At 1700 Palopinto Avenue in Glendora, Glenkirk Church is known for Sunday worship that combines modern songs and classic hymns with Bible teaching, and for ministries extending from birth through senior adulthood. Its mission is to form a biblically rooted community on a journey to know and follow Jesus, love God, love people, and share His Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The church's ministries include age-specific Sunday school for children, worship and relationships for middle and high school students, Bible study for adults in English and Chinese, and Spanish-speaking worship through La Casa for the greater Los Angeles area. The church also supports caregivers, grieving families, people in recovery, students who need tutoring, children with special needs, and neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Two Sunday Gatherings at Palopinto Avenue
Sunday worship is held at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Services take place in the Worship Center and outside on the Patio, and each service lasts approximately one hour. Music ranges from modern worship songs to classic hymns. After time of singing, a pastor teaches from the Bible. People may dress casually or in their Sunday best, and children and youth have their own gatherings during the services.
Those who cannot attend in person can join the services through the church's YouTube livestream. Parking is easily accessible around the perimeter, with the lot off Sellers Street recommended for accessible parking to the Worship Center.
A Faith of Scripture, Baptism and Shared Ministry
Glenkirk's statement of faith centers on one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It affirms Jesus as fully human and fully divine, his sinless life, death for sins and resurrection, and the kingdom of God that begins in believers' lives and extends into eternity. The Holy Spirit is affirmed as the one who lives in believers, empowers spiritual gifts and brings the fruit of the Spirit.
The Bible is affirmed as the holy Word of God, read with humility, faith and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Glenkirk sees the church as an oasis for people who are lost or lonely, a training ground for following Jesus and a worshiping community on a journey together. It teaches that every believer is called into ministry and uses their gifts to love and serve others.
Baptism is a New Covenant sign of welcome into God's family, intended for believers and their children. Glenkirk teaches that it is a visible sign and seal of God's forgiveness, an identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection, and a sign of unity with God's people worldwide.
Children From Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministries serve children from birth through fifth grade during both Sunday services. Families check in at the KidMin Center 15 minutes before worship. Early Childhood, for birth through Kindergarten, uses songs, Bible lessons and activities designed for that stage. Elementary students begin with parents in the main service, then move to age-specific small groups for crafts and activities in the Children's Wing.
AWANA adds a Wednesday 6:00 p.m. midweek program for children three years old through fifth grade. Its aim is for children to connect, have fun, learn about Jesus and grow in how they show love. First-time families register their child with a volunteer at the KidMin Center when they arrive.
ENGAGE for Middle and High School Students
ENGAGE is Glenkirk's student ministry for middle and high school students, with an emphasis on fun, faith and real relationships. A Sunday gathering for worship and fellowship is at 10:45 a.m. in The Lot. On the first Sunday of each month, students worship together in the Worship Center and are then dismissed.
ENGAGE also meets Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Students in grades six through twelve share worship, a word, games and food in a setting built for encouragement and support.
Young adults gather for a free lunch and Bible study at 12:30 p.m. Sundays in Room 15. The group focuses on growing in faith, building genuine friendships and making room for people at different points in their spiritual journeys.
Study and Fellowship Across Adult Life
Adult study takes several forms. A mixed adult group meets at 10:45 a.m. Sundays in Room 21 and welcomes people without preregistration. The bilingual Chinese Bible study meets at 9:00 a.m. in Room 22, provides Chinese Bibles and combines fellowship with deeper study of Scripture.
Men's small groups meet early in the day and in the evening: John Wiedmann leads a Tuesday 5:45 a.m. group on Zoom, Bill Matthews a Wednesday 6:30 a.m. Zoom group, Steve Sharp a Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Zoom group, and Paul Bublin a Thursday 6:00 a.m. group in the Skylight Room. A men's book club also meets Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Skylight Room to consider Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together and its study guide.
Women's Bible study meets Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Event Center, with childcare provided. A second Wednesday gathering at 6:30 p.m. in the Gathering Place is a book study of Life Together. A women's small group meets Thursdays at noon in Room 21.
