Read what's happening with our Care Callers in response to the COVID-19 crisis

September 11, 2020 
Spanish-Speaking Care Caller Ministry Starts at Rancho Capistrano

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff members and volunteers at every Saddleback campus have been finding unique and creative ways to meet the needs of those who live in their respective communities. Our church continues to look for new opportunities to spread God’s love in tangible ways that will resonate with the people we serve.

Our teams at Saddleback Rancho Capistrano have been faithfully serving others during these trying times. Community members continue to receive food, emotional support, and prayer at grocery distributions hosted by the campus. Many of the people at those events have put their faith in God for the first time.

Recently, one of our Rancho Capistrano leaders realized that a lot of people who have been saved at the campus speak Spanish as their primary language. So, he assembled a group of 10 Spanish-speaking members and created a new Spanish-language Care Caller ministry.

The goal of the new ministry is to make sure that every person who invites Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of their life at a Saddleback Rancho Capistrano event has someone to talk to about their faith, can learn more about God, and get plugged into our church.

One member of the Spanish-speaking Care Caller team said she calls about 40 people a week to check in on them and see if they have any needs. Some of the people she calls are grocery recipients who she helped lead to Christ when they came to the campus to receive food.

“You’re not seeing them face to face like at the grocery distribution events but you are still building a relationship with them,” she said.

While calling strangers over the phone to talk about Jesus may not come naturally for some people, she said that she always feels God guiding the conversation.

“You don’t have to be a theologian with all the answers to do this,” she said. “You just have to speak Spanish, have a heart for others, share your story, and listen to their story.”

September 4, 2020   
Care Caller and Kids Deliver Hope to Homeless Man

For nearly six months, Saddleback Care Callers have been spreading the love of God everyday by calling members of our church family and members of our community to make sure they are being cared for during this difficult season.

One Care Caller from Saddleback Irvine South recently shared her experience reaching out to those in need during the COVID-19 crisis. She started with a list of 10 names and phone numbers that were given to her by ministry leaders. It took her about a week to call each person, find out if they needed food delivered to their home, and spend time in prayer with them.

One of the people she reached out to was a man suffering from homelessness while battling an illness. He had been living out of his car but had temporarily moved into a motel room while he was sick. When our Care Caller asked if he would like food delivered to the motel, he was thrilled. A few days later, Saddleback provided her with several bags of groceries to bring to the man.

“I asked my two teenage boys to go with me, as I wanted them to be a part of this experience,” she said.

When the woman and her boys arrived at the motel, she called the man to let him know they had just dropped off the food at his door. He asked if he could peak his head out and wave to her and her children.

“Both of my boys were standing near the window, so they waved and said hello,” she said. “[He] smiled so big and would not leave the window … we [eventually] said goodbye and told him he is loved.”

Since that day, our volunteer and her boys have kept in touch with the man and regularly direct him to Saddleback grocery distribution events so he can continue to receive food.

“It was a thrill and a joy to serve as a Care Caller and invite my kids into the process,” she said. “I loved delivering food with them and it was a wonderful blessing to be a blessing together.”

August 28, 2020   
Saddleback Care Caller Gets Care Called

Throughout the course of the COVID-19 crisis, Saddleback volunteers have faithfully served our church and those who are in need despite facing their own struggles during this difficult season of life.

One of our volunteers recently shared how God helped her find meaning and purpose in life through serving with Saddleback after being laid off from work as a result of the pandemic. It was clear to her that God wanted her to volunteer so she signed up to be a Care Caller — she absolutely loves it now.

“I’ve had the privilege of meeting some beautiful church members over the phone,” she said. “One woman answers her phone, ‘Hello,’ and says my name. She says she looks forward to our regular call and she’s always eager to share all the wonderful things God is doing in her life that week. I think I look forward to our call more than she does.”

A few weeks after she began making care calls, our volunteer connected with a young woman who was pregnant. She immediately opened up about her financial struggles, like not having a car or internet, not having easy access groceries, and hardly being able to afford public transportation fees to get to and from work.

After the two women prayed together for the first time, our volunteer spoke with her team leader as well as her small group to ask for additional prayer and brainstorm ways to help the woman.

“The next two weeks that followed, the body of Christ showed up,” she said.

There were offers of bus passes, a refrigerator, as well as clothes and other items for her unborn child. One person from our volunteer’s small group even donated a huge bag of groceries so our volunteer could give them to her new friend. When she delivered the groceries, the woman was so moved she burst into tears of joy and they prayed together once more. The two continue to talk over the phone and pray together on a regular basis. An authentic Christ-centered friendship is growing.

