Chimes Neighborhood Church has called 1447 Bryan Avenue home since 1957, more than six decades of ministry in the same corner of San Jose. The congregation brands itself simply as "Your Neighborhood Church," a phrase that appears across the church's signs, social media, and front doors. The stated mission is to share Jesus' gospel to bring wholeness, hope, and joy to the neighborhood and beyond, and the vision is to become the church of the neighborhood where all belong, and lives are changed by the power of Jesus.
Sundays at Chimes
The Sunday gathering begins at 10 a.m. and runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The music is contemporary and band-driven, and the teaching is described as practical and rooted straight in the Bible. Visitors are told to come as they are - jeans and a T-shirt are as welcome as a suit or dress.
First-time guests will find reserved VISITOR parking spots near the entrance. A Welcome Team stands ready at the doors to offer directions, a Bible, a pen, or help finding a seat in the Worship Center. Anyone wearing a name tag is part of the hospitality team and is there to help. On the way out, newcomers are invited to stop by the Family Life Center to meet the pastors, grab a coffee, and enjoy a donut.
The sermon calendar moves through topical series and walks through books of the Bible. Recent series include "Spilling," "DNA: Discipleship - The Life of a Follower," "Reframing Our Identity," "Becoming in 2025," and the Lent 2025 study "Is It In You?" Earlier series have explored the Fruit of the Spirit, the church's core values, and the life and teaching of Jesus. Messages are recorded and posted on the church's YouTube channel so anyone can catch up or revisit a teaching.
Children and Students
Children's ministry runs from birth through fifth grade and is organized into three age-appropriate environments. The Giggle Garden serves infants through 24 months and meets at 10 a.m. on Sundays in Room 206 of the nursery. The Bug Garden gathers three-year-olds through pre-K in the same nursery area. Kid Street welcomes kindergarten through fifth grade in Rooms 401 and 402 during the 10 a.m. service and again on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. during the school year.
Every volunteer who works with children is background checked, interviewed, and trained. The goal is a safe, secure, and fun environment where kids learn the Bible through interactive worship, stories, and activities.
For middle and high school students, "Donuts and Devos" meets on the third Sunday of every month at 9:30 a.m. in the Lighthouse, the church's youth facility. The gathering runs just before the main worship service and gives students in grades 6 through 12 a chance to connect before heading into the Worship Center.
What They Believe
Chimes' doctrinal statement affirms the Bible as the verbally inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative Word of God and the only written revelation from God to humanity. The church teaches one true God - eternal, multi-dimensional, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent - revealed in three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The statement of faith details the person and work of Jesus Christ: His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary death on the cross, bodily resurrection, and exaltation to the right hand of God. The Holy Spirit is described as coequal with the Father and the Son, providing power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The church emphasizes both the nine fruits of the Spirit (evidence of a Spirit-filled life) and the nine gifts of the Spirit, which believers are taught to seek while exercising them in order and love.
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, through His death on the cross as the penalty for sin. Believers receive eternal life, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God, and their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The church is described as the Body of Christ, with every born-again believer as a member, charged with carrying out the Great Commission.
Chimes also holds a traditional view of marriage, defining it as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, established by God for procreation, companionship, and stewardship of creation.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values
The vision of Chimes Neighborhood Church is to become the church of the neighborhood where all belong, and lives are changed by the power of Jesus. Six core values shape the congregation's life together:
- Expanding the Kingdom is why we exist.
- Worship is our lifestyle.
- Joy is what we choose.
- Generosity and hospitality are essential.
- Boldness and humility are fundamental.
- Integrity is how we honor the gospel.
These values were taught through a sermon series in fall 2024 and continue to inform how the church approaches ministry and outreach.
Life Groups and Serving Teams
For those looking to go deeper, Life Groups are the church's small-group ministry. These gatherings meet in homes throughout the neighborhood and the city, sharing life, studying God's Word, and supporting one another. The church welcomes newcomers and helps match people with a group that fits their schedule and stage of life.
Serving Teams provide additional ways to get involved. Whether greeting guests, caring for others, or helping behind the scenes, there is a place for anyone willing to serve. No prior experience is required - just a willing heart. Teams include worship, technical arts, children's ministry, hospitality, and outreach.
Care and Prayer
Prayer is woven into the life of the church. The Prayer Ministry invites people to adopt a Chimes staff member and family in prayer, or to join the email Prayer Chain to lift up the needs of the congregation. The Prayer Team uses a variety of prayer styles and welcomes those who want to grow in their prayer life.
A Care Ministry offers practical support for those going through difficult seasons, working alongside the pastors to provide encouragement, meals, and other forms of help to members of the church family.
Local and Global Missions
Chimes partners with missionaries and ministries across the United States and around the world. The church's missions and outreach ministry exists to strengthen and grow the local and global church by partnering with people in ministries of compassion, developing leaders, and sharing the love of Jesus.
Global partners include:
- Ben and Jessica, serving with SIL International in Eurasia. SIL is a faith-based nonprofit that works with local communities on language solutions, Scripture translation, literacy, and language preservation.
- Fran and Bill Goodrich, working with Q Place Bible Studies in the United States. Q Place mobilizes group discussions with spiritual seekers, training Christians across the country to start their own groups.
- Jose and Dian, serving with Stone Movers International in Latin America. The organization supports construction projects, pastor training, scholarships, and nutrition programs. Chimes members have joined mission trips working on construction and teaching alongside Jose and Dian.
- Solomon, founder of Voice of the Shepherd in Ethiopia. The ministry partners with Koinonia Renewal Missionary Church to provide year-round care for children, moving them from the streets into healthy, productive lives anchored in a spiritual foundation.
- Tomas and Maricela, founders and co-leaders of El Reino de los Ninos, an independent Christian orphanage in Baja California, Mexico. Since 1990, Chimes has sent hundreds of high school and adult volunteers on trips to maintain and improve the orphanage, interact with the children, and serve the community.
- Elvis and Stephanie, serving in Colombia with Accion International, a nonprofit that provides digital financial solutions to underserved communities.
- Jorge and Maty, who pastor in Mexico and run a missionary training base. They also minister to migrant farm workers in the surrounding agricultural fields, equipping them to share the gospel when they return to their home communities.
- Nurla and Jasanta, founders of the Nehemiah Foundation in India. The organization serves underprivileged communities through education, physical and emotional care, discipleship, and leadership training.
- Rino and Elizabeth, working with Proclaim! International in Peru, sharing the gospel through music, drama, and creative performance.
Leadership
Lead Pastor Darryl Pierce oversees the spiritual life and teaching of the congregation. Bill Olson serves as Worship Arts and Outreach Director, leading the music ministry and the local and global missions work. Easton Schwaegerle is the Next Gen Director, overseeing children's and student ministry. Solomon Getachew leads the Rehoboth Ethiopian Ministry, serving the Ethiopian community in the area.
Spiritual oversight is provided by a board of elders (Rita Claar, Becky Schumacher, Frank Martinho, Gerry Euley, Susie Sagun, and Tom Moore) and a board of deacons (Genet Zemede, Jean DeLuca, Joanne Sikkes Martinez, Mary Growitz, Roger McLean, and Vita Trede). Rita Claar also serves as Executive Director on a volunteer basis, with Marsha Schaefer-Peake managing the office and facilities, Debbie Eckert handling bookkeeping, Jelyssa Cooper directing social media, and Doug Claar serving as Technical Director.
Community and Calendar
The church hosts a steady rhythm of community events throughout the year, including a family fun day, a chili cookoff, a car show called Hot Cars and Cool Classics, a bounce house day for kids, and Trunk or Treat each fall. A Women's Ministry event called Blanket Making brings women together to make blankets for those in need. These gatherings are open to the wider neighborhood and serve as informal entry points into the life of the church.
The office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Updates are shared through the church's Facebook page, Instagram feed (@chimessanjose), and YouTube channel.