Saddleback Irvine

We had a great response for the 2009 Ministry Fair.  From all the cards collected (including some from yesterday's service), we had almost 50 people express an interest in serving.  And 40 of you were not previously serving.  We love it. 

We look forward to seeing in the Worship Center, Children's, Youth, and Patio the new serving faces around campus.  And we're thrilled about how God will use your service to mold you more like Him!

Thank you for saying "Please use me" to God.

Blessings,
Derek

  Kids Small Groups in Irvine is off to an awesome start! We have about 100 kids committed to growing in Christ meeting here every Wednesday, learning and fellowshipping with one another.

  Tomorrow, we kick off our very first PEACE Project of the year- we are calling it PROJECT BUILD. Kids will be bringing in food items to donate to a local food bank- a direct impact on the Irvine and surrounding communities. Seeing God work here through them has been a wonderful thing. It is so encouraging to see how they respond to his word and put it all into action!

  Check back here for an update on this initiative soon!

This information is a little late but in case you are burdened to help:

A recent report from the California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief stated, "The past few weeks have been filled with disaster, starting with 16 inches of rain in one day that left metro Manila 80 percent flooded," said Gloria Fern, a Southern Baptist field partner in the Philippines. "Then a typhoon made landfall three times up north, flooding out the top part of Luzon and destroying the entire rice crop. Landslides cut off the major roads, the major dams are all full and gates had to be opened, causing more flooding. The Luguna de Bay lake left surrounded towns in knee-deep flooding that will take five months to subside. And there are two more storms on the horizon." The Philippines government has estimated about 6 million people were affected by typhoons Ketsana (also known as Ondoy) and Parma . More than 287,000 people remain in evacuation centers.

An assessment team has drafted a relief plan from Saddleback Church. If you would like to find out ways in which you can help, please contact Don Thompson, dont@saddleback.com

 

We will be playing Ultimate Frisbee today, Friday the 16th at 3:30p. I know super later notice but you should have received an email from me about it if you are College-Age and attend Irvine. If you did not receive my email and fall into either of those categories and would like to receive them email me.

We are playing on the backside of El Camino Real Elementary School, home of the  Saddleback Church-Irvine Office.

Address is 4782 Karen Ann Lane, Irvine, CA, 92604.  (Yale Drive near Walnut-North Irvine)

If you get lost or can't find us call me at (949)288-3565. I'm looking forward to hanging out will all of you.

Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box – CRAVE-Irvine will be with the project for the SVCC-Irvine Campus.

Project includes handing out boxes after each service, collecting filled boxes, helping out at the processing plant-warehouse, delivering the completed shoeboxes to families right before Christmas. Lots of areas to serve in. Sign-ups and more details coming soon.


Save-the-date: Costume Party at Alan Salibo’s home, SVCC-Lake Forest CRAVE Coordinator, who lives right near I.V.C.
When: Friday October 30th at 7:00PM. Watch for directions and announcements from me.

"Dollar" Theater Night: In the near future we will be heading to the "Dollar" Theater at Woodbridge Center, Barranca and Lake in Irvine, to catch a film and discuss. More info to come soon.
 
Future Events: Other event ideas or connection ideas? I would love to hear from you! (949)288-3565 - jonv@saddleback.com

This Sunday, the 20th, after the 11:00 service we are having our first CRAVE, college-age ministry, event @ Irvine. Come join us at the 15 minute party - a casual place to stop after the service where we will have the chance to connect and get to know each other. After service head out of the auditorium and turn left, you won't miss us.

Fellas
If you are having a hard time finding a Life's Healing Choices group that works with your schedule, I am making a shameless plug on our webpage for you to join mine. If you are already in a small group with our Men's Ministry or another group, this isn't for you.

I am starting an 8 week group (starts Sept 17) that will meet at our Irvine Ministry Office.
Location: 4782 Karen Ann Lane, Irvine
Thursdays, 6:30am - 7:45am.
Materials will be provided.
Just show up!

RSVP by email me or call me at 949.813.8961.

Hey friends - I know that this past weekend's message series on Faith & Reason by J.P. Moreland was encouraging and insightful on the relationship between science and faith.

