I liked it at this church. The pastor did talk quickly, but he also seemed sincere when I talked to him afterwards. I am most interested in kindness, secure (low ego fragility) teaching and a congregation who seems to want to grow in their relationship to Christ. I saw that here. Not that any congregation made up of humans is perfect, but it seemed like people were trying and made room for where I am at on my journey. The pastor put all his reference verses and talking points on the sermon notes that were printed out in the back for us "dead tree" enthusiasts, as well as online. So I was able to go back and check any questions I had afterward. He also was available to talk after the service and people were chatting him up. That is always a good sign that the teacher is aprochable. I didn't see or feel the malice or disrespect that some of the other reviews implied. I'm sure everyone's experience is different. The service featured contemporary worship, formal reading of the Word, Bible based teaching, self serve communion on the front and back tables, and a benediction with an offer to be prayed for immediately after. My new little family is still evaluating where we belong, but we felt welcome and safe here. read more

This church is amazing and they have an amazing sense of community. Been coming here with my family for 3 years. Finally found "my people"

Element is a welcoming church who truly strives to put Jesus first in all things. Element loves others because God has first loved us. Aaron (our pastor) may talk fast, but you never have to worry about embarrassing yourself w your head nodding off to sleep! He is very engaging and knowledgeable about many things, don to earth, but more importantly he loves God dearly and is passionate about sharing that w others! Come see for yourself! read more

Very welcoming staff and congregation. I've been attending for about a year and I really enjoy everything about Element.

Very welcoming, pastor presents message in a way it is applicable to today. Great Programs for kids also.

If I could give this "church" zero stars, I would. (See end of my post here.) I deleted my original review out of fear, but since seeing several movies about church trauma, I've decided I need to tell about what happened to me there. It wouldn't be fair for me to stay silent. So many people are leaving churches because these churches have failed to support them and they instead have hurt and caused them unneeded trauma. Here is my original review, as I wrote it two years ago: If I could give this church zero stars I would, because I never felt welcomed there. That church is supposed to be a youthful and friendly open atmosphere, and though it did have an awesome worship band and a seemingly upbeat atmosphere, I was coldly snubbed, laughed at and mocked by church members....even some of it elders. Then, because I am autistic and multiply-disabled, I wrote a post on their Facebook page appealing for local friends and help with my computer and smartphone, gardening and light housecleaning. Instead of that help, I suddenly and inexplicably got blocked off of their Facebook page. Next, I was slammed by the pastor, who was rude, arrogant and made totally unwarranted false accusations about me and my character....without providing me with any prof of his accusations...such as screenshots of my allegedly rude Facebook posts. Although this happened over 11 years ago, I will never forget the traumatic experience of being coldly shunned and then mocked and lied about by those who profess to have the love of Jesus in their hearts. Btw, this has turned me off forever from even wanting to visit anymore churches...because, well, that's how C-PTSD trauma works. I never saw Jesus's love represented there at all. It was a perfect example of toxic, cruel, and bigoted Americanized Christianity wrapped in cool rock 'n' roll and glitz. If you want to find an authentically welcoming and affirming church that genuinely welcomes everyone, whether Black, POC, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, Autistic / Disabled, Queer, Trans, etc., go there, but do your research first. Google them, read their reviews and ask questions. 0/10, I don't recommend. read more

Element is all about JESUS! everyone is friendly and welcoming! we have been going to element for a couple of years now and we have found our home! and we love Aaron!! ;) he delivers gods message and explains things in a way that makes you understand! read more

I have been attending Element since December 2015. I knew the second I walked in the door I was home. I look forward to church every Sunday and enjoy the activities offered. I love being a volunteer with children's ministry. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly and I've made wonderful, lifelong friends. Come and see for yourself! read more

I am a Christian and have been one for 20 years. I also play guitar and have played in Worship Teams. This church had the best sounding band that I have heard in a long time. The sound system was amazing and the team from the board to the stage knew what they were doing. I wish I could say the same for the Pastor and his message. The pastor started off in Genesis and covered Noah. He flat out stated several times on Jan 21st, 2018.... that Noah was a, "Knucklehead". He tried to draw some analogy that we are all saved by Grace and Noah was a Knucklehead just like you and I. Scripture is clear that Noah was a righteous man and blameless. It goes on to say how he walked with God. The pastor also likes to write a philosophical statement and get the congregation to say it aloud. It wasn't scripture, just his statement. He was so proud of himself that he had them all saying his statement. He even challenged this service to do it better than first service. The pastor also was talking so fast, as to cram in a bunch of material in one service......my daughter even mentioned that he was talking fast. Then the pastor even mentioned that the sound guys were sending him a message, that he was talking too fast. He was literally out of breath on many sentences. The congregation is pretty hipster and no one questioned his Noah statement. They didn't even flinch. There were few people opening Bibles. I heard many good things about this place and was disappointed but God clearly placed me there that day to see just where this pastors head is at. The new church and location has gone to this guys head and now he is taking liberties with scripture. I won't go back and hope his staff keeps him accountable, because when I told him at the end, he just kept playing with his phone and mumbled that we can agree to disagree. We don't agree and scripture is clear. Noah was a righteous man and blameless. The pastor might be a knucklehead, but Noah was far from it. James read more