Senior adults have several regular activities. Senior fellowship is held on the second Thursday of each month from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Event Center, with games, lunch and light refreshments; all ages are welcome. Stretch and Balance meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. for safe, light exercise, while a strength-training program focuses on weightlifting and endurance with no experience or equipment needed. Threads of Joy meets Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 22 to make stuffed animals for donation to local hospitals, and no skill or materials are required.
La Casa Brings Spanish-Speaking Worship
La Casa is Glenkirk's Spanish-speaking church plant, serving the greater Los Angeles area. Its Sunday worship service is at 10:30 a.m. in the Gathering Place. Rev. Gio Garcia serves as Assistant Pastor of Church Planting and leads this ministry.
Music, Membership and Shared Responsibility
Glenkirk's Worship Arts ministry treats worship as a celebration that feeds the soul and enriches the mind. The choir rehearses Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. in the Choir Room, presents about once a month for Sunday morning worship, and also assists with Holy Week and memorial services. Bill Boocock is choir director, Eric Shouse directs Worship Arts, and Nathan Flores leads the technical team.
Music, biblical messages, prayer and caring friendships shape the worship gathering, with the aim of bringing people to God and helping them dwell in His presence. The technology team supports the musical and broadcast parts of that gathering, including the YouTube livestream.
Glenkirk also has a four-week BELONG class for people making the church their home. Participants learn about Christian faith, Glenkirk, baptism and becoming a Covenant Partner, with lunch and childcare available. Elders are elected to three-year terms and serve in mission, government, member growth, pastoral care and equipping. Deacons serve as a caregiving front line through hospital visits, care for home-bound people, prayer, memorial arrangements and hospitality.
Practical Care in Glendora and Mission Work Worldwide
Local mission work begins with partners who serve Glendora and nearby communities. Shepherd's Pantry supplies food and essentials to people in need, Neighborhood Homework House tutors struggling learners, and Young Life Capernaum offers friendship and spiritual nurture to students with special needs. CarePortal connects vulnerable children and families with people in the church who want to give, allowing frontline workers to identify needs and organize a real-time response.
Glenkirk and the City of Glendora provide weekly showers for people experiencing homelessness. The church also maintains a resource guide that connects people with local services. Mission partners extend this care abroad: Living Room International offers hospice care and healthcare in Kenya; African Enterprise carries the Gospel across Africa; Ethnos Asia aids communities in crisis and trains leaders in nations with restricted access; and PARS Theological supports the persecuted church in Iran. In Ecuador, World Vision and For His Children assist families in Baba and work toward love and family for orphans. Three Angels provides education and protection for children in Haiti, GTi HOPE supports literacy, children's ministry and water wells in South Asia, and ZOE International works to rescue people from human trafficking.
Care Through Counseling, Grief and Recovery
Glenkirk's support ministries combine care for the whole person with Christian counseling. Trained lay counselors offer compassionate, paraprofessional support for people going through difficult seasons. The Compassionate Care ministry seeks to meet physical, emotional and mental needs as a way of sharing Christ's love.
GriefShare is a 13-week group for people grieving the death of a loved one, meeting Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Skylight Room. Recovery meetings include Narcotics Anonymous on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Alcoholics Anonymous on Mondays at 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; and Sexaholics Anonymous on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Space for Weddings, Memorials and Service
Its Palopinto Avenue campus includes a Worship Center seating 750, two large meeting spaces that can seat 240 or 100 with tables, and several classrooms and conference rooms. Facility use is available for Christian wedding ceremonies, memorial services, mission organizations, service and support groups, schools, Covenant Partners and staff. For-profit meetings or fundraisers and private parties for non-Glenkirk individuals are generally not accepted.
Glenkirk treats a memorial as an act of worship that celebrates the resurrection promised through Jesus' death. The church provides a dedicated request process for memorial services and also welcomes weddings, support groups and nonprofit organizations to use its spaces.
Glenkirk Church gathers at its Glendora campus around worship, ministries from childhood through old age, shared care and service to neighbors. Its Sunday gatherings, weekday studies, music ministry, mission partnerships and support groups express the church's aim: to know and follow Jesus, love God, love people and share His Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.