If you didn't know, there were a total of six teachers and six messages at Saddleback Lake Forest throughout the course of the weekend - each one focused on different topics.

Watch them all out here!

  As I dropped of my kids at school this morning for their first day, I couldn't help but feel a slight thrill.I love summer, and going to the beach, barbecues with friends, movies under the stars. However, there is a certain order that September brings,and I can't help but get excited! ( Yes, I know. Routine. I LOVE IT!) There is something neat about waking up at a certain time, packing lunches- 1,2,3, oh and don't forget mine; having breakfast and filing out the door as a family to start the day. School supplies in hand and backpacks on their shoulders, the kids are off to a new year.

  It reminds me of all the new beginnings God gives us. Daily we struggle- whether it be at work, at home, relationships, failures- yet each day we get a new chance! Everyday the sun rises and sets, the moon and stars go on display, the birds sing and flowers bloom, dogs bark and we open our eyes to new opportunities, renewed strength, and hope!

  Today God wants to remind you that he loves you, that he knows you and that he wants the best for you. Don't forget to say hello to him as you get on with your routine and thank him for one more day...

We know you are out there. People who love this stuff. Let us know!

We need 4-6 very dependable people who are willing to serve as a regular (not every week) truck driver (Saddleback pick up truck provided!) to pull our Children's equipment from Lake Forest.

We have TWO (40 ft) trailers and ONE truck so it will require TWO trips.

Ideally, we want to have TWO shifts so no one has to do it all on a Sunday.

1. Morning shift: Dropping off first trailer at Northwood HS by 6:30am.
2. Afternoon shift: Driving first trailer back, leaving Northwood HS at 2pm.

When: ASAP - we technically do not have any drivers for this weekend after informing people of the need!

Specifically:
1. 25 or older
2. Very dependable
3. Heart to serve
4. Comfortable with driving a truck with a heavy load
5. Able to hitch the trailer (we will train you!)
6. Physical visit to DMV to get a copy of driving history for our insurance coverage ($15 reimbursed by us)

We recognize this is a vital role and hope that you or someone you know would have a heart to serve in this way!

Please contact Yukie at yukiem@saddleback.com, 949.235.4979.

Hey Saddleback Irvine family and friends!

I am back after my vacation in Tahoe and get this - it was drizzly and overcast! How crazy is that? Had a fantastic time with family - playing with our almost-walking 10 month old, her beautiful cousins, enjoying altitude-inhibiting strolls and even a highly regulated fon due party (handling raw meat)! Did I mention my mom's phenomenal swedish limpa bread?

Anyway, I have been reflecting on this summer so far and to be honest, I feel like we have some spiritual heroes in our midst with adjusting to this beautiful new location. The Christian leader is one who leads by serving - this is Jesus' model of leadership.

Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

I just need to give a shout out to the AMAZING servants who are faithfully setting up and tearing down every week. I can see why so many people from Saddleback's earliest days grew in their spiritual maturity and toughness - they learned to be like CHRIST through this type of physical service.

If you see them as you are arriving or leaving...  as you walk from or to your air conditioned car with thoughts of a wonderful time celebrating the Lord... as you see their smiles as they drip sweat from their brows... why not stop and thank them, give them a high five or a heck, give them a hand!?

I am thinking we make this a requirement for Membership: serve on set up and tear down for one month. Nah, if we made this a requirement - where would the reward be? Where would the character formation take place if we were forced to serve?

These heroes serve out of love for Jesus Christ, for you, me and for everyone who visits.

Blonde Guy, Wannabe Hero and Campus Pastor,
Erin

Hello church family,

For those of you that participated by buying a packback, thank you for blessing a student in need!  Please note that if you want us to get it to Lake Forest Campus, you need to drop it off at one of the services this weekend (Aug 9) at the same table where you purchased it. 

For more information on Operation Backpack, please visit this link: http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/story/8693.html.

After the message yesterday on 'Reading God's Mind" by Pastor Buddy Owens, I jokingly asked everyone at the service "everyone fired up to leave and go read their bibles?" There seemed to be a resounding yes which was either because people were hungry or they actually were impacted.

Probably both. Either way, It was a great message that I needed to hear as well.

This morning I used some of the principles he shared yesterday based off his metaphor of "Pulling off to enjoy the scenery" to read and reread Psalm 14. Out of that, I was simply reminded that wisdom is seeking God (wow Erin, profound! I know, I should write a book or something).

Here is a sample:

Psalm 14:1-2 (NLT)
1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.

But then it led me to the next question of myself, where in my life am I regularly seeking God (wise living) and where in my life have I not been seeking God (foolish living)? In other words, there are parts of my life and way of thinking that relies on wisdom (seeking God) and others... hmmm, not so much (foolishness according to Psalm 14). In other words, I can act like, what Craig Groeschel and others call, a practical atheist. This led me down some brief reflections - I jotted down some ideas.

I then thanked God for revealing this to me, and for His love for me and asked for His help to recognize it when I place my trust somewhere else rather than Him. Good times...

How did the message impact your bible reading and prayer time?

For those attending the memorial service for Allyssa Squirrell, the OC Register incorrectly posted the location as the Saddleback Irvine Campus office location (4782 Karen Ann Lane, Irvine).

As many of you know, one of our Saddleback Irvine families just experienced a tragic loss.  The Squirrell family's 11-year old daughter, Allyssa, was killed last week during a routine junior lifeguard training exercise.

As a way to rally around the family, we are encouraging all Saddleback members to consider serving this family by bringing a meal for them.  If you don't know the Squirrell's personally, what an opportunity to get to know more people in our church body!!  And this is an awesome way to love on them.  One less meal to worry about for them means they can focus on other things during this season of their lives.

Would you do the following?
-pray for the family as they grieve over the loss of their daughter, Allyssa
-consider bringing a meal or pairing up with a friend to bring a meal for the Squirrell family (You don't even have to cook!   
  You could order food from a restaurant and have it delivered to their door!)
-pass along this information, so we can maximize the opportunity for people to serve the family

If you would like to serve the Squirrell family by providing a meal, please contact Jane Lee. 
Thanks and look forward to hearing from you!

714-544-7808
j_rheeLee@yahoo.com

What to bring?
They need dinners for approximately 20 people (they have many kids plus extended family!) – home-made or take out is great.  Pair up with another family to keep it simple.  The best time to drop off the food is anytime between 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The food should be easy to serve and even re-heat.  Also, please use disposable containers so you don’t have to worry about getting any serving platters or utensils back.

We apologize for any inconvenience but we will reschedule Class 101 for a later date.

I want to share a personal testimony for the value of small groups.  Last week, I took my wife Lena to the emergency room.  (Before you get too concerned, she's okay.)  I was emailing the Irvine staff and our small group what was happening.  A couple from our small group quickly made their way to the hospital with food when I mentioned it was going to be a long night.  And they quickly returned to sit with Lena in the car upon our first release while I went to see the doctor about being readmitted.  My mother arrived that day moments before I made it home, otherwise I'm sure our small group would have watched Karis, too.  Love our small group!

Also about small groups, a friend who had had difficulty finding a small group stopped in the office.  I had offered a couple of groups to visit but I hadn't heard from her in a while.  I asked her if she found a group and she shared how wonderful her group was.  She has totally bonded with the host and she said that they're nearly inseparable.  She loves everyone in the group and was so glad that she was persistent in finding a group with whom she connected.  Praise the Lord!

Saddleback Irvine served at the Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook Off today.

30,000 people showed up and the fantastic volunteers at our OC CHILI CORRAL booth were ready for them! I am so proud of them. They served in so many ways and it showed: how they set up, decorated, tore down, welcomed, encouraged, picked up trash, broke down booths, cooked, prepared, surveyed, invited, conversed, gave away and prayed for our neighbors… they were well... the CHURCH.



They even gave away a grocery gift card EVERY HOUR for raffle winners who took a community needs survey we made. We have tons of feedback now on what the community believes are some of the biggest problems facing the city of Tustin that maybe we can help. Stay tuned...

