On a quiet stretch of Holly Drive in Tracy, California, the Tracy Adventist Church has long been a Sabbath-keeping outpost where families arrive on Saturday morning for Sabbath School, settle in for an 11:00 worship service, and stay for fellowship around a shared meal. The congregation describes itself as a "loving church family" that invites "anyone and everyone" to journey with God, and its rhythm of life is built around the seventh day - Friday sundown to Saturday sundown - that gives the wider Seventh-day Adventist Church its name.
Sabbath at Tracy: Saturday Mornings From 9:30 to Noon
The Sabbath morning begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sabbath School, the church's small-group Bible study hour. Adults gather in lesson-study groups to share what they have learned during the week, while children and teens break out by age. Beginners (birth through age 3), Kingdom Kids (ages 4 to 12), and Teens (ages 13 to 18) all have their own classrooms with learning tailored to their stage of faith. At 10:45 a.m., children ages 5 to 12 who have outgrown the nursery flow into Bible Adventures, a high-energy program of songs, Bible stories, and snacks - except on the fifth Sabbath of the month, when the program is paused. On the second Sabbath of each month, a special afternoon program called Sabbath Afternoon Fun gathers children ages 6 to 12 at 1:30 p.m. for games, crafts, and time together.
At 11:00 a.m., the main worship service begins in the main auditorium. The service is built around music, a Bible-based message, and a response time. Members of the music team - instrumentalists and vocalists drawn from the congregation - lead the singing, and the church's audio/visual team handles microphones and display screens so that the musicians and speakers can be heard and seen. Most weeks the service wraps up close to noon, and almost always by 12:15 p.m. There is no dress code; most people simply dress as they would for a nice dinner.
For those who cannot be there in person, the service is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of recent sermons and devotionals are available afterward.
Children and Teen Ministries
Children are treated not as the future of the church but as full participants in it. Children's Ministries runs Sabbath School classes every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for Beginners, Kingdom Kids, and Teens, the weekly Bible Adventures program at 10:45 a.m. for ages 5 to 12, and the monthly Sabbath Afternoon Fun gathering on the second Sabbath at 1:30 p.m. A Vacation Bible School takes place each summer, with older kids serving as crew leaders. Each November the church joins with Tracy Adventist Elementary to host a Fall Festival with foods, games, stories, and s'mores. Parents of children ages 5 to 12 receive a monthly ParentLink Newsletter with information about upcoming activities.
The Youth Ministries program focuses on teenagers, meeting every Saturday morning for Bible study and gathering at least once a month for a social activity - past outings have included Six Flags trips, escape rooms, movie nights, lock-ins, and Christmas parties. The fun nights typically land on the third Saturday evening. Parents of teens can pick up the Teen ParentLink Newsletter, which has been published periodically with updates and encouragement.
Tracy Adventist Elementary: A K-8 School Since 1953
The church has operated Tracy Adventist Elementary since 1953. The K-8 school sits on or near the same Holly Drive campus and shares the church's family feel, with small class sizes and a teaching staff that emphasizes academic and social growth alongside a knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. Graduates move on to area high schools and beyond, and the school is regularly promoted as an option for Tracy-area families looking for Christian education. Information about enrollment is available through the school's own site.
Community Service: Breakfast on the First and Third Sundays
The church's Community Service ministry reaches beyond its own walls through a free Community Breakfast served on the first and third Sundays of each month at 8:00 a.m. The meal is open to anyone in the surrounding community - whether the need is for food, for friendship, or for both. Volunteers from the church help prepare and serve a hot breakfast and greet neighbors who come in from Tracy and the wider San Joaquin County area.
On Wednesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Scrapping Together Ministry brings together people who enjoy crafting, scrapbooking, and conversation in a relaxed setting. It is one of several small-group-style gatherings that strengthen relationships within the church and offer a doorway into community life for newcomers.
Spiritual Development: Prayer, Discipleship, and Bible Study
Helping people grow closer to God is central to the church's identity. The Adult Sabbath School meets every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in small groups that share insights from the week's lesson. A midweek Prayer Meeting gathers on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., both in person and on Zoom (the Zoom room opens at 6:55 p.m.). For those who want a more intimate setting, a Women's Discipleship Group meets at the church on Mondays at 2:00 p.m.
The church also curates a list of Bible study resources, pointing readers toward free sites such as Blue Letter Bible, BibleArc, e-Sword, Precept Austin, and Bible.faithlife, and paid tools like Logos and Accordance. For deeper conversation, sermon recordings - including devotionals, multi-part series like "Vanishing Grace" and "Perfect Seven," and sermon supplements on topics such as LGBTQIA+ people and abortion and politics - are available for listening at any time.
Health Ministries
Health Ministries takes a whole-person approach to well-being, caring for members of the church and reaching out into the surrounding community. Programming includes vegetarian and vegan cooking classes, seminars on escaping depression, and stress-free living workshops. Even the weekly Sabbath potluck doubles as a teaching moment, with members demonstrating healthy principles at the table.
Men's and Women's Retreats at Leoni Meadows
Each spring several men from the church travel to Leoni Meadows, a well-known Adventist camp and retreat center in the Sierra foothills, for an annual Men's Retreat featuring a guest speaker, good fellowship, and hearty food. In October, the women of the church make a similar journey to Leoni Meadows for their own Women's Retreat over two weekends, an event that combines an inspirational speaker with time to reconnect with old friends and enjoy good food together. Additional events for women are held throughout the year to address spiritual and everyday needs.
Behind the Scenes: Intra-Church Ministries
Many of the church's ministries focus outward, but several exist to keep the congregation running smoothly. The Audio/Visual team handles microphones and display screens for worship. The Child Care volunteers watch little ones whose parents want to focus fully on the service. Deacons and Deaconesses collect the offering, take out the trash, help with the fellowship lunch, and distribute the communion meal. The Flower Committee beautifies the sanctuary with arrangements each week. The Music team provides instrumental and vocal music for worship and special events. Short-term Missions occasionally sends church groups and youth to places like Thailand and Haiti. The Social Committee plans events such as Super Bowl parties, church camping trips, and Christmas socials. A Website and Social Media team keeps the calendar, photos, and announcements current.
What Tracy Adventists Believe
The Tracy Adventist Church teaches, in its own summary, that "God loves, God creates, God redeems, God inhabits, God transforms, God triumphs." Underlying those six statements is a belief that the Bible is God's Word and is relevant to every part of life, and that the church exists to help people explore, experience, and know the One who desires to make them whole.
As part of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church - a mainstream Protestant body of about 19 million members worldwide, more than one million of them in North America - the Tracy congregation holds to the historic Adventist beliefs. Adventists believe in one God made up of three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and in salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They look forward to the Second Coming of Jesus and believe the Holy Spirit serves as Comforter and Counselor in the meantime. They teach that God cares about how people live day to day, including how they treat their families, their bodies, their neighbors, and the world around them.
Engaging With Hard Questions
Among Adventists, the church acknowledges that some issues require careful conversation. The church's Resources section collects reading on abortion, Christian nationalism, domestic abuse, LGBTQIA+ people, and online behavior. The materials cover a range of Christian responses, from non-affirming and moderate perspectives to affirming ones, and the church notes that these resources are not exhaustive but are intended as a starting point for education. Sermon supplements in the audio archive complement the reading lists with audio discussion of the same topics.
Staying Connected
Visitors who would like to attend on a Saturday will find Sabbath School underway at 9:30 a.m. and worship beginning at 11:00 a.m. at 2025 Holly Drive. The church has a small parking lot, but street parking is usually easy to find nearby. Dress is relaxed. Programs for children and teens run throughout the morning, and the community is welcome at the free Community Breakfast on the first and third Sundays at 8:00 a.m. Giving is handled online through Adventist Giving, and the church is active on Facebook, YouTube, and X. The Tracy Adventist Church is pastored by Janeen Peckham Little, with Sylvia Ahn serving as Worship Coordinator, Leo Porras as Head Elder, MariCris Oana as Treasurer, and Mitch Pino as Property Manager.