the faq's

Q1. Where will you be planting Restore Church?

We initially were thinking about planting in Orange County, or close by it. One main reason was that being from this area initially, we knew the most amount of people here and felt we'd be able to get together a great team here to plant a church. As we started to get ready to move from Hawaii, we discovered another area that is just next to Orange County, and was named one of the top ten fastest growing cities in America. We in fact moved to this city, the city of Chino, and although it isn't Orange County, we feel this could well be the place God has for us to plant! We remain in a posture of seeking The Lord, and doing our best to follow Him and obey, so its really up to Him! But for now, we are focussed on making this the area we look at. Click here to see more info on Chino/Chino Hills and our heart for this area. 

Q2.  How will we gather enough people to start a church?

As mentioned above, we used to live in Orange County which is right next to Chino, so we know many people from there, and from the Inland Empire as well, which is on the other side of Chino. We plan to start with the people know in these areas and see who would like to join our team. We both know a lot of people personally who have left the church that we want to reach out to and invite to events/services when we start. You can read additional specific plans on how we will get started here.

Q3. Chino/Chino Hills is home to many churches. What makes this church any different?

a) We will be trauma-informed. Trauma-informed care understands and considers the pervasive nature of trauma and promotes environments of healing and recovery. We will train our staff and leaders to not inadvertently re-traumatize people. We will offer counseling services by qualified local psychologists and therapists. We will have small groups that minister directly to a variety of issues. It is our prayer that those who have been hurt by the church, hurt by pastors or leaders, hurt by the behavior of other Christians, or even just hurt because of tough times in life, would find Restore Church to be a place that ministers the healing power of Jesus to people. We hope that many would find themselves being healed and restored in their relationship with Jesus. There are not many churches that are trauma-informed but we believe this is crucial to help people today more than ever before. We will be pursuing ongoing education and training this year to help make Restore Church trauma-informed. 

b) We will be accountable. We will be a church that owns up to its mistakes. We will work hard at being a church that is vulnerable, accountable, honest, and rebuilds people’s trust. At a time when there is a lot of distrust in churches, we hope to regain that trust, so it will mean we will own up to our mistakes and handle them as transparently as we can, being open to hear from others as to how we can continually do better. We won’t ever be perfect of course, but we will work hard at getting this right as we know this is a big issue for many. 

c) We will be peacemakers. We will be humble, assuming we don’t have all the answers, and listen to others; even those we disagree with. Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, to be those who initiate reconciliation, be those who “avoid ignorant and foolish disputes.” We hope people will know that whether or not we agree or disagree on things, that we are there for them regardless. We will always try to lead with love, kindness, and humility, and be peacemakers at heart.

Q4. How will you raise the funds to plant a church?

We feel The Lord calling us to be missionaries / apostles. The New Testament has two primary usages for the word "apostle." The first refers to the 12 Apostles and the second refers to those who have been "sent out." It is the word we use when we refer to missionaries. We believe The Lord is sending us on mission to bring Jesus' restoration. Similarly, we will raise funds as missionaries do. The Lord has given us this desire, and we believe that He will move people to give and finance the church plant.

Q5. What are the church’s beliefs?

We believe the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and desire to live lives that honor Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It’s because of Jesus’ sacrifice that we are offered eternal life (1 John 2), and this life is a gift of God (Ephesians 2). 

We affirm Romans 10:9-10, “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  

A great way to sum up what we believe is to read The Apostles’ Creed. 

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. 

Amen. 

*The word "catholic" in the Apostles' Creed refers not to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the universal Church of The Lord Jesus Christ.