Perched at the top of Meadowridge Drive in Newhall, above the Canyon Ridge Apartments, Faith Community Church has been a steady presence in the Santa Clarita Valley since 1985. Members of the Evangelical Free Church of America, the congregation gathers on Sundays for two English services and a Spanish-language service, with the 10:45 a.m. English gathering livestreamed on YouTube. Beyond the sanctuary, the church has built a full week of programming that runs from a children's check-in kiosk on Sunday morning to a family dinner each Wednesday evening, with Bible studies, youth groups, a counseling team, women's circles, men's breakfasts, a young-adult community, and a care ministry ready to step in when a family faces job loss or a medical bill.
Making Disciples and Building Biblical Community
The church's mission is short enough to memorize: to make disciples of Jesus and to incorporate them into biblical community. The two halves belong together. Making disciples means teaching people to do what Jesus commanded, becoming like Him through the renewing of the mind and the study of Scripture. Building community reflects Jesus' prayer in John 17 that His people would be one, even as He and the Father are one. Senior Pastor Steve Jackson often points to that prayer as the reason community cannot be optional at FCC. Discipleship and life together reinforce each other; a Sunday sermon is meant to land in the conversations of a life group, a women's Bible study, or a Wednesday night meal.
Three values give the mission its shape. The first, Learning the Truth, names the conviction that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth and that the church is committed to submitting every area of life to its authority. Living the Gospel speaks to the church's call to align its collective life around the good news of Jesus Christ, both proclaiming it verbally and meeting needs in tangible ways. Loving the Family is rooted in the language of adoption: every true believer has been welcomed into the family of God, and so the church is to be a place where burdens and joys are shared across generations.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
English services begin at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and typically run about seventy-five minutes, including Scripture reading, congregational singing, prayer, and a Bible-based message. The teaching draws primarily from the English Standard Version, both for clarity in the pulpit and for ease in the small groups that meet throughout the week. The 10:45 a.m. gathering is also livestreamed, with the broadcast going live at 10:30 a.m. on the church's YouTube channel. Recordings of recent series, including nine messages in The Life of David: A Man After God's Own Heart and an eighteen-part walk through The Lion and the Lamb: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, are kept in an archive.
First-time visitors are greeted at a Welcome Center in the foyer, where volunteers can help with directions, children's check-in, or simply a friendly introduction. A bulletin with announcements and sermon notes is published online each Sunday morning. There is no dress code; the range on a typical Sunday runs from jeans and t-shirts to business casual, and worshipers are welcome to come as they are. Complimentary coffee is available before and between services on the patio, with specialty drinks offered for a suggested donation. Parking is free on campus, and an overflow lot behind the Chevron station at the corner of Newhall Avenue and Sierra Highway is served by shuttles that run every few minutes. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an usher team ready to assist.
Faithful Parenting and a Culture of Family Discipleship
Parenting is one of the most sustained teaching emphases at Faith Community Church. In fall 2024, Pastor Steve Jackson, Pastor Greg Gifford, Craig Kugler, and Cory Gutske walked the congregation through a six-part series called Faithful Parents, drawing on Paul Tripp's gospel-centered parenting framework. The series opened with Kugler on the goals of parenting, the difference between vertical and horizontal aims, and the danger of letting secular models of success set the agenda. Jackson followed with two messages on the godly example parents are to set and the consistent consequences that flow from it. Gifford took up relational influence and gospel-centered conversations, then turned to the structured environments that children need to flourish. The series closed with Gutske on the gentleness that must mark correction, since gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit and without it, discipline can turn ungodly.
Outside the pulpit, the same conviction shapes the church's educational resource ministry. A resource titled Partnering in Education walks parents through the public, private, charter, and homeschool options in the Santa Clarita Valley, with descriptions of local schools such as Trinity Classical Academy, Santa Clarita Christian School, Legacy Christian Academy, Grace Academy, Gorman Learning Center, SCVi, Opportunities for Learning, Learn4Life, Classical Conversations, and a co-op program called Faithful Foundations that meets on the church's campus. The framing verse is Deuteronomy 6:6-9, the call to talk about God's commands at home, on the road, lying down, and rising up. A companion resource, Engaging in Public Schools, addresses the specific challenges of raising Christian children in a public school environment, with practical counsel on engaging teachers, modeling humility, asking clarifying questions, and framing disagreement as a chance to walk through hard things with a child rather than to win an argument.
