We are a Christ-centered, family-oriented community located on the east side of Ventura, California. Our focus is on growing personal relationships with Jesus Christ and deepening commitments to others.
No matter what stage of life you are in, there is a place for you here!
Sundays at 10:30 am in person or watch our Live Stream
8180 Telephone Rd.
Ventura, CA 93004
(main parking lot is off of Placid)
(805)647-3757
Office Hours:
M-Th 9 am - 3:30 pm
Fri 9 am - noon
WHO WE ARE
Vision Statement
Connected and Growing.
Connected to God, each other, and our community.
Growing in Christ and love for each other.
A Place to Grow in Christ
We strive to be a church without walls. Jesus calls for us to go outside the walls to reach the lost and the broken. It is there that the lost will be found. Most churches find it is comfortable to stay within the walls, but we make it an effort to be like the church from the book of Acts, to see our city changed.
Worship is the response of our hearts to the goodness of God. As we worship we reach out from God, we offer our thanks and praise, we seek to know God more and to be touched and shaped by the love of Jesus.
Worship
Sundays at 10:30 am
In Worship Center at 10:30 am. Join us in our newly remodeled Worship Center.
On the Patio - Enjoy the service on the patio and watch it on the large outdoor screen!
Live Stream – Join us at 10 am
OrchardCommunity.Online.Church on the virtual patio for a time of checking in and chatting. The live stream will begin at 10:30 am.
What to expect
Worship service is about an hour and usually contains the following:
All children are welcome in the worship service and there is an infant cry room on the west side of the main worship room. All children start off with their parents in the main Worship Center. After a few worship songs and the Children’s Message, children (preschool to 5th grade) are escorted downstairs to “Orchard Kids”.
Music
Types
Worship at Orchard is contemporary and casual, with occasional traditional elements. Our goal is to worship God with authenticity and freedom.
We try to stay current and relevant with our song selection while not leaving behind great church hymns. We feel it is important to worship through music in a way that allows the entire congregation to participate and express their worship to God.
Orchard’s adult choir is enthusiastic about singing our praises and prayers to God! We sing a mix of music from spirituals to traditional hymns to contemporary favorites. The choir sings in worship at least once a month, as well as at special services throughout the year.
Education Hour
Discipleship Sunday morning education opportunities for all ages. Classes will meet at 9 AM for one hour, followed by light refreshments and fellowship on the patio until the start of worship at 10:30 AM.
Travels with Paul: 3rd Journey (Library)
September 8 through November 17
In this class we will review of the events around Paul’s third missionary journey as recorded in the Book of Acts, and some lessons which resulted from those events that we can apply to our lives today.
This is a multimedia class. The text will be the Book of Acts, Chapters 18-21.
Middle & High school students (Youth Building) sermon sneak peek!
Intercessory Prayer Group (Farmhouse)
Intercessory prayer is group prayer time focused on the immediate prayer requests that are sent to the prayer chain as well as other requests that come from our church and community. We petition the Lord for needs and wait on the Holy Spirit to guide us for prayer for other church, local, regional, and world needs.
Men's Sunday Morning Fellowship (Conference Room) Spend time in the Bible walking together through our faith.
Meet & Greet
Join us for Lunch!
If you are brand new or have been attending for a while and are eager to know more about Orchard and begin the process of making Orchard your home church, this is the perfect first step.
Have lunch with Pastor Matt and several key leaders of the church. This is a great opportunity to learn a little more about the church, ask questions, and meet new people.
Call the church office for the date of our next Meet and Greet or check out the Events page.
New Members Class
Become an Offical Member
You have decided that Orchard is the place you want to be! The next step is to sign up for our New Member Class.
Join Pastor Matt for three two-hour classes where you will learn more about the basics of the Christian life, what we believe, and how we do life together in the church.
Call the church office for the date of our next New Members Class or check out the Events page.
Small Groups
Groups for all ages throughout the week!
We have a variety of small groups that are offered throughout the year for all ages.
Small groups are a great place to make friendships while digging deeper in your faith – no matter how new or old your faith is!
