Shepherds Church/El Camino UBF

I have been attending Shepherds Church for about 7 years now. After being touched by God's words personally through weekly Bible Studies and Sunday messages, I could see that this was the place that God was blessing me and striving to restore my life. I am really thankful for the support that I have received through my Bible Teacher, my Pastor, and this ministry. The focus has always been the word of God. As a result, I have been blessed to know God and have been supported to mature into a man of God. I laugh and have joy as if I were a kid again. I thank God for his grace and blessing in guiding me to Shepherds Church.

Pro- church focuses on a serious and close examining of the Bible and encourages practically living out what it says.Con- truth hurts, sometimes. I've been put through the fire so many times in my 10 Years of being here; but as a result of the chance to live by the truth, I've become a much better person, by God's magnificent grace!!Not for those who come and go, looking for something temporary, but for those who seek to find Zoe life may find it here!So... what do you want?? Come and you will see! Either you come to love this church or hate it, based on what you really want.

Based solely on my personal experience, I want to share my journey with Shepherds church. In refusal to engage with negativity, I'm referencing biblical passages for guidance as well. When reading reviews, consider the following:- “Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)- “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45)[ Matthew 12:22-30 ]- When the work of healing, salvation and deliverance happened in Jesus’s ministry, people started to believe God was working through Jesus. But, Satan attacked when the religious leaders slandered Jesus, calling Jesus a “Prince of demons”/Satanic- If you see the work of healing, salvation and deliverance, then that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Because Satan does not do any salvation work. I have personally witnessed work of salvation of others at Shepherds church. My most undeniable account is my own story.--Background: My father, a Presbyterian minister (no connection with UBF), thoroughly investigated and approved of my involvement in El Camino UBF. Jesus speaks to my father personally, even audibly, so when my father had doubts, Jesus confirmed I was growing spiritually at Shepherds church.--Why I joined (2011-2016): As a pastor’s daughter, I was already studying the Bible, but Jesus was not REAL to me. When my Bible teacher taught me, I noticed she had genuine joy from knowing Jesus personally. I asked God for the same thing. While meditating on Genesis 12, He reminded me how empty I felt with no life's purpose. It was then God revealed His purpose to me, to partake in Jesus’s Great Commission, bringing the Gospel to college students as a Bible teacher. I was touched and gladly accepted.--Why I left (2016): I pursued a secret relationship. I rejected marriage-by-faith due to my own idea of it. Nobody at church knew why I left as I blocked people's number. For the next 7 years, I was dating, traveling and making 6-figures. Did my relationship with God grow stronger after I left? No.Rock bottom (2021): Despite my outward success, I wanted to commit suicide because nothing gave me lasting happiness. I tried attending a different church, but internally, I still suffered from depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.--My turning point (2023): In a dream, I saw Jesus's second coming and He was not happy with me. I was terrified and knew I left His calling for my life. In response, I asked Jesus to save me from being suicidal. God told me my relationship with my then boyfriend was hindering my relationship with Him. When that relationship ended, I heard Jesus's words in Luke 13:6-9 and experienced His sin forgiving love. In less than 3-minutes, I was set free from my 7-year long depression through hearing God's words! When I asked Jesus how to thank Him back, He confirmed with me 4x times to return to Shepherds church and be a Bible teacher. I did not publicly announce my return. When I returned January 2023, church members warmly hugged me with tears and joy. Nobody rejected or rebuked me for leaving. I will admit the church structure has changed, but the mission for saving souls for Jesus Christ remains the same. Also, nobody forces me to teach the Bible to others. With deep gratitude, I willingly give my time to teach the Bible to students. This summer, when I remained in God's calling for me, Jesus baptized me in the Holy Spirit in my own room! (Acts 2:1-13). Since my return, God's words satisfies my soul and my spiritual life has been growing ever since. People will speak against the truth, but not even the devil can deny the fire and joy I have in Jesus! Thank You Jesus for Your patience, may revival come quickly!--My Learning: Learn to know God’s personal will for you and stay in the will of God (Matthew 7:21–23). And you will be sure that a mighty work of God will occur through you!

