Evangelism and Missions – California Southern Baptist Convention

News – Evangelism and Missions

FRESNO – March 28-29 marked the monthly CSBC Staff Week for leaders and staff members. The meeting began much like a homecoming for former CSBC staffer Pastor Greg Sumii. Sumii, who was first introduced to the CSBC ministry 35 years prior, preached at Chapel for the CSBC ministry teams. During his message, he recollected his…

Explore the Rim events began over two years ago when the global pandemic forced borders throughout the world to close and prevented our stateside partners from partnering with us here in the Asia Pacific Rim as we have traditionally partnered in the past via short-term mission trips. Although borders were closed, our partners still had…

FRESNO – CSBC ministry leaders and staff gathered for the first “staff week” meetings of 2023. The office welcomed Dave Peugh, pastor of The Avenue Church in Fresno, to deliver the message at chapel. Focusing on Matthew chapter 11, Peugh gave a special word he said God placed on his heart, including insights gleaned from…

SANTA CLARITA—She had attended Valley Lights Church previously, but a challenging work schedule made it difficult to connect with others in the congregation on a deep level. A women’s holiday wreath event changed that for one occasional church attendee. The woman “said this was one of the very first events where she felt like she…

MADERA—Outreach events don’t always go as planned. But they’re still a success when they help a church learn to do better next time. That’s what happened when Thrive Church in Madera held a one-year anniversary celebration this fall. Attendance was low. Pastor Josh Dolarian felt like he was “pounding [his] head against the table” and…

SAN DIEGO—Some pastors lament the lack of lasting fruit from their churches’ outreach events. Sean Beaudoin isn’t one of them. At New Vision Church in San Diego, where Beaudoin pastors, outreach festivals are more than fleeting opportunities for family fun. Thanks to effective follow-up, they’re a surefire way to reach people for Christ and assimilate…

CLEARLAKE—After months of outreach to city employees by First Baptist Church in Clearlake, a city hall worker named Crystal brought her daughter to the church’s Backyard Bounce House Party. She told a church leader, “I came to this event because you have handed out several things at city hall from your church… I decided to…

“Oh wow!” That’s what a woman in her 80s said time and again as she wandered from booth to booth at the Shasta Baptist Association’s Mission Fair, learning about the work of Southern Baptist ministries at the associational, state and national levels. The woman’s sister also attended the Mission Fair. As a result, she told…

DALY CITY—Amid a community service blitz in Daly City, pastor Bob Eusebio encountered a local resident involved in the abortion and LGBT rights movements. “He was full of anger,” Eusebio said. “He felt that there were some contradictions with the church.” Eusebio, pastor emeritus of Living Stone Ministries, explained that Christians love people but don’t…

YUBA CITY—On Easter Sunday a man in his late 50s slipped into the back row at Citywalk Church in Yuba City, his grandson in tow. He had never attended the church before, but when Pastor Chris Finchum asked people to indicate if they wanted to be saved, the man raised his hand. “He said he…