“[Recently] I called to check on her and when I asked how I can pray for her the woman said, ‘I want to pray for you this time,’” she recalled. “Tears welled in my eyes as I lifted my hands up to receive her tender prayer.”

June 12, 2020 
10-Year-Old Spreads Hope and Sparks Community

Over the past few months, we have seen God use our members and volunteers to spread hope and love throughout our communities. We have been encouraged to see so many families in our church use this time to serve others in their own way. Even our students and kids have been empowered to spread the love of Jesus during this pandemic.

One of our younger members at Saddleback Newport Mesa, a 10-year-old girl named Emma, has been loving her neighbors in a unique way. A few weeks ago, Emma was inspired after watching one of Pastor Rick’s messages about helping others during the pandemic. She asked her mother if she could start writing letters to other people in their apartment complex.

While Emma couldn’t provide food or finances to her neighbors, she still wanted to support them with physical resources as well as emotional and spiritual support. She carefully drafted a letter and delivered it to nine families that live in her apartment complex.

Emma wrote, “The reason why I want to reach out to you is I don't know if you need help with taking out the groceries, also I can give my contact info if you want because I can call or text you nice words to brighten your day! Also you can give me prayer requests so I can pray for you.”

She went on to explain that she attends Saddleback and that she wants to get to know her neighbors and find out their needs. Emma felt really good about sending the letters, and she knew that they would be an encouragement to others even if nobody wrote back to her. However, she got multiple letters in return.

“When I got the letters back, I was jumping up and down because I was so excited,” she said.

Two of her neighbors shared with Emma how her note was really special to them. And while they did not have any physical needs, they did have specific prayer requests. Emma has faithfully prayed for her neighbors on a regular basis since she received their letters.

Emma hopes to continue building relationships with her neighbors throughout this crisis. She says it’s the way she feels called to help others during the pandemic.

“I just feel love for all the people around me,” she said. “There are some people who really need help right now. I want to help those people in a kind way.”

June 3, 2020
Care Caller Provides Emotional Support to Member

As a church, communication with our Saddleback family has been crucial during this turbulent season of life. Our Care Callers have contacted thousands of people since stay-at-home orders were first issued in March, and they continue to do so as our members face quarantine regulations and city curfews.

This ministry has helped remind so many people that they are loved and supported by their church. It also allows our volunteers to find out if our members have any physical, emotional, or spiritual needs that we can meet.

One member said that the call she received from our church came at just the right moment to comfort her in a time of need. Shortly before hearing from Saddleback, she had been on a disheartening call trying to figure out a solution to an issue about her nursing school application. The pandemic was impacting the application process, and she was feeling troubled and discouraged about her future.

When the woman’s phone started ringing after that call, she almost ignored it because she did not recognize the number — she ultimately decided to answer. It was someone from our church calling to check in and see how she was doing. She shared what had just happened and how she was feeling very upset about the situation. The two began to pray together and by the end of the call, the woman was feeling much more hopeful about the situation and felt like some of the emotional strain she had been facing was lifted.

The woman later received an email from the same person encouraging her and reminding her that she is loved and that God is with her in this season of life.

May 19, 2020
Care Callers Continue Contacting Community

One of the simplest yet profoundly impactful ministries that Saddleback launched at the beginning of this global pandemic was Care Callers. Pastor Rick and other Saddleback staff members knew that people would need new ways to connect and interact with each other while adhering to statewide stay-at-home orders.

Every day, Saddleback Care Callers have been contacting people in our community who are lonely, scared, and in need of a friend. The calls are changing people’s lives — both the recipients and the callers themselves. These interactions over the phone have led to physical needs being met, relationships being built, and people accepting Jesus. Every Saddleback campus has volunteers who are making Care Calls, and there have been thousands upon thousands of people contacted by our church through this ministry.

One Care Caller from Saddleback Rancho Capistrano was talking over the phone with a woman who said she had some specific groceries she was in need of and was wondering if a volunteer from the church would be able to help her pick up the items. The Care Caller quickly passed along the grocery list to another volunteer who went to the store and then drove to her house. When the volunteer arrived, he was shocked to find out the woman had crawled to the door because she is unable to walk. His heart broke for her, and he took it upon himself to ensure she received a wheelchair and have groceries delivered to her home on a regular basis.