I’ve attended this church for over a decade & the church has grown from a handful of people into the congregation it is now.I love the emphasis on the Bible as God’s true and living word and the authenticity of the people here.Through bible study, prayer, introspection and quiet time with Jesus, I’ve come to know God more and interact with him in real life which I think is what every Christian really wants - a real personal relationship with their creator.I also feel closer to the global Christian church because we pray for them and strive to spread the gospel actively like the body of Christ worldwide. Although I’m thankful for the religious freedom we have here in America, I’ve come to a new appreciation of the hardships global Christians face and the urgency and necessity of obeying the Great Commission at home and overseas.I’ve come to realize that Christian life is not always glamorous or comfortable, but God is always good. And having him with me, talking to me and living life together is like a preview of heaven.

I am a new member. I have been attending about 8 months. Everyone here is very dedicated to God and willing to go the distance. Their passion is indescribable. One thing strange I find is that they all pray the exact same way and in the same tone of voice, but I guess that's because it stemmed from one man. Their messages are absolutely true and go deep into the bible. The worship service is set up as a song, an opening prayer, a song, a sermon on a chapter from the bible( they pick a book and go in order), then a song, then tithe collecting, a dedication prayer, and then closing prayer topics. Then we break out into smaller groups to discuss what we got out of the message. The Church Body consists mostly of people in their late 20s and mid 30s. No one has pressured me to become a Bible teacher on my schools campus as some of the other reviews have said. Another interesting thing is that there is rarely a baptism or a communion with the grape juice. I've asked about it and gotten some answers, but it is interesting to me.

I started to study the Bible in 2009 with one of the Shepherds Church Bible teachers. The Bible studies are really deep, profound and relative to my personal life. Through Bible studies at Shepherds Church I have learned and grown a lot! They help me to have a more Christ-like character. I have received lots of support and encouragement. The people here really have my well-being in mind and I can trust that whatever advice or direction they give me is not selfishly motivated, but really for my personal and spiritual growth and good for everyone around me.

God grace is beautiful and abundant and I have come to experience God’s grace here at Shepherds church. And many others have come to experience it as well. But when the reality of grace and truth come into play the reality of this new life also comes into play. Personally the support I have received and continue to receive has strengthened me to see God’s grace and truth and how important it is to follow Jesus sincerely. I thank God for my church and the blessings I have come to experience because of the Bible studies, fellowship and mission.

I'm not a member yet. I can't comment on the financial part or leaders of this church. Behind the scenes, my eyes are'nt open to the whole operation of this church.I was invited by my son for the Mother's day lunch the church prepared on Saturday May 13, 2017. My son paid $50.00 into the lunch because it was part of a fundraiser to go towards their new church building. The price also included a second meal coming soon in July 2017, so I was invited to have lunch again to witness the opening of their new church. The food was good; nice portion sizes, and the service was excellent; the members went out of their way for me that day because I wanted steak sauce, so they had gone to the store to purchase it for my steak.My son's shepherd introduced me to a number of members and there were programs on their list that day by members entertaining us as we ate our lunch.My son's shepherd explained to me what the purpose of the church is about. They go out and seek college students who are willing to learn the Bible while the shepherd guide and teach them about the Kingdom of God etc.The Shepherds church feels like a Bible study school because the teachings there consist of questions and answers after a Bible topic was discussed by the speaker and after he's finished, members will break into groups to review on what was discussed by the speaker. Today's message is posted on their website and also past topics etc.Bible teachings is what the gospel is all about. I see Shepherds church sharing the gospel to anyone who is willing to receive and learn. I'm much older than the college students, and the church extends it's teachings to me.A cult or no? Those leaders don't strike me as trying to misguide these young people; if these leaders are misleading, they need to review God's wrath scriptures because they will get punished for deceiving members and mistaking God's characters as a lack of Intelligence.I have yet to discover and explore these Godly folks.

They are aight. True there are better churches. And also true there are worse. But at the end there are none like this one which God loves as a bridegroom loves a bride.And yes...they force you to live like Jesus...so Christians beware to put your heart where your mouth is.And as far as the arranged marriage thing...it's actually marriage by faith...just like every other marriage. Except this is marriage by faith in God, not faith in money or faith in beauty or faith in children...nor faith in whatever people divorce nowadays for.They're just shepherds being shepherds for God's flock.And what's up with the picture guys? ^-^