Two Campuses, One Mission on the South Bay
Central Christian Church anchors a long-established presence on Meridian Avenue in southern San Jose and is now planting a second campus in the community of San Martin, about 25 miles south. The tagline that runs across both locations says it plainly: "We exist to help people find and follow Jesus." On Sundays the San Jose campus fills with families at 9:00 and 10:45 AM, while the San Martin campus opens at 10:45 AM. A live stream of the 9:00 AM San Jose service carries the same message south to the new location and to anyone joining online.
Sundays in San Jose
The 2555 Meridian Avenue building sits in a familiar neighborhood setting, and the church works hard to make a first visit feel low-pressure. Greeters staff a Welcome Tent outside the entrance, a free drip coffee or espresso drink waits at Coffee Central, and the atmosphere is described as relaxed and friendly. The service itself pairs dynamic worship music with a practical, Bible-based message, and printed outlines in the bulletin give visitors a way to follow along and take notes.
Children are a centerpiece of the weekend. Central Kids runs concurrently with both services for kids from birth through fifth grade, with secure check-in on the patio and classrooms prepared for each age. Central Youth, for students in sixth through twelfth grade, gathers at 9:00 AM in room 1 with its own worship, teaching, and space for students to be themselves. A second on-campus student service runs alongside the 10:45 AM adult gathering.
Plan Your Visit at the San Jose Campus
Anyone can simply show up on Sunday morning, but visitors who pre-register through the Plan Your Visit page are met at the door, walked to the right classrooms for their kids, given a quick tour of the building, and introduced to Lead Pastor Tim Perkins before being shown to a saved seat. A complimentary drip coffee or latte is included. The church is explicit that first-time guests are not asked to stand, give money, or do anything beyond what feels comfortable; many people who are still checking things out sit quietly through a service before considering next steps.
The San Martin Campus Takes Shape
Central Christian Church has described the San Martin campus as the next step in its long-running conviction that God's heart is for expansion. Located at 13485 Colony Avenue in San Martin, the new site shares the same mission as San Jose and meets at 10:45 AM each Sunday. Worship and the message at San Martin stream live from the San Jose campus, so the two locations stay on the same sermon in real time.
The church has been refreshing the long-standing San Martin building - new paint, updated classrooms, reworked gathering spaces - and framing the work as more than renovation. Leaders describe the project as a shared mission for the congregation to pray for, give toward, and serve in, with a focus on the surrounding community where only about nineteen percent of residents are connected to a church. Free coffee, kids ministry during the service, and a welcoming team are all part of the Sunday experience there.
Campus Pastor Michael Corral leads the day-to-day ministry at San Martin. He has been part of Central's team for several years and is described as a leader who cares deeply about helping people find and follow Jesus through authentic community.
Central Kids and Central Youth
Central Kids is built around five commitments: safety first, pursuing Jesus, growing in relationship, having fun, and pursuing excellence. The team describes its role as helping shape "the next generation of leaders" by teaching kids about the love of God and their identity in Him. Classes run from nursery through fifth grade, with age-appropriate lessons, trained volunteers, and a secure check-in process.
Central Youth serves middle school and high school students with the same aim of helping them find and follow Jesus. Sunday mornings include worship, teaching, and time to hang out with friends. Midweek Youth Practices are small groups grouped by age and life season for deeper conversation and Bible engagement. A liability form is available for parents on the youth page.
Groups, Serving, and Getting Connected
Small groups are at the heart of how Central Christian Church does discipleship. The church teaches that "life is better together" and aims to connect every person with a group where they can be known and loved. Groups meet on different schedules throughout the week, with both open-enrollment and request-to-join options listed through the Church Center platform. Questions about groups go to groups@centralsj.org.
The serve page organizes volunteer opportunities into five teams: Guest Experience (greeters, ushers, Coffee Central, mid-week church care, hospitality, accounting), Kids Ministry (nursery through fifth grade and special events), Youth Ministry (middle school and high school coaches), Worship and Tech (worship team, media and tech), and Art and Communication (artists, photography, graphics, web, and marketing). Anyone whose talents don't fit one of those buckets is invited to reach out and find the right place.
