring people together in worship, seek God's presence in daily life, and live out Jesus' teachings in meaningful ways. Its mission has three connected parts:
- Experience God's presence in life.
- Create a loving, supportive community.
- Extend that love beyond the church walls through service and partnership.
Membership as a Private, Annual Covenant
Membership is built around an annual covenant rather than a creed or financial test. A covenant is a personal statement of intention to join the church's life of faith, work, and fellowship. It can be brief or detailed and may express a wish to participate in worship, contribute gifts, explore faith, or name areas where growth is desired.
The covenant is private. Membership itself is free and does not require a donation; the church emphasizes presence, participation, and heart. Members can deepen their relationships through spiritual opportunities, vote on important church decisions, and remain connected through the church directory, mailings, and updates. The covenant is renewed each year, giving the congregation a regular moment to reflect on how it is growing together.
A covenant can be completed through an online form or printed and mailed to the church. For members who already have login information, a separate membership portal is available. The annual process reflects the church's wider conviction that belonging does not demand one uniform way of believing or serving.
Service Beyond the Church Walls
Service beyond the church walls is guided by the Board of Christian Mission. The board coordinates service projects and outreach programs, connects congregants with denominational and ecumenical opportunities, and offers education that helps members engage current issues through a Christian witness. It also keeps the congregation connected to the work of the conference and association to which the church belongs.
Volunteers make the congregation's work possible across worship, education, music, and mission. The church describes generosity as the force that sustains this work, and financial support can be offered through online giving. This outward expression of faith is a direct extension of the mission to extend love beyond the church's own walls.
Weddings, Memorials, Baptisms, and Gathering Spaces
Corona del Mar presents weddings as sacred celebrations and offers both ceremony space and substantial planning support. Couples may choose their own date and time, with no more than one wedding scheduled on a given day. The minister provides premarital counseling, although couples who already have a minister they value may invite that person to officiate. Membership is not required, and everyone is welcome regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, background, or beliefs.
Music choices range from traditional hymns and classical repertoire to modern and contemporary selections. A piano and classical organ are available, and the wedding team works with couples on ceremony and event details. A dedicated wedding coordinator assists with florists, event planners, photography, and questions, helping each couple move through the day with support.
The church's life-event ministry also includes memorial services and baptisms. Memorial gatherings are planned as spaces for remembrance, reflection, and healing. Baptisms are open to children, youth, and adults, with preparation available for each family or individual. These ministries extend the church's supportive role beyond Sunday worship while retaining the same themes of care, welcome, and participation that shape congregational life.
The church's gathering spaces include a Bridal Room, Mertz Hall, two classrooms, sanctuary space, a library, and the upstairs Youth Lounge. Its event-planning process supports groups gathering for meetings, celebrations, and community activities.
A Pastor with Congregational and Public Experience
Senior Pastor the Reverend Ray Jordan brings experience as a local pastor, UCC clergy member, academic, and consultant. His prior senior ministry included First Community Church of Dallas and Central Congregational Church of Dallas. He has served the UCC at every level, including as the first African American president of the North Texas Association and founding chair of Church Revitalization for the South Central Conference.
Jordan's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education, a Master of Arts in Education, and a Master of Theological Studies, along with completed PhD coursework at the intersection of faith communities and public policy. He has taught graduate courses in human rights, social justice, and dispute resolution at Southern Methodist University and has worked with organizations including the World Affairs Council of Orange County. His work has also included consulting for churches, nonprofits, corporate entities, and institutions of higher education.
Music Director Emma Whitten leads the music ministry, while the deacons provide leadership for worship, welcome, education, and member integration. Their work supports a church that pairs traditional worship with an inclusive message and a congregational system of shared responsibility.
Rooted in Corona del Mar
Corona del Mar Community Church Congregational UCC is held together by long-standing traditions and a willingness to keep interpreting them in the present. At Heliotrope Avenue, Sunday worship brings together scripture, prayer, hymns, organ, choir, soloists, and contemporary preaching, followed by time for fellowship. Around that weekly rhythm are covenantal membership, education for every age, open choir participation, thoughtfully planned weddings, memorials, baptisms, meeting rooms, and service projects. The church's identity lives in that rhythm of worship, shared responsibility, spiritual exploration, and care extended beyond its own walls.