Every Sunday for the past four years, the Rock set-up crew faithfully prepared and tore down the Rock's sanctuary both at San Diego State University's Montezuma Hall and at several other locations around the city, including The Marriot Hotel in Mission Valley, The Sheraton Hotel on Harbor Drive and SDSU's Cox Arena.

The extensive transformation from college campus or hotel ballroom to church sanctuary-complete with projector screens, sound amplifiers and a pulpit-was regarded as not out of the ordinary for Rock members, who had long become accustomed to the itinerant nature of the church.

With the highly anticipated Liberty Station church building in the works, the Lord has also blessed the Rock with an interim structure where it can further expand the ministry and congregation. This new building, located at Aero Drive and Ruffin Road, is dedicated solely to the church and its members. Sunday, November 21, was the first day in the new church building.

Meeting the Needs of the Church

The Rock always starts every service with a special time of worship

It is evident that from the beginning of its formation, God's hand has been placed securely on the Rock. In February 2000, the Rock's mission to save, equip and send out soul-winners for Jesus Christ was set in motion. Since its first church service at Montezuma Hall, the church body has quickly multiplied and outgrown the space. This prompted the church to seek a temporary home before it will settle at its final destination in Point Loma.

"We received a conditional use permit in conjunction with Liberty Station," said Trisha Correia, Executive Assistant to the Chief Operations Officer. "It all happened within the same month of August. We were all prayerfully looking for a semi-permanent building-one that allows us to have a facility available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week."

What's New

In addition to the nearly 400 extra seats in the new facility, Correia believes the best part of the move is the consistency. "It's that members can come here anytime and hang out here all day. I love that we're up and running in one spot." That spot is Serra Mesa. A young, family-oriented neighborhood, it's a prime location for a church to facilitate community involvement founded on biblical principals.

"I think the Rock will make a difference to the people who live in the area and meet the needs of the community," said Wendy Nevak, a member of the Rock for over two years. "And that's something the Rock hasn't been able to do before. I think it will also cultivate a sense of community, not only within the church body but in the neighborhood."

God's Faithfulness in Action

Although Rock members are notoriously loyal, attending regular church services despite the erratic changes in the church's location, the building on Ruffin Road has put an end to the venue hopping.

When asked whether the move would dissuade her from continuing her two-year stint attending the Rock, Nevak adamantly replied, "I've already gone to so many different places for the Rock, going to one more is not a big deal. It's about the same driving time too."

The new sanctuary holds a total of 1362 seats

In addition, other ministry meetings and events such as Dunamis, the monthly church prayer assembly, and Pebbles Pathway, the Children's Ministry, will also be held at the new location.

The Rock has proven that no matter what future challenges the church may face, one thing is certain. Through hardships and constant change, "we always made do with what we had," said Correia. "It was all the Lord. It had nothing to do with us. He has just blessed us beyond what we could imagine."

Parking, Directions, and Service Times

The Rock has made a significant effort to make parking at the new facility work smoothly. The Parking Ministry has devised designated parking areas for drivers traveling from all areas in San Diego, in order to regulate traffic flow and make the parking lots safer for the children. A detailed parking guide with maps of the area and driving directions, is also available at for download.

Your service time may have changed. The new times are listed below.

• 8:00 AM
• 9:45 AM
• 11:30 AM
• 5:15 PM
• 7:15 PM

For other questions about the new facility, you may contact the Rock's new facilities manager, Brian Rogers. You can email him at brianr@therocksandiego.org.

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