The church I see is a Jesus church. It’s more gospel than it is practical. It aims at the heart more than the actions, for the actions flow from the heart.

The church I see is a growing church, but it does not only measure growth by butts and bucks. Real life change and a deep commitment to Christ are our rocket fuel.

The church I see is a welcoming community where worshippers and doubters are side by side. We are not afraid to ask and answer tough questions and we aren’t afraid to say, “we don’t know”. We embrace mystery because our God is a transcendent God.

The church I see is a thinking church. We are not content to just slide ignorantly through life. Therefore, we are constant learners always seeking to understand more of our great God. As a result, we are a church filled with teachers and students.

The church I see is serious about God, but never takes itself too seriously. We embrace tradition, but we will not be imprisoned by it. We love to think, but we are not afraid to have fun for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

The church I see loves and appreciates beautiful design in all its forms because our God is a beautiful God. We therefore strive to reflect our Creator God by creating beautiful environments in which to worship him.

The church I see loves great music because music stirs the soul and brings me closer to God, the author of music. Shallow, vanilla music dishonors God because it makes him safe. Our God is a consuming fire. Therefore, we will always highly value our music because music is a doorway to the transcendent.

The church I see loves and appreciates the arts because the arts speak to the heart and soul. We aren't gimmicky, because this dishonors God. Rather we seek to reflect real emotion wherever it may be found.

The church I see cares about kids and students because kids and students matter to God. We take seriously our responsibility to disciple the next generation because our God asks us to. We believe our kids and students need the gospel the same as we do and not cute bible stories and lessons in character. We do not shy away from tough subjects, because our enemy does shy away from tough situations. Life is real; therefore, our instruction should reflect reality.

The church I see believes in life-on-life discipleship. We believe that the greatest spiritual growth comes in community, therefore we work hard to facilitate real relationships. We are not shy about our faults, and we are not afraid to take our masks off. We take seriously the command to spur one another on to good works.

The church I see is a generous church. We are not afraid of money, but we will not be dominated by its pursuit. Because the earth is the Lord’s, we see ourselves as stewards and not owners. Therefore, we hold loosely everything God puts into our hands.

The church I see is a missional church, evangelizing the nations while recognizing the unsaved on our back porch.

The church I see is a dependent church. We seek the Lord's will in all that we do. Where he directs, we go boldly, what he prohibits, we avoid. We must then fully seek his will through prayer and petition and commit to a life of communication with the almighty. 

The church I see is a church that’s engaged in transformation and renewal. We seek to see his kingdom come; his will be done in San Diego as it is in heaven. Therefore, we will not be content with building our little Christian castle, but rather we will engage in the issues of His kingdom. We will protect the unborn, stand for what's true and point the broken to the healer.

The church I see isn’t desperate to be noticed and yet stands out for its uniqueness. We are comfortable with who we are, and we know that we aren’t going to be for everyone.

The church I see isn’t a cult of personality. It’s not built on one person or one gift. The church I see has a leader, but spreads that responsibility out amongst a myriad of godly people.

The church I see is a spirit-filled church. More and more we embrace the gifts and move of the Holy Spirit, but we are not thrill seekers or moment chasers. We desire authentic encounters with God the Holy Spirit.

The church I see is a threat to the cradle rocking of the modern believer. We are here to let the Word have its way in the long-time believer, the brand-new visitor, the pastor and the usher alike. We are all here to learn and grow.

The church I see is an opportunistic church. We are situated here in this place and at this time to usher in the apocalyptic inbreaking of a new kingdom. We will be ready when he returns and preparing until he does.

College Ave is like an ember in the fireplace that has been waiting for years for the spirit of God to blow over her once again. Bringing new flame, new fire and new life to San Diego. I believe it's time for us to grab that baton and run with diligence the course set out for us. I believe that God has given us fresh vision and a calling that matches our historic calling with new methods and strategies to reach the lost for Jesus.

The church I see is your church. The church I see is my church. The church I see is College Ave.