Find the right fit for you from the list of the Orchard Groups
Looking for an opportunity to serve?
We have many different ways to serve at Orchard: within the church, our city, and across the globe! Check out the different Ministries to begin serving now!
Prayer & Praise
We at Orchard believe in the power of prayer. How can we pray for you, your family and friends? We also love to rejoice in the work of the Lord, so please share your praises too!
Weekly Email
Receive one email on Thursday afternoons to keep you up to date on all that is happening around here! Opportunities to get involved and watch God work through you!
Middle & High School
Our Youth Ministry goal is to share Christ with students and to help them grow as disciples in truth and love. We meet, hang out, learn, grow, and love Jesus. Our leaders are excited to invest in today's youth and often we see God do some amazing stuff. Come join us whether it is at our weekly youth group and small groups, Sunday School, various trips, and camps, or service projects and missions. There is a place for everyone, and we always have a fun and memorable time!
More information can be found on our Youth Page!
Pre-K to 5th Grade
Children will worship with their families and be dismissed following the kids’ message, escorted by our Orchard Kids’ Leaders to our beautiful outdoor classroom space in the children’s play yard. We will have our Bible story, activities, crafts, and games in a specially designed format following current health and safety guidelines.
We also offer a Wednesday after school Kids Club Program for preschool to 5th grade kids!
More information about this ministry can be found on our Orchard Kids Page
Newborn to 3 yrs
The nursery is available during both services and is staffed by qualified and trained volunteers. Leave your cell phone number with the nursery staff so they can alert you if a need arises. Worship with peace of mind! The Nursery is also a place where parents can go to nurse or change their babies.
In the back corner of the Worship Center is a room with large windows where a parent can stay with a squirmy or crying baby, but still watch and listen to the service.
Nurturing children
Supporting families
Encouraging faith
Sonshine Preschool is a child-oriented school. Preschool children learn through creative play, firsthand experiences, and through the use of a variety of materials, both indoors and out. We provide a safe environment where children are encouraged to make friends, become independent, develop self-esteem, develop self-control and make good choices.
Orchard Community Church stands for Biblical faith as taught in Scripture. Below are a number of our core theological beliefs. Orchard is part of the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). To learn more about what we believe, see the Essential Tenants and Confessional Standards of ECO.
We believe in one God who has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that he is a God of love, power and grace. (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14, I John 4:8)
We believe that God created the world and it belongs to him, therefore we should value and take care of it. (Genesis 1:1-25; Psalm 24:1-2). We believe human beings have a special place in creation because we were created by God in his image as male and female and are deeply loved by him (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:16) although our ultimate identity is rooted in
Christ and not rooted in either male or female identity (Gal. 3:28).
We believe that God has most fully revealed himself to us in his Son Jesus through his life, teaching, death and rising from the dead (resurrection.) (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:19)
Therefore, we believe that Jesus is the Lord. We find forgiveness in him. He calls every person to believe in him and his teachings (faith) find salvation in him alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and that he calls every person to faith (Matthew 11:28).
We believe that God’s Spirit fills our own spirit inwardly and is active unseen externally with us here and now to give us faith, to teach, to heal, and to empower us to live for God. (John 14:26, 15:4-16; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that the Scriptures are the living and active word of God, by which he reveals himself to us. The Old and New testaments are perfect (infallible) in their instruction and authoritative in their application to our lives. (Matthew 4:4, 17-18; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:21, 3:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
We believe that Jesus was born to inaugurate a Kingdom outside the boundaries of the world and reigns as King of this Kingdom presently and in the future. Our lives are bound to the unseen ways of King Jesus who transforms our lives as we seek Him. As King, He rules over our lives and our world with divine means that empower the weak and deny power to the those who seek to wield power over the poor, the weak, and the defenseless. (Matthew 4:13, 23, 24, 31, 33, 23, Matthew 5, Mark 11:10, John 12:13.)