I have been to a number of churches in the local Santa Maria and Orcutt area with my children. The pastor at Elements Church is high energy and positive in his message. The music is one of the best around with its focus on spirit filled, up tempo praise. I found the community he to be welcoming and the childcare excellent. The church has a feel of a warm growing Christian community engaged with each other and the community. Recommended to everyone to check out and see if it's the right fit for you. Note, the service that I attended was the 11:00 am one. read more

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If I could have given 0 syars...this church would receive it. When the pastor, and I use that term loosely, tells his congregation that there is nothing to a name...including the name of Christ....time to leave!! Update**I am feeling compelled to visit this church once or twice more to see if I was perhaps a bit too hasty with my review. read more

My family of 3 started going there in 2013, and immediately we knew it was our church home. That was the first time that happened for us: we've been coast to coast as a military family, and this church really does have it all in the right places. When we became a family of 4 our Element family was there to celebrate with us and help us adapt to the new challenges, despite moving again within 2 years of our arrival. Most importantly: they have solid doctrine in line with the scriptures. If the statement of faith on the website isn't enough for you, ask for their new membership guide. They have the best new member on boarding I've ever seen, with a comprehensive intro to their doctrinal views, what are "open handed" vs "close handed" issues, their views of community, evangelism, service, etc. 100% of it is about Jesus, his relationship with us, our relationship with Him, and how that pours out of us into our families, friendships, workplaces, communities, and every aspect of our lives. We were welcomed in immediately and connected with others. Sometimes it's tough for military/transient/new families to get integrated within the "set groups" that form in churches. I get that. But our friends at Element really lived out community as Christ desired, which by its very nature is non-exclusive and welcoming to both seekers and established Christians alike. Overall, if you're new to the area and looking for a new church home, spend some time exploring their website, statements, and past sermons. Don't judge them by a single Sunday morning. We have a track record of showing up at the "wrong Sunday" at new churches (guest pastor, the "money talk" day, missionary visits, etc), so we're used to giving a place a few Sundays before we judge, in addition to online sermon-stalking to ensure the teaching lines up with scripture correctly. Are there issues? Sure. They wouldn't be people chasing Jesus if they were already 100% perfect. - Are there still cliques? Yeah...just like life. Those people are in the process of being redeemed and restored, too (just like me and you). - Does Aaron (teaching pastor) talk fast? Yep. He's working on it still, but personally I never noticed because I talk fast too (so, that's a "preference" of yours, not a reason to slam a church). He's a humble man who has no issues discussing his own shortfalls from the pulpit. - Are some folks a little brash or "too direct" when talking through issues, challenges, and problems. Yep... sometimes; but much of that is because the church and its community have decided to be more authentic/honest and less guarded/posing/fake in their walks with Jesus. If you ask someone about your pregnancy out of wedlock: "Why would God DO this to me?" you're likely to hear back, "I'm pretty sure God didn't get you pregnant." It's not the "churchy" answer you might look for, but those same folks who might be "too honest" for you will also accept you, love you, bring you into community, and help you grow in(to a) relationship with Jesus. We've since moved on to two more duty stations, and while we've found churches to attend that were good and we could become part of their community, we definitely appreciate Element, its services, its community, and its heart for Jesus more now than when we were there. read more

The pastor at Element has a way of communicating the Bible and teaching about Jesus that I have never experienced before. The pastor is knowledgeable, funny, at times shocking. I've called Element my church for maybe 7 years now and can say that I really look forward to going to church and would recommend Element to anyone looking for a church community. Give Element a try, it's all about Jesus read more

I've been to quite a few churches, and none have helped me understand who Jesus is more than this one. This is a passionate community of real people that are excited about what God is calling us to. The preaching, music, and atmosphere are all culturally relevant, yet underscore that Element is all about Jesus. I love that they are not so program/event-driven...although there are ministries & Gospel communities to help people get more involved and grow deeper. This church really encourages its attendees to examine their role in the world, rather than have a "consumer" mindset toward church. If you want to learn more about Jesus and the Scriptures, this is a great place to do so. read more

My family loves Element! The sermons are all about Jesus, the music is awesome, and there are lots of ways to get plugged in and connect with other people. read more

I can absolutely say that my family loves this church! Aaron has a way of conveying a message that really makes it easy to understand. He brings humor to the message (when appropriate, of course). I look forward to church every week. There are a lot of classes for the little ones to learn and grow in Christ. If you are looking for a church to call home, this is it! read more

This is a good church. However I felt it worth writing about my experience with marriage counseling with Aaron. My husband at the time and I went in for counseling as I was trying to forgive the man that I had an affair with for damage he had done to our family and my husband could not. My husband had an affair years earlier as well. In the process of revealing all this to Aaron, he bursts out to my husband, "I can't believe you didn't run him over with your truck DUDE!" Well, some things Aaron didn't know was that my husband was a man that had violent outbursts and hurt me and scared me often and our kids. More importantly, this was the second time in my life a church leader has completely let me down. When I was a child I went to my youth pastor to ask for help regarding abuse from my mother. I never got help. I still struggle to separate the church from God. Additionally that statement totally demoralized my husband at the time and really undid any good he had accomplished keeping his temper in check and made him feel very pathetic. It's difficult to believe Aaron has had professional training to help couples through hard times. read more

My whole family loves to go to Church at Element! I don't have even one complaint!