Pastor of Abundant Living Church welcomes Upland school

Pastor Diego Mesa now sits on the board of directors for Upland Christian Academy.

Mesa started the Abundant Living Church in Rancho Cucamonga. He has since welcomed the new parent -formed school onto campus.

Q: How long have you been with Abundant Living?

A: Actually this Sunday was 15 years old as a church.

Q: How did you get involved with Abundant Living?

A: I was an assistant pastor of a church in Pomona and I was there for nine years. Then in 1994 we started our church.

Q: Why did you decide to build the church grounds in Rancho Cucamonga?

A: We were at our former property which is off of Utica and Haven and we were there about 12 years and then in 2000 we bought the property, but we recognized shortly that we would be outgrowing the property very quickly because we had so many multiple services, so the building wouldn't accommodate us anymore. Shortly after that we began to just look and canvas the area and then we bought the land somewhere. In 2002 we bought this property and then we began to build two years ago. Just out of growth and out of necessity we moved over here.

Q: What is it that brings so many people to Abundant Living?

A: Beyond the obvious, which is nothing more than Jesus - that's the obvious answer, but I want to be fair to your question because there are a lot of churches that say that too. Ultimately that is our foundation. That's our priority. That's our vision. That's our purpose, but I think there are other things, other factors if I can be humble enough to try and describe those because no on could probably be as accurate as only God would know. We preach a very relative message where people live and can connect with so that's really being fed or ministered to or getting good information every week to live out.

I think it's an environment that we create. The fact that whatever age you are, whatever culture you are, whatever background you are, here's a safe environment that really accepts you and loves you. I think it had to do with the various programs and activities we offer that is more than a Sunday morning message that can help people live their lives out Monday through Saturday wherever they are in life.

Whether they are being financially challenged or it's a blended family issue or they've got some job related problems, there's usually a program and activity here they can try and help them through those things and I just believe that church should be very fun and I think think it should be very exciting and I think it should be very purposeful.

Q: Why did you decide to allow Upland Christian Academy to come in?

A: Outside of ultimately saying I'm filling the lead of the Lord, filling the voice of God as much as i can hear the voice of God say that I should do this, that this was his will.

Ultimately that's what it was. You felt the impression, you felt the strong thoughts, you felt the feeling on the inside that this was God speaking to you. I look at it as us doing something for Upland as much as Upland doing something for us. As much as God giving us an opportunity to be what we are as a church, to really fulfill the vision of this church to finally now stand up and back up all the preaching we do on Sunday. If it say we're really here to help people we're really here to make a different. We're really here to find a need and take the lead.

Read more Friday in the Upland/Claremont city news.