We live with faith because we know that one day Jesus will return, that his love and justice will prevail, and that God will set the world right. (Matthew 24:30-31, 36; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 21:1-5)
We believe that Jesus came and lived the right life that we’re supposed to live, but don’t, and then offered his good life to God on the cross in place of our sinful lives, paying the price for our sin (atonement) and bring us grace and peace with God. (Romans 3:25; Hebrew 2:17). We believe that salvation is found through the finished work of Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in him, we have eternal life and citizenship in the kingdom of heaven based on Jesus' life, death and resurrection and ascension to His throne in heaven.
We believe that if we regret our sin and seek to leave it behind (repentance) we can do so by confessing it to God who will not only forgive us, but will wipe the slate clean and give us a fresh start (grace). (I John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:4, 8-9)
We believe that there is pain and suffering in this world because human beings are fallen and sinful, and therefore alienated from God and one another. (Genesis 3:17; Romans 3:23; Colossians 1:21). We believe however, that sin and suffering will not have the final word because God will make things right (redeem) and renew harmony with Himself and His Creation (reconciliation). (Colossians 1:21-23; Romans 8:18-23; Revelation 21:1-5)
We believe that the church is the body of Christ and that he is the head of it. (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22) We believe that the Church is the community through which God has chosen to bring the good news of God’s love and grace in Jesus to all people and that he invites all who are willing to trust and follow Jesus to join. (Matthew 16:18, 18:18-20, John 1:12-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9) We believe that the church is called to continue Christ’s work in the world until Christ returns and rules from His final Kingdom on earth. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Luke 10:25-37)
We believe we can demonstrate our faith through symbolic action by participating in the sacraments of baptism and communion. Baptism is a public demonstration of announcing to the world our repentance (a complete turnaround of our minds) for the ways of Jesus as Lord as demonstrated by Jesus himself who was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. We pour of water on a person’s head or through immersion in a pool of water. When a child or adult understands what it means to follow Jesus, they are able to affirm their understanding before our church family through this administration of water by our ordained pastor. (Mark 1:4, 9, Matthew 19: 13, 14.)
is a celebration and reflection through bread and wine as way of remembering Christ’s last meal with his closest followers before his death. In this meal, we remember Christ’s betrayal, suffering and life-giving power to us through his broken and beaten body. Children who have demonstrated an understanding of this celebration of Christ’s life, suffering and death are welcome to receive Communion with a parent’s guidance to Communion’s purpose and meaning. (Matthew 19: 13, 14, Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, John 6:35.)
Matt Hoyt
Pastor
I have been the pastor of Orchard Community Church since 2008 and I absolutely love this great family of faith. I graduated from Westmont College in 1991 with degrees in Religious Studies and Sociology. I got my Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2000 and my Doctor of Ministry in 2013 from Fuller Theological Seminary. During Seminary as part of my pastoral training, I served churches in Scotland and New Jersey. Since then I have served churches in California. I have a wonderful wife and three great daughters. I like to read, play guitar, and spend time at Lake Tahoe.
805.647.3757 ext 124
Rich Smith
Interim Youth Director
I'm excited to work with our youth, helping them own their faith, live it out daily, and recognize their full potential. I am joining a Youth Leadership Team that has been in place for many years and is committed to remaining in place during this interim period. I expect to work with them to continue encouraging and building up our youth.
Before joining Session last January, I led the Global Missions Team and an effort to establish small groups at Orchard. I retired in 2020 from 40 years of teaching middle and high school science, most recently at Buena High School.
805.647.3757 ext 125
Melinda Hoyt
Children's Ministry Director
I am pretty sure I have the best job in the whole world because I get to share Jesus with some amazing kids and work with a phenomenal team of volunteers! I started volunteering in children’s ministry when I was fourteen years old at First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills. I have a Certificate in Youth and Theology, and a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and have served in churches in New Jersey, Scotland, and Southern California. I believe Children’s Ministry is not just to kids but with them and from them! I am so excited to help Orchard’s children grow in faith and love for Jesus, discover their gifts for ministry, and develop their talents for serving and leading.
I love to travel and explore the world, the USA, the Golden State, and our wonderful little town of Ventura. My favorite places to visit are Lake Tahoe, Holmes County, Ohio, and Ayrshire, Scotland. I also love to read biographies and historical fiction, play with my fluffy little dog, meet up with good friends, and hang out with my super cute hubby and our three wonderful daughters.
805.647.3757 ext 123
Annette Walters
Sonshine Preschool Director
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Some of my earliest memories involve me, a chalkboard, and all the younger neighbors. I thought I would teach elementary school until I started taking Early Childhood Education classes in college. This is when I fell in love and realized that so many important things happen with children between their birth and 5th year of life. I went on to complete my Bachelors of Science in Child and Adolescent Studies from Cal State Fullerton in the early 2000s. Since then, in one way or another, I have worked with preschool-age children for the majority of my adult years. I have taught preschoolers, worked in Children’s ministry, and become a mother. I couldn’t be happier to be here at Sonshine preschool.
If the weather is nice, you will find our family at the beach!
805.647.0242
Jimmy Mac
Worship Director
I have been a professional musician for over 25 years. I have a passion for Christian Worship. I believe that God has called us to be worshippers and I am thrilled to be able to use my talents to help people draw closer to God through music. I have been involved in staff positions in several churches from 100 to 5,000 member congregations. I am thrilled to be a part of Orchard where we have a mixed blend of ages and a friendly, loving, family of believers. I have been married for 30 years and have 3 boys in college who are all Eagle Scouts. I love skiing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, horseback riding, and camping.
805.647.3757 ext 121
Mikayla Williams
Digital Media Coordinator
Bio coming soon.
805.647.3757 ext 111
Alisa Bossoletti
Office Coordinator
I love my job of getting “the word” out about all the fun and amazing things God is doing around and through Orchard. I am married with two wonderful kids. We love being outdoors; softball, camping, and hiking.
805.647.3757 ext 112
Chuck Newman
Custodian
I am a long-term resident of Ventura. Married with 5 children. I have worked as a manager in the service industry for many years. I enjoy traveling, watching movies, and spending time with my family.
805.647.3757 ext 110
Deya Jacob
Choir Director
I have been singing in a choir since I was 6 years old, and I’ve been directing the Orchard adult choir since 2011. I believe that a church choir can be fun and interesting but that it must also focus on worshiping and glorifying God – so a church choir should always sing their best for God! In my free time, I run my home-based bakery business, try to keep up with my sons, and hang out with my husband. I prefer pie to cake, love to garden with succulents and would love to move to France one day.
805.647.3757
Tim MacDonald
Drummer
I’m a 2015 grad of Westmont College with a BA in music. I’ve been working as a professional drummer/percussionist/private instructor since 2014. My resume ranges from teaching music to kindergarteners to performing live on tour around Italy.
I played saxophone throughout my childhood and only picked up drums after high school. I’m outgoing and love to meet new people. I love the overcast weather, ice-cold Dr. Pepper, and relaxing while playing/listening to music or watching movies.
805.647.3757
Susan Birge
Pianist
I am blessed to be a part of the music team here at Orchard. Some of you will remember me as teacher Miss Susan at Junior Music Academy. When I’m not at the piano bench you can find me playing with my grandsons, bicycle riding with my husband, walking the hills above Ventura, or eating spicy Thai food. And, I love traveling with my family.
805.647.3757
ELDERS & DEACONS
THE MINISTRY OF ELDER
Elders are given authority and responsibility, along with pastors, to oversee the spiritual health of the congregation as well as the congregation’s faithfulness to God’s mission. Elders may also be asked to preach and teach. Elders shall be elected by the congregation.
The Ministry of Deacons
Ordinarily, the biblical office of deacon shall be utilized by the congregation. Deacons lead ministries that nurture fellowship and caregiving within and beyond the congregation. Deacons may also be asked to preach and teach. The congregation shall determine the manner in which they are selected for service. The session shall oversee and direct the ministry of the deacons.
HELPING PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS