This is it. The climax of the Gospel of Mark, the center of history, and the very center of our lives. What took place on that Friday from approximately 9am-3pm 2,000 years ago, altered the course of the world and secured our eternal destinies forevermore. Not only this, but what took place in these mere hours is what we must return to everyday of our lives. We must behold the King who bore our sin. The King who is mocked and crucified (15:16-32). The King who dies in the place of traitors (15:33-41). This King who was enthroned upon the cross invites us to look upon his cross where he saved us from our sin.
AFTER THE SERVICE, KEEP THE FRONT ENTRANCE CLEAR
We want to be not only good tenants, but also good neighbors to those with whom we share our Sunday space. This Sunday we are sharing our space with another renter who’s coming in right at noon. Once we load out, please keep the front entryway clear for the other Ebell renters to load in.
GATHER TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE, RATHER THAN IN FRONT OF IT
Thank you, church, for being considerate of our neighbors as we share our wonderful historic community venue.
Since November 2022, Jason has been serving as a Pastoral Resident at our church. Throughout the past few years, Jason has been engaged in a process to discover if God has called him to become a pastor at Cross of Grace Santa Ana.
The process has been long and difficult, but the Lord has given him grace along the way and proven him in his gifting. After multiple academic steps, thousands of pages of books read, an internship and a residency, he’s now taking his final written ordination exam this Saturday.
HE’S ON THE HOME STRETCH
Jason will proceed to take one more written exam and an oral exam. If he passes, the final step would be the approval of his ordination by the Regional Assembly of Elders and the formal ordination of Jason by the local church - Cross of Grace Church of Santa Ana. First things first, though. Let’s pray for him as he prepares for this Saturday:
Pray for peace and clarity for Jason as he takes this exam
Pray for Kayleigh and the kids as they come alongside Jason to help him prepare and serve.
OPENS AT 5:30PM. MOVIE STARTS AFTER SUNSET
This Friday, we have another opportunity to be amongst our Santa Ana neighbors by attending the last outdoor movie night in Santa Ana at Portola Park.
There will be a special screening of Coco. Residents and non-residents of all ages are welcomed to attend and enjoy one last movie together. Guests can look forward to movie themed festivities starting at 5:30pm, as they wait for the movie to begin shortly after sunset. Interactive booths, games, inflatables, food vendors, and popcorn will be available for all to enjoy. Hope to see you all there!
July 10 - JULY 16
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 12: SUMMER PARK DAYS
10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana
THURSDAY, JULY 13: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
THURSDAY, JULY 13: MEN’S BBQ
6:30 pm - Cunningham Home
SUNDAY, JULY 16: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
BRING A FRIEND AND NOTE AN EARLIER START TIME OF 6:30 PM
In lieu of Men’s Meeting this summer, the men will be gathering together for a Men’s BBQ in July and August. 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.
CONTACT US HERE FOR LOCATION DETAILS
IN MY PLACE CONDEMNED HE STOOD
The night has passed and morning has come. Now, in the clear light of day, on that first Good Friday, we behold the awful sinfulness of man set side by side with the amazing love of the Savior. Jesus has already stood condemned before the Jewish Council, and now they bring him to stand trial before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, in order for his execution to be achieved. At every turn, Jesus is shown to be innocent. So why did he stand trial? Why will he be sentenced to die? Because, Jesus stands trial for us, and as us. Listen to this past Sunday’s sermon and be amazed by the love of Jesus for you.
LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE
A NIGHT TO THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS
Last week, we asked you to save the date. Here’s why: because if you’re reading this and you’ve been volunteering on any ministry team at Cross of Grace Santa Ana over the past year, we want you to know how deeply appreciated you are. The pastoral team is grateful for your joyful and sacrificial service. The members of the church whom you serve through your volunteer roles are built up by your selflessness.
Volunteering within a church can be hard and oftentimes thankless work. We know that you don’t do it for the thanks, but for the honor and glory of the Lord (1 Cor 10:31). Nevertheless, it’s our joy to thank you through a special sunset beach dinner on July 29. We’ll meet at a waveless beach in Orange County for a special evening to reflect on God’s grace through our joyful partnership in the gospel together.
Who’s Invited: All Cross of Grace Ministry Team Volunteers
Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Time: 4-7pm
Location: Waveless Beach in OC (more details to come)
Childcare: Childcare assistance upon request
Details: This is an adults only dinner event. Bring your blankets and chairs and we’ll bring the rest!
RSVP FOR THE EVENT HERE
USE JULY FALLOW MONTH AS A TIME TO FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER
With the long summer days and July fallow month in full swing, we encourage you to take advantage of this time to foster relationships with one another- church members, neighbors and family. There are so many opportunities to plug in and allow God to use time with one another for his glory. Here are some ideas to lean into this month:
Bring a friend along with you to Run Club on Thursdays. More details can be found here.
Invite a family member to one of the activities on our summer calendar. You can find the July Summer Calendar here and the August Summer Calendar here.
No small groups, means you can practice organic hospitality with another member from church. Use those two Fridays intentionally (7/7 and 7/21).
Invite friends/family to the Men’s BBQ on July 13th (in lieu of Men’s Meeting) or the Women’s Summer Potluck on July 27th (in lieu of Women’s Meeting). Both events are found on our church calendar located here.
July 3 - JULY 9
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 5: SUMMER PARK DAYS
10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana
THURSDAY, JULY 6: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
SUNDAY, JULY 9: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom