A Family Church on Parker Road in Fairfield
Word of Faith Christian Center sits on Parker Road in Fairfield, California, where Pastors Lenon and Melba Nears have shepherded the congregation for more than ten years. Under their leadership the church has grown into a multi-generational ministry that calls itself family, running a school, hosting Bible studies on Zoom, livestreaming Sunday services on YouTube and Facebook, and renting out its fellowship hall to the surrounding community. The church's motto is simple and direct: "We're more than a church, We're family."
Pastors Lenon and Melba Nears
Pastors Lenon and Melba Nears lead Word of Faith Christian Center together, drawing on more than thirty years of combined ministry experience. Their approach, as the church describes it, is to love their flock just the way they are but love them too much to let them stay where they are. They teach that strong individuals build strong marriages, strong marriages build strong families, strong families build a strong church, and a strong church goes beyond the walls of a building to affect, effect, and create strong communities in Fairfield and around the world, state by state and nation by nation.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
Sunday mornings at 650 Parker Road follow a familiar rhythm. Pre-service prayer begins at 10:30 AM, praise and worship starts at 10:45 AM, and the ministry of the Word opens at 11:30 AM. The service is held in person and broadcast live at the same time on Facebook and YouTube. Visitors arriving later in the morning can join the worship and the message as they happen, and anyone unable to attend in person can take part through the live stream. Past sermons and Bible study messages are also kept in the church's online store and YouTube channel for later viewing.
Thursday Nights Around the Word
On Thursday evenings the church gathers at 7:00 PM for its Thursday Night Service, which includes a group Bible study. The format is offered both in the church's Fellowship Room and online through Zoom, so members and newcomers can take part from home when they need to. On the fifth Thursday of any month the regular midweek service shifts into a Family Thursday Service, gathering the whole church for a single shared gathering.
Music and Arts Ministry
The Music and Arts Ministry is one of the most distinctive parts of Word of Faith. In addition to a Praise and Worship Team, it includes musicians, sound technicians, media and production engineers, soloists, a dance ministry, a flag ministry, and a drama team. Leaders in the ministry say they look for a place for dancers, singers, and creative people of every experience level, as long as they come with a teachable spirit, a true heart of worship both inside and outside the church building, and a willingness to make a firm commitment to Word of Faith Christian Center.
Children, Youth, and P3 Academy
Children and youth are central to the life of the church. The Children and Youth Ministry aims to guide children toward the love of God by teaching them the Word of God. The church also runs P3 Academy, an early-learning program housed in the same building that serves toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. P3 Academy shares the ThinkWave gradebook with parents, posts weekly spelling tests, and provides short-vowel, long-vowel, and special-sounds reading tutorials for families who want extra practice at home. Parents can schedule a tour through the church or call (707) 437-2257 for current tuition rates.
Kingdom Men and T.N.T. Women
Word of Faith runs two parallel adult groups. Kingdom Men focuses on building authentic men for the Kingdom of God, while T.N.T., which stands for Totally New and Transformed, encourages women to grow in their relationship with Christ and to be actively engaged in God's mission. Each group has its own contact email through the church office, and both are open to newcomers who want to connect.
Outreach, Prayer, and the Wider Community
An Outreach Ministry connects the church with the surrounding area and has included campaigns such as Adopt-A-Poll, which invites members to adopt polling locations in their neighborhoods. A prayer request form makes it possible to submit prayer needs directly to the pastoral team, and the Mailing List keeps subscribers informed of upcoming events. Couples in Cabo is a couples' retreat the church organizes in coordination with its marriage ministry, and a planned Men's Retreat uses cabins at Indian Beach Resort, with bunk, twin, double, and queen bed options reserved through the church's online store.
The Vision: Refuge, Resources, and Disciples
The church's published vision describes refuge and resource centers for the lost, the bound, the free, the oppressed, the educated, the brokenhearted, the poor, the rich, and the bruised, both locally and beyond. It envisions educational facilities that train men, women, and children to walk in victory every moment of their lives and fill them with the knowledge of the love of God through Christ Jesus, along with churches that go beyond their walls to make disciples equipped with the power of God to affect Fairfield, California, and the world.
The Building, the Fellowship Hall, and Staying Connected
The church shares its facilities with the wider community through its Room Rentals program. The Fellowship Hall, with a current capacity of fifty people, is available for events either as a full-service package that arrives ready to host or as a blank canvas for those who want to decorate the room themselves. Online giving is handled through Zeffy, which the church describes as a fee-free platform so that the full amount of each donation reaches the church. A Covenant Partner email keeps regular givers informed, and visitors who want to learn more can fill out a sign-up form to join the mailing list.