Valley Christian Center is a multi-generational Foursquare church in Fresno defined by the trio of values that headlines everything the church does: Pursue God, Love People, Build Community. Pastored by Rene and Kristi Charest, Valley gathers Sunday mornings in English and Sunday afternoons in Spanish, streams its services live on YouTube, and runs a wide network of small groups, Bible studies, recovery ministry, and age-specific programs that reach from birth through the senior years. After a burst water pipe flooded its main building at 4649 E. Shields Avenue, Valley temporarily relocated its Sunday gatherings to the Valley Dream Center, the local outreach nonprofit it has adopted as its primary missions partner.
Sunday Services in English and Spanish
Valley gathers at 10:00am for an English service that runs about an hour. The flow is straightforward and visitor-friendly: a live band opens with three songs, Pastor Rene or another pastor teaches a Bible message that aims to be both understandable and applicable, and a prayer team is on hand to pray with anyone who wants it. The same service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel so that people from anywhere can join in. A Spanish-language service, Servicio en Español, follows at 1:00pm and is broadcast on Facebook. Children from birth through fifth grade attend Valley Kids during the English service, and students in grades 6 through 12 meet in Steadfast Youth.
Visitors can show up as they are. The church's own guidance: "Clothes for sure. Other than that, just come as you are." First-time guests who want a head start can fill out the "I'm New to Valley" form online so the team can follow up. A Welcome Dinner is held periodically as a relaxed evening designed to help newcomers meet people and begin building friendships. After Sunday services, coffee is available at the Way Cafe and kids are welcome to play on the playground a little longer.
Temporary Move to the Valley Dream Center
A burst water pipe from a restroom sent five to seven inches of water through Valley's main building in October, leaving extensive damage to the sanctuary, offices, lobbies, and meeting rooms. While repairs run for several months, the entire Sunday program has moved to the Valley Dream Center at 1835 N. Winery Avenue. The 10:00am English service, the 1:00pm Spanish service, the Valley Kids classrooms for birth through fifth grade, and the Steadfast Youth Rec. Room all operate out of the temporary site. Parking is available on the Valley Dream Center campus, with overflow parking on Winery Avenue and surrounding neighborhood streets and attendants on hand to shuttle people to the sanctuary entrance. Two entrances are available: one off Winery Avenue and one off N. Laureen Avenue through the neighborhood, with a drop-off zone near the sanctuary. The livestream returned to YouTube once the move was complete.
Valley Kids: A Secure Check-In for Birth Through Fifth Grade
Valley Kids runs under the leadership of Kids Ministry Director Whitney Ghabrial, a credentialed teacher with more than two decades in children's ministry, and Assistant Director Anna Cadena, who grew up in VCC Kids and began volunteering as a junior helper at twelve. The goal is to teach children to know, grow, and show the love of Jesus through fun, engaging Bible lessons, meaningful relationships, and serving others. Every volunteer is background checked and trained.
At the temporary location, a bright blue pop-up tent marked "Kids Check-In" sits at the entrance. Parents provide a family member's name, the child's name and birthday, address, phone number, and any special instructions. The check-in system prints matching identification stickers: a name tag for the child and a matching tag for the parent, which is shown at pick-up before the child is released. After class, kids head outside to the playground. A parent handbook and a class location map are available in print, and a child dedication form is offered for families who want to mark the moment publicly.
Steadfast Youth: Grades 6 Through 12
Steadfast Youth, led by Jason Schneider (Associate Pastor / Youth Pastor) and his wife Monica (also an Associate Pastor), exists for sixth through twelfth graders who want a real relationship with Jesus. The students describe their aim in three movements: loving God, loving people, and representing Jesus on their campuses and in their activities. They meet on Sundays at 10:00am in the Rec. Room at the Valley Dream Center, and on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Valley Christian Center.
Each summer, Steadfast takes students to a four-day camp at Old Oak Ranch in Sonora with daily worship, teaching, small group time, team games, and outdoor activities like high ropes, paintball, archery, swimming, and an arcade. A scholarship fund and camp credit earned through serving at Vacation Bible School help families cover the cost. The youth ministry also uses the YouVersion plan "One Story That Leads to Jesus" to read the Bible in a year together, and maintains a shared Spotify playlist for worship.
