At 15 Orange Tree in Irvine, Pacific Church of Irvine is known for the five-word identity that shapes its life: Broken, Beloved, Belonging, Building, Bridging. This Southern Baptist congregation meets every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for contemporary worship and biblical teaching. Its main gathering is joined by children's classes, youth ministry, Life Groups, family support, marriage and women's ministries, and partnerships that extend the church's mission into Orange County and beyond.
A Casual Sunday at 15 Orange Tree
The Sunday gathering begins at 9:30 a.m. in the main sanctuary. The atmosphere and dress are intentionally casual, while the worship music is contemporary and the messages are biblical. Pacific Church presents Sunday as a gathering for people who recognize that they are broken in some way and need relationships that help them grow in Christ. Its staff and members are described as approachable, supportive, compassionate, and committed to understanding God's Word more deeply.
Children and teens are not treated as an add-on to the service. Kids Church and Pacific Youth begin at 9:30 a.m., while adults remain together for worship. The youth sit together on the right side of the sanctuary before moving to the Youth Room for teaching and lunch. Children may also begin with their families in the sanctuary and are then dismissed to age-specific classrooms before the sermon.
Sunday worship is also available through a live worship stream, which is typically active around 9:25 a.m. The church is located at 15 Orange Tree, Irvine, California 92618. Its main telephone number is (949) 552-6774, and office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Broken, Beloved, Belonging, Building, Bridging
Pacific Church's mission is to enjoy and share the love and message of God with everyone. Its identity gives that mission a practical shape through five commitments:
- Broken. The church identifies itself as a church of broken people for broken people. Brokenness is acknowledged rather than hidden.
- Beloved. Pacific Church teaches that belovedness is greater than brokenness. People are not defined only by their failures, wounds, or struggles.
- Belonging. Because everyone is broken and beloved, the church emphasizes finding a place of belonging rather than remaining isolated.
- Building. The church seeks to build disciples, marriages, families, businesses, and ministries through relationships, mentoring, and spiritual growth.
- Bridging. That building takes place in a broken world. The church connects its spiritual life with outreach, evangelism, service, and support for people beyond its own congregation.
These commitments are expressed through what Pacific Church calls its heart attitudes. They include:
- Putting the success of others above personal success.
- Living an honest and open life.
- Clearing up damaged relationships.
- Investing time and talent.
- Following spiritual leadership within appropriate limits.
- Investing treasure in the work of God.
- Giving and receiving spiritual correction.
The result is a church that places spiritual formation beside relationships. Its stated focus includes small-group fellowships, mentoring, strong marriages and families, outreach, and evangelism. Bible teaching is meant to be lived out in community, at home, in marriage, and through service to others.
What Pacific Church of Irvine Believes
Pacific Church holds to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and summarizes its beliefs through the Bible, which it identifies as God's inspired Word and the only basis for its beliefs.
God, humanity, and eternity
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe and has eternally existed as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. People are made in God's spiritual image and possess tremendous potential for good, but sin has marred humanity and separated people from God. Because people are created to exist forever, eternal life means union with God through forgiveness and salvation, while eternal separation is described as hell.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is co-equal with the Father. Pacific Church teaches that Jesus lived a sinless human life, died as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose from the dead after three days, ascended to heaven, and will return to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Salvation and eternal security
Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned through self-improvement or good works. It comes through trusting in Jesus as God's offer of forgiveness. Eternal life begins when a person receives Jesus by faith. Because that life is granted through Jesus, Pacific Church teaches that the believer's security rests in God's grace and keeping power rather than human effort.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son. He makes people aware of their need for Jesus, lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, and provides power for Christian living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing right. Pacific Church encourages believers to live under the Spirit's control each day.
The Bible
The Bible is believed to be God's word to all people, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is affirmed as the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living and is described as truth without error.
Pacific Church is a voluntary part of the Southern Baptist Association of churches in Orange County and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Four Decades Rooted in a Founding Pastor
Founded in 1986, Pacific Church of Irvine has grown around the pastoral leadership of Seth Gatchell, its senior and founding pastor. Gatchell holds a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and says his central calling is helping people connect with God in a way that directs their lives. He also emphasizes seeing lives change, trusting that God can make a difference, and receiving God's wisdom and power during struggles.
Lance Brown serves as executive pastor. He holds a Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and is passionate about helping people understand their spiritual gifts and study God's Word together in the context of friendship.
