A Parish Story from Costa Mesa, CA
A group of leaders and pastors had been praying for Costa Mesa, a city in Orange County, California for 15 years. This led to the creation of Trellis, a nonprofit organization that exists to facilitate collaboration around the practical, relational, and spiritual challenges in a city.
Since its inception, Trellis has created powerful initiatives that partners with nearly every school in the district, collaborates with the city, and works alongside local nonprofits to address some of Costa Mesa’s greatest challenges, including homelessness. They empower local residents to take active roles in their communities, creating strong networks of support and care.
Over the past decade, Trellis has played a crucial role in uniting churches across the region, helping them adopt a more strategic, collaborative approach to community care. Trellis hosts an annual city-wide worship and prayer night, along with a volunteer day called "Love Our Cities," which has been connecting residents in service for almost eight years.
“It helps all of us on a city level when we bear the weight together instead of alone.”
– Reina Cuthill, the Neighboring Initiative Director at Trellis
Recently, in response to a surge in gang violence in two Costa Mesa neighborhoods, Trellis launched a city-wide prayer walk in every voting district in the city. Inspired by these efforts, young leaders in the area are stepping forward, driven by their faith to bring about lasting change. One young man, after a transformative encounter with Jesus, rallied his neighbors to organize a back-to-school event and is now envisioning a year-round initiative to uplift his community. Trellis is supporting this vision by advocating with local policy-makers to create spaces for art, music, and mentorship, as well as facilitating relationship-building with local police.
Looking ahead, Trellis hopes to expand its impact beyond Costa Mesa, supporting similar initiatives in all 34 cities of Orange County. Their mission remains to unite the body of Christ in serving communities, building partnerships that address critical issues like gang violence, educational support, and homelessness with greater depth and sustainability. Learn more about Trellis on their website: https://wearetrellis.com/
