An Intentional Community in Visalia
On East Walnut Avenue in Visalia, just minutes from the heart of California's Central Valley, Parkside Chapel gathers as a Christian and Missionary Alliance congregation with a single, plainly stated mission: to intentionally connect people every day to the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The church describes that calling as a way of life that carries believers into grocery stores, gas stations, business meetings, and playdates, where they are encouraged to let their faith overflow into a restless and anxious world.
Parkside holds to a Centered on Jesus, grounded in biblical truth understanding of Christian community. The church teaches the inerrancy of Scripture, the reality of one triune God, and the truth that every person is invited into a personal relationship with their Creator. From that foundation, the congregation seeks to be an equipping and mobilizing body, one that shares Christ throughout Visalia and beyond, one relationship at a time.
Sunday Morning at Parkside
Sunday at Parkside begins early, with adult and youth classes gathering at 8:45 AM. The main worship service follows at 10:00 AM in the Worship Center, where the congregation meets for a family-friendly experience that welcomes everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult.
Visitors are told to expect three things. First, expect to hear about Jesus: the entire flow of the service is designed to encourage faith and a deeper understanding of God's love. Second, expect to feel welcome: the campus is easy to navigate, and greeters make a point of learning names. Third, expect children to be loved and cared for, with a full children's ministry running at the same hour as the service.
Dress is casual. Jeans, shorts in the summer, slacks, and dresses are all common, and newcomers will not be singled out. Parking is straightforward, with ample spaces in the main lot and overflow parking in the field right next door. The church is located at 3200 E. Walnut Avenue in Visalia.
Parkside Kids: From Nursery to Sixth Grade
Children's ministry runs at 10:00 AM and is structured by age. The nursery cares for babies and toddlers from birth through age two. A preschool and kinder class serves ages three through five. Older children are divided into two Kids' Church groups: 1st through 3rd grade and 4th through 6th grade.
Children in 1st through 6th grade begin the morning in the Worship Center with their parents, learning by example what it means to join in congregational worship. They are then dismissed mid-service and escorted by teachers to the Kids Zone for age-appropriate Bible teaching that uses storytelling, music, and creative methods. The check-in and check-out system is designed for safety, and every volunteer has passed a background check, fingerprinting, and yearly training in line with California State guidelines for children's workers.
First-time families can pre-register their children through a form to speed up the check-in process when they arrive.
Wednesday Nights with AWANA
From September through May, the church's Kids Zone also hosts AWANA on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 8:00 PM. AWANA is a long-running children's discipleship program that combines Bible teaching, games, songs, and time with friends, and at Parkside it is open to children from age three through 6th grade. Gus Galindo serves as the AWANA Director and handles questions and registration for the program.
Special Needs Ministry and Buddy Break
Parkside makes a particular point of welcoming children with special needs. The church describes serving these children as both a privilege and a passion, with volunteers trained to provide a safe and loving atmosphere where kids can learn and experience the love of Jesus Christ alongside their peers.
In addition, Parkside hosts Buddy Break, a complimentary three-hour monthly respite for caregivers of children with special needs. While parents take a well-deserved break, their children engage in crafts, storytelling, activities, and games. The program serves children from age four through 6th grade, and interested families can request information and registration through the church's Buddy Break email contact.
Parkside Youth
Middle and high school students have a ministry of their own at Parkside, led by Youth Director Albert Chang. Youth classes meet at 8:45 AM on Sunday mornings, in parallel with the adult classes, and additional gatherings run throughout the week. The ministry exists to walk alongside students as they grow in their faith and face the particular pressures of adolescence in the Central Valley.
Parkside Women and Parkside Men
The women's ministry, led by Women's Ministry Director Debbie Perez, and the men's ministry, led by Men's Ministry Director Chris Chrones, each provide dedicated fellowship, study, and service opportunities for adults. Both groups maintain their own email contacts through the church and host events that range from Bible studies to retreats and outreach projects. LIFEgroups, the church's small group ministry, also offers additional settings for men, women, and mixed groups to study Scripture and build relationships together during the week.
LIFEgroups and the Wider Church
LIFEgroups are the backbone of Parkside's small group ministry. These gatherings meet in homes and around the community, giving churchgoers a smaller setting to grow in their understanding of Scripture, pray for one another, and live out the gospel in everyday relationships. The church encourages everyone who calls Parkside home to find a LIFEgroup as a way to deepen their roots.
The Outreach ministry extends that same impulse beyond the church walls, while the Worship ministry, led by Worship Director Lionel Cortez, oversees the music and arts of the Sunday gathering. Bill Taylor chairs the Missions ministry, which connects Parkside to the wider work of the Christian and Missionary Alliance both across the United States and abroad.
What Parkside Believes
Parkside's doctrinal commitments are articulated in a clear statement of beliefs rooted in the Christian and Missionary Alliance tradition. The church confesses one God, infinitely perfect, existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It teaches that Jesus Christ is both true God and true man, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified as a substitutionary sacrifice for the unjust, raised from the dead, and exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high as the great High Priest.
The Holy Spirit is described as a divine person who indwells, guides, teaches, and empowers believers. Scripture, the Old and New Testaments, is held to be inerrant as originally given and the complete revelation of God's will for salvation. Parkside teaches that humanity was created in the image of God, fell into sin, and can be saved only through the atoning work of Christ; those who repent and believe are born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God.
The church also affirms sanctification as both a crisis and a progressive work in the life of the believer, healing as provided through Christ's redemption, the Church as the body of believers commissioned to proclaim the gospel, the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, and the imminent, personal, visible, and premillennial second coming of Jesus Christ.
The Alliance Connection
Parkside is one of about 2,000 Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in the United States. The C&MA is an evangelical denomination that proclaims the fourfold gospel of Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, a theme that shapes the church's teaching and mission. The Alliance supports close to 700 international workers serving in roughly 70 countries and seeks to bring the good news of Jesus in word and deed to those without hope.
The Staff and the Vision
Nigel Unrau serves as Lead Pastor, with Ron Story as Community Life Pastor. Lionel Cortez directs worship, Albert Chang leads the youth ministry, and Rosie Maldonado oversees the children's ministry on Sunday mornings. The broader staff includes an office manager, ministry assistants, and a facilities team, while ministry leaders head up the men's, women's, AWANA, and missions work. Office Manager Sharon Alexandre and the rest of the administrative team keep the daily operation of the church running smoothly.
Staying Connected Beyond Sunday
Those who cannot attend in person can join the 10:00 AM service through a livestream on the church's YouTube channel. Past sermon recordings and outlines are also available online, and a weekly newsletter called LIFEnews delivers spiritual encouragement, scriptural insight, and occasional pieces of Parkside's history to subscribers' inboxes.
Giving can be made securely online through a recurring or one-time gift, and the church also offers resources for planned giving, including options that may help reduce taxes. Those wanting to learn more, get involved, or arrange a baptism can fill out a connection form or contact the office directly. Baptism itself is described as a public demonstration of faith in Christ, a believer's identification with His death and resurrection, and a step of obedience, open to anyone who professes faith in Jesus.