Mark Jackson serves as family pastor with a particular focus on junior high and high school students and their parents. He earned his Master of Divinity at Trinity University in 2017 and describes his goal as helping students succeed while equipping parents to teach their children how much God loves them and how important their beliefs are.
Sarah Cristiano is the family ministry coordinator. Her work centers on helping children develop a personal relationship with God, supporting the volunteers who teach them, and strengthening the connection between children's Sunday classes and their families.
Kids Church: Four Classrooms for Children Through Fifth Grade
Kids Church runs from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. Its goal is for children to feel loved and accepted while growing in relationship with God. In partnership with their parents, teachers introduce children to Bible reading, Scripture memory, worship, prayer, creative activities, and ways to care for others and share their faith.
The church has four listed classrooms:
- Infants through age 2: Room 105
- Ages 2 through 4: Room 102
- Kindergarten through second grade: Room 104
- Third through fifth grade: Room 101
Every child is welcome to join the family in the sanctuary before being dismissed before the sermon. Children ages 0 through 4 may be dropped off in their classrooms when the service begins. The age-graded rooms allow the church to teach children with both age-appropriate materials and the wider community of their families and church.
Elementary classes use Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum, a book-by-book approach designed to help children know, love, and invest in God's truth. Preschool classes use The Rhyme Bible Storybook, which retells Old and New Testament stories in rhyme. Preschool lessons also include worship, prayer, and a craft. Children are encouraged to memorize Scripture, love others as Jesus loved them, and talk with friends about their faith.
Safety is a central part of Kids Church. Every volunteer passes a background check before serving, and a security team is available throughout the service. Pacific Church also offers a large Vacation Bible School each summer near July 4, using it both as an outreach to the city and as an opportunity for church families to serve.
Pacific Youth: Faith, Friends, and Real Conversation
Pacific Youth is a place for junior high and high school students to experience friendship, fun, and Biblical teaching. The ministry describes itself as a refuge where teenagers can relax, be themselves, speak honestly about pain and struggles, and learn about God's love, forgiveness, acceptance, grace, joy, and the Christian worldview.
The Tuesday gathering runs from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Youth Room. On Sunday, students meet for worship at 9:30 a.m. and sit together on the right side of the sanctuary. They then move to the Youth Room for teaching connected to the sermon and join one another for lunch after the service.
Family Pastor Mark Jackson works closely with these students and their parents. He sees Pacific's students as people whose lives can be slowed or diverted by pressures around them, and he seeks to strengthen both their confidence in their faith and their ability to live as Christians in high school and junior high.
For younger children, Family Ministry Coordinator Sarah Cristiano works with the Sunday teachers and volunteers. She places particular value on hearing children pray and on helping those volunteers build caring, effective ministry around the children.
Life Groups for Adults and Young Adults
Life Groups carry forward Pacific Church's emphasis on small-group fellowship and doing life together. The weekly gatherings use the phrase We do Better when we do life Together! and include mixed groups for couples, adults, and friends as well as a gathering for young adults.
- Garza mixed group: Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
- Harris mixed group: Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
- Browns mixed group: Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
- Wongs mixed group: Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
- Young Adults group: alternating Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
The variety of meeting times makes room for different schedules, while the Life Group emphasis gives the church's teaching an ongoing relational dimension. These gatherings sit alongside the church's wider emphasis on mentoring, open and honest relationships, correction, prayer, and growth in Christian maturity.
REFRESH! and the Women of Pacific
The mission of Pacific Church's women's ministry is to connect and encourage women so they can grow to maturity in Christ. Connection happens through activities and relationships with neighbors and one another. Encouragement takes the form of other-centered service and life-giving words. Growth is centered on discipleship and biblical teaching, all rooted in Colossians 2:2-3 and the aim of being encouraged in heart and united in love.
REFRESH! is the women's ministry's recurring monthly gathering, held on the second Saturday of most months from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. It combines personal connection, mutual encouragement, time in God's Word, prayer, and a potluck breakfast. The gathering often follows a book-study format, but participants are welcome even when they have not read the assigned chapter. Meeting locations vary by host, which creates a smaller and more personal setting for the group.
Building Strong Marriages and Supporting Families
The Couples Ministry seeks to support Christian marriage as an institution and equip couples to understand God's plan for marriage. Its work includes biblical teaching, mentoring, fellowship, personal testimony, trust, open communication, spiritual oneness, and prayer. Couples also share social activities and support one another through prayer and mentoring.
