Safe Harbor OC Church - Santa Ana (CA)

5 /5 Jacob Sutherland: SHOC is such an important and needed inclusive community that stands out amongst many other more "traditional" and "new wave" churches in the area.

5 /5 Sam Ponce Davila: Love this church! Very diverse and affirming for queer and trans folx. The leadership in this church is very impressive how they lift up different voices in the community. I like the different perspectives of the text so I’m not just getting one person’s point of view.

5 /5 Kate Schwab: SHOCs vision statement is a "Jesus-centered community reimagining inclusive spaces to rest, restore, belong and become"... and they really mean it. They are fully affirming and focused on including people commonly excluded from the church. Love getting to be a part of it and how intentional they are in everything they do.

5 /5 Gabe: Many churches claim to be inclusive spaces for everyone, tossing around phrases like, “everyone is welcome” but all too often that proves to not be the case for people who are LGBTQ, people of color, disabled or people who are deconstructing or have different theologies. Safe Harbor OC (SHOC) is not one of those churches. They don’t say “all are welcome here” and just stop there. They actually do the work to make sure this a safe, inclusive, and affirming space for queer, BIPOC, trans, disabled folk, anyone who has been harmed or traumatized by the church, or who have never felt like they fit the traditional Christian mold. The people there are great and the leadership is always receptive to criticism, because they actually want to do better. If you’re looking for a church where you feel safe, seen, and heard, I hope you find your spiritual home at SHOC.

5 /5 Daniel: This space is such a rarity in Orange County! Safe Harbor has been an incredibly inclusive and affirming space for me to go and belong. Everyone has been incredibly friendly and inviting. My faith and relationship with religion has been shifting drastically over the past few years and Safe Harbor has been a place where I have genuinely felt like I can belong and be accepted, even when I’m not sure what I believe. They are reimagining what a spiritual space could look like in Orange County, especially as people begin to deconstruct and decolonize their faith. This space is trying to be as much of a safe and inclusive space for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled folks as they know how, with the pastoral leadership being open to critique so they can do their jobs better. If you’ve been burned by the Church and are looking for a safe space, you’ve found it.