Set back from the pines along Yorkshire Drive in Cambria, Community Presbyterian Church of Cambria (CPCC) has long been a steady presence on California's Central Coast. The congregation's mission statement is plain and direct: connecting people to Jesus Christ through community, service, and discipleship. Visitors who step onto the campus on a Sunday morning find that purpose expressed in a single 10 a.m. worship service, an active children's ministry, a long-running preschool, and a body of believers that stretches its reach well beyond the sanctuary walls.
A Christ-Centered Community in ECO
In 2016, Community Presbyterian Church was officially received into ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, a denomination whose stated aim is to build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. CPCC describes itself as a Christ-centered community making disciples who love God, obey God, serve God, and help others become Jesus followers. Its vision is to help people know, experience, and respond to God's love. Those three words, community, service, and discipleship, are more than a slogan; they are the way the church organizes its ministries, from its Bible studies to its preschool to its twice-yearly thrift sales.
Sunday Worship at 10 AM
Worship gathers each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary at 2250 Yorkshire Drive. The service is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and an archive of recent sermons is available there as well, including series such as Rooted, The Long Way Home, and Songs of the Saints, which explores the theology woven into classic hymns and contemporary praise songs. Sunday bulletins are posted each week so members and guests can follow along in advance, and Children's Activity Bags are available on the table just inside the sanctuary entrance for young worshippers.
Wednesday Bible Studies in the Fellowship Hall
Midweek discipleship happens in two parallel Bible studies that meet in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesdays, both working their way chapter by chapter through the Gospel of Matthew. The Men's Bible Study meets from 9 to 10 a.m., a recent shift from its earlier 8 a.m. start. The Women's Bible Study meets from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Both are drop-in studies, open to the wider community, and Pastor Tony posts the study questions online ahead of time. The church is clear that no homework is required to participate.
Pastor Tony Osimo
The Rev. Dr. Tony Osimo, the church's pastor and head of staff, grew up on the coast of Southern California and the beach remains his happy place. He holds an M.Div. from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. Before coming to Cambria, he served churches in Boca Raton, Florida; San Clemente, California; and Monrovia, California, and he chaired the Pastoral Ministry Nominating Committee that helped organize the Southern California Presbytery. He and his wife, Anne, have two grown children, Carey and Grace, and much of his free time is spent walking the ranch, walking Moonstone Beach, skiing, traveling, scuba diving, reading, and cooking. He is currently trying to master sourdough bread.
Children's Ministry and Bible Explorer Kits
CPCC takes seriously the spiritual formation of its youngest members. Each month during the school year, the Christian Education team puts together a Bible Explorer Kit mailed to families who sign up. Each kit includes lessons, games, stories, and crafts designed to be completed on Sundays at home, giving parents a structured way to walk their children through the Christian calendar. During the summer, families can stop by and pick up a Summer Fun Pack instead. In addition, Children's Activity Bags are always available on the sanctuary table so that worship remains accessible to kids and their parents.
The Cambria Youth Collective
Middle and high school students in Cambria don't do youth ministry alone. In 2015, a handful of evangelical churches in town, CPCC among them, joined together to form the Cambria Youth Collective, one combined youth group meeting every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the CPCC Youth Hut. One youth pastor and vetted volunteers from each participating church lead an evening of Bible teaching, worship, prayer, discipleship, and (yes) games, with dinner provided. September is CPCC's month to provide dinner for the Collective, a small example of the way the church shares responsibility with its neighbors.
Small Wonders Preschool Since 2000
Housed on the church campus, Small Wonders Preschool has been welcoming the youngest learners of Cambria since 2000. The preschool's ministry is to demonstrate Jesus' love to children and their families by providing an affordable and safe environment in which children develop emotionally, socially, developmentally, and spiritually. Through play-based experiences, children discover, explore, and master the ideas and skills that prepare them for kindergarten, while growing in their knowledge of God through Bible stories and songs taught alongside other curriculum in a non-denominational Christian manner. Programs are offered two, three, or five days a week in morning (8 a.m. to noon), morning-plus-lunch (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and full-day (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) formats. The school is directed by Shirlin Ellis, a former Small Wonders teacher of more than eleven years originally from Trinidad and Tobago, with Erika Treller serving as assistant director. Parents interested in more information can call the preschool office at (805) 924-1875.
Spring and Fall Thrift Sales
One of the most visible ways CPCC serves the wider Cambria community is through its thrift ministry. Twice annually, in the spring and the fall, the church hosts a community thrift sale, with the next scheduled for October. Donations are received on Monday mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and the church has a detailed list of accepted and unaccepted items. Clothing, shoes, toys, books, small household goods, art, small furniture, electronics (with some exceptions), and sporting equipment are welcome; large appliances, large furniture, printers, microwaves, tube TVs, printers and copiers, mattresses, car seats, and weapons are not. Pick-up service is no longer offered, but the drop-off window is reliable and the proceeds benefit the church's ministries and outreach partners.
Mission Partners Near and Far
CPCC joyfully supports a roster of local and international ministries doing the work of sharing Jesus and His Kingdom full-time. Locally, that includes Ministry of Hope, Spectrum Ministries, Youth For Christ, and CRU Central Coast. Regionally and globally, the church partners with Witnessing Ministries of Christ, the Zozu Project, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and God's Hidden Treasures. A Fellowship Team within CPCC complements that outward focus with inward care, delivering homemade soup or Valentine's Day cookies to members in times of need.
Mondays at the Craft Circle
On Monday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon, the Fellowship Hall fills with makers. The Craft Circle gathers anyone who loves crafting of any kind to work on their own projects in the company of friends. Once a year, the circle sells what it has made and donates the proceeds to local ministries and charities. Community members are always welcome to join.
Ways to Connect
The church office at 2250 Yorkshire Drive is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, and the phone rings at (805) 927-4356. The general inbox is office@cambriapres.org, and Pastor Tony can be reached at tony@cambriapres.org. Services are livestreamed on YouTube, and past sermons are archived there. Giving is available online through the church's Realm account, with options for one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual gifts. Anyone interested in visiting, joining a Bible study, sending their child to Small Wonders, signing up for a Bible Explorer Kit, volunteering for the next thrift sale, or learning more about ECO is invited to reach out to the church office, where the staff is glad to point newcomers in the right direction.