NorthPark Community Church

In 1994, a tragic 6.1 earthquake hit the Santa Clarita Valley and folks around here were both literally and emotionally shaken.  It was no surprise that in many people’s hearts there was movement, too.  There was a renewed sense of the fragility of life.  People began to ask really important questions about what--in the end--matters.  They wondered where--if anywhere--to find something to hang on to that could not be moved.  Good questions.   

About the same time, a small group of about 12 families began to talk and pray about cultivating a new church in this Valley—a Christ-centered, Bible-believing, relationship-focused place where God could be experienced and known.  We all shared a special affection for God and for the people of this city, and dreamed about planting a unique community of regular people where the tragedies and the joys of life could be experienced together and where the answers to the big questions in life could be found.

In 1995, as we began meeting on Sunday’s at 4pm at an old campus in Placerita Canyon.  By 1996, we had secured a lease for a 2,000 square-foot space where we built a 70-seat sanctuary, complete with a small kid’s area and nursery right next to the La Cocina Mexican Restaurant.  In September, we officially opened our doors to the public as “NorthPark Community Church” and soon became known for our solid Bible teaching and creative and lively services and worship. 


We soon had two Sunday morning services, and then three.  We were busting at the seams!  Next, we rented the dance studio next door to accommodate all the children.  Our small home groups called “LifeGroups” --where people really got to know and love each other--were thriving.  In 1998, a nearby Chiropractor’s space was transformed into our first “Youth Center”.       

There was a definite “buzz” around town about NorthPark.  People were experiencing something different, something real.  Marriages were being strengthened, and lives were turning around.  There was an excitement in the air because it was clear: God was working.  His grace was being internalized, His truth was being taught, and there was just a lot of life being shared.  

About this time, our future began to be a real concern.  Although we’d made the most of our small environs, there were limits to what we could do with rented space.  So, a good number of us met one Sunday at the NorthPark Gazeebo on McBean Parkway and prayed for our future. 




We asked God to provide a new and bigger lease space for us to grow but also, ultimately, we prayed for a piece of land to build a permanent home.

In 1999, God provided us our next, (though unlikely!), home.  We became the first church in town to set up next to a liquor store!  We had a blast as over a hundred volunteers transformed the old “Goodwill” space on Seco Canyon Road into a warm place where we could continue to thrive.  And thrive we did!  When it was first built, this new space had a 280 seat sanctuary, nine classrooms and a small kitchen.

In 2001, another tragedy hit, and this time the whole country was shaken.  The 9/11 attacks challenged folks to again think through their priorities and many in our town came back to church.  This caused us again to come together and pray about finding a permanent place to put down roots in this Valley.  We wanted to carve out a place where people could come--in times of crisis and questioning, or in times of peaceful searching. 


Out of these prayers came a clear sense that God was going to provide a permanent home for NorthPark Community Church—one that would for generations to come be a special place where God could be experienced and loved, and so could His people.  We began to “Chart Our Course” for the future, trusting God to provide.  In the mean time, we continued to rent more and more space in our humble strip mall to accommodate 4 Sunday Morning Services, a Youth Center, an Adult Education Room, offices, and more.

In November 2004, over 800 of us met in the Hyatt Grand Ballroom to celebrate God’s provision for us to finally buy a piece of land that will be the more permanent home of NorthPark Community Church. 





As a testament to our continuing desire to have a lasting presence here in the Santa Clarita Valley, we’ve purchased an eleven-acre plot of land located in the Rye Canyon Business Park near the corner of Newhall Ranch Road and Copperhill. 

We broke ground in January of this year on a building project which is scheduled to be completed in winter 2008. Our plans include a 700-seat sanctuary, 16 classrooms (which during the week will house Trinity Classical Academy ), as well as an event/wedding center, bell tower, sports complex, etc.--all of which we hope will continue what has been a long-held dream to bless this community.

Our 12-year journey as a church has been an amazing and exciting ride!  One thing’s for sure—we’ve had a lot of fun along the way.  We know the dream that has motivated us all along is really God’s dream—it’s all about His deep desire to know and love His people and be known and loved by them.  We’ve had the pleasure of experiencing that deep and wonderful love, and we're glad to be a part of "keeping the Dream alive"!

Click Here for our Building Project Update.