Two Services, One Congregation on Paseo Delicias
Set among the eucalyptus and garden walls of Rancho Santa Fe, The Village Community Presbyterian Church has anchored its corner of North San Diego County for seventy years. The congregation gathers at 6225 Paseo Delicias, on a campus that includes a sanctuary, a fellowship center, a chapel, a music room, a patio, a biblical garden, and the classrooms of the Village Church Preschool. The church's motto, "Following Jesus for Life," appears throughout its ministry descriptions and reflects its commitment to "worshiping the living God, proclaiming God's love, preserving God's truth, nurturing his community, lifting up his children and recognizing God's rule and reign."
The Village Church is rooted in the Reformed tradition and worships the triune God. Its beliefs statement affirms faith in "Jesus Christ as Lord, the Word of God revealed through the Holy Spirit in Scripture, and the Spirit who empowers the Church," hope in "God's victory over evil, Christ's transformative power in our lives, and the Holy Spirit's assurance of eternal life," and love for "God who created and redeemed us, for others with self-sacrificing generosity, and for ourselves as beings made in God's image." The congregation describes itself as a place that aims "to be a lighthouse in the stormy sea of societal strife and an oasis in the desert for the disappointed and despairing," united in the conviction that "Jesus is Lord" even as members hold differing perspectives on politics and presidents.
Sunday Mornings: Two Distinct Services
Worship at The Village Church takes place in two Sunday services in the sanctuary, each with its own character and its own livestream on YouTube. At 9:00 AM, the Contemporary service weaves traditional liturgy together with modern music led by the worship band and Contemporary Worship Leader Barbara Haran. The 10:30 AM Traditional service is anchored by the Chancel Choir, the Village Church organ, soloists, and instrumentalists, with hymns of the Christian centuries and choral anthems a centerpiece. Both services offer bulletins online and follow the same lectionary arc, and both welcome first-timers at a Welcome Table on the patio across from the main sanctuary doors, where a complimentary gift and information packet are handed out.
Visitors driving to 6225 Paseo Delicias will find a parking lot with reserved 1st-Time Visitor spaces near the sanctuary. Inside the sanctuary doors, families with children from birth through fifth grade are directed to the Children's Ministry table to register for Kids' Village. The church explicitly invites children to remain for the start of the service before being dismissed to their classrooms, and notes that parents may walk them over as well. The dress code is intentionally wide open: "Our congregants dress in everything from casual weekend wear to suits, ties, and dresses. Please wear what makes you feel comfortable."
The Village Church Organ, the Chancel Choir, and the Chorale
Music is one of the defining marks of The Village Church. The chancel choir numbers roughly eighty members and rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Music Room. Musical literacy is not required, though previous choral experience is recommended. Above the choir sits The Village Church Organ, a hybrid instrument that combines 2,223 pipes with an Allen Q-465C digital organ. The instrument's tonal diversity supports everything from hymn accompaniment to full choral literature, and organists travel from around the world to play it.
The Village Community Chorale grew out of an annual presentation of Handel's Messiah and now numbers more than eighty voices. Open to adult singers regardless of faith tradition, the ensemble has performed Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Bach's Magnificat and Cantatas 140 and 147, Vivaldi's Gloria, Brahms's Requiem, Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio, John Rutter's Magnificat, Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, and Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. Each December the chorale joins with a full orchestra for a Christmas Concert. Director of Worship Ministry Juan Carlos Acosta, who has led the program since 2015, also directs the Youth Choir and oversees the church's annual concert series. A Bell Choir directed by Phyllis Graham, a Children's Choir for ages five through eleven, and a Youth Choir for students in grades six through twelve round out the music ministry. Children's Choir rehearses Thursdays from 5:15 to 6:00 PM in the Chapel; Youth Choir from 6:00 to 6:45 PM in the Music Room.
Bible Study Every Day of the Week
The Village Church nurtures the study of Scripture through nearly a dozen weekly Bible study groups, most of them gathered around a single year-long theme. The current pastor-led series walks through Paul's Letter to the Romans and The Revelation to John, with downloadable lesson guides for those who want to follow along. Two Sunday morning groups meet in Fellowship Center Room B: a 9:00 AM study of the Acts of the Apostles led by Lynn Fauth, and a 10:20 AM study of the Gospel of Mark led by Bill Hoehn.
