Seeker Centered Service

Calvary Church in Newport/Mesa

190 E. 23rd St.

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

(714) 645-5050 FAX (714) 645-1106

Senior Pastor: Tim Celek

Services on Saturday at 5pm and 6:30pm

Services on Sunday at 8am, 9:30, and 11am.

Serves about 1200 people.

Average age of attenders: about 30 years old

One of the more radical, evangelical churches in LA. This is truly a “seeker-centered” church that consciously targets the non-churched, Gen Xers.
Typically, half of the people in the Sunday morning service are non-Christian seekers.

The auditorium, a converted, traditional church sanctuary, seats about 400. A CD plays pop or new age music as the people enter. A bare bones order of service (a few headings) is printed in the bulletin.

There is no attempt at a worship service, really. The music is by intent a performance: it has the look and feel of a night club act with the audience lights dimmed and spotlights on the musicians performing from the stage. A singer seated (cross-legged) on a stool sings a set of secular songs backed up by a band (synth, bass, guitar, percussion). There is no call to worship, little or no prayer, no congregational singing (except for one contemporary worship chorus just before the sermon), and no corporate reading of Scripture. Quality Music

Extensive use of media and technology: TV monitors are mounted for viewing the service at the edges of the auditorium. You're aware of the presence of a large sound board positioned in the audience; it's excellent. The church has sound, video, and drama-lighting-staging teams. There could be some video clips or a staged drama during the service.

The sermon?-- 30 minutes long, and usually a series on a relevant theme. Excellent scriptural content; well thought-out, honest, riveting presentation. After the service is over there is an emphasis on getting involved in small groups, crafts, and youth ministries. All kinds of sign-ups are located in the patio.

Tim Celek is a thoroughly evangelical pastor with a passion for reaching the non-churched, Gen-Xers. He's concerned about the implications of Post Modernism and its impact on our youth. An avid student of the Gen-Xers, he along with Dieter Zander (formerly pastor of New Song and now with Willow Creek) has co-authored the book Inside the Soul of a New Generation (Zondervan, 1996). You can also read more about Tim's church in Gary McIntosh's Make Room for the Boom or Bust: 6 church Models for Reaching Three Generations (Baker, 1997).