News from Sacred Place

Exodus 19 and 20 and communion this Sunday, 11:00 AM, in person or online.

Exodus 14 together this Sunday, in person only, 11:00 AM.

Mission Sunday, September 27—in person only, and this one needs you in the room.

Abram is told to go, with no map. This morning at 11:00, in person or on the stream.

Jonah, and the last Sunday of Hold On. In person at 11, or watch from wherever you are.

Gethsemane, week six of Hold On. In person at 11, or watch live.

Plus: Exploring Membership starts Sunday, right after worship.

Plus: a new class this fall for anyone curious about membership.

Nobody ever fixed it, and it stayed in the book anyway. Plus the new Sacred Place app is live.

Abraham bargains with God for a whole city. Plus backpacks, communion, and a new home for online giving.

I’m away this Sunday, so go be together. Brunch is on us.

Help us get a headcount before Friday, whoever you’re bringing.

Week two of Hold On: the slow work of trust after a rupture. We gather Sunday at 11:00 AM Pacific, in person or online.

Hold On begins Sunday, our summer series on what faith does when God goes quiet. We gather at 11:00 AM Pacific, in person or online.

Our Found Family finale is tomorrow—Esther, empire, and the courage to stop hiding, on a complicated Fourth of July.

Why we keep Open and Affirming Sunday—and gather at the open table this week.

Week three of Found Family—I’m back, and we’re in Ruth 3 together.

Week two of Found Family—and again this Sunday, we study it together.

Our Pride series opens in Ruth—and this first week, we study it together.

Seven years, and the door is still open.

The day the waiting breaks open.

What holds you when you can't see what you're becoming?

This Sunday is Mother’s Day—and at Sacred Place, we honor all the women in our lives and in our community. Not just mothers. All of them.

Sunday, May 3 — Acts 16, communion, and what worship does in a cell.

Our Mission Sunday Brunch location has changed to Lazy Dog Restaurant (11560 Fourth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 near Ontario Mills). You can view their...

Hey Sacred Place Family, This Sunday is Mission Sunday, which means I have the day off—and you all get to be the church without me for a morning. I love that. I...

This Sunday is Mission Sunday—we’re gathering for brunch at Kick Back Jack’s at 11 AM. Sacred Place is covering the cost. RSVP at...

Hey Sacred Place Family, This Sunday is Mission Sunday—which means we’re forgoing our regular gathering format and doing something different instead. As we turn...

Happy Friday, Sacred Place— This has been a week. I keep coming back to our text for this week and there’s something I just can’t shake. Rachel Held Evans wrote...

Hey Sacred Place Family, The holiest days of the Christian year begin tonight. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday—three gatherings, three texts, one...

Hey Sacred Place Family, The holiest days of the Christian year begin tonight. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday—three gatherings, three texts, one...

Hey Sacred Place Family, The same crowd that shouted hosanna on Sunday is standing at the cross by Friday. This week we hold both moments at once—the branches...

Hey Sacred Place Family, We are deep in Lent now—five weeks in—and the text has brought us to a courtroom. Tomorrow, on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, we sit with...

Good morning Sacred Place Family, We are spending the heart of this Lenten series inside a single night in the Gospel of John—the long hours between the upper...

Hey Sacred Place Family, We are three weeks into Lent, and the story is getting harder to look away from. This Sunday we sit with Peter—warming himself by a...

Ten days before Christmas, many of us are already tired. The lists are long. The calendar is full. The world feels loud, and the pressure to feel merry can be...

Greetings Sacred Place Family, This Sunday, we stand beside the prophet Amos and listen for the roar of God—a voice that cuts through comfort and calls us back...

Hi Sacred Place friends, This Sunday, October 26, you’re invited to a joyful and justice-rooted experience for all ages: our Reformation Sunday Festival!...

Friends, This Sunday we’re diving into one of those stories that reminds us just how differently God sees the world. In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel is sent...

Friends, This Sunday we’re diving into one of those stories that reminds us just how differently God sees the world. In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel is...

Hi friends, This Sunday, September 28, is Mission Sunday: Called to Show Up. No sermon. No music. No traditional liturgy. Just us, showing up together for...

Here’s what’s going on today at Sacred Place. This note offers you a glimpse of our shared liturgy, the songs we sing, and the ways we live out our call to...

Dear Sacred Place Family, This Sunday, August 31, we close our Rooted in Resistance summer series with a Mission Sunday focused on justice.Instead of our usual...

Grace and peace to you, friends! This Sunday (August 24) we conclude our summer series Rooted in Resistance with A Sacred Rebellion (Revelation 21:1–7;...

Events of Interest Last week we ended our Pride Month reflections rooted in the book of Jeremiah, and we find ourselves standing at a threshold — one hand...

If yesterday’s temperatures are any indication—along with the calendar, of course—summer has definitely arrived. This Sunday, we’ll conclude our Pride Month...

Good morning, Sacred Place Family, This Sunday is Mission Sunday! We’ll be gathering at our usual times, with coffee and snacks at 10:30 AM, and our...

Greetings! Pastor Matthew here. This season, the Spirit is moving — in surprising conversations, expanding circles, and the grace we make visible together. As...

It’s What We Build Together  Dear Sacred Place Family, I hope this message finds you well—and more than that, I hope it finds you curious. Curious about your...

Hello Sacred Place! This Sunday, April 27, we gather for our monthly Mission Sunday—a time set aside each month to reflect on our shared work of Justice,...

Hey friends, After two weeks away for spring break, I’m so glad to be back—and so grateful for the ways you all kept showing up. From Mission Sunday to Small...

Friday, March 21, 2025 Hey Sacred Place Family, Even though I’m away this week, I wanted to take a moment to say how grateful I am for this community. As we...

As we continue our Lenten journey, Jesus calls us not just to listen, but to heed his words—even when they challenge us. This Sunday, we hear a warning, not...

As we continue our Lenten journey, I want to personally invite you to join us this Sunday as we reflect on what it means to listen to love. Through the parable...

Ash Wednesday invites us into a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. The ashes we receive are not marks of shame, but signs of hope—reminders of our...

On the Calendar What’s going on and updates from Bryan! Community Building Good Morning, Sacred Place! Join us tomorrow at the Mission Center at 11:00 AM...

Join us this Sunday @ 11 AM That’s right, this Sunday at 11 AM, we gather for an abbreviated worship service, followed by our Annual Meeting—a time to reflect...

From Pastor Matthew: My apologies for missing my email earlier this week. I had annual HR training on Tuesday, thus Monday was jam-packed. This Sunday, we begin...

Is it even important? How can navigate our need for our own rest, with our responsibilities to ourselves, our families and our world? Join us Sunday, February 2...

I’ve been a part of Sacred Place since before there was a Sacred Place. February 24 will mark 6 years since I decided (seemingly on a whim) to change my...

Greetings Sacred Place Family! This Sunday, we’re kicking off the new year of Mission Sundays with a special gathering focused on the heart of who we are...

Good Morning, Sacred Place Family; In the last couple of weeks we have watched as California has experienced significant tragedy. Many of us have been directly...

As I shared this past Sunday, our friends at Altadena Community Church UCC did indeed loose their building to the Eaton Fire last week. How can you help? The...

The Christ child has arrived. A new year has begun. The Christmas decorations are coming down, and today we celebrate the arrival of the magi to visit the young...

Each year, the Sunday between Christmas and New Year, we close everything down to give our staff and families time to rest. Materials are available on our...

Ooof. This year’s flu is brutal. I am back in the office, and catching up after several days in bed with a high fever. 100% do not recommend. Thankfully, I am...

We are just two weeks away from Christmas Eve by Candlelight! Despite the inconsistency in my verbal announcements, we will gather at 5 PM on Tuesday, December...

I’m fascinated by trees. You can never tell everything that’s going on with a tree just by looking at it. There’s a whole life that happens...

That future seems further away than it did just a little over a week ago. I’m still putting my thoughts together on how we best move forward in a community...

As I promised yesterday, the RSVP for the Thanksgiving Luncheon on Sunday, November 24, is available here. Here, I’ll even make a button for you....

It is hard to believe that November has already arrived. Fall is finally in the air, and Halloween is behind us. Christmas decorations are already appearing in...

This Sunday, wear your red because it’s Reformation Sunday (here’s a nice bit of info from our friends in the UMC)! One of our 5 strands of heritage...

What happens when our ideas of how things should be don’t line up with how things are, or how they end up? What do we do when the things we think we know...

Happy Wednesday everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving, or Indigenous People’s Day as we call it here in the US. I would much rather...

Join us this Sunday, October 6th, online or in person at 11 AM for communion and week 2 of our series Unfolding Promises. Refresbments and conversation at 10:30...

Pastor Matthew will unexpectedly out of town this Sunday, but please join me for music and a small group discussion From the book of Exodus in the Old...

We’ve been through several seasons in our 5 years as Sacred Place. When we began as a new church start in 2019, we could not have predicted the upheaval of the...

Community Updates What’s going on with our community partners. Teach Us How to Pray Beginning in October, Sacred Place will be offering an event that’s...

Hey Sacred Place Family! First of all, an invite: This Sunday for Mission Sunday, we’re doing brunch at the Mission Center at 11 AM. We’ll catch up with one...

After a crazy hot week/weekend things are finally cooling off a bit. Mornings are lovely! The air quality from the fires is improving a bit. It’s nice...

Okay, that might be a really bad pun with how hot it has been this week. And yet, it’s a busy month at Sacred Place. With five Sundays, there is a bit...

Here are some things to look for in the coming weeks. Community Partnerships Pomona Valley Pride‘s PRISM Coalition will be meeting via Zoom on Thursday,...

Sacred Place is unique in many ways. The most important way is that we’re one of the few affirming churches in Rancho Cucamonga. Many don’t even know that...

One of the coolest things I ever participated in happened about 15 years ago at a going away party. A friend was moving across the country, and it was my last...

Mission Sundays are when we set aside time to focus on one of our core values: justice, inclusion, and family. These might be a special guided conversation, a...

Your story is sacred. Theme: Discovery Join us every month in Rancho Cucamonga as we gather for an hour of storytelling. Sacred Story Hour is a welcoming space...

Your story is sacred. This month, we’re adding a workshop before Sacred Story Hour. Come and share your ideas and get some pointers on telling your story....

Join us as we celebrate the arrival of our Fall programming with our Fall Kick Off Sunday. Pastor Matthew will start our new fall sermon series and we’ll...

Hey Sacred Place Family! Sorry for the delay in my weekly post. I had a sick kiddo at home the last two days, so I’m playing catch-up. This Sunday, for...

Upcoming Sundays August 18 11 AM: Humankind and the Animals [in-person] [online] Guest Musician: Selah! Pastor Matthew reflects on Psalm 104 5 PM:...

Growing up in Texas, my experience of school is a bit different than we’ve experienced as parents in Rancho Cucamonga. First of all, summer is wayyyy shorter...

A note from Pastor Matthew: I’m back this Sunday for our next installment of Creation Care. This week we turn to humankind’s relationship with water, apropos...

Pastor Matthew will be out of town for the next 2 Sundays. But we’ll still be here! This Sunday we will be taking a deeper look at the Creation story in...

Hi! This is a draft post. Did you know that there are a bunch of nice formatting options in this editor? For example: Block quotes are a nice way to put a quote...

Happy Tuesday, Sacred Place family! I’m writing you from somewhere much chillier than usual as I’m working from the bleachers at Anaheim Ice where the youngest...

Join us as we look more closely at the relationship between humankind and animals as well as our responsibility for our actions which harm creation during our...

Mission Sundays are when we set aside time to focus on one of our core values: justice, inclusion, and family. These might be a special guided conversation, a...

Quick Notes for this Sunday, July 14 @ 11 AM – Creation Care, Week 2 + Christmas in July Sunday [online church link]@ 5 PM – Summer Picnic [details...

The video for this post is missing. Join us at 5 PM at Red Hill Community Park (7484 Vineyard Ave Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730). We’ll be at Shelter E near the...

Greetings Sacred Place Family! Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦 and an early Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸🎆 As I shared last week, June was a relaxing month to start...

Your story is sacred. Theme: TBA Join us every first Sunday evening in Rancho Cucamonga as we gather for an hour of storytelling. Sacred Story Hour is...

Your story is sacred. This month, we’re adding a workshop before Sacred Story Hour. Come and share your ideas and get some pointers on telling your story....

“Creation Care,” is our new series through which we explore our sacred duty to protect and nurture the Earth. Over the course of five Sundays sprinkled...

Join us for a special summer Sunday with small group discussions. This week, we’ll look more closely at the themes from Creation Care—humankind and our...

How can 10 Backpacks make a Sacred moment? Yesterday I dropped all of this off at the Rancho Cucamonga Community Center. I’d never been there before. It’s...

I’m baaaaack. I’m still catching up on email and everything, so if you’re expecting a response from me, please be patient. I’ll keep this brief as I’m just...

Mission Sundays are when we set aside time to focus on one of our core values: justice, inclusion, and family. These might be a special guided conversation, a...

It’s time for a picnic. We haven’t done a picnic since 2021! We’re long overdue. We’ll gather in the evening for a summer picnic at a local...

Your story is sacred. Theme: Pride Join us every first Sunday evening in Rancho Cucamonga as we gather for an hour of storytelling. Sacred Story...

Thanks for reading Sacred Place on Substack! Subscribe to receive new posts. Happy Pride Month! June is a great month, and for Sacred Place, there’s a lot to be...

