From a garage surf camp to a steady presence in Oak View.
Common Ground began with a simple desire: to show students in Oak View the love of Jesus through real relationships, safe places, and shared experiences.
Over the years, that has looked like surfboards, meals, Bible studies, soccer games, camps, homework help, movie nights, and a lot of ordinary time spent together.
We call it Community, Restoration, and Adventure.
It is how we build trust.
It is how we walk with students through good days and hard ones.
It is how we point them toward Jesus.
2013
It started with eight students and a surf camp.
In 2013, we first entered the Oak View neighborhood in Huntington Beach with the idea to take students surfing.
We walked through the community, knocked on doors, and hoped for the chance to build relationships. That year, we met eight students and launched our first Surf Camp out of a small garage owned by a local resident.
The goal was simple: teach students how to surf and introduce them to Jesus.
2014
A surf camp became something more.
Each Tuesday, we met at Oak View Elementary School for an after-school Bible study.
During that year, we began to understand the community more deeply and build real friendships with students and families in the neighborhood.
By the end of the year, our second Surf Camp grew to 30 students. That growth led us to officially form the nonprofit Common Ground.
2015
We received the keys to a warehouse.
In the winter of 2015, Common Ground received the keys to our first warehouse.
There was a lot of work to do, including permits, zoning, and preparing the space. During that same season, more students kept coming, and our relationships in Oak View continued to grow.
That year, we hosted our third Surf Camp and launched our second program, Meat-Up Monday. It became a key next step for discipling students from Surf Camp and connecting with their friends and families.
2016
The warehouse became a place students could count on.
In 2016, Common Ground grew quickly.
We built a skate park and soccer field and welcomed a growing team of volunteers who were committed to bringing the love of Christ to middle and high school students.
That year, we launched four more programs: Grounded, High School Hangs, Skate Nite, and Middle School Bible Study.
With multiple programs running each week, we began to see what steady presence could do in the life of a community.
2017
Soccer Night opened another door.
In 2017, we launched Soccer Night, a program created through the passion of our volunteer leaders and built to reach local students who loved the game.
That year, we also began partnering with more churches in the surrounding area. Together, we were able to serve Oak View in deeper ways.
Our middle school boys also took their first winter trip to Big Bear. During that trip, several students accepted Christ for the first time.
2018
More students walked through the doors.
In 2018, hundreds of students continued coming through Common Ground to experience community, mentorship, and the love of Christ.
We hosted our sixth summer Surf Camp with 45 students attending each week to hear the Gospel and build relationships with leaders.
Our high school program also took its first camp trip to Zion National Park.
At the end of the year, we held our first fundraiser in four years and were overwhelmed by the support. The event raised double what we expected, helping support our work in Oak View for the year ahead.
2019
Losing the warehouse did not end the work.
In 2019, Common Ground lost the warehouse.
Oak View Elementary School generously opened a classroom for our daily after-school programs, giving students a place to keep gathering.
Every day, dozens of middle and high school students joined us for Bible studies, games, movies, sports, and more.
That year, we also launched Noche de Cine, a monthly movie night for Oak View families. Attendance grew, relationships deepened, and Common Ground continued becoming part of the life of the neighborhood.
The story is still being written.
What began with eight students and a surf camp has become years of meals, programs, Bible studies, camps, and relationships.
Through every season, the heart has stayed the same:
Show up. Build trust. Love students well. Point them to Jesus.