Local Community Service Ministries

Making Music Guitar Lessons

Be part of a new and growing ministry opportunity at the PEACE Center, by helping kids in our community learn to play the guitar. Studies have shown time and time again how musical abilities help increase scholastic aptitude. In addition, it provides kids with a talent they can be proud of. No prior teaching experience required, just the ability to read music, play the guitar and love kids!!! Our classes meet weekly, Mondays at 4:00pm. All volunteers must be Saddleback Church members, (accepted Christ, completed CLASS 101, been baptized by immersion and signed the membership Covenant). All volunteers must be willing to be fingerprinted and a background check.

Jail Ministry

If you feel led to encourage individuals who are in a tough situation by sharing Jesus with them, you can join us as we visit local jails and provide a church service for those individuals who are incarcerated. This is a great small group opportunity. Requirements: Application; 18 and older; background check and interview.

CPR/First Aid

We host workshops on the 2nd Saturday of each month for individuals interested in an emergency volunteer crew that can spring into action when a health emergency occurs. We also need volunteer teachers! Teachers must be a Saddleback Church member and have current instructor certification with the American Heart Association, a thorough knowledge of the instructional material, good communicating/teaching ability and demonstrate good technique in performing life-saving skills.

Acts of Appreciation Military Outreach

We are a military outreach ministry that looks for ways to extend God's love to our military and their families whether they are as close as Camp Pendleton or as far away as Afghanistan. We feel responsible to honor those who serve in the armed forces defending our freedoms. We respond with acts of appreciation that include newborn baby baskets, goody bags to troops deployed around the globe, hosting deployment and welcome home events at Camp Pendleton, sponsoring retreats, and much, much more.

Grocery Distributions

How to Serve in our grocery distribution One hour served feeds a family for a week! If you would like to serve, click the “Volunteer” button or send an email to foodpantry@saddleback.com We welcome those age 8 and older. Ages 8 to 12 must come with a parent. This is a great small group or “first step” serving opportunity, please email carlos@saddleback.com to schedule an appointment. How to Donate: If you would like to donate non-perishable food, you may do so by putting it in the donation bins on your campus. Or you may bring it to the bins available in front of the PEACE Center on the Lake Forest campus 24/7. How to Receive Food Visit our website at www.saddleback.com/getfood

Knitting and Crocheting for Christ

Do you love to knit and crochet? If you have the heart to make handmade scarfs, blankets, and hats this ministry is for you. The Knitting and Crocheting for Christ ministry creates items to be distributed to our members and community, we make items for support groups to pass out, as well as for teams to take on Mission Trips. We meet off site monthly and you can certainly work on items right from the comforts of home. Our items are a blessing to those who can use them, and the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

Resource Coaches

Resource Coaches assist in connecting individuals to services and resources at Saddleback Church and throughout the community.

The Initiative for Vulnerable Children

The Initiative for Vulnerable Children at Saddleback Church exists to find a family for every child and equip the church to care for them. Come, join us and help find families for children who need them and share tools and trainings, to equip churches to care for adoptive, foster, kinship and safe families. Together, empowered by God, we can solve the orphan crisis making sure every child has a loving family supported by a local church. “A father to the fatherless, …God sets the lonely in families” Psalm 68:5-6

Tutoring

The Tutoring Ministry aims to help Jr. High and High School students with their mathematics and science school subjects; for example, Algebra 1 or 2, Geometry, Calculus, biology, etc. Tutoring is offered after school during the week, usually between 3:30 - 5:00 PM (tutoring appointments usually run in 30-45 minute increments). Volunteers must be Saddleback Church members (completion of CLASS 101, Baptism, and signing the Membership Covenant).

Distribution Center Drivers

This is an opportunity to serve your community by driving food to Saddleback’s regional and mobile food pantries utilizing Saddleback Box Trucks. We also pick up (“rescue”) food donations from local stores, approximately 50 times per month and each rescue needs a driver. Whether you’re stopping in at Starbucks for some bagels, picking up produce from Sprouts, or loading up our refrigerated truck with frozen food from Walmart, every food item blesses the people of Orange County who are in need. When you drive food to a campus to Bless people with food, we are also able to Bless them with the Good News of Jesus Christ! We'd love for you to part of what God is doing though our Food Bank! Honk if you LOVE Jesus!