Another Care Caller from our Lake Forest campus says she was a bit nervous before making a call. But the minute the other person answered, she felt a peace come over her. The woman on the other end of the line shared that she has a grown son with autism and is a retired speech pathologist. It turned out that our volunteer also has a daughter with special needs. The two were able to bond over the challenges of homeschooling during this pandemic and shared some tips with each other. The two women prayed for each other and have been spiritually supporting one another since that call.

A few Care Callers in Los Angeles have been building their church community by contacting people who had not attended weekend services for a while prior to the crisis. One of them spoke with a woman who felt lost and needed prayer. After spending 40 minutes on the phone, the woman said she wanted to join an online small group so she could have a spiritual support system. Another man who hadn’t attended church for a while said it was such a pleasant surprise to hear from our Care Caller and was eager to learn about how to get involved at Saddleback again while staying at home during the pandemic.

May 8, 2020
Care Caller and Care Kit Deliverer Team Up to Serve a Woman in Need

Since the start of this pandemic, Saddleback's team of Care Callers have been working to make sure our church family and our community members know that they are loved and cared for during this seemingly lonely season of life.

Care Callers are making real connections and developing authentic relationships with people on a daily basis. They are there to meet people's emotional and spiritual needs and also find out what their physical needs are so our church can provide them with food and supplies.

A few weeks ago, one of our Care Callers named Lorna got in contact with a woman who is at a high risk for contracting COVID-19 because of her age. The two made a genuine connection as they spoke at length over the phone. Lorna said she just felt a nudge towards the woman.

A week after that conversation took place, a volunteer named Nancy was assigned to deliver a Care Kit to the same woman. It turns out Nancy and Lorna are in the same small group. They put two and two together and felt so blessed to have been able to take part in caring for the woman.

Nancy and Lorna have remained in contact with the woman and recently surprised her with flowers and groceries on her birthday. It meant the world to the woman as well as to Nancy and Lorna. It is clear that God placed these women in each other's lives for a reason just as he has done with so many others in our community during this time of need.

April 30, 2020 
Prayer Team Making an Impact Overseas

Saddleback’s prayer team has been covering our congregation and the people in our communities with prayer since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff members and volunteers have also been praying for people throughout the world who have reached out to our church as they deal with challenging circumstances during this difficult season of life.

A few weeks ago, one of the members of our prayer team heard from a doctor in Sweden who contracted COVID-19 from a patient. This patient had not informed the medical staff that she was experiencing symptoms of the virus prior to being seen at the facility.

Our staff is faithful to pray for every request we receive, and members of our prayer team remained in contact with the doctor while she battled the virus overseas and ultimately recovered from the illness. Having prayer partners on the other side of the world had a huge impact on the woman.

“Thank you Saddleback Church for being there for us during this hard time,” she wrote in an email to our staff. “I was very sick, and it was such a comfort that I was able to write to you about my prayer request. Now it’s been three weeks, and I’m finally well, and the test I took showed no detectable viruses so I’m completely healed and able to go back to work.”

We also learned that, while the doctor belongs to a local church in Sweden, she and her husband spent a couple of years living in Irvine and attended Saddleback services during that time. She said she still considers Saddleback to be one of her home churches, and she has been tuning in to our online services every week throughout this crisis.

April 29, 2020
Saddleback Feeding Those who Crave Community

As Saddleback continues to distribute groceries at dozens of locations throughout Southern California, our church is on the lookout for new places and new groups of people to serve. We recently sent a team of volunteers to hand out food to residents at a senior mobile home park in Lake Forest.

The need was great in the community and we were able to provide groceries and other supplies to residents, many of whom are considered high risk during this pandemic, while maintaining social distancing standards. We provide groceries to, not only meet physical needs, but also build bridges and bring more people into our church community.

We heard from one woman at the mobile home park who was so touched by our outreach efforts she now wants to become a Saddleback member. She wrote to our staff and explained how she used to occasionally attend our church with her husband until he passed away last year.

When our volunteers spent several hours distributing groceries to the residents in her community she was incredibly touched and was even moved to tears by our offer to pray with her. She said the interaction left her craving community and she plans to begin attending Saddleback in-person again whenever we are able to start meeting together on weekends.

In the meantime, the woman has been sent a number of digital resources and is getting plugged into our church while we continue to worship online.

