Blended Worship
Rose Drive Friends Church
4221 Rose Dr.
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
714-528-6406
Music/Worship Pastor: Mark Miller
Serves 1200+ people
Services at 8am and 10:50am
A family oriented, intergenerational church. Blend of traditional and contemporary elements: organ prelude; detailed, written order of service printed in church bulletin; thematic service; blend of hymns (sung using a hymn book in the pew; orchestral accompaniment) and choruses led by worship team (flow of 3-4); reading of one or two scripture passages; time of meditation and prayer; anthem by trained choir of 60, or alternatively a choir/orchestra number. Graded choir program. Intelligent, well-designed service with inspiring music. Nice contrast of music timbres, textures. Good congregational participation.
Mark, a singer/conductor, is a graduate of the music program at Azusa University and studied conducting with Robert Bonner. Mark leads with his voice, beating time as needed in a traditional fashion.
Lake Avenue Congregational Church
393 North Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 795-7221 FAX (626) 795-8950
Web site: www.lakeave.org
Senior pastor: Gordon Kirk
Worship and Music: Duane Funderburk
Sunday services at 9:15am, 11am, 11:15am, 6pm
Serves 4500 members
The 9:15 and 11am services are led by the organ, choir, and instrumentalists.
The 11:15 alternative service is guitar led.
The 6pm service is led by a praise band.
See their web site. Impressive, modern, 4000 seat sanctuary, with educational buildings, and a two storey, well-catalogued church library. One of the more established, respected churches in Pasadena and in all of LA. Thoroughly evangelical. Intergenerational worship: blend of old and new. Production team (computer projected lyrics, sermon notes). Classically-trained musicians find a home here. Trained choir of 120. Handbell choir. Creative Arts Academy. Music camp. Woodwind group. Close connections with Fuller Seminary.
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
600 St. Andrews Road
Newport Beach, CA 92663-5325
949.631.6593
Senior Pastor: Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr
Minister of Music & Worship: Dr. Larry K. Ball
Saturday Night Worship Leader: Eddie Espinosa
Serves 2000+ people
Strongly evangelical.
Sunday services at 8:30Am, 10:15Am, 7pm (College/Adult)
Saturday service at 5:30pm.
An impressive, modern sanctuary. During the Sunday morning services (about 70 minutes long) Larry Ball directs a choir of about 60 and a brass ensemble of about 8. Both groups do presentational pieces, but more importantly, they also assist with the congregational singing. This combination is quite unique for the LA area, and effective. Larry employs published congregational
arrangements that feature transitions, key changes, etc. You may want to visit
just to hear the brass ensemble itself. Graded choir program and bell choir for youth and adults are part of the music ministry.
The Sunday worship services are mostly traditional, but carefully planned and content-full. Much energy, thought, and skill goes into the worship planning. Each worshiper receives a detailed worship folder with all the lyrics and headings indicating the function of the hymns (Songs of Gathering, Hymn of Worship, Hymn of Commitment) to be sung. The Sunday services consists mostly of 40-70 year old,
Anglo worshipers. Larry formerly directed the music at Schuller's Crystal Cathedral.
Eddie Espinosa (Hispanic) leads the Saturday Evening Service, consisting mainly of contemporary worship choruses, which
are also carefully crafted. Guitar driven and in the free-flowing style with a worship team consisting of several singers, Espinosa also utilizes a bass and drums. Eddie is one of the most skilled worship leaders at connecting songs
together seamlessly so as to make them flow both musically and textually. Eddie was the cutting-edge worship leader at the Anaheim Vineyard back in the 1980's when John Wimber was senior pastor. He continues to lead worship seminars and conferences around the country.
Trinity United Presbyterian Church
13922 Prospect Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714.544.7850
Serves over 1000.
Sunday services at 8:45 and 10:30am; 5pm.
Senior Pastor: Alan H. Landes
Minister of Worship & Music: Hanan Yaqub
Associate Minister of Worship: Jane Downer
Thoroughly evangelical. Beautiful, modern sanctuary with striking stained glass windows. Hanan has served with distinction as the worship minister for more than 15 years. Blended worship. Organ prelude. Trinity has an adult and children choir, a chancel bell choir, and a worship band as well. The music is a mix of more classically-oriented presentational music, along with a strong emphasis on congregational hymns and choruses.