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What Coastal means by…

We use Coastal to describe both our geography and our posture. We serve along the coastal regions of Southern California, but we also live at the edge—where the Church meets the culture, and faith meets daily life.
Mission is the work of God Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—sending His people into the world with the gospel. We don’t invent it; we join it.
A Society is a fellowship of believers united around a shared calling. Coastal Mission Society is a community of pastors, churches, and lay leaders who work together for the advance of the gospel through new ministries and church planting.
To mobilize means to equip and send people into action. We train and prepare everyday believers to live out their faith as witnesses, servants, and leaders in their communities.
The royal priesthood is God’s people—the baptized—who live out their faith by praying, serving, teaching, forgiving, and representing Christ in the world (1 Peter 2:9).
Coastal SoCal refers to our mission field: the coastal counties of Southern California—Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Santa Barbara—where millions live largely unreached by the gospel.
They are the believers scattered through neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and coastal communities—placed there by God’s providence. CMS views the region not as a mission field “out there” but as a vast network of everyday mission posts already filled with God’s people.
When a teacher prays for a colleague, when a parent comforts a neighbor, when a small group begins to study Scripture together, the Church’s presence expands. CMS exists to connect and equip these believers so that the gospel’s presence becomes visible across cities and coastlines.
Your baptismal identity is who you are in Christ. Through Baptism, God forgives your sins, gives you His Spirit, and calls you His child. Everything in your life and leadership flows from that identity.
Kingdom expansion is the Spirit’s ongoing work of bringing people under Christ’s reign through faith. It’s not about building an organization—it’s about lives transformed by the gospel.
The Book of Acts shows that mission is ultimately the Holy Spirit’s work. The Spirit sends, gathers, and establishes the Church through the Word. CMS does not claim to lead a new movement; we are simply participating in the same movement the Spirit has been leading since Pentecost in the first century (see Acts 2).
Joining the Spirit’s movement means prayerfully discerning where God is already at work in people’s lives and neighborhoods, then cooperating with that work through faithful witness and care. It is both deeply spiritual and profoundly practical—rooted in Scripture, expressed in love of neighbor, and always centered on Christ.
A leader is any believer who is living out their baptismal identity through their God-given vocation. They exercise their spiritual gifts for the good of their neighbors. Leadership in the Church begins with identity—finding oneself “in Christ” and belonging to Him—before it ever concerns authority or position.
The Church is the assembly of believers among whom the gospel is purely taught and the sacraments are rightly administered. This means the Church exists wherever Christ’s Word and gifts are given, not because of architecture or incorporation status.
CMS’s mission is to help those assemblies come into being and to keep them tethered to pastoral oversight and sound doctrine. We measure fruit not by attendance but by faithfulness: Are the Word and Sacraments present? Are disciples being formed? Are neighbors being loved? Are existing churches sending and new churches emerging as a result? When the answer is yes, the Church is alive.
A sacramental church centers everything on Christ giving Himself through tangible means—water, bread, & wine, combined with the spoken Word. In Baptism and Holy Communion, heaven touches earth and forgiveness is delivered bodily.
Many modern expressions of so-called Christianity emphasize personal experience and decision or moral improvement. While we would never deny that these can be evidence that the Spirit is working faith in someone, a true church focuses first on God’s initiative, not ours. That conviction shapes mission itself: evangelism becomes an invitation to receive Christ’s real presence, not a demand to achieve spiritual results. It also ensures that mercy ministries flow from the same source—the grace that Christ physically imparts to His people.
To be confessional means holding to the historic teachings of the Christian faith as expressed in the Creeds and Reformation Confessions, especially the Book of Concord. It’s our way of saying: we stand where the Church has always stood—on Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone.
To equip means to prepare believers to live out their faith in real life and mission. We form leaders through Word, prayer, and practice—helping people discover their calling, grow in maturity, and serve effectively in their homes, workplaces, churches, and communities. Equipping is how the Church strengthens the priesthood of all believers for the work God has already given them to do.

Getting Involved

Leadership in the Church begins with baptism, not position. Every believer who has been baptized into Christ has been anointed for priestly service in the world—called to pray, to serve, to witness, and to love in Christ’s name. Leadership is therefore not a ladder to climb but a life to live faithfully.
From that foundation, leadership takes many forms. Some serve as pastors or missionaries; others as teachers, parents, elders, or businesspeople who bring Christian wisdom to their spheres of influence. CMS helps congregations rediscover this biblical understanding: that true leadership flows from a heart shaped by grace and a life lived under Christ’s authority. When leaders know who they are in Christ, their service becomes steady, humble, and fruitful.
We look for faithfulness before giftedness. In Scripture, leaders are recognized not by charisma but by character, doctrine, and the fruit of service (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). CMS encourages pastors and congregations to notice those who quietly take responsibility for others, who demonstrate theological curiosity, and who bring the gospel into everyday life.
Identification happens relationally, not bureaucratically. Through mentoring and community life, potential leaders emerge naturally. CMS then provides equipping environments where they can be tested, trained, and supported for future roles—whether in local congregations, mission bases, or network service.
The local congregation is the seedbed of all leadership development. It is within the worshiping community that faith is nourished, doctrine is taught, and spiritual gifts are discerned. Pastors and lay mentors observe the growth of disciples and invite them into service.
CMS exists to strengthen that process, not replace it. We provide frameworks, coaching, and training that help congregations intentionally raise up leaders from within. Every new ministry or mission base should emerge out of an existing congregation’s life and prayer. The Church sends leaders because the Church first formed them.
Most leadership in the Church happens outside church walls—in homes, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. CMS equips believers to see those arenas as mission fields and to practice faithfulness in daily life. Through training modules and coaching, we help people integrate theology with vocation so that their work, relationships, and influence all bear witness to Christ.
Whether a person leads a small team at work, teaches children, manages a business, or volunteers in community service, each has been placed by God to be a blessing. CMS calls this missional vocation—the intersection of faith and daily responsibility where the gospel is lived out naturally.
While CMS does not ordain pastors, we work in close partnership with the Pacific Southwest District, local call committees, and Concordia Seminary’s pastoral formation programs. When the Spirit raises up individuals sensing a call to pastoral ministry, we guide them toward these formal channels for theological education and ordination.
Along the way, CMS provides supplemental formation—mentoring, practical field experience, and integration with local mission bases—so that candidates are equipped both doctrinally and practically. After ordination, CMS continues offering coaching and community to sustain pastors in ministry. The aim is lifelong pastoral health, not just credentialing.
They are distinct callings that work together in harmony. Pastors are called and ordained to publicly preach the Word, administer the Sacraments, and shepherd the Church. Lay leaders serve within their vocations, carrying the gospel into every sphere of life.
CMS’s ecosystem depends on both. Lay leaders initiate mission bases, build community, and identify needs; pastors ensure doctrinal fidelity, sacramental ministry, and pastoral care. The two callings complement one another, forming a single missionary body. Every new ministry succeeds when both pastoral oversight and lay participation are present.
We emphasize that ministry effectiveness flows from spiritual integrity. CMS trains leaders to cultivate habits of prayer, repentance, and Sabbath rest. Through the Rooted Rhythms—daily devotion, prayer, breaking strongholds, generosity, service, storytelling, and worship—leaders learn to live in grace, not exhaustion.
Regular coaching conversations, peer mentoring, and pastoral check-ins provide spaces for honesty and renewal. Healthy leaders create healthy communities; our system is designed to protect both.
CMS affirms the full dignity, gifts, and calling of women in the body of Christ. Within the biblical order of the Church’s public ministry, women serve as teachers, mentors, evangelists, deacons, musicians, administrators, and leaders of mission bases or teams under pastoral oversight.
Our training pathways are open to all baptized believers. Women participate fully in the Equipping Series and are vital contributors to theological conversation, congregational renewal, and community mission. Our focus is to form every believer—male and female—for faithful service according to the gifts and calling God gives.
Mission in Scripture is always shared. Paul traveled with Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and others because the gospel advances through community. Jesus sent his disciples out 2×2. CMS trains leaders to work in teams that combine diverse gifts—apostolic, pastoral, prophetic, teaching, and serving—so that ministry remains balanced and sustainable.
Team formation is part of every Equipping Pathway. Participants learn conflict resolution, shared discernment, and mutual accountability. Collaboration reduces isolation, strengthens witness, and models the unity Christ prayed for in John 17.
Coaching is both relational and theological. Each participant in the Equipping Series is paired with a trained coach or mentor who provides guidance, accountability, and spiritual support. Coaching sessions connect doctrine with practice—asking what the gospel means for a leader’s current situation.
Mentors are experienced pastors, missionaries, and lay leaders who embody the virtues we hope to see reproduced: humility, patience, and courage. This mentoring structure ensures that growth is personal, contextual, and consistent with the Church’s confession.
Mission bases are led by a small lay team under pastoral oversight from a sending congregation or a designated pastor. Day-to-day leadership is deliberately simple and reproducible so the group remains relational, faithful, and sustainable.
Core rhythms (weekly to monthly):
- Gather: Scripture and prayer in homes or public spaces; shared meals and hospitality.
- Care: Practical care for participants; benevolence and mercy projects appropriate to the context.
- Form: Ongoing catechesis for new and growing believers; clear next steps toward congregational life.
- Discern: Regular check-ins with the pastor/coach to review doctrine, shepherding needs, and the pace of growth.
- Serve: Neighborhood presence and service that fits the place (schools, surf community, immigrant corridors, recovery networks, etc.).
Team roles:
- Gatherer: gets people gathered and connected.
- Shepherd: Ensures Scripture and prayer remain central; collaborates with the overseeing pastor for content and care needs
- Hospitality Lead: hosts or coordinates spaces and meals, and welcoming for newcomers.
- Care/Service Lead: tracks needs inside the group and organizes outward service.
- Scribe: captures prayers, stories, and needs to share with the sending church and coach.
Pastoral oversight and guardrails:
- Formalized preaching and administering the Sacraments remain under the leadership of an ordained pastor
- Mission bases do not function as independent congregations or administer Sacraments apart from pastoral care.
- The base stays relationally grafted to its sending congregation; financial stewardship and safeguarding practices follow that church’s policies, until it is affirmed for mission congregation status. At this point either an itinerant mission pastor or called pastor to that mission will be partnered with the mission team(s).
- CMS provides coaching, tools, and doctrinal review in partnership with the pastor and district so the base grows toward Word-and-Sacrament congregational life when appropriate. If workers within CMS are ordained, they may be tapped to work alongside emerging mission congregations when the beginnings of word and sacrament ministry begin to surface (e.g. a baptism is needed, the group desires to receive communion together, there is intentionality toward becoming a local church, etc.)
This pattern keeps mission bases local, accountable, and centered on Christ, while giving them enough structure to care for people well.
We measure growth through fruit, not fame—doctrine, character, and community impact. Competencies are assessed in three dimensions: biblical and theological understanding, relational and spiritual health, and practical ministry application.
Evaluation happens through self-assessment, mentor feedback, and observable outcomes in real ministry settings. The goal is transformation: leaders who trust the gospel more deeply and lead others toward the same faithfulness.
When a leader and/or team completes the Primer sessions and demonstrates readiness, the sending congregation and district formally commission them for service. There is a short application process for this which we guide every leader through who is starting a ministry. Applications, in some cases, result in some funding, depending on the scope, plan, and connection to a PSD congregation and mission society. CMS participates in that process through prayer, equipping, affirmation, and continued coaching.
Commissioning is not graduation—it’s partnership. Every sent leader who is connected through Coastal Mission Society, regardless of calling, remains connected to the local church body that forms them, accountable in doctrine and supported in prayer. In this way, sending becomes a celebration of unity, not separation.
All CMS leaders and members subscribe to the core confessions of the Christian faith as summarized in the Scriptures, the Creeds, and the Book of Concord. Each training environment revisits these foundations repeatedly.
Regular theological gatherings, doctrinal reviews, and district partnerships ensure consistency across ministries. If disagreements arise, they are handled through fraternal conversation and pastoral mediation, seeking restoration rather than division.
We intentionally raise up “leaders of leaders.” Those leaders are invited to the Fellow Worker Pathway of the Equipping Series and will be developed in various forms of leadership among mission and local church leaders.
This approach multiplies capacity without losing coherence. It ensures that as the network grows, its DNA—biblical faithfulness, sacramental life, and pastoral care—remains intact. Trainers model what they teach and replicate a culture of grace and truth.
The gospel calls all nations and cultures into one body. CMS actively seeks to identify and equip leaders from every ethnic and linguistic background represented in Southern California. Training materials and coaching relationships may be contextualized for culture and language while remaining faithful to Scripture.
Diversity for us is not demographic or DEA tokenism, but theological necessity and developed on the basis of forming relationships among different people. The body of Christ is richer and more complete when many voices and cultures confess one Lord together.
Our vision is to see a self-sustaining ecosystem of leaders who can disciple others, start new ministries, and strengthen congregations without dependence on external programs. Each leader formed through CMS becomes a multiplier, carrying forward the same gospel-centered, vocationally rooted approach.
Ultimately, leadership formation is not about perpetuating an organization but serving the Church’s future. When believers know their identity, pastors are well-formed, and congregations are equipped to send, the gospel continues to advance through generations. That is the kind of legacy CMS exists to build.
Congregations start by praying for clarity about their neighborhood and identifying a small group(s) of leaders willing to explore mission together. CMS then walks with that team through coaching, mission formation, and practical planning. Some churches host regional equipping events or mentor other congregations beginning the same process.
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Yes, in appropriate ways that remain transparent and open with our existing affiliations. We gladly collaborate with Christians who confess Christ and share the essentials of the gospel message. Partnerships range from community service projects to shared training events or mission bases developed under local pastoral oversight.

Christianity & Becoming Christian

Becoming a Christian is not something we achieve; it is something God does for us. The Bible says that we are “born again” not by our own will, but by the Spirit and Word of God (John 3:5–8; 1 Peter 1:23). When you hear the good news about Jesus—that He lived, died, and rose to forgive your sins—the Holy Spirit works through that message to create faith in your heart.
Faith is trust. It means believing that what Jesus did counts for you. Through Baptism, God seals that promise to you personally. Baptism is more than a symbol; it is God’s way of adopting you into His family and giving you a new identity in Christ.
So, God turns a person into a Christian by giving new life through His Word and Spirit. You don’t climb up to Him; He comes down to you, forgives your sin, and makes you His child.
A Christian is someone who belongs to Jesus Christ—someone forgiven, loved, and made new. Christians trust that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save sinners.
Being a Christian is not about being perfect; it’s about being connected to the One who is. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Small Catechism explains in the Creed, “I believe that Jesus Christ… has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person… that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom.”
Christians live each day in that truth—turning from sin, receiving forgiveness, and learning to love others as God has loved them.
Yes. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). That may sound narrow, but it is actually the widest invitation ever given—because Jesus welcomes everyone.
Every religion in the world tries to build a path from earth to heaven. Christianity teaches the opposite: heaven came down to us. In Jesus, God entered our broken world to rescue us. Because He alone defeated sin and death, He alone can bring us back to God.
Faith in Jesus is not arrogance—it is trust in the only One who has done what we could never do.
The Bible is God’s Word written for us. It tells the true story of His love from creation to new creation. It has two main parts: the Old Testament, which prepares for the coming of Jesus, and the New Testament, which tells what He did and what it means for us.
Although many human authors wrote the Bible over centuries, the Holy Spirit guided them so that every part points to God’s plan of salvation in Christ. Everything written in it points to Jesus. It’s not a random book of rules—it’s a story of rescue, showing who God is and how He keeps His promises.
Christians read the Bible to hear God’s voice. Through it, He still speaks forgiveness, guidance, and hope.
Christians go to church to meet with God and with one another. Church is not a building but a gathering of believers around God’s Word and His gifts. In worship, we hear His forgiveness, receive His body and blood in Communion, pray together, and are strengthened in faith.
God created us for community. The Church is like a body—many parts, one life (1 Corinthians 12). We need each other’s encouragement, prayers, and support. When we gather, Christ promises to be present among us (Matthew 18:20)
Going to church doesn’t make God love us more; it helps us live in the love He already gives.
Joining a church begins with faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that everyone who believes in Him is part of His body, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27). Becoming part of a local congregation helps you live out that faith with others.
If you’ve never been baptized, most churches will start there. If you have been baptized, you’ll usually take a short class to learn what that church believes and how you can participate. Then you’ll be welcomed publicly as a member.
Membership isn’t about signing a contract; it’s about belonging to a community where you can grow, serve, and receive God’s gifts regularly. Ask God to guide you to a congregation that teaches from Scripture and points you to Jesus, not to yourself.
Yes. God’s love for you is stronger than your worst mistake. The Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He didn’t wait for you to clean up your life before loving you—He came to meet you in the middle of your guilt and shame.
Sin is real and serious, but it does not have to be final. On the cross, Jesus took every sin—past, present, and future—and carried it as His own. When He said, “It is finished,” He meant it. Your debt is paid.
When you hear the words of forgiveness—whether spoken by a pastor, a friend, or in the promises of Scripture—it is not just encouragement; it is God Himself speaking to you. Jesus said to His followers, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). His forgiveness is not distant or theoretical. It is declared into your life so that you can live free of guilt and fear.
If the weight of your past feels heavy, talk to someone who can remind you of this truth: nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39). God’s love isn’t based on who you’ve been—it’s based on who Jesus is and what He’s done for you.
It can be confusing to see so many kinds of churches. All true Christians confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that He died and rose to save the world. But over time, people have disagreed about how to understand certain teachings in the Bible, how worship should look, and how churches should be organized.
Some differences are serious—like whether Baptism saves or is only a symbol. Others are about custom and style. Yet in every century, God has kept His promise that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” His Church (Matthew 16:18).
The Small Catechism reminds us that “the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth.” That means Jesus still gathers His people, even when they’re divided. The goal isn’t to prove we’re right but to hold fast to His Word and love one another in truth.
Churches reflect the times and cultures they live in. Some worship services follow patterns that go back hundreds of years, using hymns, vestments, and liturgy that remind people of the Church’s long history. Others use newer music and language to reach people who might never step into a traditional service.
Neither style guarantees faithfulness or faithlessness. What matters is what is being said and who is being worshiped. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
Traditional or modern, the best services center on the same things: God’s Word, prayer, forgiveness, and Communion. The form can change; the gospel does not.
