Exciting News!!!
My calling is expanding! In addition to pastoring Vintage Faith, God is calling me to Pastor Carson Hope Church. Here is the letter I wrote to my church explaining what is happening and how this will work:
Dear Church,
I am so excited to announce that our church is entering into a unique partnership with Carson Hope Community, a Foursquare church. For many years, Vintage Faith has been a church full of pastors and leaders. When I became pastor 2 years ago, I realized that we were missing a vital value that addressed God’s grace on our church. I prayed, sought the Lord, and landed on our church's last missional value: Empower and Send. Shortly after we established that value, we launched the Love the City Center at our Tilden campus. We have seen God’s grace and favor as we have moved outside the four walls of our church.
During Easter week, I had a meeting with our LA Foursquare Supervisor, Joe Hernandez. Pastor Joe brought up the need for new leadership at Carson Hope. We spoke about how Carson Hope was doing something similar with their food pantry and that the church needed a leader to help take it to the next level like we have done at Vintage Faith. According to Pastor Joe, they were struggling to find a pastor who had the gift to oversee the food pantry and the church. At first, I laughed and said, “Sure, just give us the property (with tongue in cheek).” We quickly moved on from that topic and finished a nice lunch together. When I got into my car, the Holy Spirit interrupted me and said, “Ashton, that was me. This is your church.” I was shocked. I knew that was God's voice in my head. This wasn’t a thought I would have on my own during Easter week. Just a week before, I was praying and asking God for more space. We had used every bit of our storage and rooms at our church for LA Fire Relief and our food pantry. God kept blessing us with increased provision, we just didn’t have room, so I asked God for more space. We had outgrown both of our Culver City campuses with Fire Relief and our weekly donations from all over LA. God was answering my prayer for more room at our church.
I asked God for three confirmations if I was to be the new lead pastor at Carson Hope Community Church. 1) I asked for great leaders to be the hands and feet on the Carson campus with me. I know I am called first to Vintage Faith and I can’t be in two places at once. 2) I asked for someone great to lead the food pantry at Carson. 3) I asked for a great strategic partner to help fund and serve the West Side and South LA (the community in the most need in LA). God provided all three within three weeks! So, I have accepted the lead pastor position at Carson Hope. I am going to remain the lead pastor of Vintage Faith while I mentor, oversee, and lead this new gospel-mission at Carson Hope. This opportunity allows our church to be an empowering and sending church. We are multiplying! God is doing something great in and through us.
I will be installed on July 27th, 2025, as the new lead pastor of Carson Hope Community Church. Zion and Calista Philips will be installed as the new Carson Hope campus leaders on August 3rd. Zion and Calista have attended our church for one year and both graduated from Life Pacific University. They have sensed God’s call to work in the inner city for a while. I am committing to being at Carson Hope once a month on a Sunday. This may seem like a lot, but we have already been empowering some other amazing preachers in the church to preach at least once a month, so the frequency with which you’ll see me and hear me speak won’t change. Additionally, every summer we have a pastor-driven series where all our pastors preach a sermon over the summer. The plan to do that again this summer was already in motion before I knew about Carson. All of this leads to a perfect time to launch our Carson Hope team.
Can I ask you to pray and consider giving to the relaunch of Carson Hope Community Church? Please pray that God would open doors no man can shut (Rev. 3:8). Please pray that there will be a smooth transition of leadership for both the church and the food pantry in Carson. Please pray that God uses our church to truly Love the City. Pray that many people would come to salvation in Jesus Christ and that God would reach the next generation in Carson. Would you consider giving your time and tithe (finances) at Carson by requesting to be on our Carson Hope team? I would love to send between 10-15 people with Zion, Calista, and myself as a launch team for a 6 month commitment. Carson Hope specifically needs a kids ministry team, admin assistance, and general support. The Carson campus also needs financial support for some critical maintenance and updates the church requires. You can give by going to our website, clicking on the “give” portal, and selecting “Partner with Carson” on the drop-down menu.
I believe this huge step of faith will be a blessing to Vintage Faith. I believe God will pour out his favor and provision in ways we’ve never seen as we obey him and live by faith. I think both churches will grow (Culver City and Carson) as we make room for God to move like never before in our church’s history. Would you consider praying and giving of your time, talents, and resources? God has more for us.
I am so thankful to serve with you,
Pastor Ashton Fish
Lead Pastor of Vintage Faith & Carson Hope
Carson Hope FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: What do you mean when you say we are “entering into a unique partnership” with Carson Hope?
A: What makes this partnership unique is that Carson Hope will continue to operate as its own church. It will stay Carson Hope Community Church with its own council and its own budget. We are not turning it into a satellite campus for Vintage Faith. It is essentially two separate churches under one Lead Pastor.
Q: Why does Carson Hope need us to partner with them?
A: John and Diane Shober have faithfully pastored for 7 years at Carson Hope after being missionaries in South Africa for 21 years. They are relocating to Houston to be closer to their family so the church needed a new pastor who could fill this unique role.
Q: Why are we doing this?
A: One of our core values as a church is to Empower and Send. What that looks like practically is building up the local church and sending the people and resources needed to help support it. Last year, we lived this value out by opening the Love the City Center at our Tilden campus and partnering with FoodCycle. We are uniquely positioned to support and lead this church as well in a similar fashion.
Q: What does this mean for the church?
A: It means Vintage Faith is growing and expanding. We will be able to have combined events and resources to love our city and the city of Carson. It also means that we as a church get to live out our values and be the church God has called us to be.
Q: What does this mean for Pastor Ashton?
A: He will be the Lead Pastor of both campuses, but we are appointing Campus Leaders, Zion and Calista Phillips, to be the onsite leaders. What this means is that they will be moving to Carson, preaching 2-3 times a month, overseeing the congregation, and being a loving presence in the community. Pastor Ashton will help oversee both campuses by providing support, vision, direction, and guidance to the Campus Leaders. He will also be speaking at Carson Hope once a month, which may seem like a lot, but since we have already been empowering some other amazing preachers in the church to preach at least once a month, the frequency with which you’ll see him and hear him speak won’t change.
Q: Is Pastor Ashton leaving?
A: No! Vintage Faith is still his priority and his heart, but he will be shepherding this congregation as well and preaching there once a month.
Q: How can we afford this?
A: Carson Hope Community Church has their own finances and council that will be funding that campus. As a part of this partnership, we as Vintage Faith will help to supplement and support this congregation, but it will be operating as its own church with its own budget.
Q: How are we going to keep our pastors from running too thin?
A: Besides the Campus Leaders that will be fully devoted to Carson Hope, we will be sending a launch team to help provide support. For Pastor Ashton specifically, he takes a weekly sabbath, a quarterly silent spiritual retreat, and an annual vacation with his family.
Q: How can you help?
A: There are three primary ways you can help us:
1) Prayer - You can partner with us by praying for God to open doors, for there to be a smooth transition of leadership for both the church and the food pantry, and for the city of Carson. We want to love the city well and make room for God to move and bring many to salvation in Jesus Christ.
2) Financial Support - As we stated above, Carson Hope has their own finances and council, but there are some critical maintenance and updates that the church requires that we would like to help partner with.
3) Join the Launch Team - This would be a 6 month commitment to be a part of the team that relaunches the church under Zion and Calista. Carson Hope specifically needs a kids ministry team, admin assistance, and general support.
If you would like to parter with me please reach out to me or visit vffchurch.com.