sleep in and join us at 5pm

Daylight Savings Sunday is coming and that means our annual all-church Communion Dinner is right around the corner. This is a dinner that represents the life we share. Please take note, on 3/12 our Sunday morning service will be replaced with a Sunday evening service beginning at 5:00pm. We will switch gears from our regular Sunday service for a special service centered on the Lord's Supper. We will eat and drink together as we meditate more deeply on our Savior's sacrifice. You can look at last year’s photos here.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PREPARE

Not only will we share in the eating of a meal. We’ll share in the preparation of the meal. This is an event that requires all hands on deck. Whether you’re a single or a family, sign up to bring one of the needed dishes or items on March 12th.

SIGN UP TO BRING AN ITEM HERE

EQUIPPING TO REACH OUR CITY

This Saturday, March 11th, we’re partnering with Evangelism Explosion through their ministry Equip America and local churches throughout Santa Ana to spread the gospel in our city. We’ll spend the day learning a simple and effective way to share our faith, and then we’ll have the opportunity to go into the community to share the gospel with our neighbors. To learn more about this exciting opportunity and to sign up, visit the registration page here.

ONCE YOU’VE REGISTERED

Once you’ve registered, here are the essential details for Saturday morning:

• Plan to arrive at Templo Calvario (2501 W 5th St, Santa Ana, CA 92703) before 9:00am.

• If possible, wear your Cross of Grace t-shirt

• Prepare your heart to worship, to be equipped to share the gospel and to go into our French Park neighborhood to share the joy of Jesus with our neighbors.

  IF YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND

• If you can’t attend on Saturday, participate with your brothers and sisters by praying for our neighbors and that God would bear the fruit of salvation through the proclamation of the gospel.

ALL GUYS 15 AND OLDER ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

Tonight, the men of our church are gathering together to sit under God’s word and spur on each other’s walk with Christ. All guys, 15 years and older, are invited to participate in a conversation where "men talk like men" about God. The topics are chosen to challenge the group and promote humble theological dialogue. Meets every second Thursday at the 4th Street Market patio at 7:00 pm.

MARCH 6 - MARCH 13

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, MARCH 9: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

THURSDAY, MARCH 9: MEN’S MEETING

• 7:00 pm - Fourth Street Market Patio

SATURDAY, MARCH 11: EVANGELISM EXPLOSION OUTREACH

• 9:00 am - Templo Calvario Church, 2501 W Fifth Street, Santa Ana, 92703

  • Register here

SUNDAY, MARCH 12: COMMUNION DINNER SERVICE

• 5:00 pm - Meeting Room: Ballroom

  • Sign up to bring an item here

SUNDAY, MARCH 13: SPRING CLASS

• 7:00 pm - Schlieder Home

EVERY 2ND & 4TH MONDAY BEGINNING MARCH 13TH

As Christians we believe that God’s great goal in our redemption is to create a people “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29). A people who look like, love like, and live like Jesus. A people who are being changed as they follow after Jesus Christ. 

The amazing thing about this are the instruments God has chosen to complete this transforming work: us. He's chosen his people to be the means by which his people grow and change. But how is this accomplished? Our Spring Class exists to answer this question. 

Register today to learn what true discipleship looks like and become equipped in encouraging, caring for, and applying the life-changing gospel to every aspect of each other's lives. During our time together, we’ll use the book How People Change by Timothy Lane & Paul Tripp to help us along the way. Each participant is required to purchase the book. Scholarships are available upon request.

REGISTER FOR THE CLASS HERE

A DESPERATE PLEA FOR MERCY

In this scene, Jesus practices exactly what he preached in 10:35-45. Here we see the road to the cross and the true nature of the cross come to be further impressed upon those who follow after Jesus. On the last leg of the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus brings the royal caravan that had formed to a screeching halt as he stops to heal a blind beggar. The Son of Man who would be welcomed with honor in Jerusalem delays his grand reception in order to meet the needs of a man the group had concluded was not worth their time. Jesus has come precisely to serve people like this. Those who behold their need is great but believe that Jesus is greater. Bartimaeus didn't ask for glory. He just wanted to see SO THAT he might follow after Jesus. Following Jesus is what he wants. Following Jesus - yes even to the cross - is his reward. In this healing, we're challenged to consider how we'd answer the question, "What do you want me to do for you?"

LISTEN TO SUNDAY’S SERMON HERE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL AND GLOBAL MISSIONS

This month, there are 2 opportunities to become better equipped to spread the joy of Jesus both near and far:

1. Equipping to Reach our City - On Saturday March 11th, we’re partnering with Evangelism Explosion and local churches throughout Santa Ana to spread the gospel in our city. We’ll spend the day learning a simple and effective way to share our faith, and then we’ll have the opportunity to go into the community to share the gospel with our neighbors. To learn more about this exciting opportunity and to sign up, visit the registration page here.

2. Equipping for Global Ministry - After church on March 19th, join us at Hidden House Coffee for a Rancho 3M Short-Term Missions Trip Interest Meeting. Our goal is to take a team of 6-8 people to Juarez, Mexico from October 8 - 15, to assist with a service project and bless the orphanage there. Join us to learn more about what to expect and how you can prepare to participate.

EVERY FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH AT 7PM

This Friday, our small groups will be meeting to kick off March. The Houlton and Roenicke small groups will be meeting at their regular locations at 7pm. The Erkelens small group, however, will be meeting at the French Park grass area to pray for our neighbors. Asking Jesus to save Santa Anans, meet our neighbors according to his grace, and open doors for sharing his gospel and spreading his joy.

And as we ask God to make disciples through this outreach, we’re asking him to mature disciples through our small group meetings. As you prepare for Friday, whichever activity you’re engaging in, please pray for God to work among us and through us for His glory.

HUMILITY: THE JOY OF SELF-FORGETFULNESS BY GAVIN ORTLUND

There are many misconceptions about what it means to be humble. Some think that being humble means hiding your talents and abilities or being weak and inauthentic. But the Bible paints a different picture―defining humility as a self-forgetfulness leading to joy and explaining that it is a life-giving virtue that frees you from the restricting needs of your ego. 

In Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness, Gavin Ortlund encourages readers that humility is not just an abstract virtue but a mark of gospel integrity. Ortlund examines humility both on a personal level and in the context of the church, giving examples of ways to cultivate it―including meditation on the gospel and practicing intentional gratitude. Drawing from Philippians 2 and historical texts such as C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “A Christian Spirit Is a Humble Spirit,” Ortlund defines humility in light of the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, casting a vision for a gospel-centered, humble life.

PURCHASE A COPY OF THE BOOK HERE

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5

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, MARCH 2: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

FRIDAY, MARCH 3: PRAYER IN THE PARK

• 7:00 pm - French Park Grass Area (Erkelens Small Group)

FRIDAY, MARCH 3: SMALL GROUP

• 7:00 pm - Houlton & Schlieder Home

SUNDAY, MARCH 5: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom