Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

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

Clairemont Covenant Church

Greg West and his wife Mari
Greg West and his wife Mari
Place

Clairemont Covenant Church

5255 Mount Ararat Drive, San Diego

Membership: 200

Pastor: Greg West

Age: 52

Sponsored
Sponsored

Born: Manteca, Calif.

Formation: Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif.; Denver Seminary, Littleton, Colo.

Years Ordained: 12

San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach?

Pastor Greg West: God’s love. First of all, it’s because of His love that He demonstrates grace to us, and if we didn’t have grace in our lives all hope would be lost. One of God’s primary character qualities is love. So, I think it’s the one thing that most of us are looking for in our own lives, and we’re not satisfied until we’ve experienced it and or shared it.

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

PG: There’s a certain amount of complacency in the church and we’ve grown comfortable, and we haven’t really taken the call of Christ serious in terms of living our lives for the glory of God. We’re typically more concerned about just making our lives easier or happier. One of the things we’re called to do is make disciples, so I have a passion for that, for being a disciple and being someone who follows Christ’s example, teaching, and leadership…. There are a lot of people who would rather be entertained or feel good about where they’re at and who do not really understand the complete call of Christ in their lives.

SDR: Why the Covenant Church?

PG: The Covenant Church was a draw to me in that they have a commitment to conservative Christian values but also have a big heart for social justice. The Covenant Church is definitely strong on meeting spiritual needs. Members of our church have made a commitment to Christ, and we also value where people are emotionally as well. We have a very holistic view of how we approach ministry. We believe that God wants us to take a look at the whole person, not just one aspect and forget about the rest of them.

SDG: What is the mission of your church?

PG: Our mission is “Making disciples….making a difference.” In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. That’s our call — to make disciples that Jesus has commanded us and involves us in that process. By finding our gifts and talents as disciples we can make a difference in other people’s lives and in the world. By disciples, as good a thing as worship is, we’re not really talking about people who come to church on Sundays whom we would affectionately call “pew potatoes” but about people who are out in the community and in their neighborhoods, locally or around the world, to use what they’ve been given and invest that in the Kingdom of God.

SDG: Where do you go when you die?

PG: Those who have faith in Christ will spend eternity with God in heaven. For those who don’t have faith in Christ, there would be separation from God. I would say such separation will be unpleasant. This is the difference between heaven and hell. I wouldn’t shout it from a soapbox on a street corner, but in conversations with people as we’ve had a deeper conversation, not just a sound-bite conversation. …We’re not a “turn-or-burn” hellfire-and-brimstone church such as are portrayed in the common stereotypical views of Christian churches.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
Next Article

Why did Harrah's VP commit suicide last summer?

Did the fight the Rincon casino had with San Diego County over Covid play a part?
Greg West and his wife Mari
Greg West and his wife Mari
Place

Clairemont Covenant Church

5255 Mount Ararat Drive, San Diego

Membership: 200

Pastor: Greg West

Age: 52

Sponsored
Sponsored

Born: Manteca, Calif.

Formation: Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif.; Denver Seminary, Littleton, Colo.

Years Ordained: 12

San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach?

Pastor Greg West: God’s love. First of all, it’s because of His love that He demonstrates grace to us, and if we didn’t have grace in our lives all hope would be lost. One of God’s primary character qualities is love. So, I think it’s the one thing that most of us are looking for in our own lives, and we’re not satisfied until we’ve experienced it and or shared it.

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

PG: There’s a certain amount of complacency in the church and we’ve grown comfortable, and we haven’t really taken the call of Christ serious in terms of living our lives for the glory of God. We’re typically more concerned about just making our lives easier or happier. One of the things we’re called to do is make disciples, so I have a passion for that, for being a disciple and being someone who follows Christ’s example, teaching, and leadership…. There are a lot of people who would rather be entertained or feel good about where they’re at and who do not really understand the complete call of Christ in their lives.

SDR: Why the Covenant Church?

PG: The Covenant Church was a draw to me in that they have a commitment to conservative Christian values but also have a big heart for social justice. The Covenant Church is definitely strong on meeting spiritual needs. Members of our church have made a commitment to Christ, and we also value where people are emotionally as well. We have a very holistic view of how we approach ministry. We believe that God wants us to take a look at the whole person, not just one aspect and forget about the rest of them.

SDG: What is the mission of your church?

PG: Our mission is “Making disciples….making a difference.” In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. That’s our call — to make disciples that Jesus has commanded us and involves us in that process. By finding our gifts and talents as disciples we can make a difference in other people’s lives and in the world. By disciples, as good a thing as worship is, we’re not really talking about people who come to church on Sundays whom we would affectionately call “pew potatoes” but about people who are out in the community and in their neighborhoods, locally or around the world, to use what they’ve been given and invest that in the Kingdom of God.

SDG: Where do you go when you die?

PG: Those who have faith in Christ will spend eternity with God in heaven. For those who don’t have faith in Christ, there would be separation from God. I would say such separation will be unpleasant. This is the difference between heaven and hell. I wouldn’t shout it from a soapbox on a street corner, but in conversations with people as we’ve had a deeper conversation, not just a sound-bite conversation. …We’re not a “turn-or-burn” hellfire-and-brimstone church such as are portrayed in the common stereotypical views of Christian churches.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Three nights of Mission Bayfest bring bliss

“This is a top-notch production.”
Next Article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
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
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader