As a new father and husband to a young wife, Christian Lissner was facing a major life decision: either take a full-time, paid pastoral position or continue down the harder road of church planting. Having completed the City to City cohort the previous summer, Christian knew he had been equipped for this calling. Still, he and his wife chose to pray and fast, asking God to lead them clearly.

After a season of prayer and fasting, both felt certain that God was calling them to the harder path. Turning down stability to say yes to a calling marked by uncertainty, financial instability, and complete dependence on God is not a decision made lightly, especially as new parents.

As Christian began gathering a core team, they started preparing for a future launch by casting vision, building culture, and applying what he had learned through his training. Christian Lissner’s church plant, Revival Collective, currently meets in Torrance and began taking shape in the months leading up to its official launch in October 2025. The church meets in a generously shared space, subleasing from another congregation, a provision that has made it possible to establish a presence in the community.

Like many church plants, the launch service was filled with excitement and even included two baptisms. From the very beginning, it was clear that God was already at work.
But as many church planters experience, the initial momentum was followed by a quieter, more challenging reality. Attendance fluctuated, and discouragement began to creep in. Christian found himself navigating the tension of wanting to press further into community engagement while also working bi-vocationally to support his family. This is a reality many church planters face, balancing the calling to pastor and lead while carrying the weight of financial responsibility.

Currently, Christian works as a music teacher in local public schools, serving students who would not otherwise have access to music education. In June, that position will pause for the summer, creating both an opportunity and a challenge. While this season may increase financial strain, Christian sees it as a chance to lean more fully into outreach, creating space to engage the community, build relationships, and invite others into the life of the church. With faith, he continues to trust that where God calls, He will also provide.

Even in the midst of these challenges, there are clear signs of fruit. One of the young men baptized at the launch service is now serving as a social media intern, using his gifts to help tell the story of the church. In addition, a worship intern has stepped in to lead, and new small groups, including a women’s group led by Christian’s wife Kat, are beginning to take root.
With a heart to reach young adults and the surrounding community, the church is also building relationships locally. One such connection is with a nearby coffee shop owned by a young entrepreneur, which has become a potential space for outreach and connection. Together, these opportunities reflect a growing vision to meet people where they are and create meaningful entry points into community and faith.

Throughout this journey, Christian has experienced encouragement and support from fellow cohort members and mentors. He often reflects on the importance of continually preaching the Gospel to himself, especially in seasons marked by uncertainty, comparison, or slow growth.

As they look ahead, Christian and his family remain committed to the calling God has placed before them. With a deep trust that God will sustain them, they continue to faithfully build, believing that through obedience, God will bring growth, transformation, and multiplication in His time.

As Christian shared, “There are definitely moments where I feel the weight of it all, providing for my family, leading the church, and wondering if I’m doing enough. But God keeps reminding me to trust Him, to stay faithful, and to preach the Gospel to myself every day.”

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

As Christian and his family continue in this season of faith and sacrifice, we invite you to pray alongside him and his church:

Prayer:
Lord, we thank You for calling Christian and his family to this work. We ask that You would strengthen them in seasons of uncertainty, provide for their every need, and give them endurance as they faithfully serve. Would You continue to transform lives through their church, raise up new leaders, and open doors for meaningful connection in their community. Remind them daily that You are with them, sustaining them, and working through them. Amen.

Pastor Sean Beaudoin, along with his wife and two children, first launched Hope Church in La Mesa, San Diego, in February 2023.

 From the very beginning, the church was built from the ground up with a focus on reaching and discipling new believers. Pastor Sean shares that at least 75% of the congregation consists of people who were saved and baptized in the last three years. By fostering discipleship, authentic shepherding, and a close-knit, “home church” environment, Hope Church has experienced consistent growth and meaningful impact.

Earlier this year, Hope Church was presented with the opportunity to rent an affordable church space in El Cajon, allowing them to multiply their church and launch a second campus.

Pastor Sean is intentional about maintaining the DNA of Hope Church in this new community: reaching new believers, raising up leaders, and personally shepherding every member. He emphasizes that he personally calls each church member monthly to check in, and sees the limits of these personal connections as a signal to multiply the church rather than simply grow it—ensuring that every congregant is known and cared for.
After careful prayer and preparation, the El Cajon campus officially launched on February 15th 2026, drawing a strong initial turnout. As of today, both campuses are averaging over 100 attendees each Sunday.

When asked how Hope Church has multiplied and grown so effectively, Pastor Sean notes that while the church maintains a social media presence, the primary driver of growth has been word of mouth. He explains that as new believers experience life-changing transformation, their friends and family notice the difference in character and behavior, naturally inviting others to explore the church community.

Pastor Sean and his family are deeply embedded in the local community. His children attend area schools and the family participates in sports and everyday community life. These personal connections have helped bring local families to Hope Church, strengthening the church’s reach in diverse, urban neighborhoods.

Even in areas of high need and with limited tithing and donations, Hope Church remains committed to operating as a Kingdom-focused church, investing generously in its people.

A core principle guiding this work is: “Inreach to do outreach.” By prioritizing the care, growth, and well-being of current members—focusing more on people than on their service. Hope Church enables congregants to naturally share the Gospel through their transformed lives, inviting friends, family, and neighbors into the faith community.

Pastor Sean also shares that the guidance and leadership of City to City SoCal, along with mentorship from Larry Acosta, has significantly shaped his approach to church planting. Through this support, he has been equipped to lead with greater intentionality in discipleship, multiplication, and sustaining healthy church culture as the ministry grows. He is determined to preserve this vital church culture as Hope Church expands.

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” – 2 Timothy 2:2

As Hope Church continues to grow and multiply, we invite you to pray alongside Pastor Sean and his team for continued wisdom, provision, and strength as they shepherd their communities and raise up new leaders.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank You for the work You are doing through Hope Church in San Diego. We ask that You continue to transform lives, strengthen leaders, and provide for every need. May this ministry continue to multiply in a way that honors You by reaching new communities, discipling believers, and building a multiplying church rooted in love, truth, and authentic connection. Amen.

Pastor Will Chung of Beloved church began his plant over three years ago and is known for having found his plant's start at a movie theater. However, the congregation of Beloved has continued to grow and with the growth came a need for a large enough building that could hold 500 congregants in the area of North Orange County. Real estate in this area and Southern California is no easy feat, but the Lord opened the right doors at the right time. The Fullerton Seventh-day Adventist Church decided to rent their main sanctuary for the first time since their existence. Sitting on a 5 acre property with surrounding smaller congregations and churches, Pastor Will Chung held his first Sunday service in this new church building on April 6th, 2025.

Beloved church is primarly made up of young adults and young families who are now switching their movie theater seats for wooden pews in a historic stained glass chapel that juxtaposed by the crowds of young people filling the church space. We thank God for opening these doors and allowing this fellow church planter the space to continue his mission as he and his staff expand to two services to accommodate this ever growing church.

Help Beloved pray for provision as costs have now increased and much of their tabernacle offering was used for revamping classrooms and outside church areas. We praise God for opening the doors to this beautiful church and beautiful new season for Beloved church.
We thank God for the ways that Pastor Will Chung has grown and remained connected with City to City Southern California and we continue to pray that his work in Orange County is impacting the surrounding area.

We praise God for his gift to reach and teach Millenials and Gen Z and we pray that this transition be of a massive blessing to the city of Fullerton and generations to come!

To learn more about Beloved church, you can visit their website here: https://www.thebelovedchurch.com

After the Eaton fires swept through our city earlier this year, we—like so many—were deeply impacted. The building we worshiped in was completely lost, along with all of our equipment. As a brand-new church plant, this could have ended our story before it really began.

But instead of breaking us, it formed us.

Though our numbers were smaller, our church became stronger—more trusting of God, more united together, and more engaged with our community. By God’s grace, within weeks of the fire, we were given a new worship location with a morning service time and able to borrow some sound and video equipment. Even more, God has opened doors for us to serve our city in ways we never imagined. We’re still partnering weekly with Dena Relief to distribute supplies to families in need, and we’ve launched a Relief Sponsorship Program, committing to walk with 25 households affected by the fires—offering prayer, practical assistance, and spiritual encouragement.


We’re actively looking for more churches and individuals to sponsor families, so that every household is surrounded by a community that sees them, supports them, and prays for them.

Through it all, we’ve seen God move powerfully. Churches from across the country have come alongside us to support relief work. We celebrated Easter with double our usual attendance, welcomed many new faces, and witnessed our first baptism. To date, over $100,000 has been raised for local relief—and we’re still praying and working toward another $150,000 to meet the urgent needs of families still recovering.

Like many other fire-impacted churches, we’re now sharing space with multiple congregations. And even that has become a sign of God’s work—building a more unified church in Pasadena and Altadena. We believe true renewal in our city will come through a united church, and we’re seeing that vision take shape.

Through the ashes, renewal is coming. And we’re just getting started.

Pastors David and Nanie Correa recently made a bold and faith-filled decision to relocate Eden Church from its original location in a Santa Ana bar to KidWorks, a respected community nonprofit at the heart of the city. This move was more than a logistical shift—it was a prayerful response to God’s leading and a renewed commitment to serve families of all ages in a more holistic and lasting way.

For three years, Eden Church gathered in a bar, an unconventional venue that drew curiosity and allowed them to connect with people who might never consider attending a traditional church. But over time, as their vision deepened and their own family grew, David and Nanie began to feel a stirring that the space no longer aligned with their call. While the bar was a place of outreach, it was not a place where children and families could thrive together in worship. Their desire to minister to bilingual households and create a space where grandparents, parents, and children could all grow in faith side by side became increasingly central to their mission.

Their move to KidWorks represents a strategic and Spirit-led pivot into one of the most underserved neighborhoods in Santa Ana. The area faces high levels of gang activity, low graduation rates, and widespread economic hardship. Rather than retreat, the Correas saw a divine opportunity. Partnering with KidWorks—a Christian nonprofit that serves hundreds of children and families—they stepped into a space already rooted in the community and filled with potential for transformation.

The impact was immediate. On their first Sunday at KidWorks, which happened to be Easter, over 100 people attended. The children’s ministry alone grew from just five kids to twenty in a single week. Families who had never been part of a church before began attending. One family showed up simply because their young child had a deep desire to learn about Jesus and urged his parents to find a church. These are the moments that affirm Eden’s mission: to be a church that brings people together across generations, languages, and backgrounds.

The transition has not been without challenges. Adapting to a multipurpose space, ensuring safety in a new environment, and balancing ministry with raising their own young children have stretched the Correas and their team. But they remain committed. As Pastor David shared, “We can choose to be comfortable, or we can choose to grow. We’re choosing growth—for the sake of the families God is calling us to reach.”

Through community events, strong partnerships with KidWorks, and a faithful presence in a neighborhood often overlooked, Eden Church is pursuing its vision of being a church where families worship together, grow together, and encounter the love of Jesus together. In the heart of Santa Ana, they are planting deep roots—believing that the gospel is for every generation, and every home.