On a tree-lined stretch of Lambert Road in north Orange County, Friends Community Church meets at 620 West Lambert Road in Brea, California. Its motto, "Loving God, Loving People," frames everything that fills the church calendar: Bible-focused teaching, contemporary music, and a packed lineup of ministries that reaches from the nursery to a seniors' group called the OWLS. Three weekend services, two of them livestreamed, draw families and singles who prefer a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere over a dress code.
Weekend Services and a Casual Welcome
FCC meets three times a weekend. Saturday worship begins at 5 PM in the Main Sanctuary and is intentionally kept in-person. On Sunday morning, services run at 9 AM and 10:30 AM in the Main Sanctuary, both of which are also livestreamed. Visitors who arrive on Saturday night or Sunday morning can enter through the main doors off Lambert Road and stop by the Visitor Center at the front entrance for information and a welcome gift. Outside, a gathering spot called The Gathering hosts connection ministries and serves donuts before the services begin.
The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed. "Some will dress business casual, many will wear jeans, and some show up in shorts," the church explains. Worship is described as "vibrant," "dynamic," "participatory," and "contemporary," with music that the leaders say blends celebration, artistry, and reverence. Sermons are Bible-based, and communion is typically celebrated on the weekend of the first Sunday of each month. There is usually an opportunity for regular attenders to give during the service, but newcomers are not put on the spot.
Sermons belong to a current series tied to the Gospel of Mark called "Jesus: Fully Known, Fully Followed." Earlier series have walked through Colossians, Philippians, Genesis, Revelation, the Minor Prophets, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, the Gospel of Luke, 1 Peter, Daniel, and the Gospel of John, and sermon recordings go back more than a decade in the online archive. Messages stream live each Sunday and are available afterward through the FCC Brea mobile app, on YouTube, and as MP3 downloads.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
FCC has built out an unusually broad children's ministry for a church of its size. Nursery care is available for newborns through three-and-a-half-year-olds during both Sunday services, with three classrooms split by age (0-16 months, 16-31 months, and 2.5-3.5 years). A private nursing room sits within Nursery 1 and offers a livestream of the sanctuary service so that new mothers do not have to miss the message.
Children's programming for preschoolers through fifth grade is called FCC Kids and meets in the 315 Building during both Sunday services. Each session starts with energetic group worship and a Bible lesson, then breaks into small groups for discussion, activities, and crafts designed for the specific age. The teaching draws on Orange Curriculum, and every child takes home a weekly devotional to keep the conversation going during the week. Child dedication is offered to families who want to present their child before the church; dedications take place during a regular service and include a chosen verse, a certificate, a children's book, and a prayer of blessing from one of the pastors.
On Wednesday evenings, RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Equip) gathers first- through fifth-graders from 6:30 to 8 PM in the 315 Building. The program uses DigIn Curriculum from Group and combines Bible study, games, and activities. MomCo, a separate midweek ministry for mothers of children ages 0 to 17, meets every other Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the 315 Building and includes guest speakers, curriculum, and free childcare. MomCo runs in seasonal sessions with a small scholarship application for families who need help covering the cost.
For families navigating special needs, the FCC Buddy Program is not currently running, but the Children's Ministry Director works directly with parents on accommodations through the existing volunteer team.
Student Ministry: Middle School, High School, and Young Adults
Student ministry at FCC is built around three distinct communities. Middle School students (sixth through eighth grade) meet for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 in the 307 Building, where teaching, musical worship, and small-group discussion all share the same hour. Wednesday nights bring small groups back to the 307 Building at 6:30 PM for games and grade- and gender-specific small groups led by screened adult leaders. Throughout the year, students also gather for larger fellowship, service, and outreach events. Once a year they join students from other Friends churches for a regional worship gathering called the Friends Worship Gathering.
High School students (ninth through twelfth grade) gather on Sunday mornings at 10:30 in the 301 Building for student-led worship bands, games, laughter, and a Bible-based sermon geared to their stage of life. Wednesday small groups at 6:30 PM are divided by gender and grade and led by adult mentors who walk through structured topics ranging from peer pressure to Christian identity. A weekly newsletter keeps parents and students in the loop about events and updates.
The Young Adults ministry is geared to ages 18 to 25 and meets every Thursday from 7 to 9 PM in the 301 Building. The community's stated mission uses a series of "R" words - Reconnect, Reignite, Renew, Reflection, Response, Re-formed, Revived, Repurposed, and Respond - to describe a group that wants to be rebuilt, reformed, and raised up together in Christ.
Adult Bible Study and Life Groups
Adult formation at FCC happens in two complementary settings: a church-wide Bible study and a network of neighborhood Life Groups. The Adult Bible Study meets every Wednesday at 6 PM in the Sanctuary, with the option to join in person or online through Church Online or Facebook. Childcare is free. Past recordings are posted online for anyone who misses a week.
Life Groups are small communities that meet throughout the week in homes, on the church campus, and over Zoom. The church describes them as the place "where people can find freedom, build real relationships, and grow in their walk of Jesus." Groups are organized around stage of life and interest. Mondays include groups for parents of kids and teens and young professionals. Tuesdays bring an online group for adults 25 to 45. Wednesdays host a women-only group at 10 AM at FCC and a parents-of-kids-and-teens group that runs in step with the children's programs at 6:30 PM. Thursdays include a 40-plus group in Brea, a young professionals group in La Mirada with childcare, an online 55-plus group, and an all-ages group in La Habra that meets the first and third weeks. An interest form connects newcomers to the group that fits their stage.
On the first Sunday of each month at 9 AM, the Apologetics Academy gathers in the Youth Center (301 Building) to equip believers to defend their faith. A new six-week class called True Financial Freedom, focused on practical money management from a Christian perspective, has also been offered on Sunday mornings during the 10:30 service.
Women's Ministry: Bible Study, Book Club, Western Night, and MomCo
Women's Ministry at FCC is led by an extensive slate of Bible study and fellowship opportunities. The flagship event is the twice-weekly Women's Bible Study, which meets on Tuesdays at 9 AM and 6 PM in the 315 Building for a fall session on the books of 1 and 2 Peter called "Living Holy." The morning and evening sessions both offer childcare, and the registration fee is $25 with scholarships available. Recordings of the large-group teaching are posted weekly.
Beyond Bible study, a Women's Book Club meets on the last Saturday of each month at 9:30 AM in the 315 Building, with a rotating selection that has included novels, faith-based reads, and recent bestsellers. MomCo, the mothers' ministry, meets every other Wednesday morning in the 315 Building, and Women Connect brings small groups of women together once a month for a meal, fellowship, and conversation tailored to their stage of life. A yearly Women's Retreat at Forest Home, a Western Night with line dancing and a potluck, and seasonal events round out the calendar.
Men's Ministry: Bible Study, Retreat, Softball, and Texas Hold 'Em
Men's ministry is anchored by a network of Bible studies that meet on seven different days of the week. Studies run Monday evenings at FCC at 7 PM, Tuesday mornings in the 301 Building at 6:30 AM, Tuesday evenings at FCC at 7 PM, Wednesday mornings in the 315 Building at 6:30 AM, Wednesday evenings upstairs in the Main Building at 6:30 PM, Friday mornings in the 301 Building at 6:30 AM (preceded by a 5:55 AM prayer meeting), and Saturday mornings in the 315 Building at 7 AM. A separate 5:55 AM Friday prayer meeting in the 301 Building gathers a smaller circle for coffee and prayer for the church.
Beyond Bible study, the men's calendar includes a fall retreat at Pinecrest Christian Conference Center, a monthly Men's Full House that plays no-money Texas Hold 'Em on the third Friday evening in the 315 Building, a Saturday breakfast held in the 301 Building, and a fall Saturday softball league hosted at Rose Drive Friends Church.
Seniors 55 and Up: The OWLS
OWLS (Older Wiser Livelier Seniors) is the church's 55-plus ministry. The group meets on the second Wednesday of each month for brunch, day trips, guest speakers, and fellowship. The pastoral team is led by Pastor Travis and Pastor Silvia, who also coordinate the church's Life Groups.
Prayer, Stephen Ministry, and Counseling Support
FCC runs a robust prayer life. A prayer team prays weekly over submitted requests, and a monthly Prayer Night on the first Friday of each month at 7 PM gathers the church family in the Sanctuary for intentional prayer and worship. A monthly Prayer Walk takes the congregation on a 2.5-mile loop around the surrounding neighborhood to pray over the community.
Stephen Ministry provides confidential, one-to-one Christian care to people facing grief, divorce, job loss, illness, and other life challenges. Stephen Ministers are church members who have completed more than 50 hours of training and meet with their care receiver weekly for as long as the need continues.
For those seeking more structured help, GriefShare runs on Saturdays from July to October each fall. The church also partners with Turning Point Counseling, a Christian counseling center that integrates prayer, Biblical principles, and Scripture into therapy.
Compassion Ministry, Meals, and Local Service
Compassion Ministry helps FCC members and regular attenders who are facing emergency or financial crisis. Funds are raised through a monthly offering above and beyond regular tithes, and the committee reviews requests for unpaid bills rather than issuing cash. The team keeps an up-to-date list of food pantries open throughout the week in the area and partners with Inner City Ministries every other month to feed the homeless in Long Beach. A Meals Ministry cooks and delivers meals to families recovering from surgery, injury, childbirth, or other health setbacks. The Cookie Ministry welcomes new visitors by delivering a fresh batch of cookies, and the church hosts American Red Cross blood drives several times a year.
Local and Global Missions
Missions are a major pillar of FCC's identity. Locally, the church holds monthly Prayer Walks and partners with area organizations for service. Globally, FCC sends short-term mission trips each year, with recent destinations including Baja, Mexico (where teams build homes and churches and run VBS programs in partnership with Baja Christian Ministries); the Philippines (with Kids International Ministries); Cambodia (with the Sward family and Friends Southwest churches); Estonia (soccer camps and gospel conversations); and Ghana (with City of Refuge Ministries and Faith Roots International Academy). FCC also supports eleven missionary families around the world through prayer and monthly support, with locations spanning Lebanon, Greece, Nepal, Ireland, Guatemala, the Philippines, Mexico, and inner-city Long Beach.
What FCC Believes and How It Operates
FCC is part of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest, the regional arm of the Evangelical Friends tradition. The church gives approximately 4.5 percent of its offerings to the denomination to support other Friends churches. The annual budget is approved by the congregation each November, and elders, the staff, and the finance committee collaborate on financial decisions. The church is 100 percent funded by donations and is a registered nonprofit. Giving is available online, by check, or during weekend services, and gifts to the Compassion Ministry or other designated funds can be marked accordingly. Free childcare is offered during key programs, and the FCC Brea mobile app puts sermons, event registration, online giving, and the weekly Bible reading in one place.
Visiting Friends Community Church
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Weekend services are held Saturdays at 5 PM in the Main Sanctuary, and Sundays at 9 AM and 10:30 AM, with Sunday services livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Nursery through high school programming is available during Sunday morning services, and the 315, 301, 307, and 301 Buildings host children's, middle school, high school, and young adult ministry on the same campus. The FCC Brea mobile app, available through the App Store, is the easiest way to register for events, watch livestreams, give online, and follow the weekly Bible reading.