While most Biolans are looking around at different churches trying to find a good fit, two students decided to partner with a pastor to create one of their own. Senior biblical studies major Justin Davie recently partnered with Sterling Pounds, junior biblical studies major, and Nick Bogardus, former pastor of Mars Hill’s Orange County campus, to plant a church in Costa Mesa called Cross of Christ.

Bogardus, 34, pastors Cross of Christ, Davie leads community groups and is training to have a pastoral role, and Pounds is in the process of implementing the church’s music ministry.

Pounds said there is something for everybody at the church — believers and unbelievers alike. As a small congregation of about 27, Cross of Christ fosters community for 20 to 35-year-olds, and equips them as a younger generation of leaders who can integrate faith and work. From there, they hope to plant more churches in the area.

“Orange County is one of the brightest, seemingly happiest places, but it’s actually one of the darkest places … There is more rescuing to be done. Cross of Christ is seeking to tell Orange County that we have a Savior,” Davie said. “Just because it’s warm out and you have a nice house, doesn’t mean you don’t need to be saved.”

Davie and his wife met Bogardus a few years ago at Mars Hill Seattle and discussed what planting a church in Orange County would look like. After much prayer, they felt called to move to Southern California and began training to start a church. They began by meeting in Bogardus’ home starting in July, and currently hold services in Watermark Church in Costa Mesa on Sundays at 4 p.m. Cross of Christ will be officially launched in the second week of January.

Vision for Orange County

Bogardus preaches each Sunday and envisions three things happening through Cross of Christ.

“I long for Christ crucified to be the center of everything we do — not moralism, not principles, not history, not therapeutic help, but the grace and love available to sinners [through] Jesus’ life, death and resurrection … I’m hoping to see sleepy Christians woken up and cultural Christians and non-believers meeting Jesus,” Bogardus wrote in an email.

Bogardus believes that the people living in Orange County have a reputation for compartmentalizing their lifestyles, where people fear judgment and strive to build an image, both of which are ultimately isolating. Bogardus wants to use Cross of Christ to invite people out of solitude and into community.

“In Orange County, it is entirely possible to be surrounded by dozens of friends, hundreds of acquaintances and millions of people … and be completely unknown,” Bogardus wrote.

Studies brought to life

Pounds said Cross of Christ has already seen Jesus moving in the church. Toward the beginning of December, Pounds witnessed a relatively new believer preaching the gospel to a Christian struggling with his faith during a community group meeting. This reminded him of the reasons he helped plant the church.

“It was really cool, and that was sort of kindling for this whole thing. It’s cool to interact with new believers like that and remember what we’re doing here [at Cross of Christ],” Pounds said.

As a Biola student, Davie has used his education to bring what he’s learned from his Bible classes into ministry. He has learned to approach the Bible with caution and really listen to what it is saying, which is a key component in preaching the gospel.

Pounds leads worship at the church and has learned to use songs as a way to fill the gap between worship and the message in a way that does not make songs feel random.

Pounds believes that his studies at Biola are not just a road to a career someday but something that he can use right now.

“Here’s a church; it’s messy, and it’s beautiful and it’s real. It won’t pay my bills, and it doesn’t benefit me in any financial way, but that’s where my biblical education is rooted,” Pounds said.

The takeover

As a former adjunct in Biola’s communication studies department, Bogardus longs to see Biola students partake in creating something that impacts the region for Jesus by interacting with the community, even if that means picking up a shovel and planting a church in order to transform the O.C.

“We want Jesus to take over Orange County,” Davie said.