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East Valley Christian Fellowship

Jack Forness: “It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.”
Jack Forness: “It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.”
Place

East Valley Christian Fellowship

14069 Ridge Hill Road, El Cajon




Denomination: nondenominational Bible-teaching

Membership: 500

Pastor: Jack Forness

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Age: 64

Born: Olean, NY

Formation: St. Bonaventure College, St. Bonaventure, NY; National University, San Diego

Years Ordained: 15

San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon?

Pastor Jack Forness: I don’t write them out, per se. They’re usually made up of a loose outline of notes. My sermons are expository, which means I will be going through a large portion of scripture, verse by verse, and commenting on them as I go. I would say I’m spending anywhere from 12 to 15 hours a week preparing. A lot of it is praying about it and mulling it over.

SDR: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon that completely flopped?

PJ: The cool thing about preaching from the Word of God is that you simply go on to the next verse. God’s Word says that God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). I could stand there and read the Bible to them, and I know they’re going to be blessed. You’re always on solid ground that way. It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.

SDR: What is your main concern as a member of the clergy?

PJ: I think the thing I stay most clear on is that I’m caring for the sheep, that I’m listening to what God wants for them, listening to what their concerns are, so there’s a responsiveness on my part. The longer I serve as pastor, the more aware I am of being a shepherd, of leaving the 99 and looking for the one. I think it’s very easy to miss people. You can end up absorbed in one conversation with one person, and someone who’s less present than others is left out. This is my concern — that the people who aren’t as forthcoming don’t get ministered to.

SDR: Why did you become a minister?

PJ: Beats me. Seriously, that sounds like a flippant answer, but at one point I decided to be obedient. I believed God wanted me to do this, and so I did. I wanted to please God and be in His will. At the time I was one of the owners of a very large real estate firm in San Diego County. So, God opened the door for the church and opened the door for selling the business, and I just walked through the doors.

SDR: What is the mission of your church?

PJ: East Valley Christian Fellowship exists to show the love of Jesus Christ to our community and beyond. We go about that through the verse in Acts 2:42, which speaks of studying the Word of God, of prayer, of fellowship, and of communion in the Lord’s Supper. Along with that, we’re reaching out to the community, both locally and globally.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PJ: What do you believe about Jesus Christ? If you believe that He is your Lord and Savior and accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, you will go to Heaven. If He’s not your Lord and Savior, then you’re not going to Heaven. You’re going to Hell.

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Jack Forness: “It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.”
Jack Forness: “It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.”
Place

East Valley Christian Fellowship

14069 Ridge Hill Road, El Cajon




Denomination: nondenominational Bible-teaching

Membership: 500

Pastor: Jack Forness

Sponsored
Sponsored

Age: 64

Born: Olean, NY

Formation: St. Bonaventure College, St. Bonaventure, NY; National University, San Diego

Years Ordained: 15

San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon?

Pastor Jack Forness: I don’t write them out, per se. They’re usually made up of a loose outline of notes. My sermons are expository, which means I will be going through a large portion of scripture, verse by verse, and commenting on them as I go. I would say I’m spending anywhere from 12 to 15 hours a week preparing. A lot of it is praying about it and mulling it over.

SDR: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon that completely flopped?

PJ: The cool thing about preaching from the Word of God is that you simply go on to the next verse. God’s Word says that God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). I could stand there and read the Bible to them, and I know they’re going to be blessed. You’re always on solid ground that way. It’s not like I’m trying to pull some cat-in-the-hat trick; I’m just preaching the Word of God.

SDR: What is your main concern as a member of the clergy?

PJ: I think the thing I stay most clear on is that I’m caring for the sheep, that I’m listening to what God wants for them, listening to what their concerns are, so there’s a responsiveness on my part. The longer I serve as pastor, the more aware I am of being a shepherd, of leaving the 99 and looking for the one. I think it’s very easy to miss people. You can end up absorbed in one conversation with one person, and someone who’s less present than others is left out. This is my concern — that the people who aren’t as forthcoming don’t get ministered to.

SDR: Why did you become a minister?

PJ: Beats me. Seriously, that sounds like a flippant answer, but at one point I decided to be obedient. I believed God wanted me to do this, and so I did. I wanted to please God and be in His will. At the time I was one of the owners of a very large real estate firm in San Diego County. So, God opened the door for the church and opened the door for selling the business, and I just walked through the doors.

SDR: What is the mission of your church?

PJ: East Valley Christian Fellowship exists to show the love of Jesus Christ to our community and beyond. We go about that through the verse in Acts 2:42, which speaks of studying the Word of God, of prayer, of fellowship, and of communion in the Lord’s Supper. Along with that, we’re reaching out to the community, both locally and globally.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PJ: What do you believe about Jesus Christ? If you believe that He is your Lord and Savior and accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, you will go to Heaven. If He’s not your Lord and Savior, then you’re not going to Heaven. You’re going to Hell.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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