Children's Ministry: A Check-In Kiosk and an AWANA-Style Kids' Club
The Children's Ministry Department, affectionately known around the church as CMD, exists to come alongside parents in the discipleship of their children. Three guiding principles organize the work. Learning the Truth means teaching biblical values and authority at age-appropriate levels. Living the Gospel treats the children of the church as a mission field within the church. Loving the Family is the commitment to partner with parents rather than replace them.
On Sunday mornings, classes are offered for infants through sixth grade at the 9:00 a.m. service and for infants through fourth grade at the 10:45 a.m. service. The curriculum is The Gospel Project from Lifeway, which moves chronologically through Scripture and points every lesson back to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Students from two-and-a-half years old through fourth grade all study the same passage at their own level, so a family can discuss the same text around the dinner table that week. Because fifth and sixth graders are at a unique stage, the church offers separate classes for boys and girls during the first service and then encourages them to sit in the main service with the rest of the church during the second hour.
All children are checked in by a parent at a kiosk in the foyer, where they receive a name tag and the parent receives a matching tag for pickup. The check-in system can be created on site or pre-populated online. A Special Needs Team is in place, with one-on-one aides available when needed; families are encouraged to reach out to Children's Ministries Director Tommy Fandre in advance so the team can prepare for a child's first visit.
On Wednesday evenings, Kids' Club runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for students in Pre-K through sixth grade. Pre-K through third grade meet in Room A4/5, while fourth through sixth grade meet in Room A1/2. The format is similar to AWANA, with fellowship, Bible verse memorization, Bible teaching, and games, but the curriculum is the church's own. Pastors and teachers have worked through books like Matthew, Jude, Jonah, and Genesis with a focus on worldview.
Faith Student Ministries: Junior High and High School
Faith Student Ministries, or FSM, partners with parents in the shepherding of students in seventh through twelfth grade. Five values shape the ministry: partnering with parents, pursuing Christ, proclaiming the Scriptures, plugging students into the local church, and practically living for the kingdom.
On Sunday mornings, the youth meet during the first service hour in Rooms A8/A9 downstairs for a time of worship and small groups. On Wednesday evenings, the whole family gathers at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, and the youth group begins in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. for a mix of worship, games, fellowship, and Bible teaching. The team is led by Director of Student Ministries Dillon Webb and his wife Payton, with Micah Harrelson serving as Assistant Director. Sermon recordings of Webb's teaching are posted to his own YouTube channel.
Ministerio Español: Worship, Teaching, and Family Life in Spanish
Faith Community Church's Spanish Ministry, led by Associate Pastor Miguel Bocanegra, is a full partner in the life of the church. A Spanish-language worship service meets at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays in Rooms A8/A9 and is also available through the church's YouTube livestream. Wednesday evenings add a Spanish Bible study that begins at 6:30 p.m. in Room A3, after the 6:00 p.m. family dinner, and often follows a topical study chosen for the season. A recent series, for example, was a fourteen-week walk through Paul Tripp's book on parenting, with Bocanegra leading the discussion in Spanish and child and youth programs running concurrently in English so that whole families can attend together.
The Spanish Ministry publishes a frequently-asked-questions page to help newcomers understand the differences between an evangelical church and the Roman Catholic tradition, covering the authority of Scripture, the means of salvation, the observance of two ordinances rather than seven sacraments, the leadership of elders rather than a hierarchical clergy, the practice of believer's baptism by immersion, the regular observance of the Lord's Supper, and the place of Mary and the saints. Faith Community Church is not a charismatic church and does not offer auricular confession.