April 27, 2020
SB Irvine South Chinese Venue Helps Healthcare Workers Fight COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Southern California in early March, several families that regularly attend the Chinese venue at Saddleback Irvine South knew they wanted to help those who would be on the frontlines battling the deadly virus. They felt like God was calling them to assist healthcare workers in some capacity during the pandemic.

After prayerful consideration, the families decided to find ways to lessen the impact of supply shortages that put doctors and nurses at greater risks while treating the sick. Requests for masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer started coming in right away, and the families got to work

Some of the members of our Chinese venue began donating supplies to medical workers from their personal reserves, and donations started pouring in. Our members worked feverishly to coordinate all of the deliveries. Some hospitals were so desperate for supplies, they sent representatives to come pick up the gear.

In total more than 5,000 masks were donated to a number of clinics and hospitals including City of Hope, Olive View Medical Center, Beverly Hospital, Mission Hospital, and Pacific Shores Medical Group. We even sent masks to assist healthcare workers at New York’s Woodhull Medical Center.

In addition to helping various hospitals and medical clinics, members of the Chinese venue were able to supply masks to some of Saddleback’s frontline volunteers who are distributing groceries to people in need at dozens of locations throughout Southern California.

When the Chinese venue’s leadership team learned of an urgent need for masks at some of Saddleback’s grocery distribution sites, they started praying over the request. Not long after, one of the members received a call from a friend who offered to donate 1,700 masks to Saddleback volunteers in Irvine. More blessings followed when a member of a Saddleback small group in Shanghai donated 10,000 masks and were given to our Lake Forest campus.

April 23, 2020
Volunteer From Ecuador Leads 30 People to Jesus

Picture yourself living in a foreign country with no job and a depleting savings account during this global pandemic. Think of the feelings of fear and hopelessness that could gnaw at you day in and day out. That is no imaginary scenario — it is the reality Kristy Aguilar has been facing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kristy moved to Southern California from Ecuador just eight months ago and began attending our services at Saddleback Rancho Capistrano. She had been working at a hotel, until the pandemic prompted layoffs at her job. Without a source of income, Kristy would not be able to pay her rent, so she made the decision to move back to her home country.

Shortly after she came to that decision, Kristy learned that the airports in Ecuador were being shut down due to the growing crisis, and she would not be able to return home. She began praying for God’s guidance and provision, and then reached out to one of our members to see if they knew of anyone who had a cheap room for rent. The next day, the woman replied to Kristy and said that she had spoken with her family and they agreed to host her in their home rent-free until she could return to Ecuador.

Kristy and the woman began exploring various serving opportunities at Saddleback. Her new host thought she could make an impact distributing groceries with our Rancho Capistrano team because many of the people who had recently shown up in need of supplies were Spanish speakers — she thought Kristy’s Spanish-speaking skills could be put to good use. Kristy agreed and began serving right away.

“As soon as I approached a car, I felt all the love of God for these people,” Kristy said. “I let them know that although the world has stopped and seems to be out of control and hopeless, God is working through all of this.”

The Holy Spirit was leading every conversation Kristy had that day. As she got to know each person who came for groceries, she offered them eternal hope in Jesus Christ and invited them to accept him as Lord and Savior of their lives.

Over and over again, people said “yes” to the invitation. By the end of the day, Kristy had led 30 people to Jesus — including people from Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico. There were tears of joy throughout the day as our new volunteer led these men and women in prayer.

One of Saddleback’s values is that we are an all-nation congregation. Kristy’s story shows that everybody is welcome and wanted at our church, and that God brings people to Saddleback from all over the world to further his kingdom.

April 22, 2020
Saddleback Parents and Kids Serving Alongside One Another

God is bringing the families within our church closer together during the COVID-19 crisis. We have heard from a number of parents and children who have taken time to serve together and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. One of the ways they are doing this is by delivering Care Kits.

One of our members messaged our staff to tell us how thankful she was for the opportunity to serve alongside her two boys. She said they were able to work as a team and assemble a number of Care Kits. The three of them then drove to a mobile home park and delivered the supplies to elderly residents who have not been able to leave their homes to go to the store.

The mother said it brought tears to her eyes to see her kids waving at all of the people they were delivering the kits to. After all the packages were dropped off, the boys helped pray for everyone they had served that day.
Another family shared that they started a “Be the Light Project” in their neighborhood. Their goal was to work together to encourage people in their community and recruit some of them to help with Saddleback’s efforts to care for those in need.

