Strip Mall Churches

A picture blog celebrating churches found in strip malls


Marina Shopping Plaza – Calvary Missionary Baptist Church

Calvary Missionary Baptist Church

This was the 2nd church that we found in the Marina Shopping Plaza.  It’s located next door to the West Wind Church, but doesn’t really do a lot to compete.

I really like this place because I lived in San Diego for the first two years with barely any furniture.  It is the strip mall church for the ultra-minimalist.  These guys are saying we don’t need a fancy building or a fancy sign or a giant crucified Jesus to get your attention.  They are saying we have the lord and a place to pray and that’s all we need.  That or else they are saying, we need more money so we can build a real church outside of this crappy strip mall.  I really prefer to believe the former.  Either way, God bless them.


Marina Shopping Plaza – West Wind Church

West Wind Church

 

When a friend recommended I go to the Marina Shopping Center, she didn’t mention that it was the Holiest Strip Mall on Planet Earth.  My mom drove me over there the next day and we discovered there were 4 strip mall churches all in this one plaza.

The West Wind Church was the first church that we saw.  It’s located next to a competing strip mall church as well as the Marina Market and a pet grooming place brilliantly named “Pet Grooming”.  Also since I used to do tai chi, I was excited to see Wu Shing Tai Chi located on the other side.  If I ever move back to the area, I may have to check it out.


Trinity Christian Center

Trinity Christian Center

My sister alerted me to this church in the closest strip mall to my mom’s house.  Then I got a phone call from a friend who’s mom and sister had also noticed this place.  It’s tucked away in the corner next to this small supermarket called Food Fair that my mom never shopped at.  There is a salon and pet grooming place as well.

Somehow the picture makes me wonder what strip mall heaven must be like. It’s something about the trees. I imagine an infinite parking lot with infinite strip mall stores and God and a lot of fluffy clouds.  What does strip mall heaven look like to you?


SonRise Community Fellowship

RIP Galaxy 8. Yes, this place used to be a movie theater. The last movie that I saw here was Sleepy Hollow.  I remember coming here and cutting high school to watch movies. I saw Beavis and Butthead Do America and Pulp Fiction at midnight and the Star Wars re-releases with all the new and unnecessary scenes. Then a bigger movie theater moved into town and we got this. It was the first strip mall church that I ever really noticed.  How could I not?!?  I am sure there were plenty around before that, but this place is ginormous.

Anyways, in the same plaza it’s got an Enterprise Rent-a-Car and an insurance place and a bicycle shop and a place called Fuji Massage which may or may not have happy endings.  Sadly, there was no happy ending for this movie theater.