Wednesday Nights: A Family Dinner and a Choice of Studies
Wednesday is the heartbeat of the week at Faith. The evening opens with a family dinner at 6:00 p.m., with a suggested donation of three dollars a person. After the meal, around 6:30 p.m., the body divides into its various groups: Kids' Club downstairs, the youth group in the sanctuary, Faith Women for women's Bible study, the Spanish Ministry in Room A3, and Faith Bible Institute for men and women who want a deeper dive into the Word. Children's programs run alongside adult programming so that parents can attend their own study. By 6:45 p.m. the adult classes are fully underway. The evening wraps up for most groups by 8:30 p.m.
Biblical Counseling Under the Oversight of the Elders
The counseling ministry at Faith Community Church is an extension of the shepherding work of the elders and pastors. Because the ministry sits under that oversight, counseling is offered only to members and regular attenders of the church. The counselors are either certified or in the certification process with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, a credentialing body that requires rigorous training, supervised counseling hours, and examinations. The conviction behind the ministry is that God's Word is sufficient to address the problems of life and that wise, faithful care is possible when the Bible is the authority. Anyone interested in beginning the process can fill out a request form so the team can review the need and follow up with next steps.
Care Ministry: A Food Pantry, Meals, and Help with the Bills
When a church family faces a sudden job loss, an unexpected medical bill, or a car repair they cannot afford, the Care Team is the front line. The team maintains a small food pantry with basic food, household, and hygiene items, offers gift cards for groceries and gas, and coordinates a meal ministry for families welcoming a new baby or walking through illness or injury. Paper and plastic bags for the pantry are an ongoing need, and the church regularly invites members to drop off extras on a Sunday morning. Brian Jones oversees the ministry, with Laurie Adachi coordinating meals and Susan Consolo running the food pantry.
Local Outreach: Festividad, Matthew Parties, and the Santa Clarita Valley
The Local Outreach Team exists to help members of the congregation turn their own ideas for serving into self-led ministries that preach the gospel in the Santa Clarita area. Beyond the small-scale, off-campus efforts that happen week to week, the team hosts two larger events that have become part of the rhythm of the community: Festividad, a fall outreach to local families, and Matthew Parties, which gather children from the surrounding neighborhoods for a fun, gospel-centered afternoon. The team's long-term goals are to empower everyday Christians to launch their own outreach efforts, to connect the wider Santa Clarita community with the body at FCC, and to nurture an attitude of community discipleship and service across the church.
Global Outreach: Fifteen Workers on Four Continents
Faith Community Church sends and supports cross-cultural workers through its Global Outreach Ministry, which is divided into a Home Team and an Away Team. The Home Team educates, recruits, prepares, affirms, and sends workers into the world, plans GO Sundays, and provides ongoing care for field workers. The Away Team is made up of fifteen individuals and families serving on four continents among dozens of people groups, with the goal of preaching the gospel, making disciples, and planting churches that reproduce within the local culture. The Home Team meets on the third Monday of each month, and membership at FCC is a prerequisite for joining. Anyone sensing a call to serve, or simply wanting to learn more, can reach out to the missions office.
Men, Women, and the Work of Life Together
The Men's Ministry is built on four foundational principles: passion, courage, sacrifice, and integrity. The team's aim is to help men of all ages lead well and serve well for the glory of God, both inside the church and out in the community. The ministry offers teaching events, an annual men's conference, and smaller gatherings throughout the year. Greg Gifford has taught on the essential characteristics of a godly man, with an emphasis on humility, servant leadership, integrity, and love as the marks of a life shaped by Christ.
The Women's Ministry is led by Marybeth Margrave and offers two weekly Bible studies during the school year: Side by Side on Tuesday mornings, with childcare and a homeschool room available, and Faith Women on Wednesday evenings, with children's activities running concurrently. Fellowship events such as Sister Stories and Titus 2 gatherings are designed to mix women of different ages, on the conviction that discipleship happens best across generations. Two large events anchor the year: a Reali-Tea in the fall and a Conference or Retreat in the spring, alternating between a weekend away and a retreat hosted at the church. Studies are rooted in books of the Bible and aim to equip women to study the Scriptures for themselves, with topics that have included prayer, identity in Christ, suffering, anxiety, relationships, and navigating life's challenges.
