I wanted to take a moment to inform you about an upcoming series we will be teaching in Student Ministries at Saddleback Church Irvine.  Beginning the weekend of February 14, I will be teaching a series entitled The Sex.  This two-week series is designed to give students an overview of God’s plan for sex.  Here are the two subjects we will cover:

        

February 14: What We Hear and See about Sex

 

February 21: Answering Tough Questions (Pornography, Abuse, Oral Sex and How Far is too Far)     

 

This series is not designed to be a sex education course, but rather an attempt to give students a Biblical understanding of sex. 

  

I’m sharing these insights with you so you will know what your student will be hearing, and so you can use them as launching pads for discussion. I also wanted to give you this “heads up” because I recognize some of you may not feel the timing is appropriate for your child. If this is the case, please feel free to have them attend the adult worship service for the two weekends of this series.

 

If youhave any questions please feel free to contact Leo Galarza at 949-573-8733 oremail leog@saddleback.com

 

Thanks for allowing our Student Ministries team to play a small part in God’s plan for your student’s life!

Leo Galarza

Director of Student Ministries

 

Pastor Rick continued our message series last week with a powerful message on the role that small groups play in our life following Jesus. If you missed it, check out his message here. Like many of you, I have experienced the gamut of small group experiences. Total failures to lifelong impact. Regardless, a small group is vital for our spiritual growth - don't give up!

Some of the most important elements that have made my small group experiences LIFE CHANGING AND NOT LIFE DRAINING have been:

1. Bible based - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

The group's that have been most impactful have been committed to do a bible based study or book. This can be a topic with biblical teaching integrated or a study of a book in the bible. Either way, lasting life change for me has happened as I have learned and applied His word into my day to day life.

2. Humility - Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

I have found that having an attitude of humility within the group opens up the level of trust and unifies the group around the purpose of mutual growth. With the Spirit of God and His Word being our authority, it's vital that the small group leader models humility to the rest of the group. The small group leader is looked upon as more of a knowledgeable and caring facilitator rather than a teaching expert who has all the right answers... at least this has been the best experience for me.

3. Commitment - Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Someone wise once said "You are what you are committed to" (Pastor Rick!). Throughout the NT, words like discipline, training, athlete, prize, marathon remind us that spiritual growth is a choice and requires effort (not earning). I grow best in community with others. I find that half of the Christian life then is simply "showing up" - to Sunday mornings, to small group, to serving opportunities to local mission projects. There is something about structure that helps us overcome our fleeting emotions to facilitate growth. It isn't commitment for me until it is on my schedule.

4. Relational - John 15:17 (NLT) This is my command: Love each other.
 
We all come to a small group with agendas - it could be a desire to learn something on the topic we are studying or a place to share our hurts. Both are important. If I don't know the other people in the group or commit to understanding what they are seeking, I may have unrealistic expectations for the purpose of the group. As Paul writes in 1 Cor 13, knowleldge without love leads to pride. My best small group experiences have a good balance of growth in knowledge and love > relationships are the best context to process and practice that love.

IF YOU'RE NOT IN A SMALL GROUP > JOIN ONE TODAY! Sign up here!

Kingdom Come
Men's Conference January 29 - 31, 2010
Murrieta Hot Springs All the information is right here!

BUILD your FAITH on a SOLID FOUNDATION

God’s TRUTH brings freedom and transformation. FOUNDATIONS is a class designed to explore the essential truths of our faith to help you develop a biblical perspective of God, the world, and our relationships. FOUNDATIONS has helped change the lives of thousands of people over the last 15 years at Saddleback. Everyone’s life is built on something, and God’s truth is the only foundation that will last. Is it time to take your faith to a new place? We invite you to join us at FOUNDATIONS!

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” –JESUS (Jn 8.32)

WHO–This class is for anyone who wants to explore essential truths of the Bible
WHEN – Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:30 PM starting January 27th
WHERE– The Refinery Gym (LAKE FOREST CAMPUS)
COST– $20 (this covers the cost of the materials)
WHAT ELSE – Come to the refinery early for dinner or coffee
QUESTIONS–contact Matt McGill (mattm@saddleback.com or 949.609.8691)

If you had photos taken at our Unforgettable Christmas Eve services, please check them out at:

http://saddlebackpics.smugmug.com/Saddleback-Irvine/2009-Christmas-Portraits/Allen/10713745_HpqQE#755965169_My6a5

If you are unable to view them, please contact Yukie at the ministry office, 949-235-4979 or yukiem@saddleback.com. We hope you enjoy them!

Join us for one of our Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, 5pm or 7pm, at Northwood High School.

This is not going to be just another service! We want to celebrate the birth of Jesus and have a party! Please plan to come early (4:30pm) and stay late so your entire family can enjoy the experience on the worship patio. There will be hot cocoa and cider, cookies, awesome music, Christmas caroling, family portraits by our PICS ministry, an outdoor movie ... it is going to be fantastic!

Please invite your friends, neighbors & family - this is a wonderful opportunity for you to reach out and bring them to our church and learn how we love one another and our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hello Saddleback Irvine Family and Friends!
 
Yep, it's a SoCal Christmas... 72 degrees and a few red/yellow trees.

My friends and family across the state and country groan in jealousy when I let them know that. Merry Christmas!

We Love Students & Children
Our students are going to host our services this weekend with a special performance by our children. Pastor Tom will continue his practical teaching to prepare our hearts for this Christmas season! Plus, if you'd like to be baptized, we are baptizing after the 11am service.
 
You're Also Invited to An Unforgettable Experience Dec 24
Northwood High School, Dec 24, 5 and 7pm
Our Christmas Eve services at Irvine are going to be UNFORGETTABLE!
 
Jesus was born! So we are going to celebrate: "The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" - Luke 2:11

Candlelight services, inspiring music and a relevant message plus a patio experience filled with cookies, cider, hot cocoa, free family portrait stations, white lights, classical guitarist, caroling and more! Bring the friends and family!
 
For more info and evites, click here.

We need Unforgettable Volunteers for decoration, set up, tear down, etc!
Contact Yukie if you'd like to help.

Serving Families in Need - Motel Ministry
Our team will be delivering toys and hosting a breakfast with caroling for our motel families tomorrow. To join us, click here for details.
 
Praying that Jesus stay at the center of your holiday season,

Erin Kerr
Saddleback Irvine Campus Pastor
ekerr@saddleback.com

PS: Our Irvine office will be closed the week after Christmas
(Dec 28 - Jan 1)

Thought we'd share a follow up to our Saddleback Irvine Campus' effort to support Operation Christmas Child.  We, the Irvine Campus, donated more than 200 shoe boxes to OCC this year!

The first photo shows the hustle and bustle inside of the warehouse where Operation Christmas Child sorts all the boxes and then ships them.  This is where everyone's donations have gone - they will collect 8 MILLION boxes at their four hubs throughout the USA and distribute them to about 114 countries.  Our shoe boxes were headed to China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia.



The second photo is a close up of the shipping boxes which contain no less than 14 shoe boxes each. =)

COURAGE AND POWER COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT (third person of the Trinity, not an "IT")

As I was reading Acts 1:8 the other day I was reminded of the connection between the filling of the Holy Spirit and being a witness. There is no way Peter (and the others) could have done what they did to launch the first church without God's power. Notice the disciples had to wait for the Holy Spirit to fill them up.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8 (NLT)

What does this mean?
None of us NATURALLY want to share our hope - we need to be full of God's Spirit, to have the love, the compassion and the burden to do something about it. If you know Jesus already, you have the Holy Spirit already but the FULLNESS is something you must seek from Him (Eph 5:18). If you are FULL, the results will take care of themselves. Think about it this way. When we have a powerful engagement with something/someone amazing (no not like getting an iPhone - way better, like with our Creator!), we can't keep our experience to ourselves! We HAVE to share it!

So how do I experience this fullness?

That doesn't happen easily for me. It involves hammering out my will to surrender to God's will every day. I usually have to spend some time in prayer, reflecting and reading the bible, getting encouragement from my wife, friends or our staff or turning from any sin in my life to experience that fullness of God's Spirit. But when you are full, there is no mistaking that the joy, hope and peace of God will overflow out of you - you can't contain Him!

Some of the men of The HERD recently took their kids on a fun day hike to Whiting Ranch. There were 9 dads and 11 kids who joined in the fun. They kids enjoyed being outside, picking up rocks, looking for spiders, catepillars and anything else that looked interesting! There were even a couple of deer, walking along a ridge parallel to their trail, keeping a close eye on them.  

Watch for the next event and in the meantime, whether you're a dad, grandpa or just a guy, join The HERD for their weekly gatherings, Tuesdays at 6:30 pm or Fridays at 6:15am!

Take the Hope Challenge

Pastor Rick says it all the time: "We become what we are committed to." Are we people committed to bringing hope to the world, one person at a time? Yes!

Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! - Romans 15:13 (MSG)

Join the 3 month movement to transform our community - commit to bringing God's Hope to your friend, co-worker and/or neighbor this season.

It's as simple as 3-3-3.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER.

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).