Good deeds don’t earn salvation—Jesus already did that for you. But they matter deeply because they serve your neighbor and bring praise to God. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works… For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
Think of works as the fruit of a healthy tree. The roots—faith in Christ—produce the fruit naturally. When you love, help, or forgive someone, God is working through you.
The Small Catechism teaches that in daily life we “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” That trust shows itself in action. We don’t do good to get into heaven; we do good because heaven has already come to us in Jesus.
No. Karma says that you get what you deserve—that your good or bad actions eventually come back to you. The gospel says the opposite: Jesus got what we deserved, so we can receive what He deserves.
The Bible teaches, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5). Instead of getting even, God gives grace. Instead of balancing the scales, He wipes them clean.
Christians believe in sowing and reaping in this life—our choices do have consequences—but those are not eternal. Eternal life is a gift. Grace breaks the cycle that karma keeps you trapped in.
No. Following Jesus is not tied to a political party. Christians can disagree about policies and still be united in faith. The Bible teaches, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). That means our first loyalty is to Christ, not a platform.
Politics can shape how we live together in society, but it can never save anyone. Christians are called to act justly, speak truth, protect life, and care for their neighbors regardless of political labels.
Faith in Jesus changes how we see people—not as voters to win but as souls to love.
No. Christianity doesn’t fit neatly into any human political category. Some of Jesus’ followers were tax collectors; others were zealots—people who completely disagreed about government—but they followed the same Lord.
The Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The same is true for political divides.
The gospel cuts deeper than left or right. It calls all people to repentance and new life. Christians are free to participate in civic life but never to confuse it with the Kingdom of God.
No. The first Christians in the book of Acts shared their possessions, but they did it freely out of love, not by force or law. Acts 4:32 says, “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”
That was not an economic system; it was a family. The difference is choice. In communism, people are required to give. In Christianity, people give because their hearts are changed.
The Small Catechism reminds us in the Seventh Commandment to “help [our neighbor] to improve and protect his possessions and income.” That means Christians honor personal stewardship while practicing generosity from the heart.
Yes. God’s love is not limited by identity, background, or past. The Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). That includes everyone—without exception.
God doesn’t erase who you are; He redeems who you are. Every human being is made in His image and called to new life in Christ. When you come to Jesus, you don’t lose your worth—you finally discover it.
Sin is real and must be named, but grace is greater. You are not defined by your failures or desires but by the One who gave His life for you.
CMS obviously cannot control the hospitality of other churches, but hopefully, yes. The Church is not a club for perfect people; it is a home for forgiven sinners. Jesus never turned away anyone who came to Him in faith. The Bible says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
Every person has parts of their identity shaped by sin and parts that reflect God’s design. In the Church, we all learn together what it means to find our true identity in Christ. That means no one walks in alone and no one stays unchanged.
The Small Catechism reminds us that in Baptism, “the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die… and a new person daily emerge.” Everyone who enters the Church comes the same way—by grace.
God grows faith the same way He created it: through His Word and Spirit. Faith is not a feeling you must maintain but a relationship God keeps alive through His promises.
When you hear Scripture, pray, gather with other believers, and receive Communion, the Holy Spirit strengthens what He has begun in you. Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
The Christian life is not about climbing upward but about returning daily to the cross, where God’s mercy never runs out. Growth means deeper dependence on His grace, not greater self-reliance.
Joining a church means becoming part of God’s family in a specific place. It connects you to regular teaching, forgiveness, prayer, and encouragement. In the Bible, believers gathered often to hear the apostles’ teaching, break bread, and pray together (Acts 2:42).
A church provides spiritual covering—a pastor to preach and care for you, and brothers and sisters to walk with you. It gives you a place to serve others and use your gifts for God’s glory.
The Small Catechism says that “where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” The local church is where those gifts are shared week after week. It’s the place where heaven touches earth in Word and Sacrament.
Communion is for those who believe in Jesus, recognize their need for His forgiveness, and trust that He gives His true body and blood for their salvation. The Bible says, “Let a person examine himself… for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28–29).
That means Communion is both a comfort and a responsibility. If you’re new to the faith, your pastor will help you prepare through teaching and reflection. When you come to the Lord’s Table, you receive not a symbol but the real presence of Jesus, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Christ invites His followers to receive this gift often, not because they are perfect, but because they are hungry for grace.
As soon as you believe the gospel, you are ready for Baptism. Baptism is not something you do for God—it is something God does for you. Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Through Baptism, God forgives sin, gives the Holy Spirit, and makes you His child. If you were baptized as a baby, that promise still stands; if you haven’t been baptized, there is no reason to wait.
The Small Catechism calls Baptism “a life-long daily drowning of the old self and rising to live before God in righteousness and purity.” It’s a one-time event with an everyday impact.
No. You don’t need to be re-baptized. God’s promises in Baptism don’t expire, even if you’ve wandered far away. The Bible says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).
When you return to God in repentance, you’re not starting over—you’re coming home. Your baptism is still valid because it depends on God’s faithfulness, not your feelings. Confess your sins, receive forgiveness, and know that the same Spirit who first called you is still calling you now.
The Small Catechism teaches that Baptism “indicates that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die.” You don’t need a new baptism—just a new beginning in the grace you already have.
Rejecting God isn’t about having doubts—it’s about refusing His Word and grace. When someone deliberately hardens their heart and says “no” to God’s truth, that’s rejection. Even then, God’s desire is always to bring the person back.
If you’re worried that you’ve rejected Him, that concern itself is a sign that the Spirit is still working in you. The Bible says, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
Rejection happens when a person stops listening altogether. If you are still listening, still asking, still seeking, then God is not far away—He is calling you home.
It is very simple: You receive Christ by trusting His promises. It is not that you chose Him, but that He first chose you. Faith is simply believing what He says about you—that you are forgiven, loved, and accepted through Jesus. John 1:12 says, “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
Receiving God isn’t a mystical feeling or emotional rush. It’s saying, “I believe” to His Word. You don’t have to climb a spiritual ladder; He comes to you through His Word, Baptism, and Communion.
When you hear the gospel and trust it’s true for you, rest assured that you have received God Himself.
Certainty doesn’t come from looking inside yourself. Feelings change; God’s Word doesn’t. The Bible says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Peace with God is not a guess—it’s a gift.
When you wonder whether you’re really forgiven, remember this: God has already declared it. Jesus spoke from the cross, “It is finished.” That was not a wish—it was a verdict. Through His death and resurrection, every barrier between you and God has been removed.
Jesus also gave His followers the authority to speak that forgiveness into the lives of others: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). When those words are spoken to you—“Your sins are forgiven in the name of Jesus”—they carry His authority. They are heaven’s answer to your fear.
The Small Catechism says that forgiveness “is as valid and certain in heaven also as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.” That’s because He is. He still speaks through His Word, through Baptism, and through the Lord’s Supper to assure you that you belong to Him.
You don’t have to climb toward peace—it comes down to you in Jesus. His Word settles the question once and for all: you are forgiven, you are loved, and you are His.
Disciples grow through daily connection with God’s Word and His people. The Bible says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
Start by reading the Bible a little each day, praying honestly, and gathering with other believers regularly. Growth happens slowly and quietly as God shapes your heart and mind through His truth.
That’s okay. Many people feel lost at first when they enter a worship service. The words, songs, and actions might seem strange or formal. Don’t worry—understanding comes with time and attention.
Start by listening closely to the readings and the message. They will always center on Jesus. If something confuses you, ask the pastor or another member afterward. Most churches love helping newcomers learn what’s happening and why.
The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). So keep coming. Over time, the rhythm of worship will become familiar, and you’ll begin to hear God’s voice of forgiveness and love in every part.
By human standards, maybe—but God’s standard is perfect holiness. You read that right: perfection. Yet, the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our problem isn’t that our bad outweighs our good; it’s that even our best deeds can’t erase our sin.
So are we all doomed? Not at all! The good news is that Jesus met that standard for you. He lived the perfect life none of us could live and gave it to you as a gift. When you trust Him, His goodness becomes yours.
So the question isn’t “Am I good enough?” but “Is Jesus good enough?” The answer is yes—and He shares that goodness with you freely. Phew.
This is a common belief among most people in our culture - that there is some “goodness” down deep in all of us, and we just need to somehow muster it up in order to show God and everyone else that we’re actually good people.
However, the Bible teaches that our goodness doesn’t come from within—it comes from God. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” That means we can’t look inward to find peace or purity.
The gospel turns our eyes from inward to ourselves and outward to Jesus. God doesn’t ask us to dig for hidden goodness; He gives us new life altogether. Through faith, we are made righteous in His sight.
The Small Catechism puts it simply: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ… but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” Heaven isn’t reached by self-discovery; it’s received by grace.
The universe can’t want anything—its creation, not Creator. But the Creator desires, and He wants you. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
The stars and galaxies show His power, but Jesus shows His heart. The One who made the universe entered it to bring you back to Himself. You’re not here by accident or cosmic luck or destiny—you’re here because God is calling you into His family.
You don’t need to listen to the universe for signs; you can listen to the Word that made it. That Word became flesh and still speaks: “Come, follow Me.”
You’re in some good company! Jesus’ 12 disciples asked him the exact same question. Prayer is simply talking to God. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, beginning with, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). That means prayer is not a performance; it’s a conversation with your loving Father.
