Where Love Is Action on La Vista Avenue
Valley Christian Church sits on the corner of Joan Avenue and La Vista Avenue near Canterbury Village in Concord, California. The building is easy to reach from Clayton Road, with its entrance facing La Vista. Inside, the congregation describes itself with a single phrase that captures everything they do: Where Love Is Action, drawn from John 15:12. Founded in 1970, the church has spent more than five decades rooted in the Clayton Valley neighborhood, and its ministry now stretches well beyond the building through a service movement that has reshaped its identity.
Three Words That Shape Everything: The ABCs
The church's renewed mission is organized around three commitments they call the ABCs.
- Actions Speak Louder. Performing acts of service in the name of Jesus to show love and shine light.
- Bilingual ministry. Embracing Spanish-speaking neighbors and inviting them into the VCC family.
- Community. Cultivating fellowship among the family of God in the unity of the Spirit.
These three commitments are not separate programs but a single posture. The leaders write that, in a world where hope can feel rare and fleeting, they are stepping into their community with an authentic, life-changing message of hope, and they trust the Holy Spirit's guidance in when and how that happens.
The Actions Speak Louder Movement
Although the church has existed since 1970, the story of its current mission begins in 2020. The suffering and conflict of that year, in the words of the congregation, lit a fire that would not let another day pass without doing something to bring relief and spread hope. So Actions Speak Louder was born, and the Action Team began to grow.
From the start, the team says, God connected them with as many service opportunities as they could handle. The movement expanded into a regular rhythm of group projects, typically organized each month, where neighbors and church family serve side by side. New Action Team members receive a blue Action Team T-shirt at their first project. The church describes the goal simply: to become the "city on a hill" that cannot be hidden, where bold and faithful works draw people to the same divine love and grace that has transformed the congregation's own lives.
A Bilingual House of Worship
Bilingual ministry is woven into the life of the church at every level. The Sunday worship service at 10:45 am is conducted in both English and Spanish, and is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person. Around that central gathering, the church offers study and fellowship in both languages.
- Sunday Bible study at 9:30 am in English, before the bilingual service.
- Domingo estudio Bíblico at 2:00 pm in Spanish.
- Martes estudio para damas at 7:00 pm on Tuesdays - a women's Bible study on Zoom in Spanish.
- Miércoles estudio Bíblico Presencial at 7:00 pm on Wednesdays - an in-person Spanish Bible study.
- Jueves estudio Bíblico Zoom at 7:00 pm on Thursdays - a Spanish Bible study on Zoom.
The church's description of itself is direct: Valley Christian Church is a bilingual community dedicated to loving God and loving others. Newcomers who walk in on a Sunday morning will sense that bilingual identity right away.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
Visitors are greeted with what the church calls a uniquely warm and welcoming atmosphere. The 10:45 am bilingual service opens with heartfelt, energetic, and uplifting music led by the worship team, drawing from well-known worship songs both new and old. Teaching is described as relevant and substantive, grounded in scripture, and intended to guide, encourage, and challenge the congregation.
For families with children, a separate session is offered in a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for children from age two through fifth grade. Children are released to their program during the service, and parents are free to focus on the gathering.
The building is accessible. The main auditorium is reached from the front doors on La Vista Avenue, with a flat sidewalk and no steps. Plenty of parking is available, including accessible spaces close to the entrance. Visitors who prefer to blend in and observe will be welcomed without pressure, and those who love making new friends will find plenty of conversation.
Weekly Rhythms Beyond Sunday
The church's life extends well beyond the Sunday gathering.
- Wednesday small group Bible study meets at 7:00 pm in English.
- Jr./Sr. high Youth Group meets on Sundays at 2:00 pm, running alongside the Spanish Bible study so that families can attend together.
- Women's Bible study meets on Fridays at 9:00 am.
- Women's gathering meets on the third Sunday of each month at 5:00 pm.
- Men's gathering meets on the second Saturday of each month at 9:30 am.
These rhythms reflect the church's commitment to community, in which people of every age and language background are represented.
What the Church Believes
Valley Christian Church summarizes its message around five themes.
- God. God is infinitely powerful and the ultimate source of good, existing eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Jesus. Jesus is God's Son, sent to be born as a human, to live a Spirit-filled life, to sacrifice himself to reconcile humanity with God, and to send his Spirit to guide his followers.
- Scriptures. The scriptures are God-breathed and useful for teaching, guiding, and training in a life that is fulfilling and productive.
- Mission. Jesus gifts his followers to share his supernatural love by serving others sacrificially and speaking his life-changing message of hope.
- Rebirth. All are invited to be spiritually reborn and filled with the Holy Spirit by humbly confessing their need for his grace and placing faith in him.
The church is a 501(c)(3) organization, and gifts are tax-deductible. Members and supporters can give through Zelle, PayPal, or by mailing or delivering a check to the church office.
Joining the Mission
For those who want to put faith into practice, the church offers several ways to get involved beyond Sunday worship. The Action Team gathers monthly for hands-on service projects across the community, with no long-term commitment required to join. Other ministry teams include Children, Youth, Women, Men, Worship Team, Media and Sound, and Building Maintenance and Landscaping.
The church also offers a free Spiritual Gifts assessment, built around the New Testament gifts described in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. The questionnaire helps members identify gifts such as administration, apostleship, discernment, evangelism, exhortation, faith, giving, healing, interpretation of tongues, knowledge, leadership, mercy, miracles, pastor/shepherd, prophecy, serving/ministering, teaching, and tongues, and connect those gifts to a ministry team.
Plan a Visit to Concord
Valley Christian Church is located at 1411 La Vista Avenue, Concord, CA 94521, near the Canterbury Village neighborhood and easily accessible from Clayton Road. Office hours can be reached by phone at (925) 682-9280 or by email at Office@VCCConcord.com. Service replays from recent Sundays are available on the church's YouTube channel, and a digital bulletin is updated regularly. Visitors planning a first trip can fill out a short online form on the Plan My Visit page, and the church will follow up by email with directions, gathering times, and a summary of what to expect.