With the 125th anniversary of Ocean Beach unfolding all this year, the community’s history continues to evolve. Case in point, the grand opening service of Newbreak Church’s Ocean Beach campus — the debut of the facelifted 95-year-old institution formerly known as the Assembly of God Church — is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4694 Cape May. The location is Newbreak Church’s sixth multi-site location countywide. If there were an “Extreme Makeover Church Edition,” the building at the corner of Cape May and Ebers might be on it. Three years ago, Newbreak took ownership of the once-dilapidated property and renovated it from the ground up, while maintaining historic elements. These included the site’s original classic stained-glass windows, which were reinstalled with new, energy-efficient, dual-pane windows at the front of the sanctuary. “The stained glass is a beautiful piece that showcases the buildings’ roots,” said lead pastor and Ocean Beach resident Mike Quinn. “There is so much tradition and character in OB that we wanted to preserve some of the history of this place.” Ocean Beach campus pastor Steve Bombaci agreed. “It was very important to us to keep some historic elements,” he said. “The building has been here since 1917, so it is somewhat of a landmark in Ocean Beach.” The stained glass may look slightly out of place juxtaposed with the backdrop of mounted speakers and big screens, according to church officials. Yet that’s the intent. Newbreak’s blend of “old school” with the technology is needed to help reach the community through contemporary music and videos, they said. Newbreak’s popularity has stemmed from having a strong community focus, which includes local outreach efforts – from gardening at the Ocean Beach Skate Park to repainting the OB Community Center – and global missions. Newbreak is also known for its friendly, relaxed atmosphere, “shorts and flip-flops” attire, upbeat worship bands and relevant messages. For information, call (858) 576-0007, or visit www.newbreak.org.
