Love Wins Church brings hope to seekers

CHURCH PLANTERS- Dave and Carrie Page moved to Moorpark last summer to establish Love Wins Church, a satellite congregation of Saddleback Church in Orange County. The church will host a grand opening Easter Sunday service on April 16 at the Mesa Verde Middle School. PATRICK SHELBY Acorn Newspapers Love Wins Church is a casual place of worship that welcomes people just as they are, said Pastor Dave Page, who moved to Moorpark last summer to establish the church with his wife, Carrie.

"Pastor Dave and his wife are the most amazing people I ever met," said 19-year-old Shannon Pflaumer, who attends the church.

"They make me feel like I'm wanted and welcome," Pflaumer said, adding Page's teachings are infused with humor and personal touches that inspire her to grow in her faith.

Love Wins is for people who don't like church, Page said. "We don't take ourselves too seriously, but we take God very seriously," he said.

Page recently hosted monthly preview services to establish the church's core group here. They started with about 20 people and now the congregation has grown to more than 100.

Love Wins currently hosts weekly services at 10 a.m. Sundays at the Mesa Verde Middle School auditorium at 14000 Peach Hill Road.

The local church is affiliated with Saddleback Church, founded by Pastor Rick Warren in Orange County. Warren trained Page, who "planted" another church sponsored by Saddleback in Auburn, Calif. about 10 years ago. That church is now attended by about 1,400 people, said Page.

Saddleback's Purpose Driven Church program has started more than 30 churches throughout the state and Love Wins is the newest one.

Dave and Carrie Page met at a church in Simi Valley when they were teenagers. They have been married for 20 years. He became a Christian at age 19 while he was a sophomore at Westmont College.

After graduating from Westmont College, Page attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He continued his studies at Talbot Theological Seminary, the Fuller Theological Seminary and the University of Judaism.

Page has been a senior pastor for the past 18 years. He established two other churches in California before coming to Moorpark. He also traveled on mission trips to such places as Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Japan, Hong Kong and most recently, Africa. " M y heart breaks for the African people who are dying of AIDS by the millions," he said.

Now in his forties, Page is glad to have returned to the area to serve the community. "In many ways this move is like coming home for us as we have family and friends throughout the area," he said.

The Pages have two children, Joshua and Jessica, who attend school in Moorpark. They lost their young daughter Jackie to brain cancer six years ago.

"That's makes our church unique," said Page, adding the name of his church reflects love prevailing regardless of the circumstances. "We went through the trauma and it changed us as people," he said.

Consequently, Page and his wife look out for people who are hurting because they can understand pain and can provide a genuine support system. There is always hope in God, Page said.

"When people hear our story, they realize that we could be a church that understands, because we went through adversity but we still praise the Lord," Page said.

During their daughter's illness, Page said he and his wife had questions but didn't get any answers. "We just felt it was an opportunity to trust even though we didn't understand why. God was still there," he said. "We survived and thrived."

Pflaumer can relate to the Pages' story. Her sister Breanna has a brain tumor but she has been bravely fighting the disease for the past two years. She's even gained a few pounds in recent weeks, said her mother, Terrie Pflaumer.

Pflaumer first decided to visit Love Wins because she is a friend of the church's youth pastor, Andy Cantwell. "He led me into my faith," she said. Now she feels she has found a spiritual home because the Page family is open about what they went through with their own daughter and they inspire Pflaumer to be strong.

Page will share his message of hope at an Easter Sunday service on April 16. "The cross and resurrection is God's way of saying love wins," he said. The service will begin at 10:15 a.m. at Mesa Verde Middle School.

Love Wins is a Bible-based church. Any good pastor learns how to teach about the Bible, Page said, but the key is to bridge the time gap so people can relate the Scriptures and apply the principles to their lives.

For more information, call (805) 433-5400 or visit www.lovewins.com.