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:
6:30am - French Park Grass Area
7:00pm - Hopper & Burr (202 W 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701)
10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
Spend a few minutes filling out the SA 2024-2025 Budget Survey to promote God’s priorities for our city. Find the survey here.
This survey is designed to gather feedback on key budget priorities most important to the community. There is also an opportunity for you to address a topic not seen in this survey. Take the time to engage with the needs of our neighbors and promote our city’s investment in the things that matter most.
God has placed us in a neighborhood and called us to be good neighbors. While Jesus commands us to be a neighbor to all, there is a particular way in which the members of Cross of Grace Church, the people of Santa Ana, and especially the neighbors of French Park are THE neighbors we're called to prioritize. If we try to reach all 3.1 million Orange Countians, or even all 350,000 Santa Anans, we might not reach anyone. But, if we aim at the community the Lord has called us to, we can expect to see men and women saved, neighbors being blessed, and our neighborhood being changed as the gospel goes forth from us.
Every first & third Friday at 7pm, three different groups meet throughout our city to share in the joy of Jesus, care for one another, and apply the gospel to each other’s lives. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moments in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend one this Friday.
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:
6:30am - French Park Grass Area
7:00pm - Calle Cuatro Plaza, Santa Ana (Details here)
7:00pm - Houlton, Roenicke & Erkelens Home
10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
Prayer is central to our mission of spreading the joy of Jesus in our city. This Thursday, we have the privilege of partnering with pastors and community leaders in Santa Ana to seek God’s glory and our neighbor’s good through prayer. Mark your calendars, stop by on your lunch break, and join us downtown at Calle Cuatro Plaza, Santa Ana as we gather together with the church in our city for the good of our city.
Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. So, think of church membership not so much as “membership in a club” and more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the gospel.
In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Justin Hernandez, Elikai Madrigal and Luke Augustin, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday. Be encouraged by what new member, Luke, had to share with us during their new member testimony:
I grew up in a Lutheran church in Yorba Linda where I regularly attended Sunday school and eventually went to services with my family until I was 14 years old. It was then, in 2016, that we moved to the new non-denominational church just down the street from our home in Anaheim Hills. Upon moving to this church, my attendance rapidly decreased until I only attended holiday services every few months, if that. I was hardly in the Word, I was not praying often, and I was serving two masters throughout highschool and for a majority of my time in college.
But, three months ago, to this day, it was by God’s grace and divine providence that I found Cross of Grace through a simple Google search. From day one, I knew this was exactly where the Lord wanted me because I truly met Him here that day. I met him through brothers and sisters like yourselves who exemplified what it looks like to follow Christ, to be conformed to His image, and to be sanctified by the truth of His Word. The Lord also met me here through the blessing of the fine preaching of our three pastors. Your words serve as a guide for me to a deeper understanding of the Scripture, and they teach me how to properly apply God’s knowledge to my life. That’s something that must be appreciated because it’s truly a gift from the Holy Spirit. Also, small groups at the Erkelens’ home and men’s meetings at Hopper & Burr can’t be discounted. They’ve both had a profound impact in fighting the spiritual battles that often seem to ramp up midway through the week. If you haven’t been to one of these meetings before, I encourage you to do so.
As I take this next step into membership here, a primary goal of mine is to serve the
church and community of Santa Ana as often as the opportunities present themselves. In
Philippians 2, the Lord commands us to count others more significant than ourselves with all
humility, not looking only at our interests but also at the interests of others. Thank you.
We look forward to joining our new members in spreading the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana!
We are an ordinary church. We do the same things ordinary Christians have done since the very beginning. Yet, at the center of all this stands a glorious Savior. While we might be ordinary, we have extraordinary expectations of what he'll do among us.
Our Women’s Ministry exists to spur women on in their pursuit of Christ through biblical discussion and building friendships. This month, we’ll break from our usual location and meet at the back patio of 4th Street Market. Join us for a night of fun and fellowship in the center of our city!
This upcoming Sunday, we have the privilege of welcoming new members into our midst. These are people who have committed to participating in the life of the church and performing the “one anothers” of Scripture with this local body of Christ. They’re also individuals whom we, as a church, commit to do the same with and for. We praise God for his grace and the advancement of his gospel in Santa Ana.
