Monthly Archives: July 2015

Irvine

A Note from Kyle Zimmerman

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MessageFrom-IR

Like many of you have or will do this summer, I spent the past couple weeks on vacation – connecting with my family, chasing adventure, laughing, and remembering that creating fun and memories is hard work (and totally worth it). I’ve got stories to share about the crazy adventures we’ve taken and all that God has been teaching me in the midst, but for now, as I’ve been thinking about and praying for you, this is a passage that came to mind…

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:3-6

God has been at work in and through our church for over 50 years – Jubilee! He has brought freedom, forgiveness, redemption, healing, hope, and life to thousands in OC and around the world and the best news is – He’s not done. In fact, I believe He’s just getting started. I believe the future story of our church is even brighter than the past. I believe God wants to put His love and power on display in ways we can’t even imagine yet, and the great part is that He is choosing you! That’s right – He sees you, knows you, loves you, and has chosen you to help write this amazing story with Him in this next season. I can’t wait to discover all that God has for us together!

Holiday and I will be at Date Night tomorrow night – I’d love to see you guys there. And this weekend, I love that we get to welcome back Doug Fields. He always shares inspiring truth from God’s Word in such a relevant way – this is a great weekend to invite friends and family you’ve been hanging with this summer to join you.

Peace…

Kyle

Mission Viejo

A Note From Jeff Maguire

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MessageFrom-MV2

I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -MATTHEW 28:20

I remember a college professor asking our class about the singular, unifying trait that all great stories share. After we ventured guesses, offering a lot of answers that frustrated him, he gave us his answer: “the plight of the individual.”

Note that word:
plight.
It’s about struggle and danger and misfortune. A story really isn’t a story without something that has to be overcome. The greater the task in overcoming, the more compelling the story is. So, crossing a small pond in a rowboat is a far less interesting tale than surviving in the open ocean after a being tossed overboard by massive waves.

This is why, when we tell our “small pond stories” we have to create greater drama than the truth. We have a need to make the stories that occupy our lives seem a bit more adventurous and daring, because we want to be adventurous and daring people. And at the same time, there are so many moments in our lives, where the degree of danger we’ve faced in our past or are presently facing is not merely an exaggeration for a story’s sake. We don’t make it up to impress anyone. The pain is real. The obstacles are real. The suffering has gone on too long. For a lot of us, we’d trade our capsized-in-the-stormy-seas-story for a boring afternoon in rented kayak on a man-made lake any day.

Beneath all of the suffering and the trial, is a longing. We want to know that whatever the journey may be — through all the darkness and fear — that it has some kind of redemptive value. The only inexcusable outcome of our story isn’t that the struggle lingers beyond its due, it’s that the struggle might wind up meaning nothing at all. This is where Jesus steps in powerfully. This is also where the church (the people who follow Him) joins Him in His work. We are met by Jesus in the midst of the struggle (though we often fail to recognize His presence among us) and we come face to face with the reality that God never wastes a hurt, a pain, or a trial. In some way often unknown to us and unseen until many years later, God uses the things that threaten to undo us, to reveal something beautiful and joyful that could not have been there otherwise.

This week, as we continue in our series: OH, THE PLACES WE’LL GO!, we’ll look at the places where we get stuck, some of the things that keep us there, and some of the ways God releases us from them. If you know people who are stuck, or you’re stuck yourself, this will be a great Sunday to invite them to join you.

See you Sunday,
Jeff

Huntington Beach

A Note From Graeme Cowgill

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MessageFrom-HB-graeme2

As the Student Ministries Pastor, each week I talk to students and it seems that the majority of the time is spent refuting lies they’ve been told about themselves. I urge them to spend time in God’s Word EVERY DAY…not out of obligation, but out of necessity. We have to fight to listen to truth. If you aren’t listening to the truth, what you listen to becomes the other things that you hear. You know as well as I do, what we hear says, “You have to be more or do more.”

The biblical definition of hope is “the joyful anticipation of good.” Our joy comes from knowing that God alone is good and our role is simply to reflect God’s brilliant goodness. The past year’s growth in our church, this coming year’s move and every moment in between is not because of our inherent goodness or efforts, it’s a move that God is doing that we simply have the opportunity to call attention to.

Please be praying for the youth while we are away at camps this month. We trust that these kids will see God in a way they never have before.

And join us this Sunday as we continue in our series, Oh! The Places We’ll Go. Last week we talked about Gideon and how God can use every one of us to do incredible things (if you missed it, listen to it here). This week, we are looking at “the places we’ll go” from a completely different perspective – you don’t want to miss it!

See you Sunday,
God bless!
Graeme

P.S. We are having an Ice Cream Social after 6p this week. I’ll be there, hope you will too!

Ocean Hills

A Note From Jeff Pries

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MessageFrom-OH

We had so much fun on Sunday for “Framily” Night. It was such a great night listening to music, eating good food, playing games, and being in community with one another. So thank you to all who came and made it such a fun experience and to those of you who missed it, we will definitely do it again next summer so you can join in! We have our final summer “Framily” gathering on Sunday, August 9, and it’s a pancake breakfast! It will be a fun-filled afternoon, spending time in community with one another. So be sure to grab a friend and come hungry for some homemade pancakes after services.

I’m really enjoying this series, “Oh! The Places We’ll Go,” and hope you are too. This week we’ll be looking at how we can oftentimes trip ourselves up and find ourselves struggling and alone, and how God has called us – giving us exactly what we need. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Blessings,
Jeff

Irvine, Outreach

Marine Family Day BBQ

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MilitaryFamilyDay

Mariners Church is again privileged to host the annual 3/5 Battalion Marine Family Day BBQ for the Camp Pendleton Marines and their families. Volunteers are needed to help with the following activities: football, tug-o-war, mechanical bull, rock wall, bounce houses, crafts, photo station, and much more. Register and learn more. Questions? Contact Nicole at ntait@marinerschurch.org

Saturday, August 15, 12-3p, Irvine Campus Upper Lawn

Mariners Church

9 Reasons You Should Come to Saturday Night Service (you won’t believe #7!)

buzzfeedSatnight

You’ve heard the buzz about Summer Saturday Nights. Find out what you’re missing!

 

1. Still working on that cup of coffee? Bring that brew right on in with you.

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2. You’ll get the best parking of any other service.

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3. Avoid the crowd.

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4. It’s a more casual environment, so go ahead, wear your onesie.

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5. Experience the first service run through in all its glory.

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6. With all of the family fun on the lawn, your kiddos are sure to sharpen their athletic skills.

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7. This Saturday’s Beach Blanket Bingo will have uh-mazing prizes like tickets to Disneyland, Angels Baseball, LA Galaxy Soccer, movie, bowling, and more!

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8. Been having trouble landing a seat? Don’t worry, there’s room for you at Saturday night.

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9. Most importantly, Sunday 11am is FULL! Help free up a seat for someone new on Sunday morning.

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