Tri-Valley Church of Christ gathers on East Avenue in Livermore, California, and its motto, Love God, Live Faithfully, Share Christ, describes the life it asks of its members. The congregation is known for a Sunday gathering at 10:45 a.m. that moves through Bible study, a cappella congregational singing, prayer, the Lord's Supper, and a sermon, and for a steady weeknight rhythm of groups for children, teens, young adults, and adults that carries the same Bible-centered discipleship into homes and neighborhoods.
Sunday at 10:45 on East Avenue
Tri-Valley Church of Christ meets every Sunday at 10:45 a.m. at 4481 East Avenue in Livermore. The order of the morning matters to the church: the congregation studies Scripture, sings songs of faith, prays, and shares in the Lord's Supper. Sunday gatherings also include classes for all ages, worship without instruments, and sermons the church describes as engaging and designed to elevate Jesus and inspire and equip people for good works.
The church's approach to worship is deliberately Bible-led. It teaches that worship should be part of everyday life while also holding that meeting together in corporate worship every week matters. When individual styles and preferences in worship come up, the church says it seeks the guidance of scripture and the model of the early church, pointing out that the early Christians met often to pray, fellowship, and be taught by the apostles (Acts 2:42-47). The rooms carry names that describe their use: the Worship Center, where the congregation meets, the Family Life Center, which houses children's classes and the youth room known as The Well, and an adjacent room where small children can play during the service.
Giving is placed in the same Sunday rhythm. The church considers giving an act of worship that increases trust and dependence on God and shapes people into the image of their generous Lord, and it asks every believer to give generously of time, giftedness, and resources to bless both the church and the community.
Kids Worship in the Family Life Center
Tri-Valley describes itself as a family-friendly group of Christians, and the children's ministry exists to help grow lasting Christian faith in kids. During the sermon portion of the worship service, children from age 4 through 5th grade are dismissed to Kids Worship in the Family Life Center, where they are led in age-appropriate Bible lessons, songs, and activities.
Children age 3 and under are welcome to remain with their parents in the Worship Center throughout the service. If a younger child becomes restless, the adjacent room gives kids a place to play while parents continue to engage with worship. Every children's ministry teacher and volunteer is background checked and has completed a course in child safety training.
Wednesdays at The Well
The youth ministry for 6th through 12th graders meets on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at The Well, a youth room located in the Family Life Center. The first half hour is spent playing music, games, snacking, and hanging out; from 7 to 8 p.m. the group moves into worship, Bible study, and discussion groups. The stated goal is to help students become mature Christian adults, and the church works at that in partnership with parents, families, and the ministries of the larger congregation.
Beyond the Wednesday gathering, youth activities include local service projects, midweek Bible studies, fun community-building experiences, and area-wide events. Youth group adult leaders are background checked and have completed a course in child safety training. Brittany Wallage serves as youth ministry coordinator, and the youth team can be reached at youthministry@trivalleychurch.org or (925) 447-4333.
Tuesdays for Young Adults, Thursdays for Spiritual Formation
Adult education at Tri-Valley extends beyond the Sunday morning message. Young adults ages 18 to 30 gather every other Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. for the Young Adults Book Club, hanging out and discussing a spiritual formation book together. Mikayla Grant leads the book club.
On Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., a small group meets as a spiritual formation workshop. Participants sing together, share written prayers, and discuss topics that lead to greater spiritual formation. Rod Davis serves as spiritual formation minister.
Neighborhood Groups Meeting Daily
Beyond the church building, geographically based groups of Christians connect daily for prayer, care, spiritual formation, and local missions. The daily rhythm of these groups extends the church's emphasis on prayer, care, formation, and mission into the surrounding neighborhoods, and it is one of the ways the church carries out its aim of shining the light of Christ in the community.
A Faith Built on the Bible
The Bible is described as God's word to the congregation and the basis for what they believe, how they model their church, and how they worship (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Their statement of belief covers God, salvation, and the church.
About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe and eternally exists in three personalities - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - who are co-equal and are one God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent from heaven by the Father to show who God is and what God wants for people. He lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate God's power over sin and death, accomplishing God's eternal plan of salvation, and he ascended to heaven's glory and will return again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is the power of God at work in the world, poured out on the church, guiding and transforming believers into the image of Christ.
About Salvation
Every person has worth because of creation in God's image, but all have sinned and are separated from God. Because of God's great love, forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life have been offered to the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anyone who seeks to be reunited with God through Jesus should repent of their sin, confess their faith, and be baptized in him, and will receive the gift of salvation along with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who are baptized are called to live a new life as disciples of Jesus, following his teachings, serving God and others in love, and showing the world the hope that comes through Christ alone.
About the Church
The church is the body of believers, referred to in Scripture as the body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do good works. It is made up of imperfect and sinful people who, by the grace of God and not by anything they have done, have been forgiven and counted as righteous in God's sight, and who are slowly being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus. The church exists to worship God, to encourage and equip believers, and to carry on the work of the Kingdom, reaching out in love to a lost and hurting world and showing them the truth of the gospel, that God is reconciling the world to himself in love through Christ Jesus, so that all the world may come to know and love God and commit to being his disciples too.
Giving as an Act of Worship
Tri-Valley has an active congregation that serves the community and the world at large, and contributions are gratefully received to further the Lord's work (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). Contributions can be made online through PayPal, which charges a 2.2 percent processing fee plus 30 cents on online transactions and does not require a PayPal account. Donations can be one time or recurring monthly or weekly, and can be directed to a general contribution or to a youth retreat fund.
Contributions can also be mailed to Tri-Valley Church of Christ, P.O. Box 2164, Livermore, CA 94551-2164, and many banks offer a free bill payment service that can mail that check automatically. Zelle is another option, available through many mobile banking apps and sent to finance@trivalleychurch.org, and most banks do not charge a fee for Zelle transactions.
Sermon Archive, Podcast, and Online Worship
Recordings of Sunday morning sermons run back to 2016 and include multi-week studies on the book of James, Joseph and Jesus, Job and Jesus, Ecclesiastes, the Psalms, and the character of church elders, alongside single messages on a wide range of biblical and practical subjects. The church has also hosted guest preachers from other congregations of Christ. Audio sermons are available as a podcast through iTunes and other podcast apps, and worship and sermon videos are posted on the church's YouTube channel.
Live worship is available through the church's online service, and recorded messages are collected in one place for listening. A mobile app distributed through the Apple and Android app stores puts the church directory in a phone's hand, prayer requests can be submitted online, and an online form is available for anyone who wants to take part in the life of the congregation.
The People Who Lead
Jacob Parnell serves as preaching minister, and Darren McGrandle and Tom Spinka serve as shepherds. Brett Richardson is a deacon and worship leader, joined in worship by Greg Brown and Justin Beasley. Rod Davis leads spiritual formation, Brittany Wallage coordinates youth ministry, Mikayla Grant leads the young adults book club, and Rose Marie Hunt oversees the card writing ministry. The church office can be reached at office@trivalleychurch.org or (925) 447-4333.
Living Out the Motto on East Avenue
Tri-Valley Church of Christ describes itself as a family-friendly group of Christians trying to live into their identity as new creations in Christ: studying the Bible, worshiping the Lord, supporting and encouraging one another, and shining the light of Christ in the community. The motto above it all - Love God, Live Faithfully, Share Christ - describes a congregation whose Sunday gathering at 10:45 a.m. opens into a full week of worship, formation, neighborhood connection, and mission in Livermore.