Campus ExpansionTreasuring Christ: When giving is gain. Lighthouse Community Church campus expansion.
We’re turning a warehouse into a church. 529/531 Van Ness is 36,000 square feet in the same business park as our current building, and our church family is giving to make it ready for Sunday worship.
A small part of a bigger story
Lighthouse opened its doors in April 2003 in a middle school cafeteria, spent eight years at Torrance High School, and in September 2011 God let us turn a warehouse on Van Ness into a church. All along, we have known we are a small part of a much bigger story God is telling, and we want to be faithful to our part of it, which is to make gospel-centered disciples who exalt and proclaim Christ.
We asked for part of a building. God gave us all of it.
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Room for Sunday
Our current building is maxing out, with three services every Sunday for over 1,000 adults and 200 children. So all through 2026, our planning team and the architects at Visioneering have been designing a building with room for all of us, ministry by ministry and room by room. The detailed design wrapped up in October, and construction drawings are next.
The city approved our building
On Wednesday night, October 21, Torrance’s Planning Commission voted 6–0 to approve our Conditional Use Permit, which is the city’s permission to use a building in an industrial zone as a church. Afterward, our team gathered in the hallway to pray and give thanks. God has been so kind to us.
Construction begins
Before anyone picks up a hammer, the finished design gets priced, the construction drawings get drawn, and the city reviews every page of them. Then the warehouse starts becoming a church.
We move in
Our first Sunday at 529/531. From a middle school cafeteria to a high school to a warehouse to this, we hope we walk out that day saying not “What a great building,” but “What a great God.”
From the patio to the kids’ wing
The 3D tourWalk through the whole buildingStep through the patio, the lobby, the sanctuary and every kids’ classroom, and look around each room, on your phone or computer.Walk the building in 3D 
The patio
The yard runs the whole south side of the building, right outside the front doors. About half of it will be built in the first phase, and the rest will follow.
The lobby
The lobby is a place for our church family to gather and linger after service. So much of our church life happens in those unhurried minutes and providential conversations: catching up with an old friend, welcoming someone new, praying together before heading home. The Information desk and kids’ check-in sit right by the front door, and there are more restrooms than in our current building.
The sanctuary
About 900 seats, so more of our church family can worship together in the same room on Sunday morning.
The kids’ wing
Our kids get a wing of their own, with a classroom for every grade, a big Group Room where they worship and check in together, and dedicated Bridge rooms for kids and adults.
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”1 Timothy 6:17–19 ESV
Here’s where our giving stands
If you made a commitment in 2025, thank you. Gifts that come in sooner let us pay project bills as they arrive. Giving to Treasuring Christ is in addition to your regular offering, and anyone is welcome to give, member or not.
Phase 1 commitments, made in spring 2025, run through April 2027. On February 14, our church family will be invited to consider a Phase 2 commitment, running through April 2028.
Give to Treasuring ChristComing up
Campus Expansion Update and Prayer Meeting
7 to 9 p.m. in our current sanctuary at 501 Van Ness. We’ll walk through where things stand, take your questions, and pray together. Everyone is welcome, and there’s no sign-up. (No childcare that night.)
A Sunday series on giving
Four Sundays in the Scriptures on giving. On the last one, February 14, our church family will be invited to consider a second commitment to the project.
Keep praying
For wisdom as the finished design gets priced, for our neighbors in the business park, who will notice our construction and our Sunday traffic first, and for our hearts to treasure Christ whatever comes next.
Every update so far
Other ways to join in
Pray
We have depended on God’s grace for everything so far, and we will need it for pricing, plan check, and construction. Pray that he provides, and that our hearts trust him whatever the numbers say.
Serve
We don’t have to wait for 2028 to do ministry. Until then, some of the most helpful things you can do on a Sunday are small. Try third service now and then, make room in the row, and carpool so there’s a parking spot for someone new.
Share
Send a friend the story of the 6–0 vote, or just tell them how you ended up at Lighthouse.
Campus expansion FAQ
What is 529/531 Van Ness, and how does it add to our campus?
529/531 Van Ness is a 36,000 square foot building in our existing business park, previously used as industrial warehouse and office space. Leasing it adds to the 27,000 square feet of our current building at 501 Van Ness, bringing our campus to 63,000 square feet.
How do we envision using the two buildings?
Sunday moves to 529/531, with the sanctuary, the kids’ wing, meeting rooms, and the lobby. Our current building at 501 becomes offices for our growing staff and more rooms for meetings and groups.
Who is designing and building the project?
Visioneering Studios is our architect and builder. They are a national firm that designs and builds churches, and we have benefited greatly from their decades of experience. Tony Torres, one of our Visioneering architects, presented the project to the Planning Commission on October 21.
Who is on the Campus Expansion Planning Team?
Pastor Jason Ho (team lead), Jamie Collier (Children's Ministries and Bridge), Pastor Kelly Kira (design), Kristy Ueda (design), Pastor Gavin Kajikawa (staff and operations), and Pastor David Lee (worship, AV, and IT). The team listens to our ministries and fellowship groups, carries their needs to Visioneering, and works through the details with them.
What is our budget for this project?
As of May 2026, the all-in cost of building out 529/531 ranged from $12.7 to $15.6 million. Many things affect where the final number ends up within that range, including the exact scope of work, materials and finishes, and city fees. The detailed design is finished and is being priced now, and we will post the updated estimate here.
How will we pay for this project?
We plan to pay with cash on hand, from the gifts our church family has committed to Treasuring Christ ($7.3 million given so far of $10.1 million committed) and a portion of our savings. In January we will spend four Sundays in the Scriptures together on giving, ending on February 14, when our church family will be invited to consider a second commitment. The elders continue to weigh options in case of a shortfall.
What will we do with money given beyond the cost of the project?
Any money left in the Treasuring Christ fund after the campus expansion will be saved for future facility expenses.
What are the terms of the lease, and what is the financial impact?
We signed a five-year lease for 529/531, with options for two more five-year extensions. We estimate our added annual costs (lease, operations, utilities, and maintenance) at around $800,000.
Why lease and renovate instead of buying?
Owning would be wonderful, but we are not in a financial position to buy. Even with the generosity of our church family, purchasing and renovating a property that meets our needs would cost an estimated $40 million, and very few such properties are available. We believe God has provided 529/531 as our next step. It lets us stay where we are while expanding our facility and our capacity for ministry.
What about parking?
The city confirmed the 180 parking spaces the code requires for a worship room our size, and we have confirmed additional Sunday overflow parking with neighboring businesses.
What will the new building have?
Walk through each space above, or read the Campus Expansion Stories for more detail, room by room.
How will the expansion affect my ministry?
Some changes are already clear. Sunday gets more room in every sense, and children’s ministry gets a much bigger Resource Room as well as its own wing. Others we will only learn by living in the building. We expect God to show us more as we grow into the space, and we hope it lets us pursue ministry that simply isn’t possible in our current building.
How long do I have to fulfill my commitment?
Phase 1 commitments, made in spring 2025, run through April 2027. Phase 2 commitments, made on Commitment Sunday, February 14, 2027, run through April 2028.
Can I change my commitment?
Yes. If the Lord is leading you to give differently, let us know at bills@lighthousesouthbay.org.
Is my commitment in place of my regular offering?
No. Treasuring Christ gifts are in addition to your regular offering, because the regular offering keeps our everyday ministry going while the building is being built.
How do I give?
Online through Planning Center Giving, with the Give buttons on this page. If you give by check or cash, write “Generosity Initiative” in the memo line and on the offering card. To give appreciated assets like stock or real estate, see the asset donation guide. Asset donation guide (PDF)
How is the money held?
In low-risk accounts such as savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury bills, so it stays safe and available as project bills come due. It is overseen regularly and reported transparently under our financial policies.
Will my commitment be made public?
No. Giving information is available only to our controller, our deacon of finance, and a few administrators who maintain our systems, and it is anonymized whenever church leaders look at it.
Can people outside Lighthouse give?
Yes. We welcome the generosity of anyone who wants to be part of what God is doing at Lighthouse.
Why a bigger building instead of planting a church or capping attendance?
The elders considered several options, but none fully addressed the pressure we are under. Even a large church plant of 100 members would only slightly and briefly relieve our crowding, and capping attendance would mean poorly stewarding what God is doing at Lighthouse.
Who do I talk to with questions?
Email info@lighthousesouthbay.org or call the church office at (310) 212-0320, and we will connect you with the right person.
As exciting as the building is, we are most excited about the goodness of God, who is more kind and more gracious than we could possibly deserve. Thank you for treasuring Christ with us.
Give to Treasuring ChristQuestions? info@lighthousesouthbay.org
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.