You can pray anytime, anywhere. Tell God what you’re thankful for, what worries you, and where you need help. Listen, too, by reading Scripture—it’s how God speaks back.
Check out the Small Catechism’s section on the Lord’s Prayer. It is very helpful. This is the prayer Jesus gave his disciples and is “the most excellent prayer,” because it covers everything we need: forgiveness, daily bread, protection, and strength. You can start with those words until prayer becomes as natural as breathing.
Faith isn’t a mood or a special feeling—it’s trust in God that shows up in ordinary life. When you pray for strength, forgive someone, work honestly, or help a neighbor, faith is alive and active.
The Bible says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). That means faith is not a one-time event; it’s a daily dependence on Jesus. Faith doesn’t make you perfect—it makes you forgiven, and that forgiveness changes how you live.
As your faith matures, you’ll see how God’s Word shapes every part of your life—your family, friendships, work, and even how you handle pain. Faith looks like love in action because God first loved us.
God speaks through His Word. The Bible is the sure and clear voice of God, where He tells you who He is, what He has done, and what He promises. You don’t need to guess at hidden messages or wait for strange signs.
The writer of Hebrews says, “In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:2). That means everything God wants you to know about His love and will is revealed in Jesus.
You might sense His guidance through prayer, wise counsel, or circumstances, but always test those impressions against Scripture. If it agrees with His Word, you can trust it. If not, let it go. If you’re not sure how to test those impressions against Scripture, that’s when you can talk to other people who have bene Christians for awhile. God’s voice never contradicts His written Word.
To be forgiven means your sin is no longer counted against you. Imagine your worst moment being erased—not covered up, but gone. That’s what Jesus did on the cross. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
Christians talk about forgiveness constantly because it’s the heart of the faith. Without forgiveness, religion is just guilt and rules. With forgiveness, there is freedom and peace.
The Small Catechism says in the Creed that Jesus “has redeemed me… that I may be His own.” Forgiveness restores our relationship with God and makes it possible to forgive others. It is the gift that never stops giving.
Jesus changes everything, but not always in the ways you might expect. Life doesn’t suddenly become easy, but it becomes full of meaning and hope. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When you come to faith, God gives you a new heart—a heart that desires to love Him and others. You begin to see your life differently. Your past no longer defines you, your present is filled with purpose, and your future is secure in Christ.
Some changes will be immediate: freedom from guilt, peace in prayer, and joy in forgiveness. Others happen slowly, as the Spirit reshapes your desires and habits. God isn’t making you religious; He’s making you new.
At church, Christians gather to receive God’s gifts and respond in worship. The service isn’t a concert or a lecture—it’s an encounter with God’s grace.
They listen to Scripture, confess their sins, hear the gospel, pray, sing, and receive Communion. Every part of the service points to what God has done for us in Jesus. The Bible says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16).
Church matters because it’s where God strengthens faith and builds community. It’s also where believers carry one another’s burdens and remind each other of the hope that never fades.
Yes. Every believer struggles with doubt at times. The Bible is full of people who trusted God and still wrestled with fear or uncertainty—Abraham, Moses, Peter, Thomas. Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is trusting God in spite of it.
When you bring your doubts to God in prayer and keep listening to His Word, He strengthens your faith. The man who cried out to Jesus said it well: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
Doubt becomes dangerous only when it drives you away from God instead of toward Him. The good news is that even when your faith feels weak, Jesus holds on to you firmly.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity—fully God, together with the Father and the Son. The Spirit’s work is to bring people to faith and keep them there. Jesus called Him “the Helper,” saying, “He will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).
The Spirit opens our hearts to understand God’s Word, comforts us when we suffer, and gives us courage to love others. He also gives spiritual gifts to build up the Church—teaching, serving, leading, encouraging, and more.
The Small Catechism says, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” That’s what He still does today—calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Church.
Yes—because Baptism is God’s way of making His promises personal. Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Baptism is not a symbol of your decision; it is a gift of God’s grace. Through it, He forgives your sin, gives you His Spirit, and adopts you into His family. It joins you to Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that His victory becomes yours.
If you’ve already been baptized, you never need to repeat it. If you haven’t, talk to a pastor about being baptized soon. God is ready to put His name on you forever.
Start small and stay consistent. You don’t need to read the whole Bible in a week, or even in a year. Begin with one of the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John—to learn about Jesus’ life and teachings.
Before you read, ask God to help you understand what He wants you to know. Read a short section, then pause and think: What does this show me about God? What does it say about me? What promise does God make here?
The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). You don’t have to walk that path alone. A pastor or friend from church can help you learn how to read and apply God’s Word faithfully.
That can be hard. Jesus knew this would happen. He said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). He wasn’t telling you to reject your family—He was preparing you for the fact that following Him sometimes causes tension.
When your loved ones don’t understand, be patient and kind. Let them see the difference Jesus is making in your life. Keep praying for them and showing them the same love God has shown you.
The Holy Spirit can use your quiet faithfulness to draw others closer to Christ. Remember, you are never alone in those moments. The Church becomes your spiritual family, walking with you when the cost feels high.
Every Christian sins daily. Following Jesus doesn’t mean you stop sinning—it means you keep returning to the One who forgives you. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
When we fail, God doesn’t cancel His promise or turn away. He invites us to come back. Repentance isn’t about trying harder—it’s about returning to the cross, where forgiveness never runs dry. There, we find the same Jesus who forgave us the first time, still waiting to forgive again.
Jesus also gives His Church a powerful gift: the authority to announce His forgiveness out loud. He told His followers, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). When a pastor or fellow believer speaks those words to you—“I forgive you in the name of Jesus”—it’s not just encouragement; it is Christ Himself speaking through them. That forgiveness is real, certain, and freeing.
Still, some sins have lasting consequences in our lives and relationships. God’s forgiveness removes guilt, but it doesn’t always erase every earthly result. Healing often takes time, honesty, and help from others. The same God who forgives you also walks with you as you rebuild trust, repair what’s broken, and learn from the past.
So when you mess up, don’t hide. Bring your sin into the light, hear forgiveness spoken, and remember that grace is not a one-time gift—it’s the daily heartbeat of the Christian life.
Yes, though it may unfold gradually. The big purpose is already clear: to love God and love your neighbor. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
Within that calling, God gives each person unique roles—as a friend, worker, parent, student, or neighbor. Those daily roles are your “vocations.” Through them, God serves the world.
So your purpose isn’t something you have to invent; it’s something you live into by grace. Wherever you are, God can use you to reflect His love and truth.
Christians make decisions through prayer, wisdom, and God’s Word. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
When faced with a choice, start with Scripture—does God’s Word clearly say something about it? If not, pray for wisdom, seek advice from faithful believers, and consider how your choice will affect others.
The Holy Spirit works through these ordinary means. Christians don’t have to chase signs or guess at God’s will; they trust that as they walk with Him, He will guide their steps—even through mistakes.
It means Jesus now comes first in your life, and that changes every relationship. Love doesn’t disappear—it deepens, but your priorities shift from “what do I want?” to “what honors God and blesses the other person?”
The Bible teaches, “Flee from sexual immorality… You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:18–20). That means relationships are meant to reflect God’s design—commitment, honesty, and respect.
If your relationship draws you away from God, He calls you to realign it. If it helps you grow in faith and love, then nurture it in purity and prayer. God’s goal is not to take love away but to purify it so it becomes lasting and life-giving.
One meeeeeeeeellion dollars (pinky up to corner of mouth). Just kidding. No one has to—but Christians want to. Giving is part of worship, not a tax. Everything we have already belongs to God, and generosity flows from gratitude. The Bible says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Your gifts help the church share the gospel, care for those in need, and support pastors and ministries. The Small Catechism teaches that we “fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, but help him to improve and protect them.”
So giving isn’t about earning favor with God—it’s about reflecting His generosity to others. Whether your gift is large or small, what matters is the heart behind it.
No. Marriage is a spiritual gift, not a requirement. Some Christians are called to marriage; others are called to serve God in singleness. Both are holy when lived in faith.
The Bible says, “Each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another” (1 Corinthians 7:7). Marriage shows Christ’s love for the Church, but singleness shows His sufficiency—both tell the truth about the gospel.
What matters most is purity of heart and love for God. Whether single or married, your identity and worth are secure in Christ on the basis of his love and commitment to us.
Temptation is part of every Christian’s life. Even Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1–11). The difference is that He never sinned, and now He helps us when we struggle. The Bible says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man… but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
When temptation comes, don’t face it alone. Pray immediately, asking for strength. Turn your thoughts toward God’s Word—it breaks the lies temptation whispers. Avoid situations that feed your weakness, and find a trusted believer or pastor to talk with.
The Small Catechism reminds us in the Lord’s Prayer that we ask God to “lead us not into temptation,” which means He gives power to resist and overcome through His Spirit. Every battle you fight, He fights with you.
Yes. God delights in using ordinary, broken people to do extraordinary things. Nearly everyone in the Bible felt unqualified—Moses stuttered, David failed, Peter denied Jesus, and Paul persecuted the Church. Yet God called each of them by grace.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.” That means your life has divine purpose written into it.
God isn’t waiting for you to become impressive; He’s inviting you to be faithful. He takes weakness and turns it into a vessel for His strength.
