READ EMILY’S TESTIMONY BELOW

Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. So, think of church membership not so much as “membership in a club” and more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the Gospel.

In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Emily Jones and Christopher Mills, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday. As you celebrate this expression of God’s grace among us, read the encouraging testimony that Emily Jones shared with us:

As far back as I can remember, I've had a distinct calling and desire to do missions. Around the age of 10, the Lord pointed me to Spain. In 2020, while studying abroad in Spain, the Lord more directly gave me a heart for the young adults of that country who believe they have no purpose, and who waste their lives on earthly pleasures. Leaving Spain was incredibly hard for me as I just wanted to make more connections and get into the heart of missions. However, COVID came and my time was cut short. I look back on this now as a blessing because I may not have returned and finished college if I had stayed another 5 months.

When I graduated, I felt that I was not quite ready as I had much to learn about inner city missions and my Spanish was not at the level I desired. When Cross of Grace came up through a recommendation of a recommendation, Jesus sparked something in me, and I knew I wanted to meet you all. I visited in August of last year as many of you remember. I was instantly captivated and excited about your love and mission mindedness for your city. I loved the passion and intentionality of moving into Santa Ana and claiming it for Christ and the Church. I was in shock at the love and unity you all have for each other. Santa Ana also fulfilled the 3 desires for which I had been praying: jobs to pay towards my student loans, Spanish-speaking communities to allow me to speak Spanish more consistently, and the ability to be apart of mission work.

After I returned home in August, I kept going on and on about the love that is felt and shared here and how the community and unity found here is unmatched in my wide church experience. Within 2 days of returning to Ohio, I had decided to move here. Now that I'm here, and I've just moved to French Park, I am learning what inner city missions is like and am so grateful to walk through this learning journey with you all. I'm excited to be on the forefront of this mission and to learn, hands-on what it takes to build a church in the heart of a fast progressing city. This transition has definitely been hard, but all your kindness, support, friendship, and prayers has helped carry me through. I continually thank God for blessing me with this church family. Love you guys.

We look forward to joining our new members in spreading the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana!

THE STORY OF THE GOSPEL

In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus speaks His first recorded words in Mark’s Gospel. These words reveal what Jesus is all about, what He has come to “proclaim”, what His “theme song” is, for all intents and purposes. In short, Jesus had come to tell the best story; God’s story, which is the story of the Gospel, complete with the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. But, it gets even better. As Jesus calls His first disciples, Mark tells us that Jesus came to call men and women into that better story. Jesus has called you, invited you, welcomed you into that story. How will you respond? Listen to Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

MEET AT THE EBELL PARKING LOT AT 10AM THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday we will walk the neighborhood of French Park, praying for and with our neighbors, inviting them to the French Park Block Party, all with the expectation that we would behold God's mercy toward our city. Please make this a priority for your Saturday. Kids are welcome. This is a chance for us to “go into our city” so that we might have the opportunity to “speak to our city”.

THE LORD CONTINUES TO GROW HIS CHURCH

This upcoming Sunday, we have the privilege of welcoming new members into our midst. These are people who have committed to participating in the life of the church and performing the “one anothers” with this local body of Christ. They’re also individuals whom we, as a church, commit to so the same with and for. We praise God for His grace and the evidence of the advancement of His gospel through Santa Ana.

JULY 28 AND AUGUST 24 AT 6:30PM

In lieu of Women’s Meeting in July and August, the ladies will be gathering together for summer potlucks. They’ll be sharing meals and stories of God’s grace. This is a great event to invite your friends, especially friends who aren’t Christians, don’t attend church, or are new Christians.

Mark your calendars, bring your favorite summer dish to share and make a special note of an earlier start time of 6:30pm.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT US HERE

JULY 18 - JULY 24

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:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20: SUMMER PARK DAY

• 10:00 am - Morrison Park, Santa Ana

SATURDAY, JULY 23: NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH

• 10:00 am - Ebell Parking Lot

SUNDAY, JULY 24: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB (NEW MEMBER SUNDAY)

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

HELP LET OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW

Our Block Party is less than 2 weeks away! You can participate in the following ways:

1. Joining the neighborhood outreach this Saturday, July 23rd from 10am-12pm. Meet in the Ebell parking lot.

2. Sharing the digital flyer located here with Santa Ana neighbors in our community.

3. Sign up to volunteer at the Block Party here.

THE BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF JESUS PROVE HE’S THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE TO PLEASE GOD

We’re learning through the Gospel of Mark that the first question you should ask of each story in Mark is “who is Jesus?” This is true in the accounts of the baptism and the temptation of Jesus. What we discover about Him in these stories is that through His coming suffering, foreshadowed by His baptism and His active obedience demonstrated by His successful resistance of temptation…Jesus has won God’s pleasure. He’s succeeded where Adam failed. Where Israel failed. Where we failed. And the pleasure He won allows us to dare to ask such an audacious question as, “if He could win God’s pleasure for Himself, then perhaps He could win God’s pleasure for us?” Listen to last week’s sermon from Mark 1:9-13 to find out more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

VOLUNTEER FOR THE FRENCH PARK BLOCK PARTY ON JULY 30

We’re throwing a party to show our neighbors how glad we are to be their neighbors. We want to give them a glimpse of the joy we have in Jesus and invite them to enter into it. We have eager expectations God will work through this event to create and cultivate relationships with our neighbors, but we need your help to make this party possible! As an expression of our mission in our city, we encourage you to volunteer with the Block Party as a means of outreach to our neighbors. Get involved by serving in one of the following areas:

• Neighborhood Outreach - Join us on Saturday, 7/23 at 10am to invite our neighbors to the Block Party, pray for them, and share the gospel as you have the opportunity.

• Set Up & Tear Down - Arrive in French Park at 3pm on the day of the party to set up tables & chairs and stick around afterward to break it down.

• Serving Food & Drinks - We need volunteers to play the pivotal role of placing tacos in the hands of all our guests! We’ll have delicious Tacos de Campesino tacos, summer sides, ice cold drinks, and tasty treats to share with our guests.

• Running Games & Activities - We need volunteers to facilitate our party games and activities. We’ll have a bounce house, good old-fashioned water balloon toss, and lawn games set out for some friendly competition. 

• Bringing Party Supplies - We’ll need tables for food, chairs for our guests, and EZ-Ups to shield us from the summer sun! Let us know if you can contribute any of these items to make our party possible.

VOLUNTEER BY SIGNING UP HERE

EVERY 1ST AND 3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. They are a context where biblical discipleship happens within the church as we connect the truths of the gospel to every aspect of our lives. Each group meets in a home, splitting their time between singing, praying, and discussion. Some groups include young children in their meetings. All groups welcome guests. Carve this time out in your calendar to be refreshed in the gospel and to serve your friends by pointing their lives to Christ.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE