By Jeremae Reyes and Reeve Lively
On Friday, March 10, ReGeneration Church staff did not expect what they were going to walk into when arriving at work. Our church has experienced heavy rain in the past, but we did not think it was going to affect us to this extent.
Denise Wills, our church administrator, was walking through the hallway toward our main sanctuary, not only feeling the water absorbed by the carpet, but finding puddles in different parts of the sanctuary stretching all the way to the children’s ministry.
The puddles were getting larger and larger. Water was everywhere on the right side of the building. Denise immediately messaged the rest of the staff, letting them know of the situation as a result from the rain.
Reeve Lively, our Youth Pastor, arrived and did not feel the reality of it until he experienced the water splash around his shoes, hearing the sloshing of the water as he walked towards the youth room. Water, about an inch high, scattered throughout the floor of the youth room. He felt nothing but tears, as he took a moment to process what he was seeing.
Kim Johnson does electrical work in the new sanctuary.
All staff and anyone in the Santa Cruz church community who were available, rallied together to carry furniture from all of the rooms, throw out any items that were damaged,zz to give space for industrial fans to dry out the water absorbed by the carpet, but little did we all know, it would take more than that.
We had service online that Sunday, thinking that after the water dries out, we would be back in our space.
However, we were served with the news that it would probably take more than just a few weeks because the water damage was more severe than our landlord thought.
For the past 12 years, our landlord has been nothing but amazing and giving to us as a church. We are so grateful for our landlord.
On that Tuesday, during the scheduled staff meeting, the staff came together to plan on ways to move forward. Maybe we could reserve the Rio Theatre on Sundays for a few weeks? How about the Scotts Valley Theatre that just opened up? Or, maybe we could ask Mount Hermon Conference Center if we could borrow their space for church services or even go outside under a tent in the meantime!
So many ideas, but the following Sunday was just around the corner. We could go online again, but meeting together was always a priority for us. We had so many options we could look into, but none gave us peace.
Then, later that evening our landlord came back to us with this amazing opportunity in another part of his building. It was smaller, but we knew this was where God wanted us. Our landlord offered this place temporarily and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding rested in this place.
As one of the servants in this church, that first Sunday in our temporary spot was glorious. The Spirit of God was recognizably in that room.
And even though we did not know what was ahead – we knew in our hearts that this was not a surprise to God. It was a surprise to us, but He knew what was going to happen and He knew what He was going to do about it. God’s faithfulness and provision drove our worship. He has provided and showed faithfulness before, so we know He will do it again!
We knew we still had a long road ahead of finding a more permanent place, but because we believed in a God who is able, He will provide.
Isaiah 43:1-3 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name;
You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God…”
Fear not. You are Mine. I will be with you. For I am the Lord your God.
These were the words our Pastor, Matt Valencia, read in the midst of the moving and planning for that first Sunday post-flood.
He thought about the CZU fires, where our church became a refuge for those evacuated. We had housed more than 60 people in the children’s ministry, in tents around the sanctuary floor, and some camped out in the Redwood Grove during evacuation. He was overwhelmed with joy when he saw the community of God come together to help each other during the evacuation and now, feeling the same overwhelm, with the flooding of our sanctuary.
We saw the community of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz County churches come together again serving and setting up for our temporary space together. When God’s people come together, pray, and work as a team, God sees it and blesses it. God reminds us to not fear because He will be with us and that He is our God.
The reason we are able to stand confidently even when we are not sure what is going to happen is because God has always taken care of us. Like I mentioned earlier, this was not a surprise to God. He knew what was going to happen, allowed it, and was faithful to direct and provide what we, as a church, needed and more.
On Sept. 17, we will have our first church service in our new sanctuary. We invite you to celebrate and worship with us! We are still in the same building, and will still enter through the same front double doors. When you arrive, greeters will be there to direct you to our new space!
This move into our new sanctuary comes at a perfect time as we start a new series entitled “Explore God.” In this series, we will study through these questions:
Does life have a purpose?
Why believe there is a God?
Why does God allow injustice and suffering?
Why does Christianity seem so narrow?
Why believe Jesus is God?
How can I know the bible is reliable?
Can I know God personally?
We want to personally invite you, all are welcome. Come and see! Although the March storms affected us in such an unimaginable and tragic way, knowing the answers to these questions are the reason why we were able to hold fast to God. We knew that He would come through for us — for His people. That’s just who He is. Faithful.
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ReGeneration Church meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 1500 Green Hills Road, Scotts Valley. For info, see https://theregenerationchurch.com/
Photos Courtesy ReGeneration Church
Top Photo: Volunteers pause for a photo when they were tearing down the old sanctuary after it was damaged by storm water in March. Pastor Matt Valencia is at right.