See The Whole Photo Gallery Here

Last weekend, members from Emmaus Church Santa Ana and Sovereign Grace Church Santa Ana lined up their cars in the parking lot of Santa Ana High School. Kids from the neighborhood filed in, decked out in the Halloween best. Games were played, immense amounts of candy were handed out, faces were painted and new friends were made.

We’re grateful to Emmaus Church for inviting us to participate with them in this event. We love engaging in appropriate church partnerships.

Making Sundays Happen Requires many Hands

Every Sunday, a team shows up an hour before the service to turn an empty Multi Purpose Room at Heninger Elementary into a functioning space for a corporate worship gathering. There are chairs to set up, children’s supplies to unpack, cords, cables, equipments, tables, coffee, signs … you get the picture. Our setup and tear down teams allow the rest of the church to worship without distraction, to have enriching conversations and to meet new guests. This is essential work and hard work and as the church grows, there’s even more work to be done. Here are a few ways that you can help:

• Thank the volunteers who set up every Sunday - Nobody is doing it to receive thanks. It’s for God’s glory. That’s the point. But it sure is encouraging when others acknowledge the hard work being put in.

• If you’re on the schedule to set up and/or tear down make it a priority that Sunday - It’s a team effort and every Sunday, there’s a different team. Please ensure you’re playing your role when you’re on the team.

• Lend and hand occasionally when you’re not on the team - When men and women in the church bear one another’s burdens, it reveals the glory of the unity that God create din the Church through Christ. Sometimes, we get to literally and physically bear one another’ burdens!

Friday, November 2

This year, we'll be spending the first Friday of every month. Church members who fast for all 12 Fridays (all 11 since we missed January) will be invited to a year-end party to celebrate the answers to our prayers. If fasting is new to you, here are some instructions. 

This month, we’re praying for the leaders in our city. Here are a few ideas to guide your prayer:

• Pray for the upcoming elections. Pray that God would set the right people in place for His glory and His purposes (Rom. 13:1)

• Pray that God’s sovereignty would be magnified over human politics

• Pray that God would put men and women in place to effectively address the suffering in our city

• Pray that through local government, God would preserve and multiply the avenues for the expansion of His Gospel

• Pray that through elected officials, God would bring justice to existing injustice

• Pray for wisdom and guidance for the newly-elected officials following the elections

Can You Sing Or Play An Instrument?

Singing songs of praise the the Lord is one of the great pleasures of a Christian. It’s an additional privilege when we’re led in our corporate gatherings by skilled musicians. Mike Alvarez and Fernando Madrigal have served us well during our first as a church plant and we’re ready to begin adding to the team.

If you have a desire, skill and/or capacity to serve in some way on the worship team, we want to know! Auditions will be held on an as-needed basis. To express interest and find out more, email Kyle at kyle@sovgraceoc.org.

One Year Of God’s Faithfulness. Many More To Come

By God’s grace and for God’s glory, Sovereign Grace Santa Ana has existed for a year. That’s more than enough reason to throw a party. You’ve been involved in getting us to a year, now play a part in celebrating the anniversary.

Plan on staying after the service for a potluck and our first annual kickball game. There will be activities for the kiddos, including a piñata! Invite your friends and neighbors. Sign up for to bring food, drink or utensils below.

Sign up for a potluck Item here.

There’s Always Something Going On In DTSA

This past Saturday morning, we came together with 2500 of our DTSA neighbors and snaked through the streets of our city at the annual DTSA 5k. Some ran, some walked, all had a great time. It was a natural opportunity to meet the people who live right next door.

Gather A Group Of People For The Next Event

Watch the DTSA calendar of events for new opportunities to spend time downtown. We don’t necessarily need to create our own events to meet our neighbors and spread the joy of Jesus in Santa Ana. The events are already there. All we have to do is show up and enjoy the company.

You Can Have Confidence In The Message Of The Gospel

Responses to Jesus’ teaching during His ministry varied widely- from confusion to amazement to outright anger. As Christians, the message at the heart of Jesus’ teaching, the Gospel, produces the same range of reactions today. No matter the response to the Gospel, we can be confident in it because it’s a message backed by the authority of God and filled with the grace of God. Listen to last week’s message from John 7:14-52.

Listen to the message here.

Saturday, October 27, 3-5PM

We love opportunities to express partnership with other local churches in our city seeking to reach our city with the Gospel. Especially when that church meets at the school across the street. These are opportunities to get to know and rejoice in the work that God is doing through our brothers and sisters who don’t go to church with us.

On the Saturday before Halloween, we’ll be joining hands with Emmaus Church to put on a fun “Trunk-or-Treat” for our neighbors. There are two ways that we as a church can participate:

Volunteer on an Individual Basis

Emmaus has done most of the legwork and set up the structure for most of the event. Now we just need people to plug into the roles. You can serve on the setup team, the welcome team, at the concession stand, at the craft station, at the game station or … you can decorate your very own car to enter it in as a trunk or treat car! Sign up directly for these roles here.

Volunteer a Group of Sovereign Grace People

If you’d like to take on a little more, you can gather a few of your friends and take responsibility over an entire area of the event. Possibilities include:

• Decor

• Photo Booth

• Games station with three games and small prizes

• Crafts station with 1-2 simple crafts for kids to take home

If you have interest in any of the above group opportunities, email Kyle Houlton at kyle@sovraceoc.org before the end of the day Wednesday, 10/17.

Sunday, November 4, Immediately Following the Service

Believe it or not, Sovereign Grace Santa Ana has been meeting on Sundays for nearly a year. We’ve met dozens of new Santa Ana neighbors. We’ve delighted in Christ and grown closer together in our Gospel fellowship. All this and more is reason to celebrate how faithful God has been, which is exactly what we plan to do on Sunday, November 4.

Plan on staying after the service for a potluck and our first annual kickball game. There will be activities for the kiddos, including a piñata! Invite your friends and neighbors. Sign up for to bring food, drink or utensils below.

Sign up for a potluck Item here.

The World Needs The Cross of Christ

One of the most repetitive and significant themes in the Gospel of John is “the world”. It’s a theme whose overtones aren’t exactly positive. Jesus uses sin, darkness and even evil to describe it at times. Surprisingly, in John 7:1-13, Jesus even hints that His own brothers belong to the world. Understanding this theme helps us to understand the Gospel of John. It helps us to understand our neighbors. It helps us to understand ourselves. Most importantly, it helps us to understand and appreciate the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Listen to the message here.