What Central Christian Church Believes
The beliefs page describes the church as non-denominational, with Christ as the head and the Holy Spirit as guide, voluntarily cooperating with other Christians to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19. The church appoints pastors, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders to serve the body.
The doctrinal summary affirms one God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Jesus as the Messiah, virgin-born, sinless, crucified, and resurrected, who now intercedes in heaven; and the Holy Spirit as the indwelling comforter and empowerer of believers. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is held to be the verbally inspired and error-free Word of God in the original text. Central teaches that salvation comes through trusting in Jesus, repenting of sin, confessing Him as Lord, and being baptized, and the church practices believer's baptism by immersion. The Lord's Supper is shared weekly, as was the custom of the early church.
Outreach and Missions
Local and global missions are framed around the words of Matthew 6 and the Great Commission. The church has a long relationship with CITYTEAM, a nondenominational Christian nonprofit that serves people experiencing poverty and homelessness, including the House of Grace and Heritage Home women's programs. Central supports CITYTEAM financially and provides volunteers for its food pantries. The church also partners with Convoy of Hope, a faith-based organization focused on feeding children, community outreach, and disaster relief.
Globally, the church supports missionaries around the world and sets aside ten percent of tithes and offerings for that work. A Global Missions Interest Group meets to advocate mission awareness, steward giving, and pray for missionaries. Anyone interested can sign up through the Church Center platform.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff Team
Tim Perkins serves as Lead Pastor. He and his wife Tiffany moved their family from out of state to San Jose in January 2019 with a desire to champion what God was doing at Central Christian Church. The Perkins family have three children - Cannon, Drake, and Elsie - and Tim and Tiffany lead together with the church's mission of helping people find and follow Jesus. Tiffany Perkins also serves as Ministry Advancement Director.
The staff team includes Worship and Creative Arts Director Juan Borja, Family Ministry Coordinator Taylor Corral, and Youth Ministry Coordinators Justin and Jomie Mullins. Administrative Manager Priscilla Andres keeps the office running. The board is led by Elder Chairman Gene Munce, Treasurer Jacob Van Ewyk, and Deacon of Finance Tanya Garside, alongside Deacons Bob Winger, David Wonder, and Chris Pinkham.
Baptisms, Prayer, and Next Steps
The baptism page explains that baptism is a public display of a new life of purpose in Jesus and encourages immersion. People interested in being baptized can sign up separately for the San Jose or San Martin campus. A digital invite card is available for download so the day can be shared with friends and family.
For anyone who has just decided to follow Jesus, the You Said Yes page offers a free 21-day journal to walk through the first three weeks. A prayer form is available for anyone who would like the church to pray for them.
Messages, Podcasts, and the App
Each Sunday's message is streamed live at 9:00 AM and added to a video archive that can be watched on demand, with message notes available for every series. Recent sermon series have covered the Gospel of Mark, the Christmas nativity, the Fruit of the Spirit, and a survey of Christian life at Central. The church also publishes a podcast on Apple Podcasts and shares clips through its YouTube channel.
A free Central Christian Church app is available for iOS and Android. It carries event registration, group sign-ups, giving, the connect card, and other tools in one place, alongside a push notification for announcements. A weekly email newsletter keeps people outside the app loop informed.
Giving
Giving is available online through Pushpay as a one-time gift or a recurring donation. Checks can be mailed to the church, and stock donations are coordinated through finance@centralsj.org. The give page lays out a three-stage picture of generosity - giving consistently under ten percent, tithing at ten percent, and what the church calls "extraordinary" giving beyond ten percent - and offers a 90-day tithing challenge backed by the promise of Malachi 3:10-11, with a refund commitment to anyone who tithes for three months and doesn't see God's faithfulness in their finances.
Where to Find Central
The San Jose campus is at 2555 Meridian Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124, with Sunday services at 9:00 and 10:45 AM, the 9:00 AM service also live online. The San Martin campus is at 13485 Colony Avenue, San Martin, CA 95046, with Sunday worship at 10:45 AM. The church office can be reached at (408) 264-7643 or info@centralsj.org.