Before Our 7pm Zoom Call, Listen To This 25 Minute Narrative

Tomorrow is Good Friday - the day prior to Easter Sunday which the Church has historically set aside to remember the suffering of Christ on the cross for our sins. Prior to our Friday night Zoom call, set aside a half-hour with your household and listen to this narrative of the crucifixion from a Sovereign Grace pastor named Rick Gamache in Minnesota. Afterward, during the call, we’ll reflect on what we heard and pray together in thanks for God’s grace through His Son.

THIS FRIDAY IS GOOD FRIDAY.

Until our church calendar normalizes and we’re allowed to meet together again, we’ll conduct a 1.5 hour zoom call to receive a brief update from one another and pray together for one another and for our neighbors. We love seeing your faces and hearing your voices. This Friday, we have the privilege of remembering the sacrifice of our Savior together. Prior to the call, take 30 minutes and listen to the crucifixion narrative (see this blog post).

LISTEN TO THE CRUCIFIXION NARRATIVE PRIOR TO JUMPING ON THE CALL

The call-in information for this call is listed below:

Call in online or with the app: https://zoom.us/j/6583688098 (Meeting ID: 658 368 8098)

Call in on your phone without the app or internet: +16699009128,,6583688098# US

KEEP SENDING PICTURES OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD WORSHIPPING TOGETHER

It has been a month since we have been able to gather and worship together in person. While we still miss you deeply, our appreciation and thankfulness to the Lord for modern technological advances that allow us to worship together and grow each week.

Thank you for sending photos and videos of your household worshipping together to photos@sovgracesantaana.org. We love to see and share them each week. This will be what services look like for at least another few weeks, so keep sending them along to remind your brothers and sisters of the voices that are joining together with them as we sing, listen and pray on Sunday mornings. Take a look at a few photos from this livestream Sunday.

GOD HAS BEEN MERCIFUL TO US IN CHRIST. WE WANT TO BE MERCIFUL TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND OUR NEIGHBORS

If you or your neighbors are facing medical, financial, food-related or any other kind of challenges due to the coronavirus outbreak, here’s your one-stop shop of resources available to residents of Santa Ana and throughout Orange County. We will update this list on a weekly basis to keep you up to date on all available resources.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

• COVID-19 Health Referral Hotline - 800-564-8448

The Orange County Health Care Agency has established a Health Referral Hotline to call if you suspect you have COVID-19 symptoms.

• Orange County Healthcare Agency - COVID-19 “What you should know” - http://cms.ocgov.com/gov/health/phs/about/epidasmt/epi/dip/prevention/novel_coronavirus.asp

Contains daily updates on the spread of and response to COVID-19 within Orange County as well as other additional resources and informational graphics and flyers.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

• Rental/Utility Assistance - Salvation Army of OC - 714-384-0481 

Santa Ana Office - 1710 West Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92703

Other cities served: Fullerton, La Habra, Yorba Linda, Brea, Placentia, Buena Park - 714-451-8080

Anaheim and Villa Park - 714-783-2344

• Rental/Utility Assistance - Share Our Selves - 949-270-2100 - https://www.shareourselves.org/services/financial-assistance/

• Rental/Utility Assistance - Serving People In Need (SPIN) - 714-751-1101

  • https://www.spinoc.org/news for COVID-19 response;

  • https://www.spinoc.org/programs for general programs for those in need

• Rental/Utility/Misc. Assistance - St. Vincent de Paul in Orange County - 714-542-0448 http://www.svdpoc.org 1505 East Seventeenth Street Suite #109, Santa Ana, CA 92705 

  St. Vincent de Paul provides home visits, hospital visits, food pantries and grocery distribution, person-to-person visit for assessment, discernment and encouragement, financial aid for utilities, medication, household items, rent assistance, temporary housing (motel voucher), transportation (bus passes, gasoline), and clothing.  available assistance.

For those who have experienced job-layoffs or a reduction in hours/pay:

• CA Unemployment - General Number & Website - English 1-800-300-5616 - Spanish 1-800-326-8937 https://www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment/. Representatives are available at the following toll-free numbers, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon (Pacific time) except on state holidays.

To file a claim online: https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Filing_a_Claim.htm

• CA Unemployment COVID-19 Specific Resources: Disability insurance for those off due to COVID-19 due to mandatory quarantine or unpaid sick/get better time after having the COVID-19.

To connect to claims: https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm 

Frequently Asked Questions: https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/faqs.htm 

• Disaster Loans for Small Businesses - https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

• Labor & Workforce Development Agency – Information regarding: Paid Sick Leave, Disability and Unemployment Insurance, Paid Family Leave, Workplace Health and Safety Guidance, Employer Assistance, CA Department of Public Health, & Common Sense Tips for Staying Healthy - https://www.labor.ca.gov/coronavirus2019/

Additional State-sponsored assistance:

• OC Social Services Agency - http://ssa.ocgov.com/calfresh/apply

  • To apply for various aid/relief programs such as CalFresh (food stamps), CalWorks (homeless, diversion, and immediate need assistance), and General Relief (temporary cash assistance to adults without children)

  • Check your eligibility or sign-up for benefits by going to https://www.mybenefitscalwin.org/

Job Opportunities - for those in need of employment due to lay-offs or temporary furlough:

• Amazon Jobs - https://www.amazondelivers.jobs/?cmpid=PRPRLC0780H6

  • Amazon is adding 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in our fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public.

  • Sign-up for job alerts in your area by texting AMAZON to 77088

• Walmart Jobs - https://careers.walmart.com/

  • Walmart is adding 100,000+ jobs nationwide in response to the COVID crisis

• Domino’s Jobs -https://jobs.dominos.com/dominos-careers/

  • Domino’s is adding 1,000s of jobs nationwide in response to COVID crisis

FOOD/GROCERY ASSISTANCE

• CA Meals for Kids Mobile Application - https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/mo/cameals.asp

  • The CA Meals for Kids mobile application helps you find nearby California Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs Sites through your iOS, Android, or Microsoft devices.

  • The Emergency Meal Sites section may be used during unanticipated school closures due to emergency situations. Download the app and search in your area!

• Santa Ana Food Pantries - https://www.211oc.org/food/groceries.html

  • Serve the People-  714-352-2911 - 1206 East 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701

    • 6am-9am

  • El Sol Academy - 714-543-0023 -1002 North Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701

    • Email mercado@elsolacademy.org for detailed information 

  • First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana - 714-542-7253 - 600 North Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92701

    • 10am-3pm, Tuesday-Thursday

• Second Harvest Pop-Up Drive Through Distribution - https://www.feedoc.org/covid-19-update/

  • 9am-Noon, Saturdays throughout COVID crisis. At the Honda Center, 2695 E Katella Ave, Anaheim 92806

  • Serving 500-1,000 families in a drive-up format with a one-week supplemental supply of bagged food.

• Waste Not OC - https://www.wastenotoc.org/pantries/

  • A cross-county food pantry map to 200+ food pantries across OC

• Catholic Charities of Orange County - https://ccoc.org/programs/

  • See English & Spanish CalFresh Healthy Living Calendar for information on OC food pantries.

• So-Cal Grocery Stores Open Early For Seniors and those with Medical Conditions

  • Northgate Market - 7am-8am (Seniors, Pregnant Women, Disabled)

  • Big Saver Foods - 7:30am-8am (Seniors)

  • Stater Bros. - 7:45am-8am (Seniors, Disabled)

  • Smart & Final - 7:30am-8am (Seniors, Disabled)

  • Albertsons - 7am-9am (Seniors)

  • Vons - 7am-9am (Seniors)

  • Target - Wednesdays, 8am-9am (Seniors, those with medical conditions)

  • Whole Foods - 7am-8am (Seniors)

  • Gelsons - 7am-8am (Seniors)

  • Ralphs - 7am-7:30am (Seniors)

  • Superior Grocers - 7am-8am (Seniors, Disabled)

• Grab & Go Meals - Free lunch and at many locations, even breakfast are offered to all students 18-and-under at multiple school in most Orange County school districts - https://na0.icarol.info/resourceview2.aspx?First=1&country=United%20States&sp=CA&county=Orange&city=-1&org=2287&agencynum=67353452

• Additional Resources by City: Select the service from: Food, Food Pantries, or Grab & Go Meals at https://www.211oc.org/ and on the page that loads, search by city in the section that reads, “Search for resources in or near a location”

• Additional information by School District (school closure length, grab & go meal times & locations): https://newsroom.ocde.us/these-oc-districts-are-offering-grab-and-go-meals-at-a-campus-near-you

GENERAL SERVICES

Dial 2-1-1 to be linked to any of the following services: 