If you’re exploring Christianity, your next step is simple: keep listening to God’s Word. Find a Bible-teaching church, talk with the pastor, and ask questions. If you believe in Jesus but haven’t been baptized, ask about Baptism.
Start attending worship regularly and consider joining a class for new believers. Share what you’re learning with a trusted friend. Most of all, pray—thanking God for calling you and asking Him to keep you close.
Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” The next step is always toward Him.
Yes. Forgiveness stands at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. He said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). That doesn’t mean pretending nothing happened or inviting the person to keep hurting you. Forgiveness is not the same as trust or reconciliation—it is releasing your right to revenge and handing the matter to God, who alone judges perfectly.
When you forgive, you are saying, “This wound is real, but so is Christ’s mercy.” The Bible teaches that Jesus gave His followers authority to speak His forgiveness on earth: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). When you forgive someone in His name, you are extending the same grace He spoke to you. It’s not empty words; it’s Christ Himself freeing both you and the other person from the grip of sin.
Still, forgiveness doesn’t erase the pain or undo the damage. Some wounds leave scars that must be tended with care—boundaries, counseling, accountability, and time. God’s healing is often gradual. You can forgive from your heart while still protecting yourself from further harm.
If the hurt continues to weigh on you, bring it into prayer and, if possible, into conversation with a pastor. The Small Catechism reminds us that when forgiveness is spoken, “it is as valid and certain in heaven also as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.” God sees your pain, bears it with you, and promises that His mercy is stronger than the wrong that was done.

Coastal Mission Society

CMS exists to equip the Royal Priesthood in Southern California for the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom. We come alongside congregations as they form new Christian communities by equipping believers to live out their baptismal callings. The aim is not to add programs but to cultivate spiritual health and missionary imagination within the existing Church.
We do this by offering leader formation pathways, learning communities, and collaborative planning with congregations. Every initiative begins with the same conviction: the Holy Spirit is already active in the Church; our task is to recognize and join that movement faithfully.
CMS does not replace or compete with the Church; it serves the Church. We have no authority independent of the congregations and pastors we partner with. Oversight is shared between our board of directors and the Pacific Southwest District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, ensuring doctrinal integrity and transparent accountability.
Where denominational structures often focus on administration, a mission society focuses on mobilization—helping the existing Church move outward in mission. CMS provides training, coaching, and connection across congregations so that what happens in one place can strengthen others.
Right now, our primary field is the coastal region of Southern California—the 805 area code corridor (Santa Barbara County to Santa Clarita), Los Angeles and Long Beach areas south through Orange County and to Camp Pendleton—with relational ties and partnerships extending into San Diego and Northern Baja. We serve here because this corridor is home to millions who have little connection to a confessional, sacramental Christian community.
These coastal cities are globally influential, culturally diverse, and spiritually fragmented. When the gospel takes root here, its witness extends far beyond our region. CMS therefore treats this coast not merely as a mission field but as a launching point for worldwide witness.
The coastal corridor from Santa Barbara, out to Santa Clarita, and down to San Clemente, this region is one of the most densely populated yet under-churched regions in the United States. Many communities have little access to a Word-and-Sacrament congregation within reach of everyday life. CMS serves here because this is where God has placed us, and because the diversity, creativity, and global influence of the region make it a natural launching point for wider mission.
Our proximity to ports, universities, and immigrant communities means that ministry here touches the nations. Planting and strengthening churches along this coast is not merely local work—it is global in impact.
CMS stands within the “one holy catholic [*Christian] and apostolic Church” as confessed in the Creeds. Everything we teach and practice arises from Scripture and the Church’s shared confession of Christ crucified and risen.
Our partnerships are intentionally ecumenical in friendship but confessional in content. We gladly collaborate with other Christians where we share the gospel’s essentials while maintaining fidelity to the historic doctrines of the faith as put forth in the Reformation creeds, confessions, and other documents contained in the Book of Concord.
No. The Holy Spirit’s movement began long before CMS existed—on the day of Pentecost in the 1st Century when Christ poured out His Spirit on the Church (see Acts 2). Every faithful ministry since then has simply joined that ongoing work.
CMS’s role is to recognize where the Spirit is already gathering people and to strengthen that work through partnership, building support, leader formation and interconnectedness of churches in proximity to one another. We are not starting a new thing; we are stewarding the same divine movement that has carried the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
Yes. Coastal Mission Society (CMS) is a fully recognized and accountable organization working in partnership with the Pacific Southwest District (PSD) of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. We operate with both theological and organizational oversight—not as an independent movement, but as a collaborative ministry within the district’s network of mission societies.
CMS is governed by a board of directors that provides regular oversight for doctrine, direction, and operations. Our board includes pastors, church leaders, and professionals who review all major decisions, budgets, and initiatives. The Executive Director reports to the board and maintains open communication with the PSD’s district president and mission staff.
We also maintain strong financial accountability. All donations are tracked and reported, and funds are used solely for their designated purposes in mission, training, and leadership development. Our financial practices follow district standards and are reviewed regularly to ensure full transparency.
Spiritually, CMS remains anchored in the confession and mission of the Church. Our leaders are called and sent by their congregations and work in harmony with the PSD and local pastors. We don’t replace the local church—we serve it.
So yes—CMS is absolutely legit. We are rooted in the Church, accountable in our governance, transparent in our finances, and focused on one goal: advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ across coastal Southern California through faithful and cooperative mission.
Yes. Coastal Mission Society is part of the wider fellowship of churches and ministries within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), operating under the care and partnership of the Pacific Southwest District (PSD).
We share in the LCMS’s confessional faith—centered on Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone—and we carry out our mission in alignment with the PSD’s vision for gospel outreach and leadership development.
That said, CMS is not a congregation or a governing body. We are a mission society, which means we work alongside local LCMS churches and pastors to start new ministries, form leaders, and strengthen congregations already in place. Our role is to help the Church expand, not to create a separate system.
Because our mission field often includes people outside traditional church walls, we also collaborate—appropriately and carefully—with other Christian partners who share our core confession of Christ. Every partnership is guided by our doctrinal commitments and our accountability to the PSD.
In short, CMS is deeply rooted in its Lutheran identity, joyfully cooperative in its partnerships, and fully connected to the denominational structures that oversee our faith and work.
You had to go there, didn’t you :) We believe these are worldly categories that don’t really describe the life of the true Church. Our message is simpler and older than either label—it’s summed up in three words: Christ for you.
If you’re asking this question, that probably isn’t going to be enough for you, so here goes - not trying to dodge, but give our truthful answer to this question: Our confession of faith stands within the historic, catholic, and apostolic Church. We hold to the authority of Holy Scripture as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Creeds of the early Church as faithful summaries of biblical truth. The theological documents collected in the Book of Concord (1580) further articulate that same confession—clarifying how the Church understands grace, faith, and the sacraments according to Scripture. We regard those writings not as innovations, but as witnesses that help the Church in any time or culture stay clear about what the scripture says the gospel promises and what it does not.
For CMS, that confession is not a boundary marker for pride; it is a foundation for mission. It preserves the purity of the gospel so that what we proclaim and what we practice remain united. The same Christ who speaks through Scripture also comes to His people through Baptism, Absolution, and the Supper. Holding fast to that reality keeps our work from drifting into ideology or mere activism. It keeps the focus where it belongs—on Christ crucified and risen for the life of the world. If someone calls that conservative, it is only because Jesus is unchanging in His truth and mercy.
On the flip side of things (if that’s how you view it), we gladly enter secular and pluralistic spaces where the Church’s presence has waned, forming communities that may not look like traditional parishes but are centered on Word and Sacrament nonetheless. We send teams into neighborhoods, cafes, schools, and recovery circles long before buildings or budgets exist. Our leaders are trained in dialog and hospitality, fluent in the language of culture while remaining rooted in the language of faith. We welcome questions, honor complexity, and believe that the gospel speaks freshly in every generation without changing in essence. If that seems progressive, it is only because Jesus continues to seek the lost and renew His Church. The gospel transcends the cultural spectrum. It judges and redeems every age alike.
CMS functions under the oversight of its board of directors and in partnership with the Pacific Southwest District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. This structure provides theological review, financial transparency, and clear channels of pastoral accountability.
We are not an independent or freelance operation. All ministry occurs in concert with the congregations and leaders who share in the same confession of faith. Oversight protects both doctrine and people, ensuring that every new ministry remains connected to the wider Church rather than drifting into isolation.
Our non-negotiables are the essentials of the historic Christian faith: the authority of Holy Scripture as the inspired and infallible Word of God; the Trinitarian confession of the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds; the centrality of Christ’s atoning death and resurrection; and the conviction that the gospel is delivered through the ministry of Word and Sacrament.
We confess the distinction between Law and Gospel as vital for understanding both human need and divine grace. The Law reveals sin and drives us to repentance; the Gospel announces forgiveness, life, and salvation through Christ alone. Every doctrine and practice flows from that rhythm.
These commitments are not boundary markers of pride but the guardrails that keep the Church on the path of truth. They ensure that the mission remains Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and grounded in the promises of God rather than in the innovations of man.
CMS stands within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, joyfully confessing the faith as expressed in the historic Creeds and the Book of Concord. Our theology is both sacramental and missionary—rooted in the means of grace and extending outward through the priesthood of all believers.
We hold Scripture and the confessions together: Scripture is the norm that governs all doctrine, and the confessions are the faithful witness of how the Church has understood that Word. In this sense, CMS is not a new theological expression but a practical renewal of ancient truth in contemporary mission.
Coastal’s distinctiveness lies not in a new doctrine but in a restored relationship between doctrine and mission. Many ministries specialize either in theological precision or missional creativity; CMS refuses to separate them. We believe sound doctrine is the engine of faithful mission, and mission is the proving ground of sound doctrine.
Practically, this means we train leaders to think theologically and theologians to act missionally. Every initiative—whether planting, equipping, or resourcing—is built to preserve confessional integrity while multiplying gospel presence in daily life.
Unity is a gift before it is an achievement. CMS maintains unity by centering everything on the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and the gospel of justification by grace through faith. Diversity in style, culture, and context is welcomed so long as doctrine remains sound and mission flows from the same grace
Our leaders gather regularly for theological conversation, prayer, and mutual correction. Unity of faith allows for diversity of form; this keeps the network relationally rich without compromising truth.
Grace comes first and last. Good works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation. CMS teaches that believers are justified by grace through faith apart from works, yet that same faith inevitably bears fruit in love and service.
Our equipping continually reinforces this so leaders avoid both pride and despair. Ministry is never about earning God’s favor; it is about expressing the favor already given in Christ.
The result of Paul’s 2 year equipping ministry in Ephesus was that “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord...” Our desire is the same that all the residents of Coastal Southern California would hear the word of the Lord.
For us, this happens as
1. every royal priest is living out their baptismal calling (“vocation space”)
2. every neigbborhood has a gospel presence (“mission base”)
3. every enclave is served by a Christ-proclaiming church
4. every church is a sending church
Scripture judges culture; culture never judges Scripture. Yet the same Word that exposes sin also addresses culture with compassion. CMS teaches leaders to listen carefully to their communities so they can speak the gospel meaningfully without compromising truth.
Culture is neither enemy nor master—it is mission field. The Church’s task is not withdrawal but faithful engagement, bringing the light of Christ into the world’s questions and wounds.
We engage through conversation, not confrontation. CMS welcomes dialogue with other traditions, scholars, and ministries because truth is strengthened through testing and discussion.
When we listen charitably and speak clearly, we model the very gospel we proclaim. Dialogue is not dilution; it is witness—showing confidence in Christ’s truth while treating others with respect.
Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). CMS teaches that every believer receives gifts meant for service, not self-expression.
Our training helps leaders discern, develop, and deploy these gifts within teams and congregations. Gifts operate best when guided by Scripture and exercised in love. The Spirit’s work is always ordered toward unity, not competition.
By 2031 and beyond, we pray to see a Church that is doctrinally sound, sacramentally alive, and missionally engaged—a Church where every believer knows their baptismal identity and lives it out with courage and compassion.
We imagine congregations that multiply not because of programs but because of people shaped by grace; pastors and leaders who work tirelessly together across generations and cultures; and communities where the gospel is visible in word, deed, and worship.
Such a Church would not belong to Coastal Mission Society—it would belong entirely to Christ. Our joy is to serve His movement until every shore of Southern California echoes with the good news of His kingdom.

Mission & Strategy

In the process of mission work, a mission base is the earliest, simplest form of Christian community. It’s usually a handful of believers who begin gathering around Scripture and prayer, practicing hospitality, and intentionally caring for their neighbors. They meet in homes, parks, or cafés—wherever life naturally happens—and they learn to listen for what the Spirit is already doing in that place.
The aim is not to create a new program but to live as the Church in miniature. As relationships deepen, new believers come to faith, existing believers mature, and gifts for leadership begin to surface. The group starts to display the essential marks of the Church—Word, prayer, and fellowship—even before public worship begins.
When a mission base grows to the point that pastoral care and the sacraments are needed regularly, CMS helps connect it to a sending congregation or pastor. From there, it can mature into a Word-and-Sacrament congregation, still relationally tied to the body that helped it begin. In this way, church planting is not a leap into the unknown but the natural outgrowth of a community that is already alive in Christ.
Acts 11–13 portrays Antioch as a sending hub. From that congregation, the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for missionary work. Antioch prayed, gave, and sent.
Acts 19–20 shows Ephesus as a regional center where Paul trained leaders from across Asia Minor who then carried the gospel back to their cities.
These two prototypes shape how CMS serves the Church today. We encourage Antioch-type congregations—healthy churches that can train and send—and Ephesus-type networks—regional clusters of churches that learn and grow together. Both forms are needed for gospel expansion that is doctrinally faithful and locally sustainable.
“100 in 10” is a regional goal to launch one hundred new gospel-proclaiming ministries by 2031. CMS partners with the District to help make that goal concrete by identifying leaders, providing equipping pathways, and walking alongside congregations as they discern where new Word-and-Sacrament communities may emerge.
Our work functions as the connective framework that helps those individual efforts thrive together. Rather than competing projects, we see every new ministry as part of the same Spirit-led expansion of Christ’s Church.
“25 by 2031” is CMS’s contribution within the larger regional effort of 100 in 10: to establish twenty-five new Word-and-Sacrament communities by 2031. Each will be locally rooted, pastorally shepherded, and confessionally sound.
The number is less about achievement and more about accountability—it keeps us praying, planning, and stewarding resources toward tangible outcomes. Every new congregation means neighbors hearing Christ’s Word, receiving His gifts, and joining the fellowship of believers.
Most of the West Coast, in particular Coastal Southern California, considered a de-churched region and in need of re-evangelization. Mere revitalization “or revival” of the existing church is not a comprehensive enough approach, nor can it function now as the primary expansion method for reaching people with the Gospel. Because population growth, cultural change, and geographic realities leave many communities without a living gospel witness. New congregations reach new people. Older congregations, when connected to planting work, as a result, often experience renewal themselves.
Planting is not competition; it is multiplication, and in our context requires involvement of existing congregations in this paradigm shift from revivalist mentality to missionary mentality. When believers step into new relationship with the gospel, both existing and new congregations are strengthened.
Not when done rightly. Faithful planting begins with prayer and cooperation in sending, not marketing geared to steal consumer-minded Christians to “the next best thing.” CMS works with local pastors and circuits to ensure new ministries complement rather than compete. The goal is to reach the unchurched, not shuffle the deck of the already-churched.
In many cases, planting actually renews existing congregations by creating new partnerships and sharing mission energy. When the Church expands, everyone gains — seems counterintuitive, but it’s true.
For many years, church planting began with an assessment designed to determine if one individual had the traits of a “church planter.” Those who passed were commissioned—often by a para-church organization—and sent out largely on their own. Many were faithful; few were supported adequately. The outcome was widespread burnout and an estimated 80 percent attrition rate among new churches.
CMS exists to offer a different way. While we value training and assessment, we almost always begin with a team already living on mission in a particular place. The Church does not grow through heroic individuals but through communities formed around the gospel.
Our team has worked within most major models of the last three decades. We’ve learned that no formula fits every leader or context. Instead, CMS follows the Pauline pattern: coming alongside existing congregations to form new leaders and ministries with a mission focus. Through seasons of prayer and discernment, some of these ministries remain grafted to their sending churches; others mature into new congregations. Either way, planting is relational, pastoral, and accountable—not experimental or disposable.
Yes. The first missionaries in Acts were ordinary believers scattered by persecution who simply spoke about Jesus wherever they went (Acts 8:4). The apostles later joined those communities to teach, strengthen, and appoint elders. CMS follows that biblical order.
Both Jesus’ model of sending his disciples and examples in the early church show sending happening 2×2 - at least 2 disciples engaging on mission together.
We begin with people—disciples already living in a place—rather than identifying an individual and finding them a location. This approach keeps mission relational, sustainable, and locally owned. Once a pastoral need arises (usually once a baptism or communion is requested) a pastor is sent or called to shepherd what the Spirit has gathered. Ministry then flows from shared life in Christ, not from organizational ambition.
We start by listening—learning the congregation’s story, context, and hopes. From there, CMS provides relationships, coaching, equipping, and mission planning tools tailored to those leaders and that local reality. Our work is never imported wholesale; it is customized, contextual, relational, and collaborative.
We help congregations rediscover their identity in Christ, cultivate new leaders from within, and engage their neighborhoods through authentic relationships. Strengthening the Church means helping her become what she already is: the body of Christ sent into the world.
Coastal’s leadership-formation strategy begins with a simple conviction: leadership in the Church starts with baptism, not ambition. Every believer is called, gifted, and sent by God through Word and Sacrament. Our task is to help believers live out that identity faithfully so that the Church’s life and mission flourish wherever God places His people.
This conviction has taken shape as a comprehensive leadership-formation ecosystem. At its core is the Coastal Equipping Series, a sequence of structured training pathways designed to move believers from initial discipleship toward mature, sustainable leadership within Word-and-Sacrament ministry. Each stage clarifies competencies, provides theological depth, and builds the habits that keep leaders healthy for the long haul.
The Equipping Series unfolds through three Equipping Pathways, corresponding to the three dimensions of movement leadership:
1. Mission Leader Pathway – for those forming and guiding new ministries or mission bases in local contexts.
2. Local Leader Pathway – for pastors, elders, and ministry teams cultivating outward-focused congregations and mentoring emerging leaders.
3. Fellow Worker Pathway – for trainers, theologians, and mentors who equip others across the Coastal network, ensuring theological consistency and pastoral care throughout the movement.
Each pathway is built around clear competencies, relational coaching, and contextual practice. Participants learn doctrine, reflect on vocation, and apply what they learn in real ministry settings. Formation happens within community—not isolation—so that character, confession, and skill develop together.
Alongside these training pathways, Coastal produces theological resources such as Core Conversations and the Mission Bible Study Series (Oracles Old Testament Overview and other Biblical book studies), and various programs with local cohorts in our partnership with the Antioch School of Church Planting & Leadership Development. These studies are not required courses but serve as shared learning experiences that deepen biblical imagination, anchor teams in sound doctrine, and unite congregations around the same story of God’s mission. We also aim to provide a meaningful step for emerging pastors and other called and/ordained workers to apply and receive formalized training through Concordia Seminary (scholarships may be available) as well as those already-ordained leaders who desire to sharpen their mission within the Coastal SoCal region.
The outcome is a network of leaders—pastors, missionaries, and lay believers—who are theologically grounded, actively on mission, and spiritually resilient. They can articulate the faith, form others in it, and lead communities that multiply without losing their confessional center. Coastal’s aim is not to mass-produce leaders but to cultivate a generation of faithful priests and wise builders who live from grace, lead from conviction, and serve for the sake of Christ’s Church.
Catechesis anchors mission in truth. Without clear teaching, zeal burns out or drifts into error. CMS integrates catechesis at every stage of ministry formation so that those leading and teaching are grounded in the faith once delivered to the saints.
We commend Luther’s Small Catechism because it distills Scripture’s central teachings and connects them to daily life—Confession and Absolution, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments. Catechesis ensures that the gospel remains pure and that every new believer knows not only what we believe but why it matters.
Because mission flows from God’s nature. From the call of Abraham to the sending of the apostles, Scripture shows a God who moves toward His creation in mercy. The Church exists because God is missionary; she ceases to be herself when she forgets that calling.
CMS was formed to help believers recover that identity—to see daily life as participation in God’s reconciling work. Mission is not an optional program for enthusiasts; it is the Church’s nature. When congregations live from the gospel outward, they embody the same love that sent Christ into the world.

Life in the Church

Catechesis is the lifelong process of being taught, formed, and rooted in the faith handed down from the apostles. The word comes from the Greek katecheō—“to echo back.” In the early Church, new believers learned the faith by hearing and repeating the Scriptures and the Creed until it became their own confession.
CMS treats catechesis not as a classroom program but as a rhythm of discipleship that connects knowledge with daily life. To be catechized is to have the gospel spoken into every corner of one’s story—to learn how Christ’s death and resurrection shape identity, vocation, and community. This is how faith matures, and how new believers are prepared for Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Yes. CMS offers a few resources (found in the “resources” tab above). You can download our very first publication of Luther’s Small Catechism for free to print or for your device. We also have a few forthcoming resources:
- Foundations, written by evangelist, Eric Schulken. Eric’s background is recovery, and he uses the Small Catechism as a framework that leads all of God’s people to repentance, forgiveness, and freedom.
- A new booklet and 8-week study for groups written by Coastal’s founder, John Alwood — inspired by Free to Be by Gerhard Forde and grounded in Luther’s Small Catechism. These tools help believers explore the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as living realities, not relics of history.
- Catemission, 6 weeks of introductory mission equipping based on Luther’s Small Catechism.
These resources are designed for mission contexts—small groups, recovery communities, neighborhood gatherings—where people may be hearing the gospel for the first time. The aim is to reintroduce the ancient faith in clear, relational, and Christ-centered language so that learners encounter not abstract ideas but the living Christ who speaks through His Word.
Keep your eyes on our events page, too, because we occasionally have an online discussion group for leaders based on a more advanced Luther’s Large Catechism or confessional document.
Baptism is not a symbol of human commitment but the act of God Himself. In Baptism, the Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ’s death and resurrection, grants forgiveness of sins, and makes one a member of His body (Romans 6:3–5; Titus 3:5). It is God’s promise, not ours.
CMS emphasizes that baptismal identity is the starting point of all leadership and mission. Every believer’s vocation flows from being washed, named, and sent by Christ. Therefore, Baptism is both the foundation of salvation and the fountain of mission.
While CMS teaches and promotes Baptism, its members do not perform baptisms apart from the life of a local church. Baptisms are always administered by rightly called pastors within congregations, ensuring that the sacrament remains tied to Word and community, and minimizing confusion.
In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives His true body and blood “in, with, and under” the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16). This reality is called sacramental union—the union of Christ’s divine and human natures present in the elements according to His Word.
Sacramental union is drawn directly from Jesus’ words: “This is my body… This is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28). The apostle Paul echoes this when he says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). The presence is not metaphorical; Scripture links participation in the elements with participation in Christ Himself.
The doctrine also refuses to divide what Jesus has joined. Because the Son of God is both divine and human (“2 Natures” or “Dual Nature” of Christ), His body and blood can be truly present wherever He promises to be. We simply accept that this mystery is not explained by philosophy but confessed in faith.
This distinguishes the Supper from both symbolic memorialism and philosophical explanations like transubstantiation that attempts to argue for the transforming from bread and wine into actual flesh and blood, or a reductionistic view of “real presence” that says Christ is present in spirit, but not physically, leading to the heresy of Christ being divided by his two natures rather than completely and always existing as two natures.
We receive what Christ gives, trusting His promise rather than our reasoning. The Supper is an ongoing gift that nourishes faith and unites the Church as one body.
As with Baptism, CMS and its partners do not administer Communion apart from the life of the local church. Partner congregations and rightly called pastors distribute the Sacrament within gathered worship. CMS’s role, as it concerns the sacrament, is to teach its meaning, safeguard its confession, and ensure new ministries remain connected to pastors who can rightly administer it.
This confession also guards mission from becoming purely emotional or symbolic. The Church does not merely talk about grace; it distributes grace through Word and Sacrament. When new ministries understand this, they stay anchored in the concrete promises of Christ rather than in personal enthusiasm or abstract spirituality.
No. CMS does not administer Baptism or the Lord’s Supper apart from the life of the local church and are means of grace which belong to the ministry of Word and Sacrament, exercised by rightly called pastors within congregations.
CMS’s role is to help new ministries stay connected to that pastoral care. Every mission base remains grafted to a sending church or district so that Word and Sacrament ministry can be provided in proper order. CMS teaches the theology and importance of the sacraments but entrusts their administration to the local Church.
Catechesis gives words to faith. Through teaching the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, learners come to recognize both their need and God’s provision. When they are baptized, they know what promise God is making; when they receive the Supper, they understand what gift they are receiving.
CMS encourages mission bases to use the catechism as a guide for discipling new believers. Instruction precedes participation, not to exclude but to ensure that participation rests on faith, not confusion. Catechesis keeps the sacraments from becoming empty rituals by filling them with understanding.
Word and Sacrament are never competitors; they are one movement of Christ’s self-giving. The Word proclaims what the Sacraments deliver, and the Sacraments embody what the Word proclaims - when physical means are combined with the word, they are another proclamation of the Gospel.
In every equipping pathway, CMS underscores that the Church’s mission flows from this unity. Evangelism begins with preaching but leads toward baptism and communion. A ministry cut off from either Word or Sacrament ceases to be the Church’s ministry; it becomes merely empty religious activity.
Baptism gives every believer a new identity: forgiven child of God, servant of neighbors. The Lord’s Supper continually renews that identity by uniting us to Christ and to one another. From these gifts flows vocation—faith expressing itself in love within family, work, and community.
CMS trains leaders to trace every act of service back to the font and the altar. Mission is not a separate enterprise; it is baptismal life spilling outward. The Sacraments don’t end at the church door—they propel believers into the world bearing Christ’s presence.
Mission bases are extensions of the Church’s presence in the world, not replacements for the gathered congregation. While Word and prayer happen regularly in those settings, the Sacrament is celebrated only under pastoral oversight. Many bases gather regularly with their sending congregation for Communion.
This rhythm teaches patience and longing for the gathered Church while maintaining doctrinal integrity. CMS helps teams coordinate with pastors so that the Sacrament remains central even when temporarily celebrated less frequently.
For mission congregations (bases which are intentionally becoming a newly planted church) which are gathering can also occasionally benefit from the ministry of many of our called member pastors who are willing to provide oversight for the purpose of seeing new mission take place. Our desire, however, is to equip mission congregations in calling a pastor as they transition from mission phase to local church phase.
Repentance is the heartbeat of Christian life—the daily return to Baptism. CMS teaches confession and absolution as both personal practice and communal rhythm. Leaders learn to name sin honestly and to speak forgiveness aloud to one another, echoing John 20:23 and James 5:16.
This practice guards ministries from moralism or despair. Mission bases become communities of mercy where brokenness is met by grace, and leaders model what it means to live forgiven.
Scripture is the voice of Christ and the foundation of all teaching. Catechesis/Catechisms simply exist for the purpose of helping new believers know essential truths of the faith and to be formed in sound doctrine. CMS insists that catechesis and sacramental life remain anchored in the Word alone (sola Scriptura). Every doctrine, rhythm, and practice is drawn from Scripture, interpreted through the Creeds and the Church’s confessions.
Participants in CMS training learn to read the Bible devotionally and doctrinally—seeing both the story of salvation and the promises applied through the Sacraments. The Bible is not a manual of techniques but the living Word that creates and sustains faith.
Catechesis always follows the rhythm of Law and Gospel. The Law exposes sin and reveals need for Jesus; the Gospel proclaims Christ’s forgiveness and is His fulfillment of the Law on our behalf - free of any of our own merit. When this rhythm is preserved, teaching never devolves into self-improvement.
CMS forms leaders who teach from grace rather than guilt. The goal is not better behavior but deeper trust in Jesus, from which good works naturally flow. Every catechetical resource we produce is tested by this question: does it lead to Jesus or merely to effort?
We begin with conversation and Scripture, not correction. Many who come to faith through CMS’s ministries have little to no church background. Catechesis starts where they are, introducing the story of God’s grace and the promises attached to Jesus and His work.
Our approach is invitational—teaching the why before the what. Over time, the beauty of the Sacraments becomes clear: God does not wait for perfect understanding; He meets us in real water, bread, and wine with His real presence and mercy.
The Church is Christ’s, not ours. He instituted the public ministry so that His gifts would be delivered faithfully and orderly (1 Corinthians 4:1; 14:40). When pastors preach and administer the Sacraments, they act in His stead and by His command.
CMS honors that order by keeping every mission base under pastoral care. This protects both doctrine and people. The goal is not control but faithfulness—ensuring that every new ministry stays connected to the wider Church and to the means by which Christ sustains it.
The Small Catechism functions as a portable theology for life and mission. Participants in the Equipping Series use it to anchor discussion of faith and practice. Its simple structure—Commandments, Creed, Prayer, and Sacraments—provides a pattern for both personal devotion and group teaching.
In mission settings, the Catechism becomes a cross-cultural tool. Its questions and answers can be translated easily, and its structure naturally leads from conviction to comfort. CMS encourages every leader to know it by heart and to use it as a compass for teaching and witness.
Our vision is a region filled with believers who live consciously from their Baptism and hunger regularly for Christ’s body and blood. Catechesis will no longer be a one-time class but a way of life woven into every congregation and mission base.
As the gospel advances, new believers will be taught the faith as they are being incorporated into it. Congregations will rediscover the joy of teaching, and mission bases will mature into Word-and-Sacrament communities grounded in the same confession. In this way, catechesis becomes the bridge between conversion and community, ensuring that every expansion of the Church remains deeply rooted in Christ’s gifts.

Finance & Partners

Partnership is participation in the gospel. From its earliest days, the Church advanced not through independent agents but through believers and congregations joining together to send, support, and strengthen one another (Philippians 1:3–5). Coastal Mission Society uses the same pattern.
Partnership means more than financial support. It is shared prayer, mutual encouragement, and cooperative work for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. Churches and individuals stand together in a network of sending and equipping. Each partner contributes according to calling and capacity, yet all share in the same grace.
Because the Church already has one membership—union with Christ through Baptism. Coastal is not a club or denomination; it is a fellowship of believers and congregations intentionally joining the Spirit’s movement in coastal Southern California.
Affiliation can imply hierarchy or control. Partnership reflects cooperation and mutual service. Churches remain fully autonomous yet united in mission, sharing resources, leaders, and encouragement so that no ministry labors alone.
Coastal works with a wide range of partners: congregations, mission bases, educational institutions, district staff, and individual contributors. Some churches participate by sending teams or sharing facilities. Others help fund new ministry development or host training cohorts.
Individuals often serve as mentors, trainers, intercessors, or supporters for specific leaders or mission bases. Whether through time, prayer, or resources, each partner becomes part of a living network of encouragement that mirrors the early Church’s cooperation between Antioch and Ephesus, Philippi and Corinth.
Yes, while our confession of faith is rooted in the historic, sacramental, and creedal heritage of the Church, CMS collaborates with other Christians who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and honor the authority of Scripture.
We form partnerships that align around shared mission rather than uniform methods. Non-Lutheran partners may join training environments, participate in community initiatives, or cooperate on projects that serve the common good. Doctrinal integrity remains within the oversight of our pastoral and theological leadership, but charity and cooperation extend broadly to all who work for the gospel.
We also welcome church plants who have no sending church or affiliation to consider what we offer and our partnership with the Pacific Southwest District of the LC-MS.
Partnerships are built on trust, and trust requires transparency. CMS maintains clear processes for leadership oversight, financial stewardship, and theological review. Each new ministry operates under pastoral supervision and within the policies of its sending congregation or district.
Financially, CMS operates under the oversight of its Board of Directors and an independent bookkeeper, maintaining open reporting and two-signature approvals for all expenditures. Our board reviews budgets and outcomes regularly to ensure that every dollar advances real ministry work—training leaders, supporting mission bases, and strengthening congregations.
Individuals can serve through prayer, giving, and participation in mission bases or training cohorts. Many serve as mentors, hosts, or connectors—using their homes, skills, and vocations to advance the gospel in everyday life.
Every believer, regardless of role or age, has a place in this work. The New Testament consistently honors those who support gospel workers “for the sake of the Name” (3 John 7). By praying, giving, and encouraging, individuals become full participants in the movement of the Spirit.
Giving is not payment—it is participation. The apostle John praised those who “send them on their way in a manner worthy of God” (3 John 6). Such generosity flows from gratitude for Christ’s generosity.
When believers give to CMS, they join in the same pattern of sending that sustained Paul’s journeys and the early Church’s expansion. Gifts are used to train leaders, support mission teams, and equip congregations for gospel witness. The result is fruit that multiplies far beyond any single gift.
Every dollar entrusted to CMS is treated as a sacred trust. Funds are directed toward four main areas: leadership formation, mission-base development, theological resources, and organizational support necessary for accountability.
During the 2025-2026 fiscal year, we also have had a generous supporter step forward and offer us a $200,000 matching grant. This means that for every dollar donated to Coastal, they will give a dollar up to $200,000.
CMS’s financial operations are reviewed by its board and professional bookkeeper. Expenditures require two-authority approval and are regularly reported to partners. We practice transparency not because donors demand it, but because stewardship is worship. Accountability honors the God who provides.
CMS avoids dependency models. Our approach to funding is built on faith, simplicity, and mutual responsibility. We believe mission should expand through relational trust and local participation rather than external control.
Support is invited, not solicited through pressure. Ministries begin when there are people, prayer, and purpose—not when budgets are guaranteed. Provision follows obedience. We have repeatedly seen God provide what is needed through the generosity of those who share the vision, often in unexpected ways.
This approach keeps mission nimble and Spirit-led. Financial giving remains a spiritual act of trust rather than a transactional one.
CMS communicates with transparency and gratitude. Contributors receive regular updates highlighting stories of lives changed, leaders formed, and ministries launched. Reports focus less on numbers and more on faithfulness—how God’s Word is bearing fruit.
We celebrate every step of obedience, from the first gathering in a neighborhood to the planting of a new Word-and-Sacrament community. Each story reminds contributors that they are partners in something alive and growing.
Yes, though we encourage flexibility. Contributors may designate gifts toward specific ministries, mission bases, or training initiatives. However, unrestricted giving allows CMS to respond quickly to emerging opportunities or urgent needs.
We view every contribution as an offering to God’s mission. Whether designated or general, funds are handled with the same accountability and prayerful discernment.
Generosity begins with the gospel itself. Leaders are taught that everything they have—time, resources, relationships—is entrusted to them for God’s purposes. The Rooted Rhythms include Sacrificial Generosity as one of seven daily practices.
When generosity becomes a habit, ministries become sustainable without constant fundraising. People who have freely received freely give. CMS fosters this culture by teaching stewardship as part of discipleship, not administration.
Partnership is relational, not contractual. When circumstances change, we remain in fellowship. CMS never withholds training or partnership because a church or individual cannot give financially.
God’s provision often shifts between seasons. Some partners give funds, others give time, skill, or hospitality. We trust the Spirit to supply what is needed through the whole body of Christ. The partnership remains even if the financial flow changes.
By remembering that the work is the Lord’s. The early Church did not fund mission through compulsion but through joy. CMS seeks the same posture—open hands, thankful hearts, and confidence in God’s timing.
Financial stewardship is an act of worship. We make plans carefully, live within our means, and celebrate provision as grace, not entitlement. Our security lies not in reserve funds but in the faithfulness of Christ, who provides what His Church needs through His people.
Click on “pray” in the navigation bar a the top of the page for more information.
Pray for open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3), for wisdom among leaders, and for courage among believers in hard places. Pray that the Spirit will continue to raise up faithful workers and that the Church will remain united in doctrine and love.
Prayer is partnership. Those who intercede for mission share in its rewards. Every new believer, every leader formed, and every church strengthened is fruit that grows from unseen prayer.
Our long-term vision is a network of congregations and believers who view partnership as the normal posture of the Church. Giving, sending, and sharing become instinctive because the gospel compels it.
We envision ministries that are relationally connected, financially transparent, and spiritually alive—where generosity flows both directions and mission never depends on one source. The future of the Church in coastal Southern California will be sustained not by programs or campaigns, but by believers who trust that Christ’s abundance is enough for His mission.