There was a time not so long ago when declining membership in churches was a source of great worry and concern. It is a recognized fact that there has to be a focal point for people and what better than a church where you learn the word of God and get a road map for the kind of person you ought to be. Heart of the Canyons Church, the Contemporary Church Canyon Country realized that in order to be meaningful in the present context to a broad age-group, the church services have to either blend contemporary elements into the traditional services, or have separate contemporary services for the younger generation.

The youth at Heart of the Canyons Church, a  Contemporary Church Canyon Country meet on Wednesday evenings and at 10:45 on Sunday mornings at laMesa Junior High. These services are naturally youth-oriented. The messages deal directly with the issues and concerns that the young are dealing with. The question arises – what is the difference between traditional church services and contemporary church services. Traditional services use a prescribed order of worship. Contemporary services are more freeform. At Heart of the Canyons  Church, a Contemporary Church Canyon Country, corporate worship in the main services blends traditional and contemporary worship. There are Bible studies for members of all age groups. It is believed that a family that prays together stays together. Consequently, there is a service for children, young people of Junior High School and those who are in Senior High School.

There are small groups for men, women and families. There are separate counseling groups for those who are planning to get married, and for couples. In all their programs, there is a deep underlying concern for the well-being of others.

The Contemporary Church Canyon Country runs a  special program called Care Ministry. Within this ministry, there are teams of people who work on a rotation basis for various Ministries. For instance, there is a Hospital Ministry, where a team works with those who are in hospital or are confined at home; a Meal Ministry, where the members who form a team ensure that families where there is a new born baby, or there is some illness, or surgery, have food to eat and are cared for.

This service is also extended to homes where there has been an accident or maybe death; a Prayer Chain, where the team receives prayer requests. These requests can be sent to Contemporary Church Canyon Country either by telephone or email. The team prays for that need, and then passes it onto the next person in the chain. Likewise, there are teams that deal in the same manner with grief – Grief Share, and divorce – Divorce Care.

The Contemporary Church Canyon Country has teachings for all groups of people, be it youth, children, adults and families. Special sessions are held for the youth to give them proper guidance during their most important years of their life. Teachings like speaking the truth always, having respect for elders and having faith in God, are some of the things taught to  youth, who are exposed by and pressured to give into to what society says is okay, rather than biblical truths taught by the church.

Heart of the Canyons church, the Evangelical Christian Church in Santa Clarita has as its guiding light, the words of Jesus which state: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. The members of Evangelical Christian Church Santa Clarita believe that this is the Great Commission that has been given to them. They are to go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey the word of God.

The Great Commandment that the Evangelical Christian Church believes in is: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt. 22:37-40. It is these – the Great Commandment and the Great Commission that create the main elements of this Evangelical Church. From this have grown Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry and Evangelism!

Not only are the members of the Evangelical Christian Church Santa Clarita supportive of each other, but their focus is in their growing in faith. In the Evangelical Christian Church there is great music and the sermons are very inspiring. The church itself has a casual atmosphere, because the members believe in dealing with real life issues and do not want to be distracted by externals. There is a Children’s Ministry, a Junior High Ministry, and a High School Ministry. The main aim is to develop a Christ-like maturity in all those who worship here. Further, the church equips the members to help in the in-house ministry programs and also to go as missionaries into the world.

It is through Bible study that the parishioners of Evangelical Christian Church Santa Clarita understand what their mission in life is. Studying the Bible also helps them to grow spiritually. Thus, through Worship they express their love for Jesus, through Fellowship they build meaningful relationships, through Discipleship, they learn how to equip themselves to live deeply Christian lives and to serve, and lastly, through Evangelism, they learn to share God’s message.

The Evangelical Christian Church Santa Clarita understands that the house of the Lord is a place of worship of the Christian community, where all get together to praise the name of the Lord. Sunday is the common day, when the the congregation attends corporate worship with the entire family as followers of the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ. This community strongly believes that God has called all of human kind to be together and live together as all humans belong to God alone. Lord Jesus Christ is believed by the congregation at Evangelical Christian Church Santa Clarita to be the center of human history and all people live for him.

