A House for His Glory in the Antelope Valley
Shekinah Worship Center sits on 10th Street West in Lancaster, California, at the corner of Avenue L, near the Costco shopping center, about 65 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. From this location the congregation lives out a calling it describes as "a House for His Glory, a Light to the Nations," grounded in the words of Isaiah 56:7: "For My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all Nations." Members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, drawn by the church's emphasis on the Word of God, the love of God, and prayer.
Shekinah Worship Center is a non-denominational, spirit-filled, apostolic, multi-cultural Christian congregation. Its mission is to know Jesus Christ, to live in His love, and to walk as He walked, and its mandate is to make disciples of Jesus Christ of all nations, every ethnic group, who will know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, become like Him, and bear much fruit to glorify God.
From a Prophetic Dream to a House of Prayer
The church was planted in 1991 by Joe and Melinda Sweet, who remain its pastors today. Joe Sweet was born again in 1977 after receiving a profound prophetic dream of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and a visitation of the Holy Spirit in which he was called to preach the gospel. He has been preaching since 1978. Melinda graduated from Bible School in 1981 and has been involved in multiple facets of the ministry from the beginning, including worship and teaching. Together they have five adult children: Elijah, Jana, John Michael, Joshua, and Jessica.
What began in 1991 has become an oasis of the presence of the Lord for everyone who is hungry, a congregation whose services regularly include extended times of prayer, vibrant worship, the teaching of the Word, and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit in the gifts and fruit the New Testament describes. Joe Sweet's calling is to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord" through prayer and the ministry of the Word, equipping believers until they all reach the unity of the faith and the fullness of Christ.
Sundays in Lancaster: Prayer, Worship, and the Word
The shape of a Sunday at Shekinah follows a three-part rhythm that has become the core of the church's life together.
At 9:00 a.m. the sanctuary fills with an hour of prayer. People gather in groups of two or three and pray in agreement around a topic, often Scripture-led and often gospel-led. Visitors are welcome to join. Then at 10:00 a.m. the worship service begins. A typical Sunday morning service runs about an hour of prayer, roughly an hour of worship, and a message that usually lasts close to an hour, often longer as the Spirit leads. Visitors who step into the sanctuary are greeted with a tangible sense of God's nearness and with freedom to respond in worship, lifted hands, shouts of adoration, flags waving, or bowing down, whichever feels natural.
The Word of God is central. The leadership teaches that seeking God to know His heart is one of Pastor Joe's primary callings, and that out of this close walk with God, clear direction and messages are given not only for this church but for the wider Body of Christ. Visitors can expect to be challenged, exhorted, and encouraged as they listen. Cameras are a normal part of the room, the services are broadcast to television stations and social media, and visitors may appear on camera from time to time.
Equipping Nights and Prayer Through the Week
Beyond Sunday mornings, the congregation gathers several evenings a week.
Thursday nights are Equipping the Saints nights. On the first, third, and fifth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. the church gathers for worship, teaching, and ministry. These evenings are designed to train believers for the work of ministry and to stir up the gifts of the Spirit.
Friday nights at 6:30 p.m. are set aside for prayer. The Friday Night Prayer service gathers the church for worship and prayer together, a weekly focus on the call that "My house shall be called a house of prayer."
Wednesday nights are for the next generation and for the home groups. The youth meet at 6:30 p.m. in the prayer room, with ages 13 to 21 welcome. Home cell groups meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at times and locations that vary, with worship, fellowship, and a short lesson. The office can connect anyone interested with the right group.
Children and Youth: The Next Generation
Children are encouraged to stay with their families during prayer and worship. For younger children three and under, nursery care is available. A cry room is open for parents and children who need a quieter space. After worship on Sunday mornings, children ages 3 to 12 are dismissed to Children's Church, where Marisa Lorick, the Children's Pastor, and her team teach the Word in a way aimed at this generation.
The youth ministry is led by Mark and Marisa Lorick, who have been part of Shekinah Worship Center for more than 25 years. Both have a desire to see this generation of children and youth turn with their whole heart to Jesus, and they are committed to young people experiencing the Lord's supernatural power at work in their lives. Wednesday nights bring a gathering of teenagers for an evening of praise, worship, body ministry, prayer, testimonies, and more, designed to deepen their walk with God and to build one another up in the faith.
A Multi-Cultural House: English, Spanish, and Chinese
Shekinah Worship Center describes itself as a multi-cultural Christian congregation, and that reality is visible in the languages spoken, the broadcasts offered, and the resources produced.
Spanish-language ministry is a regular part of the church's life. Weekly messages are translated into Spanish and published on a dedicated YouTube channel, and Spanish-language versions of key resources, including Apostolic Prayers in Spanish and the Foundational Doctrines of Christ manual, are available for download. The Spanish-language section of the church's online home mirrors the English version with information for newcomers, statement of faith, staff, services, contact information, online viewers, schedule, handouts, and a visit-planning guide.
