Hang out and play games with other junior high students of Mariners Church Huntington Beach at JHM First Friday! Search “First Friday” or click here. For more info, contact Graeme, gcowgill@marinerschurch.org
JHM FIRST FRIDAY
Fri, April 1, 6:30p-9p, church offices
(2124 Main Street, Suite 260)
IMPACT is a fundamental leader training that firmly enables God’s people to excel and to soar in leading and serving. Search “Impact” or click here for registration info.
IMPACT
Tuesdays, Apr 5-May 24, 6:15-8:30p, $40, Life Dev Bld, room 208
Register online by April 3; Onsite registration available, must arrive by 5:45p on Apr 5.
Caregiving doesn’t come with instructions. Come learn tips, find community and support. Search “caregivers” on our website or click here for info.
DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP
Thu, Apr 7 (1st Thu of the month), 6:30-9p, 3rd Floor Lobby
Get involved at Mariners Ocean Hills by volunteering and help make our church a welcoming and wonderful experience for everyone. There are lots of places for you to get involved.
| Children | Song Words Tech |
| Junior High | Safety |
| High School | Coffee |
| Greeters & Ushers | Bookstore |
If you’re interested, contact Jaclyn, jrisser@marinerschurch.org
Mariners Church is committed to helping couples build strong and lasting, Christ-centered marriages. One of the key areas where many couples struggle is empathetic communication. That’s why we’re offering three unique opportunities in 2016 for couples to attend “Created for Connection.” Leading this session will be licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Patti Shambrook and Lindsay Golden. For more info, search “connection” on our website or click here for registration and times.
CREATED FOR CONNECTION
Fri, Apr 22 – Sun, Apr 24
Life Dev Bld, r206
$350/couple
Join us for coffee and muffins and a time to connect with other women from Mariners Huntington Beach. Whether you are new or not, enjoy new friendships, an inspiring message and encouragement to face the day. Click here for registration or search “coffee” on our website.
COFFEE CONNECT
Sat. Apr 2, 9 -11a, location TBA
(1st Saturday of the month)
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:5 (NIV)
This is the truth we walk in and celebrate uniquely this week…Holy Week is here! Prayer and planning are complete, and now campus preparations are well underway as we gather with thousands from our community this week for Good Friday and Easter Celebration services and our annual Egg Scrambles. Happy Easter!
We begin with our Good Friday services where we’ll remember, reflect and respond to the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. Good Friday invites us to truly reflect on the weight of sin, and more importantly, the opportunity to embrace the freedom and forgiveness that’s found because of the death of Jesus. Good Friday amplifies the extravagant hope and joy we experience in the resurrection, so make plans to invite a friend and join us this Friday at one of our five Good Friday services.
Then, we turn the page, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus – the power of God to bring dead things back to life! This is the hope we all need in our lives…hope the world is desperate to experience. We have services available for every person in your life at every life stage. Join us on Saturday night for our Egg Scrambles and our Saturday night experiences. These are great services for friends and family with kids to experience the beauty of relationship and the gospel on display. And, joining us on Saturday frees up space for our community on Sunday!
For those early risers, join me at our at 8:15a Easter service. This will be a beautiful time as we start the day aiming our hearts at the truth of Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus (and, we create space for more from our community at our later service times). Or, if your friends are only available to join you at 9:45 or 11:30a, that’s perfect too! We’ve spaced out the service times to allow for a bit more breathing room between experiences (and in the parking lot). I can’t wait to see you and meet your friends and family who are joining you this weekend as we walk through Holy Week together.
Peace,
Kyle
She reached into her backpack, past the dogeared pages of homework and yet-to-be-completed crayon masterpieces. When she found the creased postcard sized paper adorned in bright colors, she held it aloft parading it around with glee as only a 9 year old could do. Outlined on the paper were the details of a birthday party to be held in a few weeks. Foremost among the details: rollerskating.
Her excitement was unmistakable. Her smile, unrelenting. We inquired about our daughter’s plans to attend. She looked at us as if any notion of not going to the party was as absurd as asking her to hold her breath for a week. It was, after all, her friend who invited her. It was something she wanted to do. So, plans to attend were unstoppably set in motion.
I failed to realize that part of these plans not only included a gift to be purchased, transportation logistics to and from the event, but also what particular outfit ought to be worn. Evidently, this last piece of party attendance is among the most time consuming and labor intensive. How we look while skating in the all-skate direction (counter clockwise for the uninitiated) and lip syncing top 40 hits is as critical to the party as cake and ice cream.
So she went. She had the time of her life with her best friends. She looked the part. And, in review, it occurred to me that the appeal of the event was as much about the anticipation stemming from the invitation as anything else. The mere fact of being invited created something within my daughter — something good and undeniable. The invitation alone gave her a sense of being connected to someone and to their most important day. Those invited were a part of an in-group made special by merely receiving an invitation. Even those who couldn’t attend could still count themselves as part of that inner circle of valued friends because they too, received a brightly colored roller skate card from a classmate.
If ever there was a time to invite anyone to anything, it’s this week. While we won’t feature rollerskating as part of our celebration of Easter (Sat. 5pm, Sun. 9am and 11am), and top 40 hits will be noticeably absent from the solemn commemoration of Good Friday service (Fri. 7pm), the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection are wrapped in a mystery and a power that are worthy of an invitation. People are often longing for something they can’t name directly. People want what they see in Jesus, but are unclear in how to access it. This week, consider who you’ll invite to Easter services, remembering that the invitation alone communicates a deep level of care and inclusiveness.
Happy Easter,
Jeff
If ever there was a week to celebrate, this is the week! If ever you question whether God loves you, this is the week to remind you that He does! Good Friday service is a powerful reminder to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It’s also a great experiential opportunity to go to the cross in response to His sacrifice for us. And Easter is going to be an amazing celebration! It is the defining moment of our faith, where Jesus proved that He is God and overcame death. Don’t forget, it is the perfect opportunity to invite family and friends. You won’t want to miss this Sunday.
Just a reminder, Good Friday service is tomorrow at 5:30p and Easter is at our regular service times. I look forward to celebrating with you. He has risen!!
Blessings,
Jeff
Celebrate how Jesus conquered death and made it possible for us to have a future and a new life. For more info, click here or search “Easter” on our website.
Sat: Mar 26, 3:30 & 5:30p (worship center)
Sun: Mar 27, 8:15, 9:45 & 11:30a (worship center)
Sun: Mar 27, 7p (community center)