A Saturday Rhythm on Sierra Vista
La Sierra University Church gathers each Saturday on Sierra Vista Avenue in the 92505 neighborhood of western Riverside, set between La Sierra Academy and La Sierra University. The congregation describes itself as a "church between," bridging generations and communities in a part of the Inland Empire where Adventist education has long roots. As one of only thirteen campus churches in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in North America, the church carries a particular responsibility to students and to future generations.
The community lives by a single phrase, "Be Well," a greeting that closes each worship liturgy and a reminder that wellness is treated as a spiritual practice. Members describe themselves as Jesus-followers who aim to be authentic, transparent, inclusive, and compassionate. The leaders invite the congregation to be "relevant, raw, and wrestling with our faith" as they open the Bible together each week.
The 9 a.m. Liturgical Service
At 9:00 a.m. a smaller group gathers on the left side of the main sanctuary floor for the Liturgical Service, described as a future-oriented Seventh-day Adventist expression of the historic Christian worship tradition. The focus is Scripture, thoughtfully heard and prayerfully received. The style is participatory, with structured periods of silence for reflection and prayer, and several readers and a cantor lead the service while the congregation reads the bolded portions in the liturgy.
Scripture readings follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a widely used schedule of Christian texts. Each year the church marks the traditional Christian seasons, reflecting on the birth of Jesus as the incarnation of God, his suffering and death as the supreme revelation of the character of God, and his resurrection as the confirmation of his identity as God's unique son. The full service is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, a video archive of past services is kept on YouTube, and a printable liturgy PDF is posted each week.
Bible Study Hour at Ten
At 10:00 a.m. the Sabbath School hour begins, and the church scatters into a wide selection of Bible study groups for adults, youth, and children. The Café on the Courtyard opens in the rear courtyard at 9:30 a.m. for drinks and breakfast snacks and remains a gathering point through the morning.
Several classes follow the Adult Bible Study Guide, a quarterly publication of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Destination Sabbath School meets in Room 12 and on Zoom with large-group discussion. Fritz Guy and Friends meets in Pastor Iki's office and online; Outlook meets in Room 3 with Mark von Esch; the McCalla Class meets in Room 1 with Mark Ford and Georgia Holloway. A printed copy of the Adult Bible Study Guide is available from a greeter in the main lobby or online.
Other classes discuss a variety of topics. The Second Service meets in Sierra Vista Chapel for post-high-school young adults through age 30, with coffee and breakfast, organized by Pastor Ben Amoah. Conversations in Room 11, led by Pablo Torres, works through themes from books of the Bible. Journey meets in Room 14 and online with selected books and varied discussion topics. Kinship Sabbath School meets online as an affirming Bible study and spiritual growth space for LGBTQ+ people and allies.
Samuel and Lina Florian teach a Clase de Escuela Sabática en Español for parents in the church vestibule, providing Spanish-language study of the Adult Bible Study Guide.
The 11:15 a.m. Worship Service
At 11:15 a.m. the congregation comes back together for the main Worship Service, the larger gathering described as a time to speak "the common language of praise," to voice the common need for confession, and to experience the common need for community. The sanctuary is shaped by the best of ancient worship while the church insists on living in the present and imagining God's future.
Music, prayer, Scripture reading, and a sermon shape the liturgy, and the "Be Well" blessing closes the service. Recent sermon series have worked through the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel), the lives of congregants in the BIOS series, Family Matters on the rooms of a home, and an Overturn series during Lent. An archive of past sermons, including video and audio, is kept online.
An Affirming Community Working for Change
La Sierra's leaders say they are also "seeking reconciliation with those we have left out," and the congregation voted a formal statement in a Church Business Session on January 26, 2019, acknowledging that many in the LGBT+ community in particular do not feel included. The statement confesses that the church has fallen short and resolves to work for change so the community becomes fully welcoming and affirming for all LGBT+ people, adding, "please hear us when we say, ALL are welcome here."
The Kinship Sabbath School class and a Kinship Life Group put that commitment into practice with Bible study and community for LGBTQ+ members and allies. The church's online resource library also keeps an Inclusive theology resources page alongside pages on communal Bible reading plans, refugee resources, and anti-racism resources.
The Pastoral Team
Five pastors share ministry across the congregation.
Pastor Iki Taimi serves as lead pastor. He enjoys laughing, eating, and watching the Lakers, and loves time with people, the beach, the city, and the mountains. His family includes his wife, Melanie, and their two children.
Pastor Raewyn Orlich serves as associate pastor for Discipleship and Nurture, focusing on how the community grows as disciples and nurtures relationships. She is grateful for her physician-researcher husband, Michael, and their children, Eleanor, Eric, and Desmond.
Pastor Dewald "Devo" Kritzinger serves as associate pastor for Worship and Media. An immigrant from South Africa, he and his wife, Leilani, have four children. He loves sports and is an Elliptigo enthusiast.
Pastor Ben Amoah serves as associate pastor for Youth Ministry. He and his wife have a passion for doing life with young people. He loves food, being with people, and comic books and manga.
