A Church Built Around Loving with Abandon
On a wide stretch of San Juan Grade Road on the east side of Salinas, Salinas Valley Community Church has made one sentence the center of its life together: Loving with Abandon. From its mission statement to the way its ministries are staffed, that phrase is the thread that ties the nursery, the high school room, the senior luncheons, the missionaries overseas, and the Saturday Serve Day projects into one congregation.
The church describes itself as a community church committed to Loving with Abandon, which it unpacks in three directions. Loving Jesus with Abandon means being captivated by his forgiving love, summed up in the image of pouring out the whole alabaster jar from Luke 7. Loving One Another with Abandon means inviting people into a life of transformation at the table, recalling Acts 2 and the example of the early church. Loving Salinas with Abandon means moving into relationships in the city with both good deeds and good news, cultivating hope and healing in the way Jeremiah's exiles were told to seek the welfare of Babylon.
What the Church Believes
SVCC is explicitly non-denominational. Its statement of faith opens with the conviction that God is absolutely powerful, entirely righteous, totally loving and completely accessible, and that he has always existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The church teaches that the Bible perfectly reveals how to know God and live with him and other people, and that every person by nature turns away from God and cannot earn a relationship through good works.
Jesus, the statement continues, is the Son of God who took on a human body, lived a perfect life, died to take God's punishment for sin, rose again, returned to heaven, and will one day return to rule over a new heaven and new earth. A relationship with God begins by trusting in Jesus and asking him to forgive and lead. The Holy Spirit awakens that need, lives in every Christian from the moment of faith, and provides power, understanding, guidance and gifts for ministry. The church also affirms a final judgment, eternal life with God for those who have trusted Jesus, and separation from God for those who have not. The local church is described as God's spiritual family gathered to worship, love one another, and represent Christ to a broken world.
The church describes itself along four distinctions. It is non-denominational by conviction, not by reaction, drawing members from nearly every religious and non-religious background and remaining independent of any human institution while submitted to Christ, Scripture and a Biblically functioning council of elders. It is Bible-teaching, treating Scripture as the authoritative source for belief and practice. It is Christ-centered, with the gospel at the heart of everything. And it is mission-oriented, taking seriously both the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor and the Great Commission to share the gospel locally and globally.
Sunday Morning at SVCC
The Sunday worship service begins at 10:00 AM, and the church encourages guests to arrive about twenty minutes early to find parking and meet a few people. There is no dress code; the welcome team describes the building as a judgment-free zone where people can come as they are.
Children have their own program at the same hour. Sunday morning children's classes serve ages zero through fifth grade, with a check-in process at the Connection desk staffed by volunteers. Older students move into their own space: middle schoolers join FIX, and high schoolers begin the morning in the Worship Center for praise and worship with the rest of the congregation before moving to the High School Room.
Services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, and the church keeps an archive of previous services online. Giving can be done on-site, through a Venmo account under svc-church, and through the church's online giving form.
Thursday Night Midweek
Midweek is the second rhythm of the week at SVCC. Each Thursday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, the building fills with adults in study classes, children in Sonshine Kidz, middle schoolers in FIX, and high schoolers in Valley Youth. A weekly dinner is available at 6:00 PM for adults and kids who sign up, making the evening an easy single stop for families.
Adult study options rotate through the year. Recent Thursday-night classes have included Adventures in Amore, a four-week study on relationships, dating and marriage open to every age and stage, led by Gene and Pauline Andersen, Dave and Marilyn Elliott, and Mig and Trish Concha. Another was a four-week book club on How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, led by Lisa and Jim Fletcher and Diane and Rick Pate. The Midweek calendar also includes occasional Nights of Worship that stretch the gathering to 8:30 PM and focus on extended praise and prayer.
Children: SVCC Arrows and Sonshine Kidz
Children's ministry at SVCC runs through the week rather than only on Sundays. Sunday morning classes, branded under SVCC Arrows, serve ages zero through fifth grade and teach kids how to grow in a relationship with Jesus in age-appropriate rooms. The classes meet year-round at 10:00 AM.
On Thursdays from September through May, Sonshine Kidz takes over from 6:30 to 8:00 PM for preschool through fifth grade, with childcare for zero to two-year-olds. Sonshine Kidz is built around fun and community. Through songs, games such as Hot and Cold, and interactive activities behind the barn doors, kids memorize Bible verses and connect lessons to their own lives, hear stories from Scripture, explore God's character, and reflect with peers through guided questions. Team competitions and incentives add energy, and a closing Fun Zone gives kids room to burn off the rest of the evening. Erika Rodriguez serves as Interim Children's Director.
Middle School: SVCC FIX
SVCC FIX is the church's middle school ministry for sixth through eighth grade, and its purpose statement is simple: a body of students in the Salinas Valley being transformed by God to love deeply and make disciples. FIX meets Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM and Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM in the Middle School Room inside the office building. Ashley Laidig, Middle School Director, leads the group. Throughout the year the ministry runs fundraisers, such as a spring Hop and Drop where small teams hide eggs and an empty Easter egg in front yards and leave a door hanger telling the empty-tomb story, to help students go to camp.
High School Youth
SVCC High School Youth meets Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the High School Room, also called Portable 6, and on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM. The Sunday pattern mirrors the rest of the church: high schoolers start in the Worship Center for praise and worship, then move to their own room. The ministry's aim is to help students Love with Abandon, loving God, loving one another, loving others, and in return knowing and experiencing God's love for them. Katie Stover, who serves as both Next Gen Pastor and High School and Worship Arts Director, oversees the group.