• Women, infants and children (WIC) help

• Food and food stamps

• Homeless shelters

• Substance abuse

• Prenatal care

• Help with housing assistance

• Help with utilities

• Emergency housing

• 24-hour crisis, suicide help and suicide counseling

• Mental health services

• Food distribution

• Access to healthcare

• Medical, dental help and vision clinics

• Government assistance programs

• Transportation assistance

• Elder services

• Nutrition assistance

• Help for low-income families

• Other youth and child care issues

• Other physical and mental health services

Send a 20 second Video of Your Family or Household By The End of The Day Wednesday

Here’s what we need from you and how to do it:

1. Take a video no longer than 20 seconds with the OUTSIDE camera of your phone

2. Hold your phone horizontally

3. Introduce the video by saying, “We’re/I’m (family name/individual name) and we’ve/I’ve experienced the joy of Jesus during this pandemic by/through/in __________________”

4. Send completed videos to 714-732-4999 no later than Wednesday night

All videos will be edited together to produce one video inviting our neighbors to come and experience this joy on Easter Sunday! All right … ready, set, go!

Easter May Look Different This Year, But Jesus Is Still Alive

Easter Sunday in America is typically a time when families break-out there pastel colors, dress their best and head to church for perhaps the first (and only) time all year. Children hunt for Easter eggs and families sit down to brunch or dinner together. For us in downtown Santa Ana, it is another opportunity to spread to the joy of Jesus in our city and celebrate his resurrection.

However this year, as a global pandemic persists, the usual decorative trappings of Easter may be done away with, but the reason for our celebration remains. We’ll “gather” over Facebook livestream to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord … and we’ll do it in two languages!

How Can You Participate In Spreading the Joy of Easter?

1. Post the Easter invitation on your social media page and invite friends, neighbors and family members to sit in on the service

2. Share the livestream on Sunday or host a “watch party”. Christopher Erkelens will be showing you how on our Friday night Zoom call if you’re not sure how to do this.

3. Send us a 20 second “Joy of Jesus” video from your household (see above blog post).

The Church Is An Essential Servant

Every week we’re referring you to articles to edify, inform and encourage you as we spend these weeks apart. This week, take some time to read through this article “Is the Church an ‘Essential Service’?" by David A. Gunderson, here.

After reading, have a conversation with those in your household over what you read. Discuss it with another family over a “Zoom dinner”.

Our First Livestream Baptism

Baptism. On a home patio. In the rain. During a pandemic. Visible evidence of the unstoppable power of God to save sinners. This last Sunday, we celebrated that God has saved Gusi Requena through the blood of Christ. He was baptized - a sacrament that “throbs with the movement of the Gospel”. Continue to celebrate by taking a look at these pictures, by praising God in prayer, and maybe even by sending Gusi a text encouraging him and asking how you can take an active role in his life as a new Christian.

A Message About Leaders From a Developing Leader

This last Sunday, we announced that Jeff is officially transitioning from intern to resident. In celebration of this, Jeff preached from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. This was a tall order for him - the text regards instruction for members of a church to respect their leaders. The Lord demonstrated through Jeff’s sermon, though, why he’s progressing on towards residency; why he as well is due respect. He spoke of the necessity of leaders being sacrificial servants who follow Christ. He spoke of leaders being “repurposed sinners” deployed for God’s purposes. We’re grateful for and respect Jeff and the leaders among us. Know also how deeply your leaders love you and care for you and long to be back with you once this pandemic abates.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

He’s Been The Church Intern. He’s Now a Pastoral Resident.

Jeff Schlieder has been serving for the past 8 months as the first intern at Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana. We’ve wondered if God has called Jeff to be a pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana. And we believe it’s a task given to the local church to assess the calling and gifting of a potential pastor.

We Asked For Your Feedback - It Was All Positive

Now that we’ve heard from you, he’s officially moving from intern to resident. What does this mean? It means that his role in the church is transitioning from one in which the primary purpose was evaluation to one in which the primary purpose is preparation. During an internship, we’re saying, “we wonder if this man is called to pastoral ministry”. During a residency, we’re saying, “we believe that God is calling this man to pastoral ministry”. The next phase after this would be ordination, during which we would together declare, “this man is called by God to be a pastor of this church.”

Continue to pray for Jeff. Continue to give any feedback you might have. Rejoice in the work of God in him and in this church. Begin to look to Jeff as one the Lord has positioned to lead and shepherd this local flock of God in the near future.