Stories | Sheep and Goats
Mission San Luis Rey Roman Catholic Parish
Published Nov. 4, 2009
This year, the City of Oceanside couldn’t afford to host its downtown celebration of Día de los Muertos, but the festival found a new (if slightly smaller) home on the grounds of Mission San Luis Rey. ...
Bethel Baptist Church
Published Oct. 28, 2009
The lights dimmed in the purple quarter-circle church, and Pastor Hitchcock appeared behind the baptismal pool situated high in the back of the Sanctuary. New congregant Catherine, clad in a white robe, stepped down into the ...
First Baptist Church of San Diego
Published Oct. 14, 2009
On October 31, 1869, the First Baptist Church of San Diego dedicated its church bell, a prize awarded by city father Alonzo Horton for being the first Protestant Church to complete an edifice in the “new” ...
The Church at Rancho Bernardo Published Oct. 7, 2009
As my eyes adjusted to the half-light of the church and my ears absorbed the happy boom of the band, I thought, is that the ... More Post a comment
Church of God (Seventh Day) Published Sept. 30, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, I learned about the way that Plymouth Congregational Church in North Park has reinvented itself to fit with the changing ... More Post a comment
United Church of Christ La Mesa Published Sept. 23, 2009
“I didn’t stay for 30 years,” says pastor Felix Villanueva of his career as a Navy chaplain. “I only stayed for 21.” Because of Iraq. ... More Comments (3)
Plymouth Congregational Church Published Sept. 16, 2009
Wayne Riggs served as a Navy chaplain from 1957 to 1988. Two years later, he put his collar back on and took over at Plymouth ... More Comment (1)
Central Congregational Church Published Sept. 9, 2009
Last week, I attended services at a church that broke away from the United Church of Christ in 1994. This week, without meaning to, I ... More Post a comment
Mission Village Christian Fellowship Published Sept. 2, 2009
Last week I visited Gethsemane Lutheran Church in the wake of the Evangelical Lutheran Conference of America’s decision to allow partnered homosexuals to serve as ... More Comment (1)
Gethsemane Lutheran Church Published Aug. 26, 2009
On Friday, August 21, the Church Council for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to “commit itself to finding a way for people in...publicly ... More Post a comment
La Jolla Lutheran Church Published Aug. 12, 2009
A message was pinned to the bulletin board standing in the cozy courtyard off to the side of the trim yellow church with the red-tile ... More Post a comment
Mission San Diego Church of Christ Published Aug. 5, 2009
“We don’t preach a particular culture,” said Paul Chacon, explaining Mission San Diego Church of Christ’s diversity — of race, of age, even of dress. ... More Post a comment
St. Therese Roman Catholic Church Published July 29, 2009
“Good morning,” said the woman at the marble lectern before the beginning of Sunday Mass at St. Therese. “Today and for the next four weeks, ... More Post a comment
Cloudbreak Church Published July 22, 2009
“Begin County Maintained Road,” read the sign as I headed out Bernardo Center Drive away from the center of Rancho Bernardo. A right on Dove ... More Post a comment
Horizon Coast Chapel Published July 15, 2009
The front of Horizon Coast Chapel’s worship booklet doesn’t read “Horizon Coast Chapel”; it reads “Church in Mission Beach.” Yes, yes, this allows them to ... More Post a comment
Mountain View Community Church Published July 1, 2009
The white church buses parked in the dirt lot outside Mountain View Community Church looked downright old-timey. The huge white church building rising up behind ... More Post a comment
Friends Christian Fellowship Published June 24, 2009
Friends Christian Fellowship meets in a Santee office park suite artfully converted into a cozy chapel. Several times a year, they set up outreaches across ... More Post a comment
St. Agnes Point Loma Published June 17, 2009
On June 28, St. Agnes church in Point Loma will hold a farewell luncheon in honor of Father Joseph Mel Collier. According to a May ... More Post a comment
Interfaith Service of Consolation and Determination Published June 10, 2009
“If you are visiting for just a few moments or a few hours, please know that you are granted immunity from the painful ravages of ... More Comment (1)
New Life Church Published June 3, 2009
Add Michael and Michele Kole to the list of pastors — The Rock’s Miles McPherson, New Venture’s Shawn Mitchell, et al. — to come out ... More Post a comment
Momentum Christian Church Published May 27, 2009
“Service?” asked the smiling man at the entrance to the AMC Theatres in the Otay Ranch Town Center. I was a little surprised — it’s ... More Post a comment
The Methodist Movement Published May 13, 2009
It’s Easter morning and I’m driving home from the sunrise service at The Fields Church in Carlsbad and listening to NPR’s Weekend Edition because it’s ... More Comments (2)
Foothills United Methodist Church Published May 6, 2009
“Welcome home!” read the handpainted banner in the vestibule of the half-saucer church. Inside, homemade signs rose up on coat-hanger posts from the pews: “Where ... More Post a comment
Northminster Presbyterian Church Published April 29, 2009
A loaf of bread and a pitcher (presumably of wine) flanked the oversized open Bible on the long stone altar at Northminster Presbyterian on Sunday, ... More Post a comment
Barabbas Road Church Published April 22, 2009
“I met my wife in a bar in New York City,” said Barabbas Road pastor Matt Smith. “I was a rower, training for the Olympics, ... More Post a comment
The Fields Church of Carlsbad Published April 15, 2009
A chill clung to the air as the service began; it would be 11 minutes before the sun crested the hill to reveal the ranunculus ... More Post a comment
