Mission Church of the Nazarene has gathered on Mission Gorge Place in San Diego since 1915, more than a century of worship, fellowship, and outreach in the same neighborhood. The congregation is part of the global Church of the Nazarene, a holiness body of roughly 2.5 million members worshiping in more than 29,000 churches worldwide, and it operates within the SoCal District of that denomination. Its mission statement is short and direct: Authentically LOVE God, Humbly SERVE Others, Intentionally SHARE Jesus.
The building still opens its doors every Sunday morning for a rhythm that has become familiar across many evangelical churches, but it carries a distinctly Nazarene flavor with its strong prayer emphasis, holiness roots, and a wide-ranging missions commitment that sends teams across the border several times each year. Mission Nazarene Preschool, a licensed preschool program for younger children, shares the campus and is administered as a separate ministry. The church observes a church year that runs from April 1 through March 31, and an annual report is posted each year for the congregation to review.
Three Sunday Mornings in a Row
A Sunday at Mission Church unfolds in three movements. At 8:00 a.m., the foyer fills with members who gather for an hour of focused prayer for the church in the world, the country, the state, the city, and the local body. At 8:45 a.m., the Center of Hope, also in the foyer, gathers to pray for teachers and leaders as they prepare to teach the Word. At 9:00 a.m., Sunday groups meet across the campus for small-group Bible study, with offerings for every age group, including Mission Kids Small Group, youth Sunday School, the college-age group, and adult classes.
At 10:30 a.m., the main worship service gathers in the sanctuary. The musical style is generally contemporary, though the worship team describes its aim as a humble heart that helps the congregation engage in worshiping God. Voices of Worship, the church choir, leads worship on the second Sunday of each month. The service is also livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings are archived on the church's YouTube channel and Apple Podcasts feed so that those who cannot be present can still follow along.
On the first Sunday of each month, a Spanish-language worship service meets at noon in the Fellowship Hall. The invitation, in Spanish, reads: "Si el Español es tu idioma preferido, únete a otros para alabar a Dios en tu idioma con buena música y mensaje al corazón. ¡Les esperamos!" Music and a heartfelt message are part of the gathering.
Mission Kids and the Caravan Program
Children are central to the life of Mission Church. The Kids Ministry is built around the same three-part mission statement as the rest of the church: LOVE God, SERVE Others, SHARE Jesus, with the goal of helping the next generation develop Christ-following life patterns. The children's team is intentional about helping parents disciple their children to love Jesus, love the church, and love Scripture.
On Sundays, children can join Kids Small Group at 9:00 a.m., then attend Kids Church during the 10:30 a.m. worship service in Room 206. Kids Church serves kindergarten through fifth grade. Safety is taken seriously: every child is checked in and out through a computerized system, and every volunteer has completed a Ministry Safety Training Class so that families can participate in the life of the church with confidence.
During the school year, the church runs Caravan on Wednesday nights from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. for children age four through fifth grade. Caravan creates a fun, Bible-centered environment where children earn skill badges in mental, physical, spiritual, and social categories, a curriculum drawn from Luke 2:52. For the youngest participants, the Benson's Buddies program introduces four- and five-year-olds to the world around them and lays the foundation for Christian living. Registration is handled through an online form each fall.
Youth, College, and Young Adults
The youth ministry meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in Room 205 and on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the same room. The group maintains its own Instagram presence for ongoing communication, and release and medical forms are made available for trips and special events.
For college-age students between 18 and 23, a group called The Way meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in Room 202. The group's tagline is drawn from John 14:6, where Christ says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," and the focus is on what it means to follow Jesus as a student.
Young adults in their twenties and early thirties, roughly ages 23 to 33, gather on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for dinner, fellowship, and encouragement around the Word. Pastor Tiffany Hazel leads this ministry and welcomes prayer requests.
A Week of Prayer
Prayer runs through the week at Mission Church, and a team of leaders shapes the rhythm. Sunday mornings begin at 8:00 a.m. in the foyer with prayer for the church in the world, the country, the state, the city, and the local body, led by Pastor Gordon Wong. At 8:45 a.m., the Center of Hope, also in the foyer, lifts up teachers and leaders. At 9:00 a.m. in Room 203, an intergenerational group prays for children, schools, and adult children in a culture and educational climate that often feels anxious, led by Cyndi Stockwell.