Young Adults, Life Groups, and the Search for Real Community
For young adults who have finished high school, the church offers the Young Adult Ministry, or YAM, which meets on Sunday evenings in Valencia. The group welcomes full-time college students, recent graduates, young professionals, and anyone juggling school and work. Conversation runs from singleness and dating to career and marriage to cultivating habits of Bible reading, prayer, and evangelism. The group also schedules social events throughout the month: movie nights, hikes, pool parties, camping trips, and casual coffee hangouts. The group's Instagram account keeps current events posted.
Life Groups are the small-group backbone of the church. The groups meet once a week in homes across the Santa Clarita Valley, with the express purpose of cultivating meaningful Christ-centered relationships. Each group works through a study led by a qualified Bible teacher, and Greg Gifford helps newcomers find a group that fits their neighborhood, schedule, and stage of life. The hope is that as the church grows larger, Life Groups keep it feeling like a small church.
Vacation Bible School, Easter, and Christmas at Faith
Each summer, Faith Community Church runs a Vacation Bible School for students entering kindergarten through graduating sixth grade. Mornings run from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with a Friday evening closing assembly and a family dinner to wrap up the week. Registration opens in the spring, with priority given first to church members, then to direct invitations from Faith families, and then to the wider community based on volunteer capacity. A small fee covers a T-shirt, craft materials, daily snacks, and the Friday dinner, with scholarships available for members and regular attenders who need financial help.
Christmas at Faith centers on the regular Sunday services, with a special emphasis on the children's and student ministries during the morning hours. Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, often includes a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. on the church's grounds, weather permitting, with the full English and Spanish services following the regular schedule.
What the Church Believes
Faith Community Church holds to a statement of faith consistent with its affiliation in the Evangelical Free Church of America. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is received as the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the final authority for Christian faith and life. There is one God, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is true God and true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified as a sacrifice for sin, raised bodily from the dead, and now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High as our High Priest and Advocate. The Holy Spirit convicts, regenerates, indwells, guides, instructs, and empowers believers for godly living and service. Humanity was created in the image of God but fell into sin, and salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, who is the only ground of justification. Water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances of the church, observed as acts of obedience but not as means of salvation. The true Church is the whole body of believers united under Christ, and each local church has the right under Christ to govern its own affairs. The church also affirms the personal, premillennial, and imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of the dead, everlasting blessedness for the believer, and everlasting conscious punishment for the unbeliever.
Podcasts and the Sermon Archive
Two podcasts extend the church's teaching beyond Sunday morning. Faith Talks examines everyday topics through a biblical worldview, with conversations hosted by Pastor Steve Jackson and others on community, discipleship, and engaging the political process with grace and truth. Faith Moments offers daily Christian reflections on the Word of Life, including a verse-by-verse walk through the book of Esther. Both shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Pocket Casts. The sermon archive, organized by series, speaker, topic, and book of the Bible, includes more than fifty English-language messages and eight Spanish-language messages, with Steve Jackson, Greg Gifford, Miguel Bocanegra, and a rotation of guest speakers contributing over the years.
Getting Connected
Faith Community Church is governed by a body of ten elders and led by a pastoral team that includes Steve Jackson as Senior Pastor, Miguel Bocanegra as Associate Pastor of Spanish Ministries, and Jeffrey Howell as Associate Pastor of Administration. The office staff includes a children's ministries director, a director of student ministries, an office administrative assistant, a bookkeeper, and a facility maintenance lead. A team of deacons serves the practical needs of the congregation, with Doug Meister currently serving as Deacon Chair. Information about Life Groups, Bible studies, volunteer teams, and current events is available through the church's Church Center app, and online giving is available as well. The church's address, 24620 Meadowridge Drive, sits at the top of the hill in Newhall, above the Canyon Ridge Apartments, a fitting location for a congregation that has spent four decades trying to be family to one another in the Santa Clarita Valley.