Marriage is not a separate topic at Pacific Church but part of its wider conviction that strong families and strong ministries grow through intentional relationships. The church asks couples to pursue healthy marriages that honor God, strengthen trust, communicate openly, and make room for spiritual closeness.
Family support also reaches younger children through Little Lambs Preschool. Alongside the preschool, Pacific Church provides parents with recommended books, podcasts, Bible story resources, teaching videos, and digital-safety materials. Families receive a free subscription to RightNow Media, and parent presentations on internet safety and digital citizenship have been offered through Protect Young Eyes. These resources cover Scripture, family faith, children's media, online safety, and practical Christian parenting.
Outreach Across Orange County and Around the World
Outreach and evangelism are central to Pacific Church's Bridging emphasis. Rather than limiting faith to the congregation, the church supports church planting, leadership development, college outreach, care for pregnant women, rest for overseas workers, and service to people experiencing homelessness. Its partnerships are diverse and specific:
- John and Diane Worcester Church Planning Leadership: This organization develops church-planting leaders and works with churches in more than 20 countries. Its training emphasizes discovering receptive people, developing reliable leaders, and deploying leaders who can establish churches and preaching points.
- Life Impact Ministries: Through Oasis Rest International, Tim and Ericka Harris provide self-guided spiritual and Sabbath retreats, cross-cultural coaching, and marriage renewal for missionaries, ministry leaders, pastors, and other front-line overseas workers.
- Obria Medical Clinics: Obria offers compassionate, nonjudgmental support during pregnancy and STD-related concerns. Its work includes pregnancy testing, STD testing, guidance, encouragement, and options for people facing unplanned pregnancies.
- CRU Ministry: CRU focuses on college students and faculty and seeks creative ministries that communicate the gospel within the diverse communities of Orange County campuses.
- 17:6 Network: This network develops leadership skills from a biblical perspective, recruits and trains leaders, provides coaching, encourages leaders to network together, and creates curriculum for changing churches.
- Brad and Marty Sprague and CRM Empowering Leaders: Their international missions work emphasizes prayer, leadership training, coaching, mentoring, disciple-making movements, multiplication, and the development of leaders who can reproduce ministry.
- Challenge San Diego: This campus ministry creates a welcoming environment for college students to investigate faith, hear relevant teaching, make friends, serve the community, and build deep relationships. Its commitments include biblical accuracy, acceptance, love, and community.
- Christian Challenge in Boulder: The Boulder ministry expresses its approach through unity in essential beliefs, liberty in nonessential matters, and charity in all matters of belief.
- OC Rescue Mission: Pacific Church has joined this ministry in practical service. OC Rescue Mission provides housing, basic needs, and comprehensive services for people and families experiencing homelessness in Orange County.
This outreach shows several expressions of Bridging. It includes leadership development, church planting, care for women and families, campus ministry, rest for missionaries, service at the least, and partnerships with people whose needs differ from those addressed inside the church sanctuary.
Messages, Poems, and a Growing Library of Faith
Pacific Church makes much of its biblical teaching available beyond the Sunday gathering. The sermon library organizes messages by biblical series, while the live congregation can also watch Sunday worship. Recorded sermons are typically posted on YouTube and Facebook the following Monday or Tuesday. The church also produces the PCI Life Podcast for further conversation about faith and everyday life.
Founding Pastor Seth Gatchell also writes short poems and reflective pieces. His work takes familiar spiritual subjects and arranges them in compact, memorable verse. Topics include God's love, grace, faith, doubt, failure, forgiveness, repentance, prayer, spiritual maturity, listening, marriage, suffering, family, joy, fear, and the Christian life. Titles such as Connecting, The Lost Art of Listening, I Was Wrong, Real Treasure, and The Basin and the Towl reflect his attention to ordinary relationships and inner spiritual struggle.
Secure online giving is also available through Pacific Church's giving service, reflecting the church's stated heart attitude of investing treasure in the work of God.
Across its sanctuary, classrooms, Youth Room, Life Groups, family ministries, mission partnerships, and pastoral writing, Pacific Church of Irvine remains organized around a clear pattern: broken people are beloved, belonging creates community, relationships support spiritual building, and those who are built together seek to bridge the brokenness around them.