A Five-Night-a-Week Church in Fullerton
On South Brookhurst Road in Fullerton, a modest stucco building with a tall blue cross out front hosts one of Orange County's most unusual weekly rhythms. New Wine Church is a non-denominational, Bible-believing congregation that describes itself as a recovery church, and the building is open five nights a week for ministry aimed at people walking through hard places. Sunday morning worship is the public face of the church, but most of the work happens after dark, in smaller rooms, in a Tuesday night Spanish study called Nuevo Comienzos, a Friday night Celebrate Recovery meeting, and a Wednesday gathering that doubles as a Bible study and a motorcycle clubhouse for the Peacemakers.
Pastor Bob Nixon and his wife, First Lady Sharon, lead a congregation whose heart is for the broken, the addicted, the incarcerated, and the unhoused. The church's own statement of mission puts it plainly: the goal is to be a safe gathering place where people can experience the grace and forgiveness of God, find healing for the things that have hurt and wounded their souls, and then be sent back out as vessels to reach others who are hurting, broken, or lost.
The Midweek Rhythm: Monday Through Friday
What makes New Wine Church distinctive is that the doors open Monday through Friday at 7:00 pm, with each night carrying a different focus. The schedule, posted on the church's own Service Times page, looks like this:
- Monday, 7:00 to 8:00 pm: New Believers class, a short introductory gathering for people exploring faith.
- Tuesday, 7:00 to 8:45 pm: Life and Anger Management, a weekly support group.
- Tuesday, 7:00 to 9:00 pm: Nuevo Comienzos, a Spanish-language Bible study whose name means "New Beginnings." It runs alongside the anger management session.
- Wednesday, 7:00 to 9:00 pm: The Peacemakers (the church's motorcycle ministry) and a Woman of Purpose women's Bible study share the same evening.
- Thursday, 7:00 to 8:30 pm: Through the Bible, a verse-by-verse study. This night is also broadcast on Facebook Live, with Pastor Bob Nixon bringing the message from the church.
- Friday, 7:00 to 8:45 pm: Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery program.
Retreats and special events are scheduled throughout the year on top of this weekly lineup. For someone walking out of a hard season, that means there is a place to show up almost any night of the week.
Sunday Mornings at 10:00
Sunday morning is the one weekly service that feels like a traditional gathering. Doors open for worship at 10:00 am, and the service runs until noon at 1425 S. Brookhurst Rd. The Sunday service is the gathering the church points new visitors toward first, with the welcome page inviting anyone reading to come and be blessed through worship, fellowship, and the Word.
Visitors who would rather sample the church from home can tune in on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm, when Pastor Bob Nixon brings a live message on Facebook Live. The church's Mini-Message page also carries recorded words from both Pastor Bob and First Lady Sharon, under titles like "A Word from Pastor Bob: Caring for God's Flock" and "A Word from First Lady Sharon: God Is in Control."
What New Wine Believes
New Wine Church is explicit about its doctrinal core. The church teaches belief in God the Father, in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and in the Holy Spirit. It affirms the death, descent into hell, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, along with Christ's second coming, the Day of Judgement, and the salvation of the faithful.
The church's broader theological posture is summarized in its own line from John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The home page walks readers through the basic question of what that verse means, what eternal life is, how to receive it, and whether it is free. The answer the church gives is a simple invitation to believe.
The church's stated goal is to reach the whole world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, both locally and globally. People interested in helping with that mission are invited to email the church office.
Behind the Walls: Prison and Youth Ministry
Outreach is woven into the life of the church, not added on as a side project. Members of New Wine Church regularly go into prisons and youth facilities to minister and bring hope behind bars. The work is one of the defining ministries Pastor Bob's team points to when introducing the church to newcomers.
That prison work connects to the church's broader recovery identity. Several prayer requests posted on the church's Prayer Wall reference incarcerated family members, re-entry after prison, and prayers for the salvation of loved ones behind bars. The Tuesday night Life and Anger Management group, the Friday Celebrate Recovery meeting, and the street ministry all feed the same population the prison team walks toward.
The Street Ministry and the Peacemakers
Alongside the prison work, New Wine Church runs a street ministry that goes out to the homeless with food, clothing, and the Gospel. The Peacemakers, named for Matthew 5:9 ("Blessed are the peacemakers"), is the church's motorcycle ministry. Members use their bikes as tools for outreach and as a familiar presence at prison yard events, and they meet on Wednesday evenings alongside the women's Bible study.
For a rider walking into a church for the first time, the Peacemakers offer an easy door: a leather-and-steel community that prays together, studies together, and rolls out together when the church takes ministry on the road.
The October Food Drive
Each October the church runs an annual food drive aimed at people going without food in the local and surrounding communities. The stated goal is to collect more than 100 pounds of non-perishable items, which can be dropped off at the church any day of the week between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, or between 5:30 and 7:30 pm. The food drive is one of the most concrete ways the church puts its recovery-and-outreach identity into practice during the calendar year.
A Family of Leaders
New Wine Church is led by a small team of pastors and deacons. Pastor Bob Nixon and his wife, Sharon, who is known as First Lady Sharon, sit at the center of the ministry. Both have recorded short video messages carried on the Mini-Message page.
Three deacons round out the leadership team. Cesar Franco leads the Thursday night Bible study. Chris Mora serves as worship leader and also leads Celebrate Recovery on Friday nights. Eric Bracamontes and his wife, Sugar, are also part of the deacon team. A treasurer handles the church's financial side.
Giving, Prayer, and Practical Details
The church accepts tithes and offerings two ways: in person during the Sunday service, and online through a giving page on the church's own site, where gifts can be transferred from a bank account or debit card. Both routes are framed as a way to give back to God for what Jesus has given.
A Prayer Wall allows members of the public to post prayer requests, pray for others, and mark requests as answered. Requests range from addiction and homelessness to healing for children, protection from COVID-19, and prayers for national leaders. Visitors can choose to share a request with their name, anonymously, or to keep it private.
For anyone new to the church, the easiest first step is the Sunday morning service at 10:00 am at 1425 S. Brookhurst Rd, Fullerton, CA 92833. The church can be reached by phone at 714-526-0665 or by email at newwinechurch4jesus@gmail.com. For a taste of midweek ministry without leaving home, the Thursday night Bible study is broadcast on Facebook Live at 7:00 pm.
New Wine Church's identity is rooted in the idea that a local congregation can be a refuge and a launch pad at the same time. The Sunday service opens the door; the five weekday gatherings keep it open; and the prison, street, and motorcycle ministries carry what happens inside the building out into Fullerton and beyond.