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church Published April 8, 2009
The service was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. At a quarter to six, the doors of the domed white church were still locked, but ... More Post a comment
St. Therese of Carmel Published April 1, 2009
I was just thinking that this particular stretch of Del Mar Trails Road reminded me of some ancient Italian village (only with more yard space ... More Post a comment
New Life Assembly Published March 18, 2009
There are times when the music at the opening of a service feels a little like a warm-up — something to get the blood flowing, ... More Comment (1)
Icon Church Published March 11, 2009
Say Lula Salon occupies the ground floor of a resuscitated Art Deco box in the East Village; on Sunday mornings, Icon Church occupies Say Lula. ... More Post a comment
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Published March 4, 2009
“Last Sunday, we worshipped in an ordinary, Lutheran way,” said pastor Laura Ziehl at the beginning of the service. “This Sunday we are blessed: Teen ... More Post a comment
Downtown God Group Published Feb. 25, 2009
“Our roots are downtown,” said Bob Buschman, pastor of First Assembly, now located on a nine-acre campus in Mission Valley. “In 1921, they brought an ... More Post a comment
Sheep and Goats: Unity Center Published Feb. 18, 2009
Many churches of a certain age feature, at the back of the Sanctuary, a full-body baptistery — some sort of tank into which the believer ... More Comments (2)
The Gathering Place Church Published Feb. 11, 2009
Pastor John Ettore crouched down by my seat to welcome me, his hand heavy upon my shoulder, granite intensity in his face as he told ... More Comments (42)
Rancho Vista Church Published Feb. 4, 2009
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,” read Dwain Bostic at the outset. “‘Plans to prosper you and not harm ... More Post a comment
Cornerstone Church of San Diego Published Jan. 28, 2009
Sunday at Cornerstone Church of San Diego was bright with promise. It was also bright with spotlights and searchlights, glowing now white, now green, now ... More Post a comment
Highland Avenue Baptist Church Published Jan. 21, 2009
The Sunday service in the well-used sanctuary at Highland Baptist ran the gamut of the Christian experience. Well, maybe not the gamut — the gamut ... More Comment (1)
Crossroads Church Published Jan. 14, 2009
“You don’t argue with a calling,” said Pastor Matt Ortiz before the service in the refurbished school auditorium. “We started out in west Chula Vista, ... More Comment (1)
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church Published Jan. 7, 2009
“Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany,” declared the reader before the beginning of Mass. “The focus of today’s liturgy is: ‘We need to proclaim ... More Post a comment
Congregation Dor Hadash Published Dec. 30, 2008
Shabbat was over; the spare, clean-lined synagogue at Dor Hadash was empty. Instead, the community gathered in the adjacent room, decorated for a party. Tinfoil ... More Post a comment
First Congregational Church of Ramona Published Dec. 17, 2008
Ramona held its annual Christmas-tree lighting on the evening of December 13. At nine the next morning, the bell in the brown wood steeple above ... More Post a comment
Green Valley Church Published Dec. 10, 2008
The wall of windows looking into Green Valley’s vestibule was frosted around the transparent words: “Believe, Belong, Become...self-control, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, patience, peace, love.” Inside ... More Post a comment
Mission Hills United Methodist Church Published Dec. 3, 2008
“The church was built in 1913, before there was even a street here,” said a congregant at Mission Hills United Methodist. “People love it for ... More Post a comment
Midway Baptist Church Published Nov. 25, 2008
“Going up!” said a man as I passed by on my way to the Wednesday night Men’s Bible Study at Midway Baptist. His speech suggested ... More Post a comment
Westminster Presbyterian Church Published Nov. 19, 2008
Sunday’s service at Westminster Presbyterian was shot through with music. The folksy opening songs, full of strumming and tambourines and tentative harmonies, matched the ’60s ... More Post a comment
Christian Compassion Center Published Nov. 12, 2008
“It’s a family thing we got going,” said the man in the long, gray plaid jacket, the silver of his rings matching that of the ... More Post a comment
St. Mary, Star of the Sea Published Nov. 5, 2008
November 2 was the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed at St. Mary, Star of the Sea — All Souls’ Day, the Day of the ... More Post a comment
San Diego Christian Worship Center Published Oct. 29, 2008
“Yes on 8,” read the sign held by the man across the street from San Diego Christian Worship Center. Pastor Art Evans did mention Proposition ... More Comments (2)
The Mystery School Published Oct. 22, 2008
“Mystery School” (westernmysticism.org) ran a full-page ad in the Reader: “Stars transform into great explosions of light, scattering particles across the universe. We are all ... More Post a comment
Tifereth Israel Published Oct. 15, 2008
Two armed security guards stood at the ticket-check tent outside the synagogue before the Yom Kippur evening service. Inside, things were more jovial: a man ... More Post a comment
The Chapel Published Oct. 8, 2008
The pale-blue elementary school auditorium that houses the Chapel was a little more full than usual on Sunday. The extra attendees were there to witness ... More Post a comment
Christian Church of Lemon Grove Published Oct. 1, 2008
“New Eyes for New Hearts” was the theme of the service at Christian Church of Lemon Grove. On the stage, four tall boxes wrapped to ... More Post a comment
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