The Sacred Place 5th Anniversary Celebration is this Sunday, June 9 starting at 10:30 AM. We’ll have cake, share stories, and give thanks for Sacred Place. On...

This was the scene outside the Mission Center last weekend! Sunday as we waited for the tent to come down, a group of us gathered for Family Brunch at Sammy’s...

As people dedicated to Inclusion, Affirming Sunday is the perfect way to kick of Pride Month at Sacred Place. On Affirming Sunday, we gather with churches...

*** A quick additional note for everyone! Our building is being fumigated for termites this weekend. There will be no building access until Tuesday afternoon....

Sorry this email is a day late. I’m still working through some of the planning for this Summer, so I wanted to wait until I had the rest of June planned out a...

Join us as we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community as a sacred part of God’s family. In partnership with Pomona Valley Pride.

Mission Sundays are when we set aside time to focus on one of our core values: justice, inclusion, and family. These might be a special guided conversation, a...

This summer we’re going to take a few weeks to shake things up with different activities. We’re calling them Sumer Special Sundays. Each one will have a...

Can you believe it’s been five years since we founded Sacred Place with our first gathering on June 9th at Jasper Elementary?! Join us as we celebrate the...

Happy Monday, Sacred Place Family! There’s a lot going on over the next month as we head into summer. I’m looking forward to shaking things up a little bit and...

Each year, we set aside the month of June to celebrate those who are often marginalized by the church. We look at the stories from Scripture which focus on the...

Grace and peace to you! This Sunday, we conclude our time in the first letter to the church at Corinth with a look at where we find hope in all of this...

Happy Friday Sacred Place! There are some things happening soon that we think you should all know about! Everyone has a place at the table Last week, I had the...

First of all, I owe you an apology. I have been very inconsistent at making sure that our weekly emails go out. Good intentions don’t make things actually...

Mission Sundays are when we set aside time to focus on one of our core values: justice, inclusion, and family. These might be a special guided conversation, a...

Join us on Pentecost Sunday as we celebrate the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. We’ll explore how the Spirit unites us in diversity, equipping and...

Celebrate the ultimate victory over death as we reflect on the promise of resurrection and embrace the hope of new life in Christ. Join us as we journey toward...

This week, we reflect on the transformative power of love. Explore how love heals, reconciles, and brings forth new life in our relationships and communities.

This month‘s Mission Sunday invites us to do some spring cleaning. We’ll invoke the teachings of Marie Kondo as we let go of the things which no longer...

Journey with us as we witness the courage of early believers in proclaiming the resurrection. Explore how their bold witness inspires us to boldly proclaim hope...

Experience the transformative power of resurrection as we discover how Christ’s resurrection brings restoration and healing to our broken world, ushering...

Join us as we embark on our journey of hope, exploring how Christ’s resurrection renews our vision for the future and empowers us to embrace the promise of...

Oh boy. Looking at the calendar for the next two weeks is somewhat alarming. We have 5 gatherings over a 14-day period. March Mission Sunday, March 17 @ 10:30...

Good morning, Sacred Place Family! In just a couple hours we will be gathering for fellowship and reflection. This morning is the next stop in our series “The...

Mission Sunday is this Sunday, January 28, 2024, at 10:30 AM! I’m sure that all of us have—at one time or another—heard the saying; “Preach the gospel at all...

Celebrate the joy of Easter Sunday with us at Sacred Place! Join our uplifting worship gathering as we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, filled with...

Step into the solemn beauty of our Good Friday Tenebrae as we observe the passion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ through a candlelit service of darkness. Join us...

Join us for a meaningful Maundy Thursday dinner where we celebrate the spirit of inclusivity and love. Experience a night of fellowship, reflection, and a...

On this Palm + Passion Sunday, journey with us as we reflect on the shadow of expectation and devotion. Explore the contrasts between the triumphant entry and...

This month‘s Mission Sunday invites us to reflect on our spirituality as Easter approaches, reaffirming our individual and collective identities in the world....

Immerse yourself in a season of reflection and connection during Sacred Shadows at Sacred Place. Join us for moments of contemplation, shared conversations, and...

Immerse yourself in a season of reflection and connection during Sacred Shadows at Sacred Place. Join us for moments of contemplation, shared conversations, and...

It’s time for our Family Brunch! We’ll provide the main dish and you can bring a side. Sign ups are available, so we don’t have 12 sides of...

Join us this Sunday at Sacred Place as we embark on our Lenten sermon series, Sacred Shadows. This week, we delve into Mark 10:17–31, exploring themes of...

