A Letter from Pastor Andrew
My name is Andrew Woods and I have been married to my amazing wife, Courtney, for 14 years. Together we have four awesome kiddos. We are hoping to plant a Church in Santa Cruz, California. This journey started over a decade ago while I was a Police Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. After graduating from Biola University, my heart was to bring the gospel to hard places. Being a Police Officer for about 9 years gave me an opportunity to do that. I worked a wide variety of assignments including East Los Angeles, Traffic, Mid-City, Specialized Units, and a Plain Clothes Narcotics Detail. It was here that I realized my love for evangelism, praying for and sharing the gospel with each arrestee. During that time the Lord made it clear through specific answered prayer that I was to step away from being a Police Officer to become a Pastor and share the gospel with all people. Understanding the weightiness of this call, I continued my theological education in beginning an MDiv program at Talbot Theological Seminary.
My family was then given an opportunity to move to the Fort Worth, TX area when my mother-in-law offered my family a place to live for free while I continued my theological education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This was a large step of faith that the Lord provided for my family. We sold our Southern California home and moved into a single wide in Texas. During that time our family started attending Grace Covenant Church, a church plant. We immediately found an incredible Church family, that placed a high value on expositional preaching and discipleship. We became members of the Church and I finished the MDiv degree in the next two years. It was during that time that the Church called me to be a Pastoral Assistant, then an Elder and the Associate Pastor. Over the next seven years the Lord refined me in my pastoral ministries. I grew in my desire to preach the word of God and counsel the word of God. So much so, that the church provided me an opportunity to pursue further credentialing and become a certified Biblical Counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. It was during this time that I gained invaluable experience and training through my local Church.
Help me plant a healthy Church in Santa Cruz County that will reflect the glories of Christ, His gospel, and His Kingdom so that in the darkness there will be light, and the light will not be overcome. There are three ways in which you can partner with us to spread the gospel in Santa Cruz: Pray, Give, and Go.
In Him,
The Woods Family