A Pentecostal Congregation in the Heart of Silicon Valley
First Church San Jose gathers on a five-acre campus along Rue Ferrari in southern San Jose, where a 77,000-square-foot building sits along the 101 freeway. The congregation is pastored by Pastor Shoemake and his wife, Sis Tasha Shoemake, who have led the church for twenty-four years. Its roots, however, run much deeper. First Church was established in 1951 with a set of core values and beliefs centered on the doctrine set by the early church, and it has stayed rooted in the Pentecostal, Apostolic tradition ever since.
From an Oklahoma Prayer Meeting to a Willow Glen Rental Hall
First Church traces its origin to a prayer meeting in Oklahoma in the early 1950s. Rev. F.V. and Sis Blanche Shoemake, along with their four children, moved into the Santa Clara Valley in November 1951. They relocated without any guarantees and without any promised financial support, settling in a city where they were strangers. They obediently followed as they were led, believing every promise made in that Oklahoma prayer meeting. The first services in the new home were held in a rented hall in downtown Willow Glen.
As the church grew, the founders purchased property at the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Piper Drive in west San Jose, stretched their faith, and built a building. Revival came and the numbers swelled until that property was too small. The congregation located the Boynton Avenue property in central San Jose and built a new church there. That new Boynton building was finished in 1962; the original Piper Drive building is still affectionately referred to as the Founders Chapel by the congregation.
Bishop Bobbie Shoemake and the Sanctuary Expansion
In the mid-1980s, Bishop Bobbie Shoemake launched a bold plan to expand the Boynton facilities. By 2005, Pastor and Sis Tasha Shoemake, working alongside the faithful saints of First Church, completed the sanctuary, prayer chapel, and offices. The Boynton campus grew into a large, recognizable church on the west side of the city.
The Move to Rue Ferrari and the Envision Campaign
First Church eventually outgrew Boynton. Aging infrastructure, limited space for a growing children's ministry, and a desire for a more dynamic facility all pointed toward a new home. After First Church was approached with an offer to purchase the Boynton property, the leadership prayerfully considered relocation and eventually sold the west-side campus. The proceeds were used to purchase a larger property and building on Rue Ferrari in southern San Jose.
To fund the remaining construction and the mortgage, the church launched the Envision Capital Campaign, a 36-month effort to underwrite the new home. Every dollar raised is dedicated to construction costs or the mortgage. Giving that exceeds the monthly loan payment is applied directly to the principal, allowing the congregation to retire the debt sooner. The vision for the Rue Ferrari campus includes a large sanctuary, conference rooms, classrooms, a state-of-the-art coffee shop, and a commercial-grade kitchen. Plans also call for expanded Sunday School rooms, better sound and lighting for worship, and dedicated gathering spaces like the Connect Cafe, where people can find support and a sense of belonging.
Weekly Services: Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Evenings
Sunday gatherings begin at 10:00 AM and Wednesday services begin at 7:30 PM, both held at the Rue Ferrari campus. Pre-service prayer starts thirty minutes before each service. The Sunday and Wednesday services are broadcast live online, with separate English and Spanish livestreams running at 11:00 AM on Sundays and 7:30 PM on Wednesdays. Past messages are kept in an on-demand archive, and sermons are also available as a podcast for listeners who want to revisit a message or hear one for the first time.
The Ignition Kidz Children's Ministry
Children ages four through ten are invited to Ignition Kidz, the church's own children's ministry. Each Sunday at 10:00 AM, kids start in the main sanctuary with their parents for a brief welcome before joining the Ignition Kidz team for age-appropriate lessons. Each session includes interactive Bible lessons, creative crafts and games that reinforce the lesson, joyful music and worship, and a quiet moment of prayer and reflection. Children are encouraged to ask questions, share their thoughts, and discover how faith connects to their everyday lives.
The teaching philosophy at Ignition Kidz centers on values such as love and respect for others, gratitude and generosity, service and compassion, and faith in action. Beyond Sunday mornings, the children's pastor posts a Scripture Wall where kids can share and post verses, and produces a recurring series of Bible Movement Games and Ignite KidzTalk episodes that walk children through Scripture memorization and faith conversations. Recent movement games have covered Romans 8:38, Psalm 29:11, 1 John 4:10, Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:12 and 4:13, Matthew 5:14, and several verses from Ephesians 6.
Saved and Sober: Monday Night Recovery
First Church hosts Saved and Sober, a Christ-centered recovery ministry for individuals and families affected by addiction, alcoholism, and life-controlling habits. Saved and Sober meets every Monday from 7:30 to 8:30 PM at the Rue Ferrari campus. The program is built on biblical principles, authentic community, accountability, and discipleship, and is designed to help people experience lasting freedom while building healthy relationships with others on the same journey.
Saved and Sober is open to anyone struggling with alcohol addiction, drug addiction, prescription medication dependency, pornography or sexual addiction, gambling addiction, codependency, anxiety, depression, emotional struggles, or other life-controlling habits, and to family members affected by a loved one's addiction. Participants do not need to be sober before attending, do not need to be members of First Church, and do not need to be Christians. Meetings are free, confidential, and held in a judgment-free environment that typically includes personal testimonies, biblical encouragement, recovery-focused teaching, group discussion, prayer, and support.
The Ministry of the Whole Church
Worship is at the heart of who First Church is. Music, Hospitality, Nursery, Translation, Baptism, Bible Study, Transportation, Audio/Sound and Technology, Facilities, and Security are all supported by teams of volunteers. The worship ministry gathers on Sundays for a time of reflection, prayer, and worship music that mixes contemporary and gospel praise, celebrating the greatness of God and the promise of salvation. There are opportunities to serve as an usher or greeter, to join the music team or choir, and to help with livestream and media support.
Children and youth programs help young people discover God's love through Sunday School, youth nights, and service projects. Children's Church offers Bible stories, crafts, and worship for ages four through ten. The Youth Group hosts fellowship, discussions, and outreach for middle and high school students. Family events bring the whole congregation together for seasonal gatherings and service projects.
Adult ministries include Bible Studies, College and Career gatherings, and events for married couples, all designed to encourage reflection, learning, and spiritual friendship.
Community outreach extends compassion beyond the church walls through Homeless Outreach, Saved and Sober, and Missionary Support, working to share the love of Christ and bring hope to people in San Jose and beyond.
Support ministries walk alongside members through life's joys and challenges, providing encouragement, prayer, and practical help to those in need.
Camp Meeting, Fall Festival, and Ladies Day
Each summer the church hosts the San Jose Camp Meeting, a multi-day gathering held in early August. Pastors from across the country have preached at the Camp Meeting, including Pastor Rick Mayo, Pastor Daniel McKillop, Rev. Caleb Adams, Rev. Wesley Jackson, Rev. Julio May, Bishop Paul Elder, and Pastor Brandon Wilmoth. Camp Meeting services include Spanish translation and ASL translation, a nursery for the youngest children, pre-service prayer in the gymnasium or sanctuary, a complimentary ministry dinner served in the courtyard after evening services, and digital recordings of every service available for order. The Connect Cafe coffee shop opens before and after each service, and After Burner fellowship events are open to youth and College and Career (ages twelve and up).
On Halloween night, First Church hosts an annual Fall Festival at the Rue Ferrari campus with bounce houses, interactive games, giveaways, food and beverages for purchase, and a free goodie bag of candy for every child twelve and under. The festival has a Spanish-language counterpart called Festival de Otoño and offers a wholesome, safe option for families across the south side of San Jose.
Each spring the church holds a Ladies Day, a Saturday gathering for women and young women from youth-group age upward. The day includes coffee and pastries in the morning, lunch, dessert, a take-home art project tied to the lesson, a clothing swap with free clothes, drawings for giveaways, and a silent auction of theme baskets.
What First Church Believes
First Church is rooted in a clear doctrinal identity. The mission statement names five commitments: growing a congregation of spiritually mature, visionary people that embodies the principles and actions of the church in the book of Acts; building strong families that understand their role in leading children to salvation and establishing godly home lives; empowering each Holy Ghost-filled member to yield every talent and ability to God for His glory; working in unity to preach the gospel to the city, finance the spread of the gospel around the world, and bring honor to Jesus Christ; and living as role models so that others may see how the Apostolic church lives, operates, and prospers.
In keeping with that mission, the church teaches that God is one, invisible, and unknowable in His essential being, that the Word is God self-revealing, that Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh and the image of the invisible God, and that the Holy Spirit is God indwelling the believer and is essential for salvation. Salvation is the gift of God through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, with believers expressing obedience through repentance, water baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is described as the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God, the authority of God is vested in the name of Jesus, and the church looks for the return of Christ to catch the church away and to set up His kingdom on earth.
Getting Involved and Staying Connected
Anyone interested in joining a Bible study, sending a prayer request, or receiving news and updates can sign up for church updates through the church's online connection card. Tithes can be given online, and visitors can plan a visit through the contact page, which provides directions to 5891 Rue Ferrari. Members are also invited to notify the attendance staff when they will be out of town, home sick, or checked into a hospital so that the leadership team can provide support.
First Church is led by Pastor and Sis Tasha Shoemake, who continue to guide the congregation into the Envision vision: a future where truth reaches into every area of the Silicon Valley, and where the legacy of faith and provision begun in an Oklahoma prayer meeting in 1950 keeps moving forward in the next generation.