ShoreLife Church on McFadden Avenue
ShoreLife Church gathers on McFadden Avenue in Huntington Beach, California, in the heart of Orange County's coastal community. The church's single purpose, summed up in five words that appear on its own materials, is to help people find and follow Jesus Christ. A Baptist congregation affiliated with the Pacific Church Network, ShoreLife has served the families of Huntington Beach since it opened its doors in 1991, and it continues to be shaped by a steady rhythm of Sunday worship, midweek teaching, family-focused ministry, and short- and long-term mission work both locally and overseas.
From a Multi-Purpose Room to McFadden Avenue
ShoreLife began in 1988 when God put the desire on the heart of Pastor David Reynolds and the leadership of Bethany Church of Long Beach to plant a new church in Huntington Beach. David prayerfully gathered a team of committed people, and in 1991 ShoreLife held its first worship service in the multi-purpose room of a local elementary school. The church quickly saw people come to faith and, in time, used its early momentum to help plant other congregations, including God's House, also in Huntington Beach.
In 1998, Pastor David left to follow a new calling in Vancouver, Washington. A year later, Dr. Brent Strawsburg became ShoreLife's second lead pastor, and the church grew under his steady, scripture-saturated teaching. In September 2007, Andrew Garland joined the staff as associate pastor, bringing a drama degree from Biola University and a master's degree from Talbot School of Theology. The Pacific Church Network ordained Andrew in 2012; he was installed as lead pastor in March 2014 and continues to serve in that role today.
What a Sunday Morning Looks Like
ShoreLife gathers each Sunday at 9:30 AM for its main worship service, with a full children's ministry running at the same time. The 11:00 AM hour is set aside as a Sunday school hour, with adult classes and a supervised children's playroom. Members describe the church as a family, and visitors are welcomed at the door, helped to a seat, and invited into the community without pressure.
Music is led by Bryan Kuroda, who joined the staff with his wife Jennalyn and their three daughters in 2021 after more than a decade of ministry in the South Bay. Andrew Garland preaches most weeks, while other pastors and guest speakers fill in for series such as the year-long walk through Ephesians and 1 Corinthians titled Dear Church: Love God. Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those at home or traveling.
Pastoral Leadership and the Elder Board
Andrew Garland, the lead pastor, has been part of ShoreLife since 2007 and in the senior role since 2014. His wife Gina is active in women's ministry, and the couple have a son, Jordan, and a daughter, Sofie. Joshua (known to most as PJ) Case serves as associate pastor and has been on staff since January 2004; he oversees Catalyst (5th and 6th grade), junior high, and high school ministries, and has a particular burden for missions. Jada Overton directs children's ministry and is currently studying education at Cal State Long Beach. Bryan Kuroda leads worship, and Russ Duren, who joined the staff in August 2024, cares for the office and finances while also leading men's ministry.
A board of six elders shares spiritual oversight of the church. Joe Novarro chairs the board; Trey Polk serves as vice chair; Tyler Le is secretary; and Chris Callahan, Clifton Copeland, and Doug Harmon round out the group. The elders teach, lead small groups, serve on mission trips, and welcome newcomers on Sunday mornings.
ShoreLife Kids and Student Ministry
Children's ministry, branded as ShoreLife Kids, meets every Sunday morning during the 9:30 AM service and continues into the 11:00 hour. Each classroom is staffed by trained volunteers and uses curriculum shaped for both preschool and elementary ages. On Wednesday nights, the children's program uses a separate, video-based curriculum that brings Bible stories to life. Parents looking for a midweek break can take advantage of periodic Parents' Night Out events, and a Vacation Bible School runs each summer, open to children from age four through incoming fifth grade, with a Friday family night to close the week.
Student ministry is for fifth through twelfth graders and is built around three verbs: Connect Up (with God), Connect In (with other believers), and Connect Out (with those who do not yet know Jesus). Catalyst is the dedicated track for fifth and sixth graders moving from children's ministry into junior high; the junior high and high school groups meet for games, teaching, camps, and mission trips. PJ Case leads this ministry with a team of volunteers.
Men's, Women's, and Small Group Life
The men's ministry, sometimes called the Journeymen of ShoreLife, gathers men around the study of God's Word, mutual accountability, and brotherhood. Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," is its watch verse. The group hosts men's breakfasts, an annual Man Camp retreat, and regular Bible studies, and is led by Russ Duren with help from a team that includes several elders.
The women's ministry, branded Abundant and drawn from Ephesians 3:20, meets for Bible study, game nights, retreats, craft events, and seasonal brunches. Gina Garland oversees the ministry, working with a team of volunteers and connecting with women across ages and stages of life.
Small groups are at the center of how ShoreLife does life together. Called LIFE Groups, these meet in homes throughout the week for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. The leadership team helps newcomers find a group that fits their stage of life, and members are encouraged to host a group of their own once they are settled.
A Five-Fold Purpose
ShoreLife's stated purpose is to help people find and follow Jesus Christ, and it describes that mission through five commitments. The church aims to be a Light in the world by Living in Community, Investing in God's Kingdom, Growing in Christ-likeness, Helping through Giftings, and Telling and Inviting. Each commitment is rooted in a passage of scripture and shapes how members spend their time, give their money, and serve one another.
What ShoreLife Believes
ShoreLife's statement of faith begins with the Bible, which the church holds to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the supreme and final authority for faith and life. God is one in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in essence and worthy of worship. The church confesses the historic Christian doctrines of the virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension, priestly intercession, and personal return of Jesus Christ.
The church teaches that humanity was created in God's image, that marriage is the exclusive covenant union of one man and one woman, and that all people are sinners by nature and choice who stand in need of a Savior. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. The church affirms believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances committed to the local church, and teaches the autonomy of the local church under the oversight of its elders. ShoreLife also holds to the bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost, eternal states of heaven and hell, and the personal, imminent return of Christ.
Local Outreach and Global Mission
Outreach is woven into the life of the church. Members serve through Serve City, a Huntington Beach ministry partnership, and write letters of encouragement to persecuted Christians through Prisoner Alert. The missions ministry organizes short-term trips around an Acts 1:8 model that begins at home and reaches to the ends of the earth. Recent trips have gone to the Czech Republic, Lisbon, Romania, and Tanzania, and longer-running partnerships connect ShoreLife with workers in Cambodia, Africa, and beyond.
The church also supports a wide network of missionaries and ministries, including the North American Mission Board (James Boyd), Josiah Venture, Hope of the Nations (Tanzania), Children to Love, AMOR, the Common Ground Movement, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Jake Hardy), Horizon Pregnancy Clinic, Parable LA, the Lisbon Project, and Samaritan's Purse Greatest Journey. RightNow Media is available free to members for streaming Bible studies and kids' content at home.
Practical Details for a First Visit
ShoreLife meets at 5772 McFadden Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92649, with office hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday. The main phone line is (714) 799-LIFE (5433), the fax line is (714) 799-5407, and the general inbox is info@shorelife.org. The mailing address is PO Box 2496, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. Giving is available online through the church's giving platform, and a weekly newsletter from Pastor Andrew goes out each Thursday for those who want to stay in touch between Sundays.