Hey FUEL friends,

We're starting more FUEL Couples Small Groups! If you're Interested in joining or hosting one contact me at JayKranda@msn.com.

Life's better when lived in community!
Jay Kranda

Ben sent me a note to let all you know about a sweet Bonfire this weekend ...

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 10:30pm
Location: Aliso Beach County Park, 31131 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92652

If you are in your 20/30s and single....Come hang out at the beach with the FUEL crowd on Saturday, June 27th! We'll be there at 1 pm, so bring your beach gear, lunch and favorite games. BRING YOUR OWN FIREWOOD & FOOD cause we'll start a Bonfire in the evening at 7pm (Grill will be provided). If you're interested in worshiping feel free to bring your guitar.

This is a great event to bring someone new to FUEL so they can see what we're all about. Don't miss this chance to meet some new FUEL friends while relaxing in the fantastic California sun!!

For more details contact : benh@saddleback.com

Here's a map if ya need it ...


View Larger Map

We were happy to have Rick and Kay come speak at FUEL last night about Orphans and what we as a Saddleback Community can do to help "the fatherless."

They mentioned ways you can help ... one of them being sponsorship of orphans or just helping out in Saddleback's general orphan care efforts.

To find out more, browse over here, and if you'd like to give read on ...

If you can help financially, here are four different ways you can give online ... all you need is a Saddleback website account so if you already have one you're half way there ... if not the pages below will guide through creating one.

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National HIV Testing Day is Saturday, June 27th, and Saddleback Church HIV/AIDS Initiative is hosting free HIV testing on our campus.  In order to raise awareness in the community, we’re planning a 3 hour promotion blitz the morning of the event.  We’ll be targeting various areas surrounding the Saddleback Church campus, and we could use your help!  We’ll be going to strategic areas in Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, RSM, Mission Viejo, and Irvine to hand out invite cards that encourage people to consider coming to Saddleback for a free HIV test.

If you think you could join us to volunteer, please respond and let us know we can plan on you being there (michelled@saddleback.com).  We’ll meet at the Ministry Center 2 parking lot at 8:30 AM for a brief informational training and distribution of supplies.  Once you’ve gotten your supplies and connected with others who will be going to the same area as you, then we can head out into the community to distribute the invite cards.  We anticipate being finished no later than 11:30 AM. 

Our prayer for this event is that people in South Orange County will see Saddleback as a safe place to find out their HIV status, and that our efforts would begin to break down the stigma that surrounds HIV and AIDS.  We’re looking forward to serving with you on National HIV Testing Day, June 27th.

A well deserved Funday for our hard working FUEL volunteers! They owned Huntington Beach last weekend as they gathered together in droves for deep community. Games, competitions, tons of food, laughter, celebration of life...they play as hard as they serve. We are truly blessed to have them! Without our volunteers, our FUEL community wouldn't exist.

Thanks Gang! We love you all!

btw- if you'd like to get in on the crazy fun of volunteering at FUEL, email chrisr@saddleback.com

EXHAUSTED—BUT IN A GOOD WAY
I was impressed by how hard-working everyone was. We worked really well together and manually assembled approx. 50 chairs (including screwing in 8 screws per chair BY HAND and washing them without water), swept/mopped the whole upstairs, and painted the whole downstairs. Throughout all this, we were working side-by-side with La Roca, the local church in Tijuana. By the end of the day we were exhausted, but in a good way!

Carly Huhn
FUEL PEACE Intern

Love God. Even though He’ll always love you more than you could ever love Him back, love God. Love God with everything in you. Do things that grow this love. Pray about it what that might be.

No matter how great a person you try to be, you’re useless without love for God. Focusing on loving God is what God calls you to do and that calling trumps your role in all areas of life
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Who you are should determine what you do not the other way around. Look at your life—is it a reflection of your love for God? Is it a growing love that runs deep?

Take time to rest in the Lord. It’s okay to choose rest over busyness sometimes. Be with God. Focus on your relationship with Him. It’s not selfish. It’s healthy. It will fill you up to go out and live life how God has intended it to be lived.

Lamentations 3:22-24 "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!'”

The place to be this past Memorial Day was at the FUEL Community Picnic! 200+ people participated in a crazy fun event designed to connect the unconnected and create genuine community within our FUEL family.

The food was delicious as people brought all types of meat (fat steaks, ribs, carne asada, hamburgers, sausages, hot dogs, chicken) to be bbq'd on a 6' grill. There was also 5 long tables jammed with many varying side dishes and desserts.

The competition was fierce as contestants battled it out for coveted Boneheads gift cards!  Games included wheel barrel races  (championship pic above...sorry Krandas, the Sartis spanked you), team relay races  (which included a pie-in-the-face finish), 3-legged race  (there were many injuries), water balloon toss  (just above freezing water used), and a hot dog eating contest  (congratulations Jorge...11 in 5 minutes...actually 12 counting the one you had to re-eat)!

The conversations were authentic as people were hangin all over the park sharing their lives. I observed people moving from group to group, sitting, standing, laying, laughing, smiling, crying, praying...it was really something to see!

As I reflect on our time together, I can't help but think of Acts 2:46-47:
"They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."

Thrilled to be your pastor,
Chirs

Come join us for an OLD SCHOOL community picnic!

Monday, May 25
11:00am - 2:00pm
Borrego Park, 26982 Cabriole, Foothill Ranch, CA
http://tinyurl.com/BorregoPark

THE PARK IS ALL OURS! Burlapsack race, 3 legged race, wheel barrel race, watermelon seed spitting contest, hot dog eating contest, water balloon toss, basketball courts, kids kickball, huge grassy area, much more!

Bring: drinks, food (MEAT for you and your family AND side dishes and desserts for our Buffet Table to share with others), plates, napkins, plastic ware, chairs, blanket, sports equipment

Questions? Email: sheilar@saddleback.com

Prepare 30 seconds of whatever you want to play. We will give you a chart and teach you a song for you to play or sing.
Vocal Auditions- May 19th  9pm- Refinery Upstairs Classroom
Band Auditions- May 26th  9pm- Refinery Theater
Email Stephanie with questions: Sbuckman@saddleback.com

Thank you!
Stephanie Buckman