Learning from Sergio De La Mora

Sergio De La Mora is the founder and pastor of Cornerstone Church of San Diego, California. His passion and vision to plant churches throughout the world, with the purpose of reaching new people for Christ, led him to launch five additional satellite campuses in Mexico City, Tucson, La Jolla, Escondido, and Tijuana.

Additionally, Sergio is the co founder of the Turning the Hearts Center, a community nonprofit organization designed to empower youth and families and restore family unity and self-sufficiency through a variety of programs, seminars, and support resources. The Turning the Hearts Center, is also home to the “Hearts for the Hungry” Food Distribution Center which has fed over 1,000 families since it opened its doors in 2013.

Pastor Sergio was kind enough to spend some time with us at the Young Lead Pastors Gathering put together by Wade Olinger in October. I have already posted several times about the gathering and you can read them here.

• Learning with Young Pastors
• Learning from Brian Houston of Hillsong Church
• Learning from Tim Chaddick of Reality L.A.
• Learning from Larry Osborne of North Coast Church

Pastor Sergio spoke with such passion about how our churches need to be a powerhouse entity in our communities. He encouraged the pastors to lead their churches to be well known in three different ways.

1. Be known by a distinct sound. Thinking of Acts 2, Sergio said that the early church was known by the distinct message delivered by the Holy Spirit. Our churches should have a “sound” to them that the people in our communities don’t hear anywhere else.

2. Be known by an empowering spirit. The church should be the place where people are lifted rather than beat down. Where Sergio ministers, he finds suffering people everywhere. (So do we.) A pastor must be well-acquainted with the pain of the people he is called to liberate. Our churches should empower people to live by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit.

3. Known by a structure that does not limit growth. Cornerstone Church is one of the fastest growing churches in our country. Among the reasons Sergio attributes to this is their willingness to put nothing in the way of growth. As they encourage personal growth, the church leaders also plan on expansion for the ministries.