HERE’S HOW WE’LL PRIORITIZE HEALTH AND SAFETY AS WE OFFICIALLY RETURN THIS NEXT SUNDAY

As we joyfully look forward to returning to meeting in person, we want to clearly communicate the process and procedures by which we will do so. We will be following the  health and safety guidelines established by the state of California. The following are the specific measures that we’re asking you to observe as we together abide by the best practices for health and safety:

1. Please stay at home if you are sick, may be experiencing COVID symptoms, or may have been in contact with anyone who is experiencing COVID symptoms. Also, if you are not quite ready to join in a large group again or are at high-risk for the virus, you can remain at home and participate in the service via live-stream.

2. Social Distancing will be in effect. Each family will be seated 6 feet away from others while in service  We also strongly suggest that all individuals avoid physical contact with other families, keep socializing to a minimum while indoors, and to not linger in common areas.

3. Limited time indoors - except for scheduled Sunday volunteers, all Sunday attendees will be allowed into the building minutes before 10:00am and encouraged to vacate the building as soon as the service concludes. Socializing may resume once you have left the building, but please continue to observe social distancing

4. Face Masks- Masks are recommended at all times and required during singing and when 6-feet of social distance cannot be maintained from those in your household. Young children under the age of two, do not need to wear a mask. 

5. Wash or Sanitize your hands regularly.

6. No Children’s Ministry. We will not have any programs available for children. We will, however, provide an in-service activity for children to do while they sit with their families. The Nursing Mother’s room will be open for mothers in need.

7. We ask that you do not bring any food or beverages inside the Ebell Club (with the exception of water). The best bet is to plan on eating/drinking prior to or after service. You can grab a great cup of coffee and a delicious pastry across the parking lot at Hidden House Coffee!

8. Resources- Our normal resource table will not be out and available, but if you are looking for a particular resource you can ask a pastor for more information. 

9. Giving- We will continue to offer online giving and text-to-give options, as well as having an offering box available for cash or check offerings. 

10. Communion- On Sundays when we take Communion, we will utilize single-serving pre-packaged communion elements. 

11. Singing- We will be singing on Sunday mornings and ask that everyone wear a mask while singing. 

12. Please keep in mind these “Ebell House Rules” as well: 

    1. Park in the parking lot off of 718 Mortimer- next to Hidden House Coffee

    2. No eating or drinking in the theater.

    3. Please keep a close eye on children- the Ebell Club is beautifully decorated and we want to be good stewards of this space and love the Ebell well. 

    4. No playing/ walking on the courtyard grass area. 

For now, these are the guidelines we are following. We're re-evaluating as we go. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we learn how to do this.

Contact the church office at office@sovgracesantaana.org with any questions or concerns. 

Thank You to All Our Volunteers

Thank you for devoting your morning to come early to the Ebell club to be trained on our new building and new safety measures. We’re so grateful to you all for your desire to serve the church and love our neighbors well.

A New Series To Help You Understand, Persevere In and Trust God In The Current Season

As we remain in a season of the effects of a global pandemic dictating new norms for daily life, social and political turmoil and the regular everyday challenges of life, it can become difficult to know where this is all going. Or if God is doing anything at all. This past Sunday, as we began our series concerning the Biblical concept of “wilderness”, we learned that every wilderness is a part of and subsumed by the first wilderness experience - the exile from the Garden of Eden because of sin. We also learned that because of God’s redemption, those who trust in Christ are being led bak to Eden as we walk through the wilderness. We also learned from the first of 6 characters in Scripture who walked through a distinct wilderness of their own - Moses. Moses stands as an example of how God will oftentimes use the wilderness to divest of worldly influence and prosperity in order to make us useful for His Kingdom. Listen to this week’s sermon and consider what God might be stripping you of during this season of wilderness to make you useful for His Kingdom.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

For Those Attending Training Sunday

All Sunday team members (15-20 people) will be joining in person to learn the ropes of implementing the health measures and setting up in a new space.If you currently serve on a volunteer team, please arrive at the Ebell Club of Santa Ana, at 8:00am. Training will take place from 8am to 9am.

Guidelines and Procedures Will Be Sent Via Slack to All Attending

 If you won’t be attending in-person on this Sunday and plan to watch the service with other households from the church, please observe the guidelines set forth by the state. Our Livestream will take place at 10:00am.

SAVE THE DATE-“REUNION SUNDAY'“ - JUNE 21

June 21st - EVERYBODY WELCOME

10:00am at the Ebell Club of Santa Ana

We can not wait to be with you in person again. 14 weeks have passed since we last worshipped together in the same room. On June 21st, our church and members of our community, family and friends will all be able to gather in the same place to rejoice in the redeeming grace of God, our Savior!

Things will feel different than normal, of course. Specific guidelines of what you can expect will be communicated.

Send questions to office@sovgracesantaana.org

We Want to Keep Praying for You

Keep sending us your prayer requests. We’re so used to knowing one another’s needs through experiencing regular fellowship. While the state begins to open up and we are able to meet in person again, we still want be lifting our brothers and sisters up in prayer. It’s important to know how to pray for one another and to ask the Lord to guide us, sustain us and encourage us each individually in this season. Here are the prayer requests from this past week (anonymity is maintained):

1. Pray for peace in our city

2. Pray for those experiencing genuine oppression and prejudice

3. Pray for Police Officers working to protect our city

4. Pray that the Lord would lead any of us harboring sin - whether racial prejudice or any other kind - toward repentance and faith in Christ

5. Pray for those moving into new homes

6. Pray for those with current health issues

7. Pray for those starting new jobs and those in need of work

8. Pray for wisdom for our leadership as they continue to make difficult decisions

9. Pray for Simon as he continues to battle cancer

10. Pray for those caring for babies and small children

11. Pray for the requests of individuals who have shared them on our church Slack prayer channel. If you have questions about how to be added to this, email office@sovgracesantaana.org

    KEEP SENDING PRAYER REQUESTS TO PRAYERS@SOVGRACESANTAANA.ORG.

Waiting on God in the Wilderness

Like it or not, these last few months have been a departure from the stability and prosperity that has characterized America this past decade. It’s also been a time unlike any the Church has faced in nearly a century. It’s been difficult. Confusing. Even painful at times. Like walking through a wilderness.

It might surprise you, but “the wilderness” is a strong theme that’s carried through the storyline of Scripture. The nation of Israel, individuals like Moses and David, even Jesus Himself and the Apostle Paul had significant and prolonged experiences wandering painfully and even sometimes seemingly aimlessly through a literal wilderness. But in every single wilderness experience, God was up to something. Something Good. Something redemptive. Something transformative.

Over these next six weeks, we’re going to ask God to direct our eyes to Him through His Word as we reflect on this past season of wilderness and find out just what He might be up to in our city, in our church and in our lives.

How Can I Prepare?

Pray for God to work powerfully through His Word

Read this article about another wilderness wanderer - Elijah - to whet your appetite

Read the Book of Exodus this month

Uncommon Ground by Tim Keller and John Inazu

June’s book of the month is “Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference” by Tim Keller and John Inazu.

How Do I Live Faithfully When I’m Surrounded by Difference?

For a flavor of this excellent book, consider this quote from its pages:

Tolerance is a practical enduring of beliefs and practices that we do not share. It doesn’t mean accepting those beliefs or approving those practices. I fact, the demand for acceptance is a philosophical impossibility. Every one of us holds views about important matters that others find clearly misguided. There is no way that anyone can embrace all the differing and mutually incompatible beliefs. But we can do the hard work of distinguishing people from ideas, of pursuing relationships with people created in God’s image, while recognizing that we will not approve of all their beliefs or actions. Christians can demonstrate tolerance for others because our love of neighbor flows from our love of God and our love of God is grounded in the Truth of the Gospel …

You’ll find references in these pages to many issues that divide us, but no issue emerges more prominently than that of race … We have found in speaking and writing to various Christian audiences that few issues have generated more controversy or required more understanding than those related to race. Moreover, we believe that few issues of social division today are more significant for the church and for society. Christians are unlikely to find a way forward in our pluralistic society without more honestly confronting the issues of race that divide us and the society around us.

Purchase the book in English here.

Purchase the Ebook here.

This book has not yet been translated into Spanish.

OUR FIRST MEN’S MEETING IN THREE MONTHS

Our regularly-scheduled mid week meetings have resumed in person. At all meetings, we are following recommended guidelines to ensure the health of all attendees. These meetings will occur outdoors until further notice, with 6 feet of social distance between each member present, masks required and in observance of CA Guidelines. Childcare will not be provided.

THURSDAY IS OUR MONTHLY MEN’S MEETING

7PM AT THE 4th STREET MARKET FRONT PATIO

If you have any questions about this meeting, please email office@sovgracesantaana.org

If You Don’t Understand The Wrath of God, You Can’t Make Any Sense of The Gospel

This past Sunday, we were treated in all kinds of ways - we were able to Livestream our service from our new Sunday home - the Ebell Club of Santa Ana. We also heard from the wisdom of Jim Cunningham. Further, we were able to hear him teach compassionately, yet courageously on a subject we might not have expected we needed to hear during this crazy season. Jim reminded us from Romans 1 that the greatest threat to humanity has nothing to do with the crises of 2020, whether it’s massive wildfires, a pandemic or even racism, deplorable as it is. The greatest threat to humanity is God’s wrath. And it threatens everybody. But contained within the pages of Scripture is also the only solution to the greatest threat - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Take 40 minutes out of your day and listen to a message that everyone - Christian or non-Christian, could do well to listen to.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.