Not only that, I heard we had lines all day long until we ran out of chili! And oh by the way, we took FOURTH place in the People’s Choice category at the LARGEST ONE DAY CHILI COOK OFF EVENT IN THE WORLD! This is our first entry ever! Our church name echoed over the loud speaker as they announced the winners at the end of the day - so cool. Thanks goes to Smith & Jones plus cooking team!

Our booth decor was an amazing montage of WESTERN stuff, cowhides, old rifle, spitoons - very vintage old west! As I took it all in, I was standing in the shade near the booth and had three different interactions with passerbys that led into conversations -- even invitations to come to our church (one couple had the same obstetrician as Joy and I! They were from Corona so we encouraged them to check out our Corona campus!). Coincidence??? Hmmmmm.

Our clean up crew showed up eager to serve too! As everyone else left, this group stayed behind to tear down and pick up trash - my heroes! We made a few quick friendships and as we left, they thanked us and said who are you with? SADDLEBACK! 

I guarantee you – we will be back next year and continue to SERVE in the community with GOOD DEEDS and GOOD CHILI...

SPECIAL THANKS to everyone who served and made this happen - you were a great team today!  Let us know how your experience was - POST IT!

Hey friends-

If you tried signing up for the pastor chat, our registration system won't let you register the day of the event but you can email me and I will get you directions to my place if you still want to come.

Email me before 5pm today: ekerr@saddleback.com.

Really... just let us know. For those of you who missed it, Pastor Rick spoke on the Jesus Model of Stress Management. In other words, knowing Jesus personally and following his example can eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress in our lives and give us peace regardless of what we face. The peace of God is available - check it out if you missed it. And then leave some feedback!

It all started for me in 8th grade when Mr. Carlson asked me to be his recreation director for the Children's Summer VBS at my home church. All this meant was that I got to play dodgeball with kids that were a lot slower and smaller than me. It was awesome.

Aside from padding my dodgeball stats, I started to learn the joy and importance of serving others. And the more I made myself available (which wasn't necessarily often) to love others and serve others, I realized something that was counter intuitive to my self-indulgent nature - it was kinda fun.

But it isn't always. Which is why living a lifestyle of service to others is still something I have to relearn all of the time. It is a daily battle between my comfy chair with remote in hand and the opportunity to do the dishes without my wife asking me (last night the comfy chair won as well as the Lakers).

And yet, here is where training to achieve God's mission to the world has to begin for each of us... the little decisions and the smaller battles that begin in our own hearts: serve me or serve Him. I find encouragement then in two basic ways (1) reflecting on how God has served me first by offering Jesus Christ to forgive me and empower me when I didn't deserve it (2) how the most significant joys and memories in my life relate to serving others.

When did you first discover the joy of serving others?
How do you stay encouraged to serve?

I want to share a story of a small group that did something extremely selfless...

A couple of weeks ago, one of the leaders from Celebrate Recovery shared with me that a small group host contacted him about bringing food to CR.  I thought, "That's cool... he is going to serve the leaders of CR who serve those attending CR."  Well, it turns out that the entire small group brought and served food to not only the CR leaders... but to EVERYONE in attendance at CR that night.  AMAZING GENEROSITY!

Just think how valued each person at CR that night felt being served a homemade meal!! 

There is a whole generation of young people that think church is irrelevant and boring.
Not our students.

We had SSM (Saddleback Student Ministry) host and lead our weekend service two weeks ago.

Our goal was to highlight how God is working in the lives our students and help our people get involved to invest in the next generation. Well, the student band was unbelievable. They had no problem playing with the crowd, encouraging them in praise and worship and having fun. We all had a blast but it just shows how talented and passionate our students really are... all for the glory of God.

Leo, our highly talented SSM Director, shared ways to get connected, encouraged people to be unafraid of students and love them by getting involved.

Surprise, surprise - We had several people sign up to serve in SSM! It also gave me time to teach SSM at the 11am service so I got to know our students, and they me. BTW, our volunteers that serve already in there are fan-tastic.

After some reflection, I realized that we need to regularly do this. It communicates to our people and to the next generation - we value, we trust and we invest in students.

And we should, it's biblical... 2 Tim 2:2.