They made “Give Help & Get Help” flyers as a family and delivered them to all of the homes in their neighborhood. The flyers pointed people to the resources we are offering as a church and also had a list of some of the grocery items our PEACE Center was running low on at the time. They set up boxes on their driveway and gave their neighbors a one-week window to drop off food as part of the “Give Help” option. The family later brought all of the supplies to our Lake Forest campus.

Additionally, they started a project they are calling “Rock-n for Jesus.” They painted words like “Hope,” “Love,” and “Together” on the rocks and wrote Scripture verses on them as well. The family then placed the rocks all around the walking trails near their home as a source of hope and encouragement.

April 21, 2020
Care Callers Comfort the Vulnerable

When statewide stay-at-home orders were issued in California more than a month ago, Saddleback staff members and volunteers launched a number of ministries to meet the various needs of our communities. Since the beginning of this crisis, it was clear to our church that people would need human connection, especially those who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and can’t leave their homes in any capacity. Saddleback’s solution was a new ministry called Care Callers.

Our Care Callers have been working on a daily basis to contact people who are stuck inside their homes and struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. We are also meeting people’s spiritual needs through prayer and finding out what their physical needs are so other ministries can deliver food and supplies to them. These calls have been life changing and life giving to those who have been contacted.

One volunteer reached out to a 61-year-old man who had a stroke three months ago, which impacted his speech and use of his left arm. He previously worked as a caregiver in an elderly facility for 20 years prior to his stroke. The facility owner is allowing him to live there temporarily, but he is struggling to pay for meals because he is no longer working. While the two were on the phone, our volunteer filled out a Care Kit delivery form for the man and had it sent to the facility. During a follow-up conversation, the Care Caller said the man sounded much more hopeful about his future. He was so happy with the food and supplies we sent to him, and he was appreciative that we cared enough to reach out to him multiple times.

Another Care Caller contacted a woman who was facing some very serious emotional and relational struggles during this time. Her husband had just returned home from rehab before the pandemic hit. They both had been in counseling, but that is mostly on hold for them during this crisis. The woman told our team member that the isolation of being home together is setting off old triggers for them. She also said they are facing employment and financial issues. Our volunteer was able to pray with the woman and then connect her with a number of mental health and financial resources at Saddleback as well as ways to engage with Celebrate Recovery® and belong to a small group.

We heard from another woman who was making calls to a nurse at Mission Hospital treating COVID-19 patients. When the two were on the phone together, our volunteer noticed the exhaustion in the nurse’s voice. She was able to encourage the woman, and the two spent some time in prayer together. This was not a one-time contact. This Care Caller checks in with her new friend at least once a week to encourage her and her team of medical professionals and pray together.

April 17, 2020
Native American Ministry Living Life on Mission While Serving From Home

As a church we have had to rethink what it looks like to continue living life on mission while serving from home during this crisis. Saddleback’s Native American Ministry had seven PEACE trips planned this year, the most ever in their many years of ministry to Native nations. With all of the travel restrictions and COVID-19 precautions, those trips are being postponed. But that has not stopped ministry members from continuing to share God’s love during these uncertain times.

Over the past few weeks, roughly 20 volunteers from the ministry have been sewing masks while several others have donated funds to cover supplies and postage. The masks are being sent to our ministry partners in Arizona and New Mexico on the Apache, Hopi, and Navajo Reservations. Our team was also able to purchase N95 respirators as well as surgical masks and send them to a healthcare facility and hospital in those communities that needed supplies.

The need is great in these Native American communities, which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. People are sick, people are dying, we are stepping up to help, and they are noticing. Our partnership with these tribes dates back more than a decade, and our Native American Ministry members care deeply about them. Our current work to support the Apache, Hopi, and Navajo people is reinforcing the fact that we don’t just show up to serve a few times a year during short-term trips. We are their friends and are committed to support them long term.

God has also been opening doors for this ministry to share the gospel. One team member was in contact with a vendor who eventually sold them surgical masks to give to our Native American partners. He was quick to share he was not a Christian, but he was intrigued by our volunteer’s testimony.

Their ongoing spiritual discussion continued over a few different interactions. In the process, our volunteer eventually gave the man a copy of The Purpose Driven Life and invited him to watch our Easter service online. The team member plans to follow up with the mask vendor who was so inspired by what our church has been doing to assist our Native American friends.

