Our Meeting Space Within The Ebell Has Gone Outdoors (For Now)

Last week Governor Newsom updated the CA guidelines for places of worship, which you can read here. In order to be in compliance, the Ebell Club graciously let us host our service in the courtyard this past Sunday and will continue to do so until the guidelines change. In light of this, we have created a new list of Ebell Outside Rules, to help us continue to be good stewards of our meeting venue.

Ebell Outside Rules

1. Please stick to the turf or sidewalk and avoid walking in the planters. Parents, please keep an eye on your kids and ensure they are following this rule too.

2. Please bring your own shade whenever possible. It’s summer. It’s hot outside. We want to try and make the service as comfortable as possible for you. If you have beach umbrellas or an EZ Up that you can bring on Sundays, please do.

3. Moms with strollers- We will be creating a designated stroller parking zone at the Ebell to ensure the walkways are not too crowded. Please look out for signs on Sunday and ask the Ushers if you need any help!

We thank God for the provision of not only an outdoor meeting space but a beautiful one.

On Saturday, Fifteen Members Of Sovereign Grace Santa Ana Spent The Morning Meeting Our New French Park Neighbors

We’re in the same city, but our Sunday meeting location has shifted a mile to the east. New immediate neighbors surround us. In a time when we’ve been relegated to our homes and our natural rhythms of hospitality and outreach have been disrupted, it’s good for our souls to make some conscious effort to get outside of our comfort zones and get to know, be mindful of and enter into the lives of the people God has called us to spread the joy of Jesus to.

Consider how you and your family might be able to spread the joy of Jesus in the French Park neighborhood or Downtown Santa Ana or even the neighbors in your own neighborhood in the coming weeks and months. Jesus has given us a mission. Let’s continue to embrace it as ambassadors of the hope He’s placed within our hearts through the work of His cross.

The Wilderness Is A Place Of New Beginnings

Things end in the wilderness. Old habits and patterns end. Standards of living come to an end. “The good times” as we knew them often evaporate into past as we walk into the wilderness. But as visible as what’s ending is in the wilderness, God is often using it to create new beginnings. Such was the case with our salvation. Such was the case with Paul when he was converted. Such may be the case for you in the wilderness you’re walking through.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

PARTNERING WITH OUR FRIENDS TO ADDRESS DIFFICULT TOPICS

Together with our sister church, Sovereign Grace Church of Orange, we’re offering you three distinct “classes” to answer some of the most challenging questions arising out of the events of the last four months. When should we engage in civil disobedience? What does the bible say about racial reconciliation and gender identity? What should I do when I disagree with other Christians about important political issues?

It’s time for Summer School. Come hear the pastors of these two churches engage with the bible on these topics. Bring your questions.

The titles for each class are below.

JULY 28
CHURCH AND STATE: DECIDING WHEN TO SUBMIT OR REBEL.

AUGUST 11
CRITICAL THEORY: RECOGNIZING AN UNFAMILIAR WORLD VIEW.

AUGUST 25
POLITICS: MATTERS OF WISDOM, CONSCIENCE, AND LOVE.

All church members and regular attenders are welcome. There’s no registration or homework. We’ll send the Zoom link out to our church directory beforehand.

If you have any questions or think your email address might not be in the directory, email office@sovgracesantaana.org

FRIDAY AT 7PM

Our small groups are moving back to Zoom this week, in part, to reduce person-to-person contact in the midst of a spike in cases and while doing so, to prioritize our Sunday meeting in-person. Look to your small group leader to send out a Zoom link or invitation.

If you have any questions or concerns about small groups or need an address, please send an email to office@sovgracesantaana.org.

LET’S CONTINUE TO BE A CHURCH THAT PRAYS

Keep sending us your prayer requests. We’ll keep sharing them (annomously) and share other guidelines for how you can be praying during the week. 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.

1. Pray for those who are once again furloughed or out of work because of recent imposed restrictions

2. Pray for those in our community who have contracted COVID and who have friends and family members with the virus

3. Continue to pray for Gospel racial reconciliation in our community

4. Pray for opportunities on Saturday to meet and get to know our neighbors in the French Park neighborhood

5. Pray for those who are walking through personal wildernesses

6. Pray that God would continue to give our church the courage and perseverance to speak the hope of Christ into one anothers’ life situations and those of our neighbors

7. 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.

July 13th-19th

Every Tuesday we will be publishing a blog to share what is going in the life of the church for that week! We hope that this serves you and helps to keep you updated.

FRIDAY, JULY 17TH: SMALL GROUPS - CONTACT OFFICE@SOVGRACESANTAANA.ORG FOR MORE DETAILS

• Houlton Small Group - 7:00pm. Location (either in-person or Zoom) TBD

• Erkelens Small Group - 7:00pm. Location (either in-person or Zoom) TBD

Saturday July 18th: 9:30am-French Park Neighborhood Walk

•   We will be doing a neighborhood canvas of French Park next weekend to get to know our neighbors and to make sure they know us. Masks will be required.

•  Meet and park at Hidden House Coffee. RSVP to jeff@sovgracesantaana.org

SUNDAY JULY 19TH: SERVICE AT 10:00AM AT THE EBELL CLUB

• Meeting Room - Outdoor Courtyard

This Sunday, 7/18/20, Our Service Will Be Held In The Central Courtyard At The Ebell Club

In response to Governor Newsom’s most recent update regarding COVID-19, we will be moving our church service outdoors to the courtyard of the Ebell Club. All other guidelines will still be in place (social distancing, masks, etc.).

We’re Grateful For Our Partners At The Ebell

We thank the Lord for flexibility of our friends at the Ebell Club to allow us to make this switch quickly and rather seamlessly and avoid having to move back to a pure livestream Sunday service.

Bring Your Own Shade

The high this Sunday is projected at 84 degrees. So while we’ll experience the warmth of Gospel fellowship, we’ll also experience the warmth of the SoCal summer sun. We’ll be providing a couple EZ-up’s, but please consider bringing an umbrella, a small fan or anything else to make your Sunday gathering a little more comfortable.

We Begin Nearly A Year In Acts In Two Sundays

In two weeks we’ll be embarking on a new sermon series through the book of Acts. This book introduces the mission and scope of the church. It shows us what the church is and should be doing between Jesus’ ascension and return. Few things are more important for us as the world around us changes with every passing day.

Acts is a long book - 28 chapters. You’ll be helped if you have some fresh familiarity with it when we begin to dive into it. We’d encourage you to take the next few weeks to read through Acts. If you simply read two chapters every day, you will finish by the end of July. .

Bookmark This Post And Read Two Chapters A Day

To make this task easier for you, below we’ve broken up the book of Acts into two-chapter segments. Bookmark this post and come back each day to read the chapters for that day.

Day 1: Acts 1 & 2

Day 2: Acts 3 & 4

Day 3: Acts 5 & 6

Day 4: Acts 7 & 8

Day 5: Acts 9 & 10

Day 6: Acts 11 & 12

Day 7: Acts 13 & 14

Day 8: Acts 15 & 16

Day 9: Acts 17 & 18

Day 10: Acts 19 & 20

Day 11: Acts 21 & 22

Day 12: Acts 23 & 24

Day 13: Acts 25 & 26

Day 14: Acts 27 & 28

July 18th at 9:30am

French Park Neighborhood Canvassing

This Saturday we are planning a neighborhood walk-through of French Park next weekend to get to know and be known by our neighbors.. We will be distributing a bilingual flyer, meeting our French Park neighbors, inviting them to church, and praying for them.

Meet and park at Hidden House Coffee. Masks Required. We’d encourage as many as possible, include kids, to join in. Please RSVP to jeff@sovgracesantaana.org.