Midweek, the congregation joins virtual prayer teams. On Mondays at noon and on a second morning slot, Angie Serrano leads prayer on Zoom, gathering those who want to seek God together across distance and time. On Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m., Pastor Gordon Wong leads a time of praise and prayer in the sanctuary before the workday begins.
Contemporary Worship and the Voices Choir
The worship ministry describes its style as generally contemporary, while keeping the focus on helping the congregation engage in worshiping God every Sunday morning. The team welcomes musicians, technicians, and creative volunteers, and Heather Slater coordinates those who want to serve. Voices of Worship, the church choir, sings on the second Sunday of each month, and curated worship playlists are available on both Spotify and YouTube for those who want to continue singing throughout the week.
Missions Across the Border
The missions ministry is one of the largest commitments at Mission Church. The local Nazarene Missions International (NMI) president, Barry Jones, oversees the work, and the church partners with NMI at the district level. Gifts designated for missions are a direct link to the ministry and help reach annual giving goals, while the World Evangelism Fund and the church's Evangelism Fund together support global outreach across the denomination.
Each year, several short-term mission trips are organized for church members. Between Christmas and New Year's, a team partners with Amor Ministries to build a home for a family in need in Tecate, Mexico, and stays overnight at a local Nazarene church. In March, the church sends a five-day, four-night team to support a Christ-centered orphanage in Hermosillo, Mexico, where the work includes construction projects, classes, and workshops. In July, a group travels to Casa Nazarena, a pioneer Church of the Nazarene in Trinidad, Bolivia, to support construction, Jesus Film Evangelism, Vacation Bible School, and medical clinics. In August, the church sends a team to Honduras to support a vocational school and children's center, with construction opportunities and time interacting with students and children. The church also supports the Native American Christian Academy, which provides an education for children in first through twelfth grade. Vic Enchelmayer coordinates several of these trips and serves as a key contact for those who want to sign up or learn more.
The Faith Promise giving program allows members to pledge financial support for these and other missions commitments, including district support, a district world mission project, deputation offerings, the Mission Church family trip to Mexico, local missionaries, Casa Esperanza Para Niños, and Work and Witness projects. Discipleship Communities, called DISH.COMM, also gather on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. for those who want a deeper dive into Scripture and community beyond Sunday.
Men, Women, and Senior Adults
The men's ministry gathers monthly for a breakfast and annually for the 3M MoVember men's event, which focuses on physical, mental, and spiritual health across two weekends in November. The women's ministry has a fuller weekly rhythm. On Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m., women gather for Bible study led by Elizabeth Bergherm and Colleen Hartman, with recent studies including Sandra L. Richter's Deborah. The ministry also hosts a women's breakfast in the Fellowship Hall each fall and a Women's Fall Retreat at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center.
Senior adults at Mission Church are described as a vibrant and growing ministry, with functions and fellowship throughout the year. Pastor Paul Slater oversees this ministry and can be reached through the church office.
Connect, Listen, and Give
Anyone wanting to get more involved can fill out a Connection Card online, join one of the Sunday small groups, or sign up for a prayer group. The church's sermons are livestreamed on YouTube and available as a podcast through Apple Podcasts, and weekly bulletins are posted online each Sunday. Giving is handled online through EasyTithe, and members are encouraged to follow along with the sermon in the YouVersion Bible App or through RightNow Media, a streaming library of Bible studies, books, and videos that the church provides free to its members and attenders.
The church's annual Canned Food Drive each October collects thousands of cans for ministries across San Diego County, with a weekly emphasis throughout the month. Other annual community touchpoints include a Fall Festival with trunk-or-treat, food, and music, plus an Ohana Sunday that brings the church family together for a luau-style lunch after the morning service, complete with a ukulele band, a sermon from the Pidgin Bible, water activities for kids, Hawaiian shave ice, and lawn games.
Across all of these ministries and rhythms, Mission Church of the Nazarene holds to its straightforward mission: Authentically LOVE God, Humbly SERVE Others, Intentionally SHARE Jesus.