WE ARE COLLECTING COINS FOR BABIES

Beginning two Sundays ago, we started participating in a fundraiser for Livingwell Pregnancy Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to loving mothers and loving their babies, even if not yet born. This is important work and it strikes near to God’s heart for the most vulnerable among us.

If you grabbed a bottle, don’t forget to fill it up to help fund Livingwell’s mission. Please remember to bring the bottles back this Sunday to be collected.

For questions, contact Angie Cunningham.

WRITE A HANDWRITTEN NOTE BEFORE THE END OF APRIL

Back in January we introduced our annual challenge for 2021. This year’s annual challenge is pandemic-proof. Our encouragement to you (including kids) is to make it a point to write one handwritten card, note, or letter to a different person every month this year.

WHO WILL YOU WRITE TO AND ENCOURAGE?

We are almost in the fifth month of the year. Who can you write to let them know how you’re praying for them? Is there someone that would be encouraged by a note from you describing how you see God at work in their life? Have you been particularly blessed by someone to whom you would do well to write a sincere note of gratitude? Maybe you could share with a friend or family member how the Lord has been graciously meeting you in your devotional times in His Word. Maybe you have another idea.

If you need stationery, let the pastoral team know. We’d be glad to help.

APRIL 19 - APRIL 25

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:

THURSDAY, APRIL 22: WOMEN’S GROUP

• 7:00 pm - Schlieder Home

SUNDAY, APRIL 25: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

MAY 2 WILL BE OUR FINAL LIVESTREAM

After careful consideration, we have decided that May 2 will be our final livestream service. Now that Orange County is in the Orange Tier with restrictions slowly being lifted, we are encouraging all those that are able to attend church in person to do so, to be encouraged by the body of Christ as we safely gather.

We are thankful for the faithful members in our church who have helped make this possible the past year and we hope it served others while being present together in church was not an option. Our sermons will still be available to listen to on our website each week if you are not able to be in person on a Sunday. We hope these livestreams have blessed you this past year.

Additionally, due to certain circumstances, we will not have this Sunday available via livestream. We apologize for the inconvenience, but hope you are able to join us in person!

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL GIFTS BY SAM STORMS

Throughout the books of Acts, the presence, activity and empowering of the Holy Spirit has been a major theme. It’s a theme that didn’t cease, however, with the conclusion of the 28th chapter. The Spirit’s work in the early New Testament church set a paradigm, a model and an expectation for how the Church would be empowered by the Holy Spirit for the rest of history until Jesus returns.

But what does seeking His power and guidance look like? What gifts does He give and how do we faithfully walk in and pursue them? This month’s book of the month helpfully answers those questions and others. If you’re at all interested in growing and learning about the Biblical application of spiritual gifts, we’d highly recommend this book to you. Our prayer is that the Lord builds our church up into Christ as you grow in your understanding and application (Eph. 4:15).

Buy the book on Amazon here

A FAITHFUL COUPLE EMPOWERED BY A FAITHFUL GOD

On Sunday, Lynn Baird visited us from Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena, a church he’s pastored for over 35 years after pastoring for another 10 years before that. Our own church, Cross of Grace Santa Ana exists in part due to Lynn (we’re sort of his grandkids), but in three short week’s he’ll be retiring from full time ministry. It was our privilege to host him and to hear him proclaim the Gospel to us from Ezekiel 37, through which we were instructed from a lifetime of ministry lessons. Lynn and his wife, Terri will be moving to Gilbert, Arizona next month. We wish them God’s blessings and extend to them the most profound gratitude and respect.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE.

WE WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US

We know you’re grateful for the Lord’s provision of our meeting space at the Ebell Club of Santa Ana. We want to make sure that while we’re there, we’re good tenants that the owners and Ebell Board loving hosting. One of the ways we can continue to do this is by helping our children know and follow the rules. These include:

1. No running inside the building- this includes the courtyard.

2. Help them stay in designated areas and pathways- keep them out of the plants and off the trees.

3. No climbing any guardrails.

These simple, but important rules will help us to take care of the Ebell Club for as long as we have the privilege of being there.

… Or Dollars or Checks

Beginning this past Sunday, we’re participating in a two week fundraiser for Livingwell Pregnancy Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to loving mothers and loving their babies, even if not yet born. This is important work and it strikes near to God’s heart for the most vulnerable among us.

If you haven’t yet, grab a baby bottle next Sunday and ask your friends and family to help you fill it to help fund Livingwell’s mission.

For questions, contact Angie Cunningham.

We’re reversing babel & having a blast.

¡Bendiciones! ¡Dios esta trabajando en nuestra clase de la primavera! We’re two class sessions into our Spring 2021 Spanish Class and it has been a joy to experience men, women, and children of all skill levels coming together to learn Spanish. The class has been a blast! We’re learning, laughing, and loving one another as we’re being equipped to have more confident conversations with our Santa Ana neighbors. Our Spanish-speaking church members have worked hard to come prepared and teach us well (and maybe shake off the dust themselves), our Spanish-learners have confidently stepped into the unfamiliar, and we’ve all together united around the pursuit of a common language.

Babel: A common language divided by sin.

The gospel: uncommon languages united by the savior.

More than that, the class doesn’t just demonstrate that we’ve united around the pursuit of a common language, but that we’ve been united for the praise of a common Lord. We’re walking in the reality that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female,” there is no English and Spanish-speaker, “for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:27-28). As we’ve been saying in the class, at Babel, there was a common language divided by sin, separating us from one another (Gen 11). Through the gospel, uncommon languages are united by the Savior who brings us back together (Acts 2).

If you’re not in the class, pray for us and ask your friends what they’re learning. If you are in the class, continue to let Sunday mornings and small group meetings serve as Spanish practice sessions. Would God be glorified through the remainder of our class as we grow in gospel love and unity and would he use the skills we learn to help us love our neighbors and lead them to the Lord who unites us all.

APRIL 12 - APRIL 18

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:

FRIDAY, APRIL 16: SMALL GROUP

• 7:00 pm - Houlton and Erkelens Homes

SUNDAY, APRIL 18: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom