Mission

We believe that nothing promotes peace and health across our world like the spreading of the Gospel. It is our mission as a church to passionately pursue God, healthy relationships, and people who need Jesus here, near & far.

Our Gospel Mission “here” is a reminder that mission exists, first, within the family of faith. Our here mission includes all of our efforts to help those who are part of our church family to come to know Jesus, and grow in our faith and purpose for the Kingdom. From our Sunday services and other church events… to our Small Groups, Adult Discipleship, Care, Men’s & Women’s, Young Adults, Students, and Children’s Ministries… we are on mission for Christ.

Our Gospel Mission “near” and “far” then, is a natural overflow that moves into our surrounding communities and to the ends of the Earth as the Lord sends us out on mission.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

Meet the missionaries we support

Church Planting

One of the most effective ways the gospel is spread to the nations is through church planting. Wanting to be more intentional in our efforts to be a church-planting church, OCF formalized its partnership with the Acts 29 Network in 2017. Over the years OCF has partnered with Acts 29 in order to plant churches in places like Seattle, India, Northern California and Southern California.

Because these partnerships have been so successful in the past, we took the step of formalizing our role within the network. This includes being a support church for new church plants financially, being a mentor church, and using the resources of our people and gifts to provide hands-on support for local church plants.

Additionally, we have been asking the Lord to help us identify and raise up church planters from within our own church and we are excited for what the Lord will do in, and through, this partnership going forward.

Partner Churches & Church Planters

Arise Ventura

Pastor Steve Ross

First EV-Free Church of LA

Pastor Scott Yetter

Reformed Church of LA

Reverend Rudy Rubio

The Well SGV

Pastor David Park

OCF York House

The OCF York House is a supportive transitional home in Hawthorne meant to bridge the gap from homelessness to permanent housing. The York House is an extension of the current transitional program already active through our partnership with Family Promise of the South Bay.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” | Matt 25:35

Since moving to our current location in El Segundo, OCF has had a big heart and deep desire to have an impact in our neighboring community of Hawthorne. Over the years we’ve partnered with some amazing ministries that have allowed us to get involved and serve the community in different ways, but we believed there was something more. We just didn’t yet know what God wanted that to be.

While that desire sat in waiting, OCF began a partnership with Family Promise of the South Bay in 2014, a new program that supported local families struggling with homelessness. Family Promise (FP) helps keep families together, find and sustain housing in the South Bay through a community-based approach. Two of those approaches include FP’s rotation program and transitional housing program. OCF has served as a host site for FP’s rotation program, hosting families in our church building for one-week at a time, four times a year. We’re known as the “holiday church” because we typically host the weeks of Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Then came 2021.

We continued to have a great partnership going with Family Promise, but we also saw the growing homeless problem in our local communities. It seemed like homelessness was everywhere and we wanted to be a part of the solution. We began conversations with FP about their transitional housing program, and learned how it worked for a church to own a house and partner with FP so that it could be used as a transitional home for homeless families. FP was excited about expanding the partnership and we were ready and hopeful to finally find a place in Hawthorne that we could use to help local families.

God gave us the York House in August 2021! And it couldn’t be a more perfect home for transitional housing.

Community Partners

Family Promise of the South Bay

Family Promise of the South Bay is a community-based approach to solving homelessness, engaging both the local community as well as faith-based organizations in an effort to effectively remedy family homelessness. OCF has partnered with Family Promise since 2015, originally as a host church for rotational stays, then in 2022, we purchased the York House which currently serves as a transitional home for families.

Love Life: House of Refuge

Love Life unites and mobilizes the Church to end abortion and the orphan crisis by supporting those facing unplanned pregnancies. In 2022 OCF became a House of Refuge in partnership with Love Life to actively removes barriers to choosing life. We offer mentorship, baby showers, and resource connections, both within and beyond our church community, including support near abortion clinics. Join our House of Refuge team today!

Haven Academy of the Arts

OCF has a longstanding partnership with Haven Academy of the Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing character in future leaders through performing arts, equipping them with life skills and purpose to make a lasting impact in our community. Haven Academy offers high-quality performing arts training for youth aged 3-21, prioritizing character development.

Pregnancy Help Center

The Pregnancy Help Center in Torrance offers a safe, confidential, and compassionate space for women navigating unexpected or crisis pregnancies. Providing practical support such as counseling and various services, the center aims to empower women to make informed decisions for themselves and their babies. We welcome volunteers to serve as lay counselors, RNs, or office assistants.

S.A.Y. YES!

S.A.Y. Yes! accompanies youth and families from 1st grade through high school, offering role models, love, school support, and encouragement for personal growth. Every Tuesday through Thursday, the structured youth center is active at 1st EV-Free Church of LA in Pico Union. Our focus is not just on providing a safe place for our kids after school, but on making a deep relational investment in their development as people. Volunteering provides a firsthand understanding of our mission. For further details and volunteer opportunities, please contact Stan & Wanda Yetter.

For more information please contact Laura Survant