Young Adults, First Fridays, and Mid-Week Crews
The young adults ministry gathers at the Sunday service and then continues through the week with small groups and dinners. The recurring highlight is the First Friday Dinner and Hangout at the home of Jason and Monica Schneider from 6:00 to 8:00pm, with kids welcome and the address sent on sign-up. A Wednesday Night Bible Study is offered in addition to the broader Connect Crews. The team also runs occasional Sunday lunch pop-ups at local restaurants. Young adults keep up with the schedule on the @vccfresnoya Instagram account.
Men's Ministry: Four Weekly Touchpoints
Valley's men's ministry is led by Pastor Rene Charest (Men's Pastor) and Fred Teran (Men's Director) and meets four times a week. A Tuesday morning discipleship group runs from 7:00 to 8:00am in Room 403, a Tuesday night Bible study meets from 6:30 to 8:00pm in Room 307, a Thursday lunchtime discipleship group meets from 12:00 to 1:15pm in Room 402, and a Thursday evening Book of John study meets from 6:30 to 8:00pm in Room 307. The aim of each gathering is straightforward: create space for men to show up and be in community with each other.
Women Connect: Year-Round Studies and Crafts
Women Connect is pastored by Kristi Charest, who has spent more than thirty years ministering to women from high school through young marrieds and young moms, and who wrote the cookbook "Cooking With Kristi" to help young women prepare cost-effective meals. The ministry meets year-round on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00pm in Room 305 for the "Praying the Names of God" study. Wednesdays layer on a full slate: "Letter From the Mission Field" at 9:00am in Room 305, a DIY Crafting and Praying the Names of God study at 10:00am in Room 307, and a Women's Book Club at 6:30pm at the McRae home. A Mom and Me Playdate gathers at the Bowers home on selected Friday mornings. The stated purpose is to love God, love one another, and live life as a godly woman of influence in homes, at work, and in the community.
Couples Connection
Marriage ministry is led by Steve and Lori Barserian, who met at Valley in 1987 and have been married for more than three decades, served in many areas of the church, and raised three children. The ministry is for every married couple at Valley, whether the marriage is less than a year old or more than seventy years. Its goal is to grow deeper in love with each other and build stronger friendships with other couples in the church family.
PrimeTime 55+: A Ministry for Seniors
PrimeTime 55+, led by Mike and Gen Johnson, focuses on fellowship, connection, and encouragement for adults fifty-five and older. The ministry hosts a monthly brunch, occasional potlucks, afternoon movie matinees, and trips to local dinner theatres and venues. A yearly calendar is published in the weekend updates, with sign-ups in the Courtyard before Sunday service.
Connect Crews: Small Groups for the Whole Church
Connect Crews are Valley's small-group network, organized in a fall season that runs from late August through November. Crews are open to anyone, with separate tracks for men, women, moms, and young adults. Open groups include a prayer team against child trafficking called IMPACT, a Watchmen for the Nations study, a Trailblazers run/walk group, a Dinner With Friends group, the Recovery Alive program, and the PrimeTime 55+ fellowship. Men's tracks mirror the four weekly Bible studies. Women's tracks include the year-round Praying the Names of God study, the DIY Crafting and Walk With Jesus study, the Letters from the Mission Field study, the Women's Book Club, and a Mama and Minis Hangout for moms. The young adult track is built around First Friday dinners and the Wednesday Night Bible Study.
Recovery Alive: A Twelve-Step Path with Jesus at the Center
Recovery Alive, led by Paul and Mary Manchego, is a practical program that pairs the raw honesty of the twelve steps with the hope of Jesus Christ. The goal is a pathway to healing and lasting freedom from the bondages and brokenness that keep people from the abundant life God intends. The group meets every Thursday night at Valley Christian Center in Room 403, with refreshments at 6:00pm and worship starting at 6:30pm. Childcare is provided in Room 301. No registration is required; anyone can show up.