Women's Ministry
The Women's Ministry frames itself around the same three-fold call: helping women love Jesus with abandon, love one another with abandon, and love Salinas with abandon. The team runs events such as the recent Spiritual Direction Morning called Just Breathe, led by Lisa Fletcher and Diane Pate, which combined teaching on Breath Prayers with a craft project and a time of communion, and a mentoring ministry where women can apply to serve as mentors or request a mentor. Diane Bair coordinates the mentoring side of the ministry.
Men's Ministry
Men's ministry at SVCC centers on brotherhood, Scripture and gathering around a table. Brave Hearted Brothers exists to gather, equip and unleash men to live out their God-given purpose, meeting Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM under the leadership of Tom Bair. An Every Man a Warrior discipleship track offers Levels 1 through 4 that meet during the month, with new groups forming regularly. Other touch points include a monthly Men's Breakfast from 7:30 to 9:00 AM and a Chess Club that meets on second Fridays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Great Room, open to all ages and all levels, with lessons and competitions between local churches. Abraham Mina oversees the chess group.
PT Cruisers: The 50+ Group
The PT Cruisers are SVCC's 50-plus fellowship, named for the small group in Acts 2:46 who broke bread together. They gather for monthly luncheons after the Sunday service, with sign-ups opening a few weeks before each luncheon at the Connection desk. The luncheons have featured guest speakers on topics ranging from auto repair tips to life stories from Pastor Mike and his wife Stephanie.
MomCo and Young Adults
Two newer rhythms round out the week. MomCo gathers moms in every season of motherhood for community, conversation and support, alternating between weekday morning and evening meetings throughout the year and run through the Next Gen office. Young Adults meet monthly on a Friday night from 7:00 to 10:00 PM for connection, community and encouragement with others walking a similar season of life.
Community Groups and Bible Studies
Beyond the Sunday and Thursday gatherings, SVCC runs a layered small-group life. Community Groups and Bible Studies include the Acts 246 Gathering, a family-oriented fellowship and worship group that meets twice a month on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Panera Gals is a women's fellowship that meets on the first Monday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The Wednesday morning Women's Bible Study, led by Cathy Haas, meets from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the Education Building. Thursday morning offers an online version of the same study. Wednesday evening includes both a Women's Bible Study and the Brave Hearted Brothers men's group, and Thursday evening adds Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for women led by Cheryl Laidig.
Missionaries and the Global Reach
SVCC has been committed from its beginnings to its part in the Great Commission, and the church keeps an active missionary roster. Six partnerships are currently featured. Lise Reveus oversees Young Life in Montgomery County, Maryland, building mentor friendships with high school students in a Washington, D.C. suburb. Jon and Jan Huckins, based in San Diego, co-lead a house church and direct Journey Home, a ministry that brings churches to the border to respond to vulnerable neighbors and creates space for pastors and ministry leaders to rest. Rose Dima serves alongside South Sudanese women, key women leaders and teenage girls in refugee camps in northern Uganda, running women's conferences, mentorship seminars, hygiene kit distributions and tailoring training. Mark and Alissa Cooprider live in Bangkok, where Mark serves at an international Christian school and Alissa walks alongside urban refugees mainly from Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Karl and Jenny Teichert, based in Johannesburg with OC Africa, train and coach leaders toward healthy disciple-making movements across Southern Africa. Dan and Beth Long serve with SIM; after twenty years in Ethiopia, they are now based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, where Beth provides care for her mother and Dan serves as a global chaplain traveling to places such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola, Ecuador, Paraguay and Pakistan.
Serve Day and Loving Salinas
The Loving Salinas with Abandon vision becomes concrete on a Saturday morning a few times a year. Serve Day sends volunteers out to a list of project sites around the city, including the SVCC campus itself (painting corral fencing, washing signs and windows, pressure washing playground equipment and sidewalks), Teen Moms Inc. in downtown Salinas where teams sort and wrap Christmas gifts, a partnership with Meals on Wheels assembling birthday bags at the SVCC Annex, a Young Life house on Lang Street, Wonderwood Ranch with barn beautification and animal care, a clothing closet and pantry project in Chinatown, a garden build at John Gutierrez Middle School, and a vision-screening project with the Santa Rita School District. The next Serve Day brings wheelbarrows, drills, paint clothes and rubber boots onto the church parking lot and into the neighborhoods around it.
Facility Rental and the Building
SVCC also opens its campus to the wider community. The venue offers both indoor and outdoor spaces that host birthday parties, baby showers, car shows, dance recitals and conventions, and the church describes its spaces as a blend of comfort, elegance and convenience. The 368 San Juan Grade Road address has been the church's home since at least 2019, when SVCC issued bonds to finance or refinance improvements on the property.
Visiting SVCC
The church is located at 368 San Juan Grade Road in Salinas, California. Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and the main phone line is (831) 449-2500. The office team encourages first-time guests to plan their visit through a short online form, and a free gift is offered to anyone who identifies as a first-time guest. Services are livestreamed, sermons are archived, and giving can be done online or through Venmo. Children from nursery through fifth grade have a program waiting at both Sunday morning and Thursday Midweek, and the welcome team at the Connection desk is ready to point first-time families in the right direction.