Victory Outreach moves into theater building in east Ventura
When Cisco Zenteno opened Victory Outreach less than a year ago to about 40 congregants, church services were held at the Knights of Columbus building in downtown Ventura, a 3,000-square-foot space.
But as the congregation quickly grew to more than 250 people, the pastor and his wife, Michelle, knew they had to find a larger site.
“We’re a small church with humble beginnings — could we do it?” Zenteno remembers asking his wife. “Well, God can do it — and we can trust and pray."
About two months ago, the couple learned that Mission Church was moving out of its location at the old Century Theatres building on Johnson Drive in Ventura. The 60,000-square-foot building is divided into 11 theaters, one of which has more than 300 seats that could accommodate Sunday services.
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“This is quite a big jump from being at the Knights of Columbus,” said Zenteno, noting that the initial space was so small that tents were set up at nearby Mission Park where children attended youth services on Sundays.
“We were just making the best of what we had, and we had big faith that God was going to open up big doors,” he said.
Added Michelle Zenteno: “We went searching for several buildings, but this was the place God had for us. We can’t explain it any other way.”
On Sunday, Victory Outreach’s new doors will open. The festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration with refreshments, followed by the church service. The celebration also marks the one-year anniversary of the church, which held its first service on Nov. 26 of last year.
Sonny Arguinzoni Sr., an American evangelical Christian pastor and founder of Victory Outreach International, is scheduled to be a guest speaker at the grand opening. Arguinzoni and his wife, Julie, began the ministry in 1967 in East Los Angeles. Today, it has a presence in more than 30 countries.
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The Zentenos describes Victory Outreach as a diverse, multicultural Christian church.
“We’re here to reach the lost and the hurting … to come to know Christ,” Michelle Zenteno said.
“People who think that they have nothing to offer, we welcome them — they can come just as they are,” said Cisco Zenteno. “Nothing will be asked of you. This is a place of acceptance and love, and we believe that God has a bright future for every single person who walks through those doors.”
Victory Outreach also operates rehabilitation homes, called Victory Homes, where members who’ve had life-controlling habits learn how to put themselves back into society.
“We’re a completely faith-based program, so we don’t charge them to come in,” Cisco Zenteno said. “If they want to change, they can come on in. They learn about prayer and the word of God, and at the same time they have a place where they can learn life skills.”
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The church’s move wouldn’t have been possible, the couple said, if it weren’t for donations from the congregation.
“We had to raise about $120,000,” the pastor said. “Everything came from our congregants. They were all willing to give; they were taking ownership.”
Three rooms in the new building have been dedicated to children, with one room designed for infants to age 3, one for ages 4 to 6, and another for ages 7 to 10. Church services will take place in a theater that seats 330.
The spacious lobby has a café where congregants can meet for fellowship. There are also several big-screen televisions in the lobby where a live feed of church services will be shown.
After the grand opening, regular services will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday. There’s also a youth service at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and a prayer service at 7 p.m. Thursdays. The Zentenos hope to expand that schedule.
“With such a great facility, we really want to continue to be a lighthouse here,” the pastor said.
If you go
What: Victory Outreach grand opening
When: 9 a.m. Sunday
Where: 2875 Elba St., near the Highway 101 entrance on Johnson Drive, Ventura
Information: 805-293-9182