Embark on a contemplative journey of self-reflection this Ash Wednesday at Sacred Place. Join us as we mark the beginning of Lent with a meaningful service that...

This Sunday, we conclude our journey through “The Way of Jesus” with an exploration of Mark 8:27–9:8. In this pivotal passage, we’ll examine the profound moment...

Join us for the next stop in our series “The Way of Jesus,” focusing on Mark 6:1-30. This Sunday, we’ll explore the themes of faith, doubt,...

This month we focus on Inclusion with our friends and special guests Aaron Bailey and Jennifer Fisher from Launchpad. They will lead a conversation on the...

This week, it‘s “The Way of the Word,” part of the inspiring series The Way of Jesus, we will delve into the teachings found in Mark 4:1–34 and Mark 5:1–20. As...

Join us tomorrow for Christmas Eve gatherings at 10:30 AM or 5:30 PM! Christmas Eve: Story + Song Sunday, December 24, 2023 ❅ 10:30 AM Join us for a morning...

We close out the 12 Days of Christmas with the arrival of the three magi. Join us for our first celebration of the new year. May the shining star guide us to...

Christmas time is almost here! It’s hard to believe that we’re a week away from Christmas. Between now and December 25th, we have three gatherings to help you...

That’s right! The first annual Sacred Place Cookie Night is tomorrow, December 12 at 5:30 PM! We’ll gather in the kitchen with a preheated oven to bake cookies!...

Oops. I scheduled this email for the wrong week. You’ll get another email reflection from me on Friday, but below, you’ll find an updated version of what Bryan...

For those of you who were able to attend the Advent Festival yesterday, thank you for joining us. It was a lot of fun! As I shared yesterday, our copier was...

For our traditional Christmas Eve gathering, we welcome the light of the world by lighting our Advent candles and then, in celebration, we will light the Christ...

Join us for a morning gathering of the Christmas story told through music and readings. Christmas Eve: Story + Song is a festive celebration for the whole...

Though Christmastime is often filled with joy, for many of us, it is also filled with sadness and the reminder of loss. Join us for our annual gathering on the...

On the fourth Sunday in Advent, we turn to the story of the birth of John the Baptist. How is the love of God revealed in these words? How do we each experience...

We’ll gather in the kitchen with a preheated oven to bake cookies! You’re invited to bring your own cookie dough (plus rolling pin, and cookie cutters if you...

This week, we look for the Advent theme of Peace.

This Sunday, November 19, is our Sacred Place Thanksgiving Celebration. We’ll have our usual time of refreshments and fellowship at 10:30 followed by an...

This Week’s Construction Update The kitchen walls have been patched, textured, and primed. They’re ready for cabinets! The floor in our main gathering space is...

The year may be winding down, but things at Sacred Place are just getting started! Every year I say to myself; “Self, the year has gone by so fast.” This year...

Join us for the first annual Sacred Place Advent Festival! We’ll have crafts, refreshments, and activities to help us prepare for the holiday season. Want...

We will conclude our fall series, “Story-Bearers” this week, where God promises a faithful king who will judge with righteousness. And then, we’ll join...

In another chapter from our series, “Story-Bearers,” this week, God’s people are reminded that though they aren’t obedient, God will never give upon them.

Oops. I decided at the last minute that, since we didn’t have a screen yesterday due to the construction, I should make a printed version of the announcements...

Good Morning Sacred Place! Join us Sunday, October 29 at 10:30 AM for food and fun. It’s become a Sacred Place tradition that the fifth Sunday of the month is...

We continue our series, “Story-Bearers.” This week, God’s people have forgotten the stories of their ancestors again, turning to worship Baal over Adonai.

Join us Sunday, October 29 at 10:30 AM for our Sacred Place Fall Festival! We’ll have food, games, and costumes! Every 5th Sunday, we try and do something...

Join Bryan on Sunday, October 22 for snacks and conversations about our stories as Sacred Place family.   How did you get here? What makes this your Sacred...

Join us for Drag Queen Story Time; a chat with Frank Guzman, the director of Pomona Valley Pride; and much more!

Join us on Sunday, June 4th as we celebrate the 4th Anniversary of our first gathering of Sacred Place.

Sunday, April 9 • 11 AM 10289 25th Street, Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Friday, April 7 • 6:30 PM

It turns out Pastor Matthew has to have to have surgery to allow his finger to heal properly. Thursday afternoon is the available option, so we have to cancel...

Sunday, April 2 • 11 AM 10289 25th St, Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Sacred Place is a young church based in Rancho Cucamonga. We first gathered in June of 2019 at Jasper Elementary in Alta Loma. The launch team spent more than...