CITY OF GOD BY AUGUSTINE

LA CIUDAD DE DIOS POR AUGUSTIN

The book of the month for November is written by one of Christian history’s most influential figures - St Augustine, the renowned 5th century bishop of Hippo. City of God was written during a period of significant political and social upheaval in the Roman Empire immediately prior to the empire’s immanent collapse. Whatever your present outlook on the state of our nation in 2020, the odds are that you’re unsettled by the direction of social morality and governmental leadership. Augustine’s City of God has stood the test of time in history because it has helped countless Christians living in tumultuous times living in corrupt and unstable national contexts to trust in God and see themselves first as citizens of the City of God as they live temporarily in the “City of Man”.

IT MAY TAKE YOU A YEAR TO READ, BUT IT’S WORTH IT

Fair warning, this is by far and away the longest and largest book we’ve ever selected for book of the month. It’s not one that you’ll read over the course of a week. But while reading short and contemporary books have their place, it’s also important for Christians to have a place for books written by saints long dead - books which have stood the test of time because of their solid entrenchment in the Truth of God’s Word.

Purchase the book in English here.

Purchase the book in Spanish here.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT 7PM

Our regularly scheduled mid week programs are up and running again, following careful guidelines to ensure the health of all attendees. These meetings will occur outdoors until further notice, with 6 feet of social distance between each member present, masks required (when social distancing is not feasible) and in observance of CA Guidelines. Childcare will not be provided.

DTSA SMALL GROUP: HOULTON’S YARD

"EAST SANTA ANA” SMALL GROUP: ERKELENS’ YARD

We have seating spaced out for families, hand sanitizer available and masks available for those that don’t have one. If you are not quite comfortable joining us in person yet, we will have a “Zoom In” option available for all.

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

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

Keep sending us your prayer requests. We’ll keep sharing them (anonymously) and share other suggestions 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 the newly elected leaders of our country, state and city.

2. Pray for the hearts of those in our church in response to election outcomes - that members of CGSA would reflect a trust in our sovereign Lord no matter who they voted for and maintain a disposition of joy, peace and hope before our neighbors.

3. Pray for healing and protection for those recently exposed to and affected by the coronavirus.

4. Pray for those who are actively seeking employment or housing.

5. Pray for the health of the newly born child in our church and for sustaining grace for her new parents.

6. Pray for opportunities as a church to continue to love and serve our Santa Ana 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@crossofgracesa.org

   KEEP SENDING PRAYER REQUESTS TO PRAYERS@CROSSOFGRACESA.ORG

Nov 2nd-8th

Every Tuesday we publish a blog to share what’s going in the life of the church for that week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: SMALL GROUPS

• Houlton Small Group - 7:00pm at the Houlton Home

• Erkelens Small Group - 7:00pm at the Erkelens Home

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room - Outdoor Courtyard.

Coming Up Next Week

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9: FALL CLASS SESSION 5

• 7:00pm - Via Zoom. Link will be emailed to all registrants on Sunday.

WE HAD A FANTASTIC (HEALTH CONSCIOUS) THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY!

This past Sunday we celebrated THREE years as a church the best way we know how - with tacos, a piñata, kickball, a testimony from our dear Sandibel, great fellowship and discussion and even some hammerschalgen!

God has blessed us beyond our expectations and beyond what we deserve. What we celebrate is His grace. Enjoy these photos capturing our celebration!

ON SUNDAY, WE INSTALLED OUR NEW DEACONS

Cross of Grace Santa Ana has three new deacons - shock absorbers, qualified according to 1 Timothy 3:8-13, who demonstrate model servanthood before their church family and who free up our elders to prioritize prayer and the ministry of the Word.

Praise God with us for Jim Cunningham, Christopher Erkelens and Liz Madrigal!

THE MOST FAMOUS CONVERSION IN HISTORY

The conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus - it’s likely the most well known conversion story of any Christian ever. And while it’s accompanied with extraordinary circumstances (blinding light, audible confrontation by Jesus) which shouldn’t be expected as the norm for most Christian conversions, we do nevertheless discover in Saul’s encounter the nuts and bolts of every Christian conversion.

On a Sunday when we transitioned to a new name, how appropriate in God’s providence that the common thread of Saul’s conversion found in all moments of conversion is God’s sovereign grace through His cross of grace. Listen to this Sunday’s sermon to learn more about how God saves sinners and what stands at the core of our name and who we are.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

SAME CHURCH. NEW NAME.

Beginning today, Sunday, November 1, Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana has officially become Cross of Grace Santa Ana. The two main reasons we chose to change our name to Cross of Grace are:

• Cross of Grace communicates  the centrality of the Gospel to our mission and message - it also clearly identifies us as a protestant church.

• Cross of Grace is easily accessible,  simple to translate (Cruz de Gracia), and is a name that’s not already being used by a church within Santa Ana or even OC.

FAQ’S

• Are we still a part of Sovereign Grace Churches?

  • Yes. We treasure our partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches and have no desire whatsoever to disassociate with the larger denomination or our sister churches.

• Has anything changed about what we believe or who we are as a church?

  • No. This is a name and branding change. Our statement of faith, identity as a neighborhood church seeking to spread the joy of Jesus in Santa Ana and even our rhythms and patterns as a church will remain unchanged.

• How can I find or contact the church under the new name? 

  • Our Website is crossofgracesa.org (If you look for our old site, it will automatically direct you here!) 

  • Our Facebook can be found here. (link) 

  • You can email our office here: office@crossofgracesa.org 

THE BEST HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, RESPONSIBLE PARTY OF 2020

By God’s grace and for God’s glory, Sovereign Grace Santa Ana is turning THREE years old! Because it would be inappropriate to respond to such grace without a celebration, we’re of course throwing our annual party.

THINGS WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR

This year we will be celebrating at the Houlton Home at 4:00pm. We will still be serving tacos and we will still be playing kickball.

A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS

1. Make sure to wear or bring some sort of active clothing. There will be activities for the kiddos, including a piñata! Invite your friends and neighbors.

2. The party will take place outside. Masks will not be required unless social distancing is not possible. However, please wear a mask if you would feel more comfortable doing so. Hand sanitizer will be readily available. Food will be served by a gloved team. If you or someone in your household are in a high risk category, please feel free to stay at home. This is not a mandatory event. Safety and health are of the utmost importance.

3. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs for your family. We will have limited seating available.

WE CAN’T WAIT TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU!

WE’VE SUBMITTED FOUR DEACON CANDIDATES - NOW WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

Two Sundays ago, we announced our 4 candidates for the role of deacon in our church. Each individual has displayed a heart and attitude of serving the church over the past 3 years and have been assessed by the pastoral team and found to meet the qualifications of a deacon listed in Scripture.

THE CANDIDATES

1) Jim Cunningham

2) Liz Madrigal

3) Mike Alvarez

4) Christopher Erkelens

READ 1 TIMOTHY 3:8-13

Before they are formally installed as deacons, we are inviting you, the church, to send any feedback, specifically as it relates to the qualifications listed in 1 Tim. 3:8-13 you may have on any candidate to our pastoral team.

PLEASE SEND ANY REMAINING FEEDBACK BY FRIDAY