Servicio en Español
Valley's Spanish-speaking congregation gathers for worship at 1:00pm on Sundays, currently online through the church's Facebook presence. A midweek Bible study and youth gathering for Spanish speakers meets on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30pm. Pastor Ubaldo Ruiz leads the ministry, with Jared Ruiz serving as the Español Worship Director.
Water Baptism by Immersion
Valley practices baptism by immersion as an outward sign of an inward decision to follow Jesus. A thirty-minute baptism class meets at 9:00am in Room 104 on a Sunday, with baptisms taking place the following Sunday during the 10:00am service. The class covers what baptism is, its purpose, and its promise. The church provides a black "Raised to Life" t-shirt, a changing room, towel, and toiletries; participants bring dark bottoms, and a bathing suit underneath is welcome. Families can be baptized together as long as each person understands the meaning of the step. Friends and family are invited to attend.
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
Each year Valley opens with twenty-one days of prayer and fasting, joining other Fresno-area churches for nightly prayer gatherings that do not provide childcare. A devotional guide is available in English and Spanish for adults and teens, with a separate Family Moments edition for preschoolers through elementary students. In addition, a seven-week Prayer 101 course teaches believers how to hear the Holy Spirit, pray with others, engage in healing prayer and prophecy, learn about spiritual warfare, and grow in confidence in prayer.
Missions and the Valley Dream Center
Valley has adopted the Valley Dream Center, a local nonprofit that rescues people with immediate physical needs, restores individuals and families to health, and equips and releases people into the workplace, as its primary local missions initiative. Members are encouraged to get involved in what the organization is doing in the neighborhood. The church also supports missionaries abroad through its giving platform.
Volunteer Teams
Five serving teams keep the Sunday experience running. Guest Services welcomes people from the parking lot to the sanctuary. Creative handles production, photography, graphic design, social media, videography, and online engagement. Worship leads on Sundays, in youth, and at special events. Kids leads Sunday programs with provided training. Youth needs leaders on Wednesday nights and Sundays. Young Adults needs people willing to lead a Bible study or open their home for a Connect Crew or pop-up.
What Valley Believes
Valley Christian Center is part of The Foursquare Church and teaches a twenty-two-point statement of faith that runs from the inspiration of Scripture and the Triune Godhead through the fall of man, salvation by grace, repentance, the new birth, daily Christian life, baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, baptism with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit-filled life, the gifts and fruit of the Spirit, moderation, divine healing, the second coming of Christ, church relationship, civil government, the final judgment, heaven, hell, evangelism, and tithes and offerings. The church's three core values: Pursue God (build a relationship with Jesus, embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and live by the Word), Love People (show practical care for all people as Christ did), and Build Community (invest time, gifts, and resources to create and sustain healthy communities).
Leadership
Valley is pastored by Rene and Kristi Charest, with Kristi also serving as Women's Pastor. Steve Barserian oversees financial operations. Monica and Jason Schneider serve as Associate Pastors, with Jason leading Steadfast Youth. Ubaldo Ruiz is the Español Pastor, with Jared Ruiz as the Español Worship Director. Chastity Broaddus pastors the prayer ministry. Robert Gaitan leads worship, and Tyler Broaddus serves as Campus Director. Whitney Ghabrial leads Valley Kids, with Anna Cadena as Assistant Director. Fred Teran directs Men's Ministry. Steve and Lori Barserian lead the marriage ministry. Paul and Mary Manchego lead Recovery Alive. Mike and Gen Johnson lead PrimeTime 55+. Judy Patin serves as the Disaster Relief Pastor.
Connecting and Giving
Three ways to give support Valley's ministry and neighborhood work: text "Give" to a local number, give online through the church's giving page, or send a check made out to Valley Christian Center. The VCC mobile app puts sermons, sermon notes, and event registration in one place. The Valley Sunday Podcast is on Spotify, and live and past services are on the Valley YouTube channel. Weekend updates arrive by email for those who want a steady digest of what's coming up.