Pastor Elizabeth McDonald serves as associate pastor for Children and Family Ministry. Moving to Riverside from Illinois, she enjoys driving to new places, shops, and foods.
La Sierra Kids, Adventurers, Youth, and Pathfinders
La Sierra Kids brings children and families together to learn about Jesus in fun and meaningful ways, from Kids' Worship and Sabbath School on Saturday mornings to Adventurers' field trips and family events.
Sabbath School classes meet at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tiny Tots (ages 0 to 3) meets in Room 4. Primary 1 (PreK through grade 1) meets in Room 5. Primary 2 (grades 2 through 4) meets in Room 6. The Well (grades 5 through 8) meets in Room 7. The Adventurer Club is for children ages 4 through 4th grade and meets about twice a month, taking field trips to places such as the planetarium and the apple orchards. The Kids Ministry also curates a list of anti-racism resources for parents and supports child dedications.
La Sierra Youth describes itself as a movement of young people who "boldly worship God, love like family, and adventure together in the name of Jesus." Youth and Earliteen Sabbath School meets at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, with a separate rhythm of Life Groups during the week.
Pathfinders is a co-ed club from grade 5 through high school built around a Bible-based curriculum covering personal development, discipline, and good citizenship through service. Members learn practical skills, study the natural world, and camp. The Pathfinders schedule includes regular meetings and an annual Death Valley camping trip.
FoodPantry+ and the Wellness Warehouse
FoodPantry+ serves neighbors in the 92505 zip code who need a bit of extra assistance. On Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., except on the fifth Wednesday of the month, families and individuals can pick up a box of supplemental food at the Sierra Vista campus.
The Thrifty Box, a small thrift operation at 4920 Sierra Vista Ave., is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for donations and shopping. The Wellness Warehouse is a separate thrift-store partner that supports the ministry. FoodPantry+ keeps an active Facebook group with weekly updates and volunteer opportunities.
Life Groups Through the Week
Beyond Saturday, the church's Life Groups meet during the week to make space for relationships. The model is simple: groups gather regularly around a common interest or characteristic, stay open to new members, receive pastoral care, and intentionally create space for authentic relationships.
Sunday mornings bring the Running Club, which meets from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. at the La Sierra University track for runners and walkers, and the Pickleball Club at 9:00 a.m. at the university's pickleball courts. Mondays bring the PingPong Fellowship in the Fellowship Hall from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays host a prayer and Bible study group at 6:00 p.m. in the home of Wil and Sylvia Clarke. Wednesdays include the Better than 50 Club, a potluck for retirees that meets from noon to 2:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday in Sierra Vista Chapel, the Prayer Partners prayer meeting on Zoom from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., and a monthly Poetry Circle.
Thursday mornings gather the La Sierra Ladies' Bible Study on Zoom, and the Sewing Club meets from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays in Sierra Vista Chapel. Friday nights bring two gatherings: a Bible study and potluck in the home of Lucy and Mike Fernando, and a Life Group for those who have lost a spouse, through death or divorce, or who have never been married. Saturday afternoons and evenings fill out the week with the Board Game Explorers club, a book club, the Blanket Club that knits and crochets baby and adult blankets for neighbors, the Get Outside Club that hikes three to five times a year, and a Mom's Group with childcare.
Seasonal groups include GriefShare and DivorceCare.
Becoming a Member
Anyone is always welcome to attend and participate in worship, but membership is the intentional step of committing to follow Jesus within the local congregation. Three paths lead to membership at La Sierra University Church and into the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
The Membership Class is a six-week introduction to Adventist Christian faith, practices, and beliefs that meets on Saturday mornings during the Bible Study hour in the fall and spring. Baptism by immersion is an enactment of the desire to follow Jesus and to participate symbolically in his life, death, and resurrection; at the time of baptism the congregation officially welcomes the new member. Profession of Faith is available for those already baptized by immersion in another Christian communion, and Membership Transfer is available for members transferring from another Adventist congregation.
A photo directory helps members know one another and is accessed online or via the Instant Church Directory app.
In Person, Online, and Giving
The church sits at 4937 Sierra Vista Avenue, with offices open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Ramp access into the sanctuary is reached from the street-side unloading zone on Sierra Vista Avenue or from the upper parking lot on the office building side, and a campus map is available for download.
Visitors are encouraged to dress comfortably; people wear everything from shorts and t-shirts to dresses and suits. A Church Choir welcomes new voices, and the Café on the Courtyard serves a drink and breakfast snack on Saturday mornings.
Worship is livestreamed each Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on Facebook and YouTube, and the sermon archive holds hundreds of messages. The Facebook Campus keeps the conversation going all week, a community that grew out of the COVID-19 season when members learned that the church can be church together without being geographically close. Email and text updates go through Flocknote, and a prayer request page is online.
Giving is handled through Adventist Giving, with an app for mobile giving. Gifts can be directed to the local church or to the global Seventh-day Adventist Church.