Santa Clarita is an area where there is a strong feeling of neighborhood and responsibility for the community. There are many churches in Santa Clarita like the Service Church Santa Clarita at Heart of the Canyons Church. Members at Heart of the Canyons live to know and love Jesus and to love and serve others and are directed to this end both in the church services held every Sunday as well as through programs where there is something for every member of the family.
The Service Church Santa Clarita has besides the Pastor, various Elders and Trustees who work tirelessly for the church. All churches have Children’s ministries, and Youth wings. For instance the Children’s ministry in The Sanctuary church is called the CHAMPS children’s ministry and the youth wing is called UTURN. There are all kinds of events planned for the different age groups where the members bond and reach out to the needy in the community. In fact in all churches the spirit of service is very strong, and there is a well-developed outreach program.

Some  Service Church Santa Clarita applications have a hotline that anyone in distress can contact so that no one need feel alone in times of trouble. The greatest service the church does is to provide non-judgmental support to its members. The Our Lady of Perpetual Hep is a Catholic church in Newhall. They have 3 parishes for their 7000-odd members, and the church grounds have a meeting hall, and a conference center. The main event this church organizes is in September. It is called the Barbeque Fiesta. This church offers Little Church services for children who are in the age group of 3 to 5 years.
People gather to work together at the Service Church Santa Clarita and also worship the name of the Lord and help themselves as well as others in pursuing the plan, God has chalked out for this world. The Bible which is ‘the’ holy book is also revered by the congregation as the authoritative word of God. Prophecies of the Old Testament that were fulfilled by Jesus, when He redeemed the people of God, with His life, His death, and His resurrection all which are grounded in the facts in history are the rules by which the congregation conducts themselves.

They have the Sacramental Preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation and First Communion, Continuing Catholic Faith Formation and Home Study programs for those who cannot attend regular religious classes at Service Church Santa Clarita. What is of great interest is that this church has classes in English and Spanish. The Grace Community Church conducts Bible Studies. There are many groups, and are called – ONEIGHTY, Crossroads, Grace Life, Joint Heirs, Mainstream, Sojourners, Faith Builders and Cornerstone. These are spread out over Santa Clarita and everyone is invited to join the nearest group. The committee is committed to leading the Christians in the true fellowship of the way and path adorned for us by none other than the Lord Himself.

Santa Clarita Valley lies in the Santa Clara River valley and is home to Heart of the Canyons Church Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship.  The church is in Santa Clarita in Southern California.  Santa Clarita Valley stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. The Valley is made up of many areas including the Stevenson Ranch Community, Valencia, Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, Castaic, Val Verde, Agua Dulce, and Acton. It also includes the new community of the Newhall Ranch. Downstream is the Heritage Valley and upstream is the Soledad Canyon. This is an extremely picturesque area with the river, lakes, mountains and forests. Since these are small communities at the Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship that have come together, there is a great feeling of neighborhood.

Heart of the Canyons Church is very active in the Community.  On October 10th Heart of the Canyons is hosting Arise.  Arise is an outreach event organized by the Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship.  It’s October 10th from 12:30 to 4:00 at LaMesa Junior High.  There will be a dodge ball tournament and a free concert.  This is also an outreach event for those seeking good, clean SCV fellowship and fun.

Heart of the Canyons wants want good things to happen to their home area, be it economical growth and development, recreational facilities for all, medical care, educational institutions, religious organizations, and all modern conveniences.  The church is very active in the community and is a very active body of the Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship as well.

Heart of the Canyons Church lives to know and love Jesus and to love and serve others. Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship at Heart of the Canyons has created small groups that meet during the week for fellowship, sharing, accountability, Bible study and prayer. They have Men’s Ministries, Women’s Ministries, Refuge and Insight for youth and Kidz Quest for children.  There is an online calendar that includes  Community Calendar events and this is one way we develop a strong bond between all the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship.

For instance, in August, heart of the Canyons Church was the only church to participate in the Santa Clarita Valley Day for Kids.  Invitations were handed out to the Fall Fair, which was a great Santa Clarita Valley Fellowship event with free food, games and a Magic Show.  Next year in April, Heart of the Canyons Church will sponsor ShareLife, another fair-like event with a food drive for Help Feed the Children and a Blood Drive for Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.