Discover Emmanuel

01

about us.

At the heart of every organization is a set of values, a root purpose for being. These are the things that must not change in order to be your true self, your character. Below are four things that must not change in order for us to be truly ourselves at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. At the very heart is the Grace of Jesus. We express this heart by Caring Deeply, Bridging Differences, and Moving Beyond Church. We’re a work in progress. We hope you will join us in this work.

02

Details.

A safe place to journey with Jesus

The following are words and phrases that capture the spirit of the church

"It's Ok..."

  • It’s ok to ask questions.
  • It’s ok to be genuine.
  • It’s ok to disagree.
  • It’s ok to… 

"I could be wrong."

We encourage one another to admit that we are all on a journey of faith and still figuring it out. We encourage a lifelong learning posture that is dominated by humility, wonder, and curiosity.

Freedom of Conscience

We value the presence of the spirit of God within one another, and therefore value the instrument of the conscience to serve as a guide to our faith and values. Because of this we do not demand unanimity of thought or belief but leave room for healthy and honorable dissent.

Inclusive - Safe

We are an inclusive church.

“Everyone is welcome” is not lipservice to us, or a church marketing slogan. If you have struggled to find a church where you are seen as an equal, then we open our arms to you. There is room at our table for you. 

Emmanuel is a safe place. 

03

Your Questions, listed, not answered

Not what I expected.

Usually a church is anxious to explain their doctrine, to be clear about what we believe so you the reader have a clear idea before taking a next step, but including such a statement implies the following:

“Our beliefs are critical and foundational. Come if you agree with us.”

Our struggle with putting this part of our website together was making a claim (like “It’s ok to ask questions”) and then provide you with the expected answer and implied expectation to conform.

As part of the Presbyterian Church (USA ) – PCUSA we have a well documented creedal history. There is a great deal of clarity in those statements – if that is what you are looking for you will find much there. But you will not find “one” statement. Perhaps the iconic PCUSA creed is the Westminster Confession, and yet in our Book of Order you will find the following confessions:

Our value with regard to doctrine and doctrinal statements is not that they are requirements for belief and belonging, rather they are prompts for our imagination – leading us to deep, meaningful, substantive conversations about our God and our faith. The creeds provide loose guardrails, we fit in the Reformed stream of Christianity. We also adhere to the adage, “Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda! –  “the church reformed and always reforming.”

At Emmanuel we invite you into this journey of community and conversation, that listens for your participation and inclusion rather than inviting you to sit and listen. 

Welcome.

The Bible

What part does the Bible play at Emmanuel?

How will you use the Bible to answer the rest of the questions on this list?

Do you believe in inerrancy?

Jesus

Who is Jesus Christ?

Is Jesus God? What does that mean?

What role does Jesus play in the life of the church?

Affiliation

Emmanuel is part of the larger denomination called the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). 

What does this mean? 

Who is the PCUSA?

Is Emmanuel conservative? Progressive? Liberal?

What does it mean to be in the Reformed stream of Christianity?

Doctrine

What does Emmanuel believe?

Why isn’t there a statement of faith on the website?

What place do doctrinal statements play in the life of the church? the PCUSA?

Do I have to agree with what you believe to be a part of the church?

How do you deal with disagreement around doctrinal issues?

Social Issues

The church finds itself at the heart of social and moral issues that are hot buttons in our culture. 

What do you believe about LGBTQ+ rights? If I am part of the LGBTQ+ community, am I welcome in your church?

Is there a standard line on reproductive issues?

Is there a expectation (spoken or unspoken) to follow a particular political party or platform?

Science

How does the church handle negotiating the claims of religion when they seem to be challenged by the findings of science:

  • Evolution
  • Mental health/psychology
  • Creation/Origins
Deconstruction

So many people are “deconstructing” their faith. What does this mean? 

Is Emmanuel a safe place for me to explore my faith and ask hard questions about my faith?

Is Emmanuel a “high demand” church? Will I be pressured to give, serve, attend?

Involvement

What does it take to get involved?

What are the membership requirements/expectations?

What is required to serve? 

What is required to be in leadership?

Let's Talk!

Presbyterian Church USA

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC (USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country.

Book of Confessions

The Book of Confessions, containing historical statements of what we as a church believe, is available in several forms. The book of Confessions is available in multiple formats at the link embedded in the photo

These Videos are a good overview

04

Testimonials.

why people come and stay

Call it a dark night of the soul, call it a crisis of faith, call it just plain exhaustion from a spiritual identity that wasn’t working anymore… I had almost given up on finding a church community that would be the right fit here in the Conejo Valley. Luckily, fate brought me to Emmanuel: a humble and vibrant church, with a wellspring of depth right here in Thousand Oaks.

-Sarah
05

Our team.

Emmanuel staff
David Anderson

Pastor

About David
Danny Chulack

Director of Youth MInistry

About Danny
Debbie Barber

Director of Children & Family Ministries

About Debbie
Kathy Meyer

Office Manager/Finance Administrator

About Kathy
Charlie Luce

Youth Ministry Assistant

About Charlie
Steve Bagdanov

Communications

About Steve
06

The church Building.

Where we are and where to go when you get here...
Services Sunday @ 10am Concurrent activities for Children through Middle School

We are located at:

588 Camino Manzanas Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Church Office Hours:

We have irregular office hours, please call or email to connect

Sunday Service Times:

Please join us at 10am in person or livestream

Phone: 805-498-4502

Email: hello@emmanuelTO.org

07

Get in Touch

We care about you
Here for you

Call us. Email us. Drop by.
We are here for your support

Where to find us

588 Camino Manzanas,
Thousand Oaks, CA. 91360
805-498-4502
hello@emmanuelto.org