Q&A

Who is Paradox Church?

Paradox Church is a non-denominational church with roots in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) tradition. The church was founded in 2016 by a group who sought to be open and affirming toward LGBTQ+ people and found the only way they could do that was to form their own church. See more about them on their website, www.paradoxredlands.com.

Why is Paradox looking for space now?

Paradox has been renting from The Mission church since shortly after their founding. They have been asked to vacate by the end of October, so they are looking for a new place starting this November. They have an active building renovation underway for their own space and are planning to be able to move there by the middle of 2026.

Which parts of RUCC will be made available to Paradox?

On the weekends, Paradox will have use of the Sanctuary, kitchen and Covenant Hall for services and fellowship, and Founders Room, Kids Zone, and Nursery for Sabbath school. They will not need storage in these rooms and will bring in and take out their teaching materials. During the week, they would use the Garden Room for office and storage space. RUCC would still have access to the Garden Room when needed (weddings, AFHS) but the room would be primarily reserved for their use.

When will Paradox be using our building?

On Friday evenings and Saturdays. On Friday, they would mainly be there to set up the Sanctuary for the service the next day. On Saturday, their services are from 10:00 - 11:15 a.m., with education and social activities before and after. They would be out by 2 p.m. on Saturday and could be out by noon if needed on a particular weekend.

How much will they contribute to RUCC's budget?

Paradox is submitting an initial proposal this week, and this is one of the details we are working out with them. We are expecting their contribution to increase our monthly income by 10-15%.

Will we need to take down any liturgical decor for Paradox?

No, though the two pastors and worship teams may want to coordinate plans for the Saturday and Sunday services. Paradox uses the same liturgical calendar as RUCC and may have items to add that would enrich RUCC services.

How will we support the AV needs of Paradox?

Paradox is accustomed to sophisticated audiovisual, similar to what RUCC employs, including sound amplification, projectors in the Sanctuary, and online streaming. Our current thought is that it will be better to teach them to use our gear and setup rather than have the risk of connecting and disconnecting things between services. We will make a separate login on the sanctuary computer for Paradox to use, so that their settings and RUCC's settings are independently maintained.

What about memorial services or other events that normally happen on Saturdays?

If an RUCC activity can be accommodated in Mosaic Hall or outside, we will be able to hold those on Saturday mornings without issue, even while Paradox is using the space. If the activity requires the Sanctuary, we will need to hold it in the afternoon. Sunset Funeral Care will be made aware of the change in availability for Saturday mornings.

How will Sacred Saturdays (first Saturday of the month) work?

Sacred Saturday will meet in Mosaic Hall instead of in the Sanctuary. On those days, Paradox will shift their service music from their normal rock band to acoustic instruments so it will be reasonably quiet on the other side of the wall. Sacred Saturday will also continue to have use of the gardens and labyrinth areas.

How will cleaning happen between Paradox use and our Sunday morning services?

We are planning to add more hours from our janitorial service, on Saturday night or Sunday morning. If they cannot accommodate us, we will look for another provider, or Paradox members will clean up on their own. They have had this arrangement with The Mission in the past.

What will be the impact on Art, for Heaven's Sake!?

None. Paradox holds a few services a year at the beach and will plan to be at the beach on the AFHS weekend.

Can Paradox join us for some of our youth activities and/or Friday night activities?

Of course, and we will be invited to some of their activities as well.

What if it's not working out well?

We will include a 3-month "out" clause for either party to end the agreement if necessary.