Canyon View Church of Christ: to seek and save the lost

Canyon View Church of Christ

• Contact: 4292 Balboa Ave., San Diego 858-273-5140 www.canyonview.org
• Membership: 200+
• Pulpit Minister: Barry Day
• Age: 59
• Born: San Diego
• Formation: Sunset International Bible Institute, Lubbock, TX; Amridge University, Montgomery, AL
• Years Ordained: 39

San Diego Reader: What is the mission of your church?

Pastor Barry Day: Our mission is what Jesus came for—to seek and save the lost, and preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We preach God’s grace and our salvation in him. Jesus tells us we run after a lot of things but we seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things God will bless you with. That’s a simple way of life, and I want people, no matter what they do for a living, to live that simple Christian life. We believe in a people-oriented Christianity. One way we live out our mission is through community involvement. For instance, each year around Christmas, we invite families with their children to take part in what we call Winter Wonderland. This year it took place on December 9. We have real snow shipped in to make snow-runs on our property. Kids come and sled. We also do a live Nativity scene with real actors and barnyard animals. A reader reads the story of Christ’s birth, and we sing familiar songs about the birth of Christ. It is a fabulous time for everyone each year we’ve done it.

SDR: Where is the strangest place you found God?

PD: A few months ago, I took two weeks off from work and I rode my motorcycle from San Ysidro to Oregon and back on country roads. I camped every night, and while in Oregon I pulled off into this little church building because it was pouring rain—it was Oregon, after all. I was trying to put on my rain gear before I got soaking wet when this guy came up to me—he was really rough-looking. But he had the hugest cross around his neck. He asked me what I was doing. He loved my motorcycle—I have an awesome Harley—and he said, “Wait a minute. I want to show you something.” He ran off to his beat-up car and came back with a binder full of all these pictures of his life. He had been living the roughest life I ever heard anyone tell me: crime, drugs, motorcycle crashes, hospitals, jail. He didn’t know why he wanted to show me these pictures, but it made me realize that sometimes I disregard people who live so rough. Those are the exact people whom Jesus hung out with and wanted to save. It was the best thing I learned in those two weeks on the road. That man changed my perspective.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PD: Those who believe in Christ and the gospel message, and who see faith as not just a feeling but a way of life, will be saved. That’s why I want to teach people how to be saved, which is exactly what Jesus came to do. Those who are not saved will go to hell. I believe that hell is going to be the eternal state of separation from God for people who are not in heaven. Hell is there to get us to think about eternity. No one needs to go to hell, but we all have free will. It is up to you to accept what God wants to give to you.