A NIGHT TO THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS

Last week, we asked you to save the date. Here’s why: because if you’re reading this and you’ve been volunteering on any ministry team at Cross of Grace Santa Ana over the past year, we want you to know how deeply appreciated you are. The pastoral team is grateful for your joyful and sacrificial service. The members of the church whom you serve through your volunteer roles are built up by your selflessness.

Volunteering within a church can be hard and oftentimes thankless work. We know that you don’t do it for the thanks, but for the honor and glory of the Lord (1 Cor 10:31). Nevertheless, it’s our joy to thank you through a special sunset beach dinner on July 29. We’ll meet at a waveless beach in Orange County for a special evening to reflect on God’s grace through our joyful partnership in the gospel together.

• Who’s Invited: All Cross of Grace Ministry Team Volunteers

• Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023

• Time: 4-7pm

• Location: Waveless Beach in OC (more details to come)

• Childcare: Childcare assistance upon request

• Details: This is an adults only dinner event. Bring your blankets and chairs and we’ll bring the rest!

RSVP FOR THE EVENT HERE

USE JULY FALLOW MONTH AS A TIME TO FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER

With the long summer days and July fallow month in full swing, we encourage you to take advantage of this time to foster relationships with one another- church members, neighbors and family. There are so many opportunities to plug in and allow God to use time with one another for his glory. Here are some ideas to lean into this month:

1. Bring a friend along with you to Run Club on Thursdays. More details can be found here.

2. Invite a family member to one of the activities on our summer calendar. You can find the July Summer Calendar here and the August Summer Calendar here.

3. No small groups, means you can practice organic hospitality with another member from church. Use those two Fridays intentionally (7/7 and 7/21).

4. Invite friends/family to the Men’s BBQ on July 13th (in lieu of Men’s Meeting) or the Women’s Summer Potluck on July 27th (in lieu of Women’s Meeting). Both events are found on our church calendar located here.

July 3 - JULY 9

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5: SUMMER PARK DAYS

• 10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana

THURSDAY, JULY 6: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

SUNDAY, JULY 9: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

ANSWERING THE BIGGEST QUESTION OF THE ENTIRE BOOK

In this text, Jesus is on trial...and so is everyone else. All the characters in the story are bearing witness to the reader, responding to the attorney’s question - as it were - “Now, in your own words, could you tell us just who this Jesus is?”

As we come to the end of the Gospel of Mark, this central question - the big question of the entire Book - is being answered. The Sanhedrin offers their answer. Peter offers his answer driven by fear. But Jesus answers truly and faithfully - for love of those He came to save. What’s your answer?

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

MEET AT LIFEGUARD STAND 22 AT 10AM

Kick off the summer with a trip to the beach! Join us tomorrow morning as we spend time together, play in the sand, and enjoy a Southern California summer to the glory of God! Invite your Santa Ana neighbors and friends to meet us at the Newport Beach Pier for an awesome time of community and fun.

Address: 1 Newport Pier, Newport Beach, CA 92663

Parking: There are plenty of parking stalls on W Oceanfront

Questions: Contact Liz Madrigal at 562-325-1428

CHECK OUT THE FULL SUMMER CALENDAR HERE

REDUCED CHURCH CALENDAR

In the world of agriculture, soil must remain “fallow” once every few years to maintain its fertility for years to come. To lie fallow is to lie unplowed and unplanted for a time in order for nutrients to be restored.

While we have a complete fallow month in December (nothing on the church calendar but Sunday services in December), for the month of July we are trimming down our church activities to allow a reduction of scheduled events on our church calendar.

WHAT IS BEING REDUCED?

• EACH PASTOR IS TAKING ONE SUNDAY OFF ENTIRELY

• REDUCED SUNDAY VOLUNTEERING SCHEDULE

• No Small group - practice organic hospitality with one another

If you ever have any questions about church events, you can look to our church calendar, which is always updated to reflect changes to meetings or events.

Subscribe to the church calendar here.

Evening of SATURDAY, JULY 29TH

It has been 2 years since we last gathered together for a big Volunteer Appreciation Event. We had a wonderful dinner followed by a time of an expression of our gratitude and reminder of the imminent worth of continuing to labor to spread the joy of Jesus in Santa Ana.

This year, we’re not only planning to once again express our gratitude to all of our volunteers, but we’re also planning something BIG. For now, mark your calendars and plan on attending our next Volunteer Appreciation Event which will take place in the evening on Saturday, July 29th.

Keep up with our newsletter for more details to come. We can’t wait!

JUNE 26 - JULY 2

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28: SUMMER PARK DAYS

• 10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana

THURSDAY, JUNE 29: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

SUNDAY, JULY 2: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

BLOCK PARTY RECAP

This past weekend, we hosted our 2nd Annual French Park Block Party - and what a party it was! Over 100 in attendance from Cross of Grace and the French Park neighborhood came together for an evening of summer fun. It was such a joy to spend time with our neighbors and see the Lord at work through our church in our community. As you look through the complete photo album linked here, would it cause you to praise the Lord for what he’s doing to bless our neighbors and bring them into his joy.

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS HERE

HE REMAINS FAITHFUL EVEN WHEN WE ARE FAITHLESS

"The hour has come," (Mark 14:41). Judas the betrayer is at hand, and the Son of Man is seized by sinful hands. Every moment that follows is one that leads unalterably toward the cross. The cross which is simultaneously the greatest expression of God's faithfulness to his people and promises and the awful height of man's utter unfaithfulness to God. Every human character in this scene falls woefully short. Each person is either a horrific traitor, a coward, a false accuser or just bent on unjust violence. But Jesus? He remains in complete control. And He remains faithful.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE