Venture Christian Church is the merger of Los Gatos Christian Church and South Valley Christian Church. Two churches with a legacy of purpose and a passion for reaching the lost for Christ. See About Venture Christian Church for more details about our history and what we believe.

The main campus and offices are located at
16845 Hicks Road
Los Gatos, CA 95032
There are also offices and a Spanish speaking ministry located at:
590 Shawnee Lane
San Jose, CA 95123
See the Map and Directions for more details.

There several services available:

• 5PM on Saturday at the Hicks campus in Fellowship Hall
• 8AM on Sunday at the Hicks campus in the Worship Center
• 9AM on Sunday at the Hicks campus in the Worship Center
• 10:45AM on Sunday at the Hicks campus in the Worship Center
• 10:45AM on Sunday (Spanish speaking ministry) at the Shawnee campus in room D.

See the Schedule for more information about additional classes available for people of all ages.

There are many things available for the whole family. See

• Schedule
• Getting Connected
• Community Groups
• Care and Support

Yes, see:

• Performing Arts
• Get Connected

See the Upcoming events.

A JK-8 school opened in 1977, Los Gatos Christian School is a ministry of Venture Christian Church and a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. See http://lgcschool.com/ for more details.

Becoming a passionate follower (disciple) of Jesus is a lifelong process that takes a commitment on the part of every believer to make progress in his or her spiritual journey toward Christ-likeness every day. That kind of progress requires the setting of a high enough priority (intention) that necessary activities and attitudes prevail in the lifestyle of every individual Christian. The Profile of a Mature Disciple has been created to aid in defining the kinds of activities and attitudes that will result in spiritual growth.

The facilitation of IDM follows directly from Venture’s Mission Statement: Venture Christian Church develops passionate followers of Jesus Christ who carry out God’s purposes by connecting people to God and one another in Biblical community. This is done by providing continuous reinforcement and encouragement of the mission statement, a comprehensive relational group structure, resources for individuals and groups, and the development of trained and equipped leaders in each of the following areas:

• Equipping believers to understand and apply a Biblical worldview in order that they may help others come to Christ
• Stressing the importance of a regular appointment with God in worship, Bible study, and prayer in order to develop an intimate relationship with God (see the daily S.O.A.P. – Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer – and Bible Reading Plan resources)
• Defining and implementing the three critical ways to connect with other believers: attending the worship service each Sunday for corporate worship and inspiration; belonging to a specific kind of mid-size group (Life Community – see The Life Community Ministry at Venture ) for fellowship; and participating in a small group or discipleship triad (see The Small Group Ministry at Venture ) for spiritual growth.
• Equipping individuals to discover God’s purposes for them and how He has SHAPEd them to serve Him in ministry and mission.

In four words, the Life Community is the church’s adoption unit! This is the place where newcomers will be invited in and feel the love, warmth, care, and welcome of everyone in the group. The focus is both outward and inward at the same time. By practicing the “one anothers” of the Bible and building true Biblical community, the group will be attractive to those not yet connected to such a group both from within Venture and from the community at large. In the past, the worship service and large evangelistic events were the primary entry points for newcomers who were then plugged into adult classes and Shepherding groups. Today’s reality is that many will not come to the church for those kinds of events anymore. The new entry point is through Life Communities whose people are forging relationships with the lost that will eventually bring them into the group and then into the Kingdom. A gathering of from 17 to 70 is the ideal size for a newcomer to feel comfortable and yet still be able to develop relationships, hence the emphasis on fellowship.

A Life Community may also be described as a combination of what has transpired in an Adult Sunday Class and Shepherding with an evangelistic mission. A successful Life Community will be organized around and intentionally carrying out these four primary functions:

• Fellowship that ministers to the needs of the group – care and share
• Bible teaching that encourages growth toward the “Mature Disciple”
• Assimilation of newcomers on campus and those who have not yet connected - invite
• Outreach to the lost in the community, workplace, school, and other areas of interaction

More about the Life Community can be found at The Life Community Ministry at Venture .

In the past, we encouraged our members to participate in the worship service, an adult class, and Shepherding. The adult class put the primary focus on teaching with some hospitality thrown in. Shepherding majored on fellowship with assimilation occurring in specific geographic areas. In the Life Community, teaching and fellowship will be combined with a focus on reaching the unconnected both on campus and in the community. The organizing principle will center more on life-stage or affinity than on geography because it will be more effective to sponsor outreach events around common interests. Whether a group meets on campus on Sunday or in a home during the week, the activities will all be very similar. Not every adult class or Shepherding group is expected to transition into a Life Community. Some, because of size, will operate more like a small group; others, because of focus or make-up, will continue as an elective class or fellowship group. We are in a transition phase right now with about 14 groups giving the Life Community model serious consideration.

Small groups are Biblically described, ideally comprised of six to ten people. They are a vitally important tool where the Holy Spirit can magnify the spiritual growth and life change in Christ. This is the charge and should be the heart’s desire of every believer.

At the same time, small groups should be a fun and supportive environment. A small group is not simply a social club or a semi-formal once-a-week Bible study or prayer group. Biblical small groups are a family of believers that encourage, support, and love one another continually. It is a group where the deepest personal cares and issues can be faithfully shared with the assurance of confidentiality and loving accountability.

Small groups operate with a goal of attaining the maturity described in The Profile of a Mature Disciple (copies available at the Information table or from our website) and helping each member advance in their walk with Christ through in-depth Bible study and accountability. Small groups help effect spiritual transformation in each member.

Small groups may be formed within a Life Community as one way of developing deeper relationships with a few of the other members of that community. They may also be formed completely independent of a Life Community for specific short-term spiritual growth opportunities. See The Small Group Ministry at Venture for a discussion of the mission, scope, and goals of the small group ministry.

The difference is in three main areas: focus, size, and lifetime. The small group has a defined lifetime with a specific spiritual growth focus and will be limited to less than ten people, whereas a Life Community has an unspecified lifetime with a focus on caring and growing with a size from 17 to 70. For many newcomers, it is easier to slide into a larger group – Life Community - where they are not immediately in the spotlight. Also, for most people, the kind of intimacy and accountability necessary for spiritual growth requires a smaller number of people.

A discipleship triad is basically a small group of three (as the name implies) or, occasionally, four people of the same sex who gather for one of two purposes – to establish new believers in the faith or to equip older believers as witnesses and disciplers. The curriculum is generally fixed as is the number of meetings. The expectation is for those who have completed the curriculum to then take two or three others through that same course, thus creating exponentially more and more disciplers. These triads may be part of a small group or Life Community or independent of both.

No, since both small groups and triads have specified life spans, it is possible to alternate between the two.

In order to carry out all the purposes of God, we believe it is necessary to participate in both small and large groups because of the different emphases in each.

We do not encourage that so that you may have sufficient time to serve and witness. However, if you are fully engaged in a Life Community, small group, or triad and are serving, then you may elect to do more as you are led by the Holy Spirit.

Come to Information table or call:

• Joe or Faye Viskovich 267-8692 for Life Communities (mid-size groups)
• Jim or Claudette Averill 268-0476 for Small Groups
• Kay McCloskey 356-2050 for Women’s Bible Studies
• Tricia Christenson 370-3362 for Women’s Discipleship Triads
• Gary Hess 997-4610 for Men’s Discipleship Triads