Chinese-language ministry has been a long-standing emphasis. Each week the Sunday service is offered with a live Chinese translation. The translation work has been made possible by Brother Joseph Shu, who also hosts a bi-weekly video broadcast called "The Gospel of the Kingdom." The Chinese translations are also produced and uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel, and audio sermons in Cantonese are available for download. The full Foundational Doctrines of Christ manual is also translated into Chinese.
German-speaking believers and learners are not left out either; the Foundational Doctrines of Christ manual is available in German as well. Together these multilingual efforts reflect the church's conviction that the gospel is for all ethnic groups, an "all nations" calling lived out in language.
The Foundational Doctrines of Christ
One of the most distinctive teaching series at Shekinah is the 15-chapter Foundational Doctrines of Christ, drawn from Hebrews 6:1-3. The series is laid out as a discipleship manual for the church, designed both for new believers and for those discipling them, and includes 15 corresponding teaching videos led by Pastor Joe Sweet.
The chapters cover: You Are a New Creation, Water Baptism, The Goal of Our Faith, Repentance From Dead Works, Faith Toward God (in two parts), The Baptism With the Holy Spirit, The Baptism of Fire, The Baptism of Suffering, Laying On of Hands, Resurrection of the Dead, Eternal Judgment (in two parts), and Going On to Perfection. Together they form a path from a new birth to full maturity in Christ.
The manual is available for purchase through the online bookstore and can be downloaded in English, Spanish, Chinese, and German. A separate audio archive in Cantonese is also available for the series.
Worship, Prayer, and the Gifts of the Spirit
Worship is at the heart of every gathering at Shekinah. In worship, the church teaches, the presence of God fills the sanctuary and the hearts of those gathered. People are regularly healed of sicknesses, diseases, and oppression during times of worship. Lifted hands, shouts, flags, bowing, and other expressions of praise are welcomed and encouraged, with the sense that worship is the place where God's people minister to His heart and He, in turn, transforms theirs.
The church teaches and practices the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. Members of Shekinah believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that His ministry in and through the church by the Holy Spirit has not changed from the beginning. The church accepts, acknowledges, encourages, and seeks all of the biblical gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit as present and vital for the church to accomplish her full purpose today, including speaking in tongues, prophecy, and the other gifts of the Spirit, while testing every experience and revelation against Scripture.
Prayer is a daily practice. In addition to the Sunday morning and Friday night prayer gatherings, the prayer ministry offers an online prayer request form, a prayer ministry training series taught by Joe Sweet, downloadable resources on praying for the lost, praying in tongues, and spiritual warfare, and a small-groups handout that helps new groups begin well. The prayer team is invited to cover every request that comes in.
Reaching the Antelope Valley: Groceries and Meals
Shekinah Worship Center serves the wider Antelope Valley through two regular outreach efforts.
Each month the church hosts an Emergency Grocery Distribution, providing groceries for hundreds of families throughout the Antelope Valley. The food outreach is held on the fourth Saturday of each month, with occasional adjustments for major holidays or special events. Volunteers gather at the church at 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the distribution to pack bags of groceries and distribute them to members of the community.
On the first Wednesday of each month, a team from Shekinah prepares and serves a hot meal at the Grace Resource Center to those in need of food. The team meets at the Grace Resource Center at 5:00 p.m.
After Sunday services, the fellowship hall comes alive for a community lunch. The church alternates weekly between full catered lunches with reservations and lighter coffee-and-packed-lunch fellowship. Reservations can be made for the next scheduled luncheon through the fellowship hall calendar.
Online Reach and Broadcast Ministry
Broadcast ministry has long been a part of Shekinah's calling, to feed the Body of Christ the Word of God by reaching beyond the sanctuary walls.
Each week the church livestreams its services, with the regular broadcast going out on YouTube and on Rumble. Each service is also published to SermonCloud, and audio messages are available on SoundCloud. Worship services and prayer meetings are archived on the members-only site for later viewing and downloading.
A library of resources is available for online viewers who live out of town or cannot attend in person. The video archives house Sunday sermons and worship series; the worship archives hold hours of recorded worship and prayer meetings; and the audio archives offer downloadable MP3s for listening on phones or in the car. The 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting series is also available online.
The Shekinah Worship Center phone app puts sermons, worship, and event updates in the hands of members and supporters. The app is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, and the church can also be found on Roku and Apple TV by searching "Shekinah Worship Center."
Books, Discipleship Resources, and the Bookstore
Shekinah Worship Center runs a full online bookstore offering CDs, DVDs, prayer guides, gospel tracts, manuals, and books.
Among the available resources:
- A worship CD, recorded from the church's livestream worship, available as a CD or USB for a small donation, drawn from 1 Chronicles 16:29: "Give to the Lord the Glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness!"
- The eight-CD series "What Does Christian Maturity Look Like?", which outlines five characteristics of the mature Christian based on Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
- The Spanish Apostolic Prayer Book, a guide to growing in prayer through the prayers of the apostles.
- The Foundational Doctrines of Christ manual, available in print or digital, with 15 chapters and 15 corresponding teaching videos.
- "Advancing the Kingdom Through a Sanctified Tongue," a book of revelations and practical teaching on manifesting the kingdom of God through the believer's life.
Beyond the bookstore, a wide range of free downloadable handouts is available in English and Spanish, including guides on overcoming panic attacks and a spirit of fear, praying for the lost and backslidden, praying in tongues, spiritual warfare, memorizing the salvation scriptures, John Wesley's 22 Questions for disciples, a list of positive commands for one another, a small groups handout, a salvation scripture card, and a summary of "The Price of God's Miracle Working Power" based on words spoken to A.A. Allen.
Giving and Supporting the Ministry
Giving is an integral part of supporting the ministry at Shekinah. Online donations can be made through the church's online giving options, including online giving, PayPal, Zelle (sent to swc-office@verizon.net), and Text 2 Tithe by texting any amount to 323-77-GLORY (323-77-45679). Checks can be mailed to the church's mailing address.
Volunteering is open to faithful members of the congregation who want to use their gifts and time. Opportunities include the monthly grocery distribution, the Grace Resource Center meal team, Children's Church, the camera crew, the cleaning crew, and the ushers and greeters ministry.
The Leadership Team
The leadership of Shekinah Worship Center is shaped by a conviction that those who lead are shepherds serving under the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. The team desires to devote itself to prayer and to the ministry of the Word, and its passion and goal is to equip the believers for the work of the ministry until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature person, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The senior pastor is Joe Sweet, who co-planted the church with his wife Melinda in 1991. Mark Lorick serves in Youth and Pastoral Care, and Marisa Lorick serves as the Children's Pastor. Together the Loricks have been part of Shekinah for more than 25 years and have four children: Domonique, Brittany, Josh, and Michelle.
Supporting the ministry are an Office Administrator, an IT/Media coordinator, an Office and Dining Manager, and a Fellowship Hall coordinator. The office is open Monday through Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and messages sent through email and the online contact form are reviewed by staff.
What Shekinah Believes
The Statement of Faith of Shekinah Worship Center is anchored in the conviction that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, and inerrant Word of God, and that no doctrine is accepted that contradicts Scripture.
The church teaches that Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the Creator of all things, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He emptied Himself to become fully a man in order to be the propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Through His sacrifice on the cross, all who believe in Him have their sins remitted and are restored to fellowship with God. The church teaches the literal, physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take authority and rule on earth, the literal resurrection of both the just and the unjust for the Day of Judgment, and the eternal life that comes to those justified by faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
Believing in the heart that Jesus is the Son of God and in His propitiation for our salvation results in regeneration and renewal, the "new birth" into new creations. The church teaches that water baptism should be by immersion and accomplished immediately after commitment to the Lordship of Jesus, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an additional impartation that may be subsequent to regeneration, often accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues and prophecy. The church practices the Lord's Supper as an ordinance in remembrance of Him, without teaching that it is for the remission of sins. Good works are accepted by God as a love offering given because of His worthiness, but they have no bearing on acceptance, standing, or approval, which were accomplished by the cross.
Planning a Trip to the Antelope Valley
For visitors traveling to Shekinah from out of town, the church offers detailed travel information. The two closest major airports are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about 70 miles southwest of Lancaster with a typical travel time of 1 to 2 hours, and Bob Hope International Airport in Burbank, about 55 miles southwest of Lancaster with a travel time usually under an hour. The Antelope Express Shuttle and Charter offers scheduled trips between the Antelope Valley and LAX for a modest fare. A list of recommended hotels in Lancaster and Palmdale, including several familiar chains and local inns, is available.
The church sits near the corner of Avenue L and 10th Street West, near the Costco shopping center. Parking is available in the front and rear of the building, with overflow options at the Carl's Jr parking lot to the north and the Citizens Bank parking lot to the south. Visitors are invited to sit where they feel comfortable and to dress how they feel comfortable, because the congregation gathers to bless the Lord Jesus.
A House for All the Nations
Shekinah Worship Center exists to be a House of Prayer for all nations. From its sanctuary on 10th Street West in Lancaster, to its Spanish-language broadcasts, Chinese translations, German and Cantonese resources, its global livestream audience on YouTube and Rumble, its monthly grocery distribution feeding hundreds in the Antelope Valley, and its Foundational Doctrines of Christ teaching series sent around the world, the congregation lives out its calling: to know Jesus Christ, to live in His love, to walk as He walked, and to make disciples of every nation who will know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, become like Him, and bear much fruit for the glory of God.