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People's Church tries to bring God's story to life
"The arts are one of the most powerful ways to deliver a message."
Contact: 4955 A St., San Diego 619-264-5825 www.peopleschurchsd.org
Denomination: Assemblies of God
Membership: 200-250
Pastor: Phoebe Dial
Age: 64
Born: Manila (Olongapo City), Philippines
Formation: Bethel Bible College, Manila; All People’s Church Bible School, San Diego
Years Ordained: 21
San Diego Reader: How long do you spend preparing your sermons?
Pastor Phoebe Dial: My sermons are a combination of topical and application, with more emphasis on application. A lot of the teachings are more about “How does this work in my life? How does this apply?”—especially on Sunday mornings, which are geared for the community, those who step into a church probably once a month or once a year and who are not necessarily literate in the Bible. We have Sunday evening sessions geared more toward what we call the believers, which is more teaching verse by verse, expository, and addresses deeper theological matters.
Pastor Phoebe Dial
SDR: Why did you become a minister?
PD: I started out as a youth minister and ministering to street kids and gangsters. I was leading Bible studies with members of the Bloods and the Crips. I saw the power of God working in those kids’ lives. I saw them hungry every Thursday night, when we had Bible study in one of the homes. The most that attended was 81 of them in one house. It was a two-level home with a loft overlooking the living room, where I was teaching. There were young people in the living room and in the loft looking down. I wasn’t a gangster; I didn’t grow up in that life. But that was a turning point for me: I saw that teenagers and young people are looking for spiritual guidance and stability. I saw that I could connect with youth. I thought I’d be a teacher, but that experience slowly changed my outlook to being a pastor.
SDR: What is the mission of your church?
PD: To connect the irreligious to God and develop them to be Christlike followers. Our purpose statement is that everyone matters to God—and if they matter to God, they better matter to us here at the church.
SDR: Where is the strangest place you found God?
PD: Our vision is to build a worship art center because the arts are one of the most powerful ways to deliver a message. I was in Disneyland watching a musical based on Aladdin. The line was so long and it was so hot and I stood in line for about a good hour. It was the thick of summer. When the musical began, I was in awe. This is where I had a God Moment. I was in awe at the grandeur of the musical and the performance and realized that we all stood in line and suffered to watch a fairy tale. Throughout the musical I was crying and asking God, Why don’t people stand in line to experience you in our gatherings? This is the greatest good news in the world. Jesus is the answer to the world. That’s when it hit me: God, why can’t the church bring your story to life? Why can’t we tell the gospel stories in a more interactive and vibrant way that people can connect with? That’s where I got the idea for the worship arts center.
SDR: Where do you go when you die?
PD: There’s only two places and the Bible speaks about it and Jesus taught it. You either spend eternity with God in heaven or eternity away from God in hell. But you always get a choice. God will honor the choice you make. While you’re alive you get to make that choice. But when you pass away, God will honor the choice you made.
Here's something you might be interested in.
People's Church tries to bring God's story to life
"The arts are one of the most powerful ways to deliver a message."
People's Church tries to bring God's story to life
"The arts are one of the most powerful ways to deliver a message."
Contact: 4955 A St., San Diego 619-264-5825 www.peopleschurchsd.org
Denomination: Assemblies of God
Membership: 200-250
Pastor: Phoebe Dial
Age: 64
Born: Manila (Olongapo City), Philippines
Formation: Bethel Bible College, Manila; All People’s Church Bible School, San Diego
Years Ordained: 21
San Diego Reader: How long do you spend preparing your sermons?
Pastor Phoebe Dial: My sermons are a combination of topical and application, with more emphasis on application. A lot of the teachings are more about “How does this work in my life? How does this apply?”—especially on Sunday mornings, which are geared for the community, those who step into a church probably once a month or once a year and who are not necessarily literate in the Bible. We have Sunday evening sessions geared more toward what we call the believers, which is more teaching verse by verse, expository, and addresses deeper theological matters.
Pastor Phoebe Dial
SDR: Why did you become a minister?
PD: I started out as a youth minister and ministering to street kids and gangsters. I was leading Bible studies with members of the Bloods and the Crips. I saw the power of God working in those kids’ lives. I saw them hungry every Thursday night, when we had Bible study in one of the homes. The most that attended was 81 of them in one house. It was a two-level home with a loft overlooking the living room, where I was teaching. There were young people in the living room and in the loft looking down. I wasn’t a gangster; I didn’t grow up in that life. But that was a turning point for me: I saw that teenagers and young people are looking for spiritual guidance and stability. I saw that I could connect with youth. I thought I’d be a teacher, but that experience slowly changed my outlook to being a pastor.
SDR: What is the mission of your church?
PD: To connect the irreligious to God and develop them to be Christlike followers. Our purpose statement is that everyone matters to God—and if they matter to God, they better matter to us here at the church.
SDR: Where is the strangest place you found God?
PD: Our vision is to build a worship art center because the arts are one of the most powerful ways to deliver a message. I was in Disneyland watching a musical based on Aladdin. The line was so long and it was so hot and I stood in line for about a good hour. It was the thick of summer. When the musical began, I was in awe. This is where I had a God Moment. I was in awe at the grandeur of the musical and the performance and realized that we all stood in line and suffered to watch a fairy tale. Throughout the musical I was crying and asking God, Why don’t people stand in line to experience you in our gatherings? This is the greatest good news in the world. Jesus is the answer to the world. That’s when it hit me: God, why can’t the church bring your story to life? Why can’t we tell the gospel stories in a more interactive and vibrant way that people can connect with? That’s where I got the idea for the worship arts center.
SDR: Where do you go when you die?
PD: There’s only two places and the Bible speaks about it and Jesus taught it. You either spend eternity with God in heaven or eternity away from God in hell. But you always get a choice. God will honor the choice you make. While you’re alive you get to make that choice. But when you pass away, God will honor the choice you made.
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