A Place at the Table Since 1953
The Table: United Church of Christ of La Mesa sits on Kelton Avenue in La Mesa, a city of neighborhoods and church communities about ten miles east of downtown San Diego. The congregation traces its roots to the living room of Curtis and Elsie Clare, who in 1953 began gathering new residents of La Mesa into what became Lake Murray Congregational Church. In 1965 that congregation partnered with Northmont Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ of La Mesa, and the name has continued ever since, even as the spirit of the place kept evolving.
Today the church goes by a single word that captures its self-understanding: The Table. The image points to Jesus gathering friends for a meal and to the La Mesa community the congregation calls home. Five core values shape the life of the place - Grounded, Prophetic, Belonging, Authentic, and Hopeful - and The Table is officially an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, meaning it actively welcomes and affirms the full diversity of the people God has created. It is also a 5 for 5 church, supporting all five of the UCC's national mission programs.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday worship happens at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary and is livestreamed on YouTube, so anyone can join from wherever they are and revisit the service later in the week. The service typically runs about an hour and includes singing, prayer, music, and a message followed by a time of fellowship. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and all who wish to partake are invited to come to The Table.
The congregation is clear that guests are exactly that - guests. There is no dress code, and visitors are warmly received whether they have been attending church for decades or are walking into one for the first time. The service is grounded in sharing God's grace for the healing and wholeness of the world, and the congregation tries to live into what it calls God's Realm of Love in the present.
Kids and Youth at The Table
Children are part of most things that happen at The Table. Every Sunday, nursery care is provided by screened and trained childcare professionals, so parents of the youngest members can worship without worry. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to stay in worship with their grown-ups and are then dismissed before the sermon for Sunday School, which is led by church members. For families with little ones, a special space in the back of the sanctuary is set aside with coloring pages, children's activity bulletins, books, and toys.
Middle school and high school youth are an important part of the community. They gather during worship and take part in additional activities with partner groups from other San Diego churches, including service projects, retreats, and a river trip. Youth programming is led by Dr. Jerrell Robinson, the Director of Youth, Children, and Families, and updates are shared on the church's Instagram and weekly email newsletter.
For families looking for a midweek option, The Table is also connected to Charley Brown Children's Center, a preschool serving the broader La Mesa community.
Music as an Act of Worship
Music is described as a vital part of The Table's life - an act of worship, a place for friends, and a way to appreciate the gifts of the community. The chancel choir rehearses on Sundays at 8:30 AM, before worship, and there is also a group called Joyful Noize. Music is directed by Jim Tompkins-MacLaine, the Director of Music.
The congregation also hosts the Valerie Victor Concert Series, a free community concert series honoring a longtime musician and church member. Performances are open to the wider La Mesa community and reflect the church's commitment to sharing its gifts beyond its own walls.
Growing in Smaller Circles
Beyond Sunday worship, The Table offers several smaller gatherings for people who want to go deeper. A Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 4:15 PM, with a Zoom link available by emailing the office. On Saturdays at 10:00 AM a Contemplative Prayer Group gathers for quiet spiritual practice. On the second and fourth Friday of the month at 10:00 AM, the Prayers and Squares Quilting Group brings together people who find spiritual connection in stitching prayer quilts for others.
Speaking Truth and Serving the Community
The Social Justice and Service ministry is one of the clearest marks of The Table's identity. The congregation understands its call as speaking truth to power, liberating the oppressed, caring for the poor, and comforting the afflicted, and it has named several ongoing partnerships to put that call into practice.
The church supports Crisis House, a walk-in emergency resource center serving homeless individuals in East County. It supports El Nido, a domestic violence transitional housing program providing a safe space for families. And it supports Orfanatorio Estado 29, an orphanage in Ensenada, Baja California, housing more than thirty children and young adults.
Issues of importance to the congregation include supporting the LGBTQ community, mass incarceration, the struggles of low-wage workers, access to food and housing, racial justice and systemic racism, gun violence, voter suppression, immigration and refugee and asylum policies, climate change, and police reform. The Social Justice and Service ministry encourages members of the congregation and the wider community to become engaged around the issues they care about.
A Congregation in Transition
The Table is currently living through a season of pastoral transition. After Pastor Kelly's departure, the congregation is searching for a full-time intentional interim minister to walk alongside it during the twelve-to-eighteen-month process of calling the next settled pastor. The interim will help the congregation navigate the time between pastors and partner with the Settled Pastor Search Committee in discernment. Interested applicants are directed to apply through the Conference Office to confirm eligibility to serve a UCC church.
Through this season the rhythm of the church continues: worship at 10:00 AM, Sunday School for the kids, the choir before the service, weekday Bible Study and prayer groups, the concert series, the quilting group, and the ongoing work of justice and service. The Table that was first imagined in a young church planters' living room in 1953 remains a place to belong for all people, on Kelton Avenue in La Mesa.