April 16, 2020
Volunteer Drivers Go the Extra Mile to Help Those in Need

Saddleback staff members and volunteers are quite literally going the extra mile to ensure those who are in need and are at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 are cared for during this time. Our drivers have played an integral role in making sure our communities have enough food and supplies during this pandemic.

As a church we have mobilized a group of volunteers to serve as truck drivers to deliver massive amounts of food to our campus food banks as well as our new pop-up food pantries. That food has been distributed to tens of thousands of people throughout Southern California.

When the COVID-19 crisis first hit Orange County, many of our usual truck drivers had to take a temporary step away from their ministry because they are at a high risk of contracting the virus. But God provided, and we have since seen a number of new volunteers step up to fill this crucial role. People came to our Lake Forest campus to learn how to drive refrigerated trucks and safely operate pallet jacks to load and unload the vehicles. A few people even signed up to serve as co-pilots to assist the drivers. Saddleback’s efforts to feed the hungry and care for those in need would not be possible without these people.

Meanwhile our staff drivers have been working around the clock. Before our pipeline of new volunteers was established, our distribution center staff members were clocking in 12 to 15 hours a day of continuous manual labor. Their work not only led to people being fed physically, it also opened the door for our food bank volunteers to share the love of Jesus with those in need.

We have also seen several people from our church family and small groups sacrifice their time and resources to deliver Care Kits to people who live quite a ways away from our campuses. One volunteer shared about his experience dropping off supplies to individuals as far away as Riverside, Norco, and Eastvale. He said he loved being able to call people after their Care Kits were dropped off at their doorstep and tell them about Saddleback’s online services.

April 15, 2020
Saddleback Irvine North Caring for Local Healthcare Workers

From the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Saddleback has leaned on members, small groups, ministries, and various campuses to meet very specific needs in our various communities. While tending to the sick and vulnerable has been a top priority, we have also been working to assist healthcare workers.

Meeting the practical needs of those around us is a way to spread the love of Christ in a tangible way. Our members and volunteers at Saddleback Irvine North recently stepped up in a big way to help doctors and nurses in their city after acquiring several liters of hand sanitizer.

After prayerful consideration, Saddleback’s Care Team at Irvine North decided to donate their hand sanitizer to the Tustin Irvine Internal Medicine Group, which had been running critically short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The doctors, nurses, and staff members at the facility were beyond thrilled with the donation and sent an encouraging note to us in return.

It said:

“I want to thank you for your kindness in taking the time to deliver the much-needed hand sanitizer to our office. We have not been able to obtain necessary supplies from our medical supplier due to the severe shortage. Your contribution will help to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and protect our patients and our staff.”

As a church, we continue to look for ways to meet the needs of those who are on the frontlines of this pandemic and will continue to serve those who are serving others.

April 14, 2020
Saddleback Small Groups Thriving During Pandemic

Fellowship is crucial to the life of any church, and our members at Saddleback value authentic community. While many people struggled with fears of isolation at the start of the COVID-19 crisis, we have seen Saddleback members thrive and build deeper relationships with one another and with God because of our small groups.

Our church has more than 9,000 small groups and the number of people in those groups continues to grow even though they cannot meet together in person. Following our Easter services, we saw more than 1,200 people sign up to join a small group. We’ve already heard from a number of those new group members. One of them told our staff it was so encouraging to feel like they were part of a community in this time where human interaction is so limited, and they really enjoyed seeing new faces over Zoom and FaceTime.

Some of our existing small groups have found ways to serve together while maintaining social distancing standards and abiding by local Stay-at-Home orders. One group that recently met over Zoom has been studying the biblical principle of generosity. They started brainstorming and asking questions to each other like “What are some ways we can live more generously during this crisis?”

They decided to start posting in an online neighborhood forum offering up three rolls of toilet paper to elderly residents in their communities. The small group donated their own supplies and was able to serve those in need together.

One recipient of the group's gift is a senior who needs hip replacement surgery and cannot leave her home to get supplies. She was so grateful for the toilet paper and for the care she received from our members. The group plans to continue serving their neighbors during this pandemic and they are thinking of new ways to invite others to watch Saddleback services online.

April 10, 2020
Acts of Service Spread Far Beyond Saddleback

Over the past few weeks, we have seen God use our church family to spread hope and love throughout Southern California and the world. Saddleback has mobilized thousands of members and volunteers to serve those who are in need during this global pandemic and be a light in a very dark world. We have been blown away by the creative and bold ways people have been serving their communities and inspiring others to do the same.

