Our Story
Community First Church is a church of born-again miracles. On April 30, 2016, the church was set on fire by an arsonist. It was a total loss.
The old church died and a new church was birthed. The church experienced a New Spirit experience. Some of the signs are as follows: A wooden cross in the center of the fire survived, a paper Bible at the foot of the cross lived on, and church Sunday services never ceased. For 6 years ministry continued in a large tent.
Before the fire, our food ministry served 20-30 people each Saturday. By God’s grace this ministry multiplied many times over. God provided trucks, a refrigerated van ($90K), and many volunteers from the church and community. Today we provide groceries for over 5000 each month. Most importantly, many people have attended church, come to Christ, been baptized, and now live transformed lives in Christ.
We stand as an example of God’s gracious hand when a church is born again by the Spirit of God.
Come join us for Sunday worship and request a tour of the campus to hear more of how God is alive in our church.
Follow Jesus to the glory of God the Father.
Offer clear teaching and preaching of God's Word, along with Worship that is honest and rooted in Scripture.
Express Christ's love for others by meeting real needs in Homeland and beyond.
Our journey
Responding to the needs of our neighbors, the church opens the Homeland Community Pantry.
Pastor Mike and his wife Kim are welcomed to the church. Pastor Mike then serves as Lead Pastor from 2010 to present (16 years).
Alerted by a urgent call while at dinner, Pastor Mike and Kim rush to the church, discovering it has been vandelized by an arsonist. The church is totally destroyed.
Generous donations are received to rebuild the church. What started with .39 cents offered by a child from the community, grew into substantial support through Cook Construction and other gracious donors. God made it clear the church would be rebuilt and abundantly provided.
The food services and church pantry ministries begin to multiply and continue to multiply until the present; supplying seniors, families, and community residents with needed groceries. Currently, over 7000 people are helped monthly.
Church member, Don Goethals, launches Divorce Care class to assist people recovering from broken relationships. Currently, anyone can request a personal consulation session to recover from broken relationships as a result of divorce or other circumstances.
Larry and Vickie Harr hold the first Celebrate Recovery class. By appointment, anyone can join the program on a personal, one-on-one basis. People have benefited by overcoming "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" through this Christ-centered curriculum.
The church is rebuilt through donations, insurance claims, and a loan from the Association of the Church of God in Southern California and Southern Nevada (Loan Amount $165,000).
In August 2023, our children's playground was built by Kaboom, Inc. (out of Washington, D.C.) and funded by Pacific Dental, Inc. Children can be seen enjoying the playground after church on Sunday, and Saturday mornings when groceries are distributed to our community.
Pastor Gary Gilleon becomes the Worship Leader for the church. He is joined by pianist Steve Flynn, Guitarist Floyd Butler, and vocalist Don Goethals.
Community First also welcomes guest Worship Leaders such as Mary James and Rabbi Joseph on an appointed basis. Mary is a 6-Time ICMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Rabbi Joseph is a professional singer who has led many bands. They seek to glorify God and escort the congregation into a heartfelt time of worship.
We continue to grow as a welcoming family of faith — anchored in Scripture, alive in worship, and active in service to the community of Homeland and beyond.
Whether you’re exploring faith for the first time or looking for a church home, we’d love to meet you this Sunday at 9:00 A.M. Tours of the church are also available.