Other weekday studies include a Tuesday 10:00 AM group at La Costa Glen in the Laguna Room (led by Pastor and open to residents of that community), a Wednesday 6:30 AM Men's Bible Study at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, and a Wednesday 9:00 AM Women's Bible Study in the Fellowship Center that is followed by small groups in various campus locations. A Monday Evening Bible Study meets via Zoom at 6:30 PM for those who prefer to study after the weekend. Kingdom Academy, an apprenticeship-focused small group series, gathers in the Parlor on Sundays at 11:45 AM to explore topics like "Scripture: The Word Made Flesh" and "How to Follow Jesus for Life." Moms gather for a fall study called Practicing the Way on the first and third Tuesdays in the Youth Lounge, and dads of school-aged children meet monthly at Nick & G's for the Dads' Group. All of these are led by pastors or trained lay leaders, and the Director of Adult Ministry, David Herman, serves as the main point of contact.
Kids' Village, Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry at The Village Church is centered in Kids' Village, a wing of classrooms staffed by men and women committed to "the consistent and faithful teaching of His Word." Sunday School runs every Sunday for babies through fifth grade. Babies and toddlers meet in Room 113, where children are checked in and dropped off at the beginning of the service. Kindergarten through fifth grade gather in Room 106; the children begin the service with their families and are dismissed by the pastor before being escorted to their classrooms. Parents are welcome to walk their children over personally.
Throughout the year Kids' Village hosts Vacation Bible School, an Easter Eggstravaganza, a Christmas Breakfast in Bethlehem, a Halloween Trunk or Treat in the church playground parking lot, Movie Nights, and family events. The Children's Ministry is led by Director of Children's Ministry Michelle Yuen and Children's Ministry Coordinator Matt Lafond.
Youth Ministry, From Sixth Grade Through High School
Students in sixth grade through high school meet at 10:30 AM in the Youth Room during the second service, in a room next to the Fellowship Center and across from the main entrance to the church offices. The room is convenient for parents who want to drop in between services. The youth ministry, directed by Christine Hecker, also runs a contemporary youth band several times a year, a youth choir, and Middle School Youth Days on the third Thursday of each month that include off-site outings. Past excursions have included Del Mar Pumpkin Station, and each year the students partner with Ladle Fellowship in downtown San Diego on the third Sunday of odd-numbered months to help with food and beverage service, coffee bar, clothing distribution, property check-in, and wheelchair assistance. Worship at the Beach, held at Cardiff State Beach, draws youth, families, and the wider congregation for an afternoon of worship and a shared picnic lunch.
Women's, Men's, and Parents' Groups
Women's Ministries invites women of all ages, "from young moms to those enjoying their golden years," into Bible studies, day-long retreats, special events, and a slate of mission partners that nurture women and children around the world. In addition to the Wednesday morning Women's Bible Study, the ministry coordinates the Moms' Fall Study in the Youth Lounge, a Ladle Fellowship partnership, and outreach projects through the Mission Commission.
Men's Ministry gathers around three rhythms: the Wednesday 6:30 AM Bible Study at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, the monthly Dads' Group for fathers of school-aged children at Nick & G's on the first Wednesday of the month, and ongoing service projects. Both ministries sit under the umbrella of Adult Ministry, directed by David Herman, which oversees Bible study groups, discipleship, men's and women's ministry, and adult formation across the congregation.
Missions From Rancho Santa Fe to Cairo and Bali
The Village Church supports a wide slate of mission partners, both local and global. Local partners include Care House (serving homeless and under-served youth and families in South San Diego County), the Harbrecht Charitable Foundation (founded by Village Church members in 2006 to bring hot meals to San Diego's homeless), Grace Presbyterian Neighborhood Church, the Homeless Veterans Initiative, Ladle Fellowship, New Day Urban Ministries, San Diego Rescue Mission, UrbanLife, Urban Youth Collaborative, and Young Life's Rancho Del Sol and North Coast chapters.
Global partners include A Heart for Children (caring for orphaned and disadvantaged children in rural North Bali), Amor Ministries (home-building alongside families in need), the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (the seminary of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt), Hope Unlimited (residential care for Brazilian adolescents), The Outreach Foundation (work in Kenya, Syria, and the Middle East), Project Africa, Plant With Purpose, SAT-7 (Christian satellite television across the Middle East and North Africa), ScholarLeaders (theological education in the Majority World), the Walindwa/Elma Barnett Children's Centre in Kamonong, and a Studio Internship program that trains cross-cultural workers for overseas ministry. The Mission Commission, led by Director of Missions Gretchen Scruggs, welcomes new volunteers, prayers, and donations year-round, and the church hosts an annual Golf 4 Good tournament at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club to benefit New Day Urban Ministries.
Help Serve the Homeless at Ventura Cove
For more than two decades, members of The Village Church have helped serve a meal at the Branch BBQ on the fourth Saturday of every month at noon at Ventura Cove in Mission Bay. Volunteers serve a hot meal, share conversation, and distribute clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, towels, hygiene kits, and shoes to people experiencing homelessness in the bay area. The church collects gently used clothing and household goods throughout the month and welcomes baked goods dropped off before noon on the Thursday before each Saturday. Volunteers also assist with the Ladle Fellowship's Sunday afternoon hot meal in downtown San Diego on a rotating schedule. Together, these are among the most visible ways the congregation puts its faith into action in San Diego.
Deacons, Care Ministry, and Community Resources
The Deacon Ministry serves as the "hands and feet of Christ" to the congregation and the wider community. Each deacon is assigned a portion of the church membership for personal contact, support, care, and assistance, and deacons assist the pastors during worship, communion, and memorial services. Care Ministry (formerly known as Stephen Ministry) offers confidential emotional and spiritual support during a crisis, with trained lay caregivers available through the church office. A six-week Journey Through Grief small group meets on Wednesdays in the Dierenfield Parlor for those who have lost a loved one, and the church hosts American Red Cross blood drives in the Fellowship Center several times a year. The Community Resources page on the church's site provides San Diego County emergency lines, support groups, and food and aging services that members and neighbors can call on in moments of need.
The Preschool, A Sixty-Five-Year Neighbor on the Same Campus
The Village Church Preschool opened on January 29, 1962, founded by four mothers from the congregation who wanted a safe, nurturing place for their young children to play. It began with fourteen children. Today the preschool serves a multi-week wait list of families across the community and offers programs for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and a four-year-old Pre-K, plus enrichment programming in Spanish, yoga, chapel, and an Outdoor Art Studio. Small class sizes, long-tenured teachers, and an inquiry-driven curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and the work of Piaget, Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Bruner, Vygotsky, and Malaguzzi shape a program that aims to develop the "whole child." Children of church members receive priority registration, and priority is also given to currently enrolled students and their siblings. The preschool is led by Director Nancy Betts and operates on the same campus as the church, with its own office line at 858.756.2394.
Pastors and Ministry Directors
Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Jack Baca and Executive Associate Pastor Rev. Janice Cook share the preaching and pastoral care of the congregation. The program staff includes Director of Worship Ministry Juan Carlos Acosta, Contemporary Worship Leader Barbara Haran, Director of Children's Ministry Michelle Yuen, Director of Youth Ministry Christine Hecker, Director of Adult Ministry David Herman, Director of Missions Gretchen Scruggs, and Director of Media Ministry Adrian Narlock. Music Ministry Coordinator Twyla Arant, Bell Choir Director Phyllis Graham, and Children's Ministry Coordinator Matt Lafond round out the music and family ministry teams.
Joining the Life of the Church
Worship services, sermons, Bible study videos, and devotionals are all available online through the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page. A daily email devotional draws on Christian writers from across the centuries and adds congregational voices during Advent and Lent. New Members Classes are offered periodically in the Parlor for those exploring membership, and the church invites questions about faith and life through its Plan Your Visit, About Us, and How to Follow Jesus for Life pages. Giving is available online through the church's secure giving portal, and the Village Christian Foundation accepts legacy gifts for those who want to plan a future contribution. The church office is open at 858.756.2441 and at info@villagechurch.org.