Last weekend many of our Junior High Ministry (JHM) kids took part in a serve day by coming up with their own unique ways to care for those around them. One student named Jaia wanted to find a way to encourage her neighbors when they leave their homes to go for a walk. She found inspiration through a craft she used to do with her grandmother and decided to paint Bible verses on rocks that she placed around her community. She believes Jesus wants her to spread hope during this time and displaying the painted rocks is a simple way to do that.

Other students used chalk to cover their neighborhoods with encouraging messages, and some left notes around their home to make sure their parents and siblings know how appreciated they are during this crisis.

While some members like our JHM students have been serving from home, hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers have been in the field helping our church provide groceries to thousands of people at our drive-thru food pantries, deliver Care Kits to those in need, and make Care Calls to those who are at a high risk of contracting COVID-19.

Word is spreading about our efforts, and people are coming from all over the country to help out. When a young woman living in Texas named Kendall found out her community was being placed under stay at home orders, she bought a one-way ticket to California so she could serve alongside our church family. She knew she could be mobile since her church and job were moving online . Kendall is staying with extended family members who attend Saddleback and are volunteering with us in a number of different ways.

Saddlback’s drive-thru food pantries, which have fed more than 30,000 people, have become a model for churches and small groups throughout the country. We recently received a message from a youth group in Georgia that was inspired by our efforts to safely feed those in need. They were able to set up their own drive-thru food pantry and maintain social distancing standards while providing groceries for their most vulnerable community members.

We are seeing how God is using Saddleback to reach people and communities we never expected to during this time. It is clear that this is a movement and Saddleback is on the front lines.

April 6, 2020
Spreading Christ’s Love in Tangible Ways

As a church, Saddleback has been working around the clock to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those in our communities whose lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our volunteers are doing everything they can to spread the love of Jesus in tangible ways during this crisis.

When two of our members, a healthy couple in their mid-70s, got a voicemail from an elderly woman in the city of Orange who was in emotional distress and in need of supplies, they jumped into action. The two knew they were in a physically vulnerable category themselves, so they took necessary precautions to protect their health in order to meet her desperate needs.

The woman was suffering from ailments related to her mental health. She was scared, she was alone, and she didn’t have any toilet paper. Our members drove to the PEACE Center in Lake Forest and explained to the volunteers on site that they needed groceries and supplies for the woman. They stayed in their car the whole time, while our team loaded up the vehicle with food, toilet paper, and a copy of The Purpose Driven Life. The two proceeded to drive to Orange, place the supplies on the woman’s front porch, ring her doorbell, and returned to their car.

The woman’s response was priceless — she was deeply moved from this gesture of service. By the end of the day, she had read the entire book and left another voicemail telling our members that nobody in her life had ever helped her like that before. She explained that she wasn’t affiliated with Saddleback and was not a Christian.

She wanted to know more about why our church helped her in her time of need. Our volunteers were then given the opportunity to answer a profound question on her mind. She asked, “Is this what love is?” “Yes,” our volunteers replied, “this is how much God loves you.”

April 1, 2020
Saddleback Visual Arts Surfboards Spread Hope in Dana Point

When we use the gifts that God has given us to bring glory to him and spread his love, we are worshipping. A Saddleback Visual Arts (SVA) member — who has requested to remain anonymous — has been worshipping the Lord in a big way during this pandemic.

When “Stay at Home” orders were issued in California due to the COVID-19 crisis, this person decided to use the gift of painting to spread messages of hope and love throughout the community. Being a resident of the beach town Dana Point, making the surfboard a canvas was only natural.

Our member strategically placed several beautifully painted surfboards throughout the city. Each contained an uplifting message like “Spread Hope Not Fear,” “Keep Praying,” and “Faith Over Fear.” The art display has inspired many people in the city during this difficult time, and has even gained local media attention.

This person wants to encourage members of SVA and the church as a whole to find unique ways to worship God and spread hope to those who live in each of our communities throughout the course of this global pandemic.

March 27, 2020
Saddleback Kids Spread Care and Compassion

During this crisis, Saddleback has launched a number of ministries and mobilized hundreds upon hundreds of healthy volunteers, all for the purpose of meeting the needs of the sick and vulnerable. We have also been encouraged to see so many of our Saddleback families leverage this time to serve others in their own way. Our students and kids have been spreading the love of Jesus throughout their communities and making an impact on people’s lives that will last far longer than the COVID-19 crisis will last.

One family with three children wanted to bless a Saddleback Kids leader who has served our church for more than two decades. Over the years, that leader taught all three children. She is now self-quarantined and unable to leave her house because she is losing her eyesight. The family decided to go to the store and pick up a bag of groceries for the woman and set them on her porch. Then, they called the SK leader and asked her to look out her front window. She was absolutely ecstatic as the kids chatted with her from their car — the company was needed just as much as the groceries were.

Another Kids Small Groups family has been meeting the practical and personal needs of those in their community who are considered high risk during this pandemic. The parents and kids worked together to reach out to their elderly neighbors by dropping off paper products at their homes. Not only did each neighbor receive a roll of paper towels and a roll of toilet paper, they also got a personalized handmade card from the kids filled with love and encouragement.

We are even seeing some of the youngest members of our church take steps to meet the needs of others, like one of our kids from Saddleback Rancho Capistrano who created her own care packages for children who are in need and stuck at home. She made sure to include bubbles and candy in each kit, and she prayed for all the kids who would receive her gift.

March 25, 2020
Care Kit Opens Door to Sharing Christ

Since the COVID-19 crisis hit Southern California, Saddleback Church has been on the frontlines of tending to those who are most vulnerable or in need during these uncertain times. One of our core values is being a church that gives to those in our local communities — not just our members — without expecting anything in return. Saddleback Care Kits are being delivered to people around us who are most susceptible to contracting the coronavirus and are self-quarantined at home with minimal resources.

We got a call from an elderly Chinese couple who received a Care Kit containing toilet paper, rice, pasta, other nonperishable food items, and various supplies. They only speak Mandarin, and it’s believed a neighbor requested a kit on their behalf.

When the couple called our church, they asked for a Chinese interpreter. It just so happened that Saddleback staff member Candy Chou, who can speak Mandarin, was the person who had answered the couple’s call. Candy found out that the couple used Google to translate the info in the Care Kit and recognized something about Pastor Rick Warren’s church being the source of the supplies they received.

While the couple has never been to Saddleback and does not attend church in general, they wanted to share how thankful and “stunned” they were that we would care enough about them to send food and supplies to their home during this time of need. God opened the door for our church to not only minister to them but also to evangelize to them. Candy offered to pray for the couple’s health during this crisis. They were open to receiving prayer and very appreciative of the blessing.

March 24, 2020
Message for Help Sparks Message of Hope 

When the COVID-19 crisis prompted “Stay at Home” orders in Orange County and ultimately throughout the state, we knew God was calling Saddleback Church to step up and care for those who would be most impacted by the orders. Our new Care Kit ministry — consisting of volunteers delivering essential supplies and other items to people who are self-quarantined — was launched in a matter of days, and it is changing lives.

Just a few days ago, members of our Care Kit team received an email with the subject line: “I need help.” Their hearts broke as they read the pleas of a woman with stage-4 kidney failure who is now suffering from a fever and upper respiratory infection. Medical professionals told her to self-quarantine for two weeks and monitor her symptoms at home. She ended her email by telling us she was in need of food and essential supplies.

Members of the Care Kit ministry were on the phone with her right away and found out what her specific needs were and delivered a Care Kit to her shortly thereafter. Not only was the woman physically fed, she was connected to a staff member that was able to meet her spiritual needs through prayer and pastoral care.

She wrote a message the following day, saying, “Please let everyone know how grateful I am for my care package. I'm so excited for my enclosed books. I can't wait to read The Purpose Driven Life ... Once I'm healthy and we are back in church, I look forward to meeting everyone. Many blessings!”

March 24, 2020
Saddleback San Diego Members Mobilize to Minister to Neighbors

During this unprecedented crisis, we’ve heard from a number of our members who have found various ways to spread hope and love rather than fear and division. One small group from Saddleback San Diego has been working to make sure their elderly and vulnerable neighbors know they are not alone.

Members of the group started dropping off cards in their respective neighborhoods, offering to pick up groceries or medicine for those over 70 years old. It quickly became an evangelism tool as many people called to let our members know how much they appreciated the offer.

One woman said the card brought tears to her eyes because she didn’t know anyone in the neighborhood — it sparked a great conversation. There was another person who called just to say she was so moved by what our members were doing. Many people called and gave their name, phone number, and address. The small group plans to keep in touch with these people on a weekly basis. They are holding onto the biblical truth that the world will know they are Christians by their love.