Parkcrest Christian Church began as a church plant in the early 1950s. The church was planted to in an area that was booming post-WWII. Parkcrest was a small church (roughly 200) for the first forty years. In the 1990s, Parkcrest began to experience exponential growth as it changed to a more contemporary worship style, casual dress, and sermons and ministries designed to connect with the reality of people’s needs. Two additional campuses were added as local churches gifted Parkcrest with their properties.
Over the past ten years, Parkcrest changed from a multiple campus model to a church-planting strategy. 7th Street Church (now Revive Church) and Cityline Church were both launched as healthy, independent churches, and Parkcrest sent almost 800 people to be part of these church plants. During this time, Parkcrest also worked with seven other Long Beach churches to start PlantLB, an organization designed to help support city-centric, cross-denominational, multi- ethnic church planting. More than 35 churches have been started in the greater Long Beach area over the past five years as a result of PlantLB’s partnership.
Parkcrest has always had a posture of external, outward movement for the sake of the Kingdom. Some of the original literature recruiting women and men for the initial plant asked for those who would serve as “pioneers.” Pioneers has become an apt word to describe the way that Parkcrest has approached its calling over the years. That posture has taken different forms as the church lived it out in unique forms based on new generations, new insights, or new movements of the Spirit. Regardless, the underlying posture has always been a pioneering spirit.
Hospitality and a sense of belonging are also highly valued at Parkcrest, with an emphasis on small home communities meeting during the week. In every setting, people are encouraged to come as they are. Members of Parkcrest see themselves as living out the Kingdom in their corner of the world and don’t need church programs in order to reach out to others at work, at the ballfield, at school, or in their neighborhood. Parkcrest is committed to Kingdom expansion beyond its four walls, establishing community partnerships with nonprofits, adopting an elementary school, running a monthly food pantry, and partnering with other churches in the city. Parkcrest currently averages around 800 on a weekend, has 350 people involved in smaller communities, 19 staff members (13 FTE), and a $2M annual budget.
