Most folks who make this their home know it very well–we live the “good life” here in the Santa Clarita Valley! The family atmosphere, the availability of wholesome fun—it’s a place where it’s easy to cultivate the things that really make life sweet…things like family, friends, faith and fun. Everyday there are countless people and groups who, in their own way, contribute their own creative expressions of gratitude to the community for being just such a place. One place this gratitude is quintessentially on display is on the faces of the participants in the annual SCV Fourth of July Parade.
It is these ideals of family, friends, faith and fun that really excite and motivate a thriving community of local families who have banded together to call themselves NorthPark Community Church. At NorthPark, there is an emphasis on community. To them, it’s never just about having a “holy huddle” among themselves. In fact, the folks at NorthPark like to go out of their way to give back to and be a part of the community at large. Armed with a sincere desire to make a positive contribution, NorthPark actively seeks out opportunities to serve the good people of our Valley. In addition to things like hosting Blood Drives, Polling Places, Boy Scout Troops, supporting the local Food Pantry, Hunger Defense Fund, SCV Pregnancy Center and other local charities and community groups, one of their favorite ways to give back has become their annual participation in the City’s Fourth of July Parade.
This year, scores of NorthPark families, along with dozens of families from their partner, Trinity Classical Academy, came together over three-hundred-strong to make a statement: “We’re All in This Together!” However, the message was bigger than just the partnership between these two. The Parade entry incorporated 16 flags, 16 banners, five floats, three Macy’s sized star-shaped balloons, and hundreds of pairs of pom poms to say “Happy Fourth!” to their friends and neighbors who lined the streets of our fair city. For NorthPark and Trinity, it’s all about community–and they know the Santa Clarita Valley is one of the best there is to raise a family, build friendships, invest in the future, invigorate your faith, or just enjoy the good life!
NorthPark and Trinity took home the Sweepstakes Award for Best Overall Entry in this year’s Parade. However, if you ask them if they’re excited about the trophy, they’re quick to say, “Sure! The Trophy is great! But nothing could compare with the experience itself. Walking together, cheering for our country and our community, meeting people, and giving back just a little—it would be hard for any award to compete with that!”
NorthPark is a few months away from opening its new 11-acre Campus in the Rye Canyon Business Park which they hope will be a kind of “community center.” It’s their fondest hope that this new campus will be another venue to serve the community as a place where Santa Clarita families can come to celebrate life and all its passages. The entire project, when it is complete, will include Trinity Classical Academy’s New Campus, a Worship Center, Sports Facilities, Banquet and Meeting Rooms, a Bookstore and Coffeehouse, a Youth Center and much, much, more.
Liz Caddow, Head of School for Trinity Classical Academy and long time teacher in the Santa Clarita Valley, adds that she is excited to partner with NorthPark and to offer a new kind of educational opportunity from this new campus—a K-12, College Preparatory Academy in the Classical Tradition with a Christian World View—something that until now, was not available in this valley.
“Our New Campus will be a dream come true,” says NorthPark Senior Pastor, Dave White, a Hart High Grad. “I grew up in this city and I’ve always dreamed of leaving something here that would outlast me; something which generations of Santa Clarita families will enjoy and benefit from. This campus will fulfill that dream.”
For more information about NorthPark Community Church, please visit www.northpark.com . For more information about Trinity Classical Academy, please visit www.trinityclassicalacademy.com .