It is safe to say that fall is here. How do we know that? Well, football is back, the temperature has cooled, the kids are going back to school. It’s also the perfect time for me to remind you how important it is to be in community at Mariners Ocean Hills. And, one of the best ways to find community is through Rooted.

When you jump into Rooted for ten weeks, you will experience new relationships with people at the church, and a deeper relationship with God. You will begin to experience some of the key values of our Church: community, serving, openness and authenticity. Rooted is a foundational part of the life of our church, so if you haven’t done Rooted, now’s the time.

I’m excited to be back this weekend. Growing up it seemed like every time my grandmother made us dinner, or cookies, or cakes, she always raved about some special ingredient that went into it. The problem was she would never tell us what it was, so we would try to guess, but to be honest, I never had any idea so I would say “vanilla.” She would say “no,” but would never tell me what it was. This weekend, we are going to learn about the secret ingredient to having an intimate relationship with God. And the exciting part is, I am not going to keep it to myself! I am going to let you know exactly what it is. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Blessings,
Jeff

Come bless a small group of 10 teen moms with dinner while they meet as part of Fristers at Ocean Hills. If you are interested in helping out on one or more of these dates, please contact Ali at ali@fristers.org for more information or search “Fristers” on our website.

FRISTERS DINNER
Mon, Sep 12, 19, 26 & Oct 3
Arrive with dinners at 6p

This weekend, Student Ministries takes over main service!

We’re going to share stories of ways God has moved in the lives of high school and junior high students throughout this summer and at camp! If you have a student, or have a friend whose kids are students–this is the week to bring them to services! We’re all together for music, games, celebrating life change and baptisms, and most importantly, hearing the truth of God’s Word.

See you there!
Rob

Last week was really fun as we welcomed Liz Graham, our new preschool director, up front during the service to share. Liz is a wonderful person with a great heart for kids and I’m excited to see how God uses our new preschool to minister to families in our community.

As we approach fall, we will be talking more and more about Rooted. Rooted is a ten-week small group experience that helps you grow in community, draw closer to God, and at the same time it drives the values of the church into your heart. We believe that life change happens more in circles than in rows, so please be thinking about jumping into community this fall.

It’s always great doing life with you.

Blessings,
Jeff

Thriving faith leads to a life of meaning and purpose. Jesus’ brother, James, boldly challenges us to put our faith into action—becoming people of prayer, harnessing our words and pursuing wisdom. Join us as we learn to put the practical into practice and become the people God calls us to be.

Sunday: 9 & 11a
Worship Center

What a great time we had last weekend coming together for one service. It’s always a big hit when we do Sunday Together. I know it is a bit of an inconvenience, because some of you are uprooted from your Sunday morning seats, but you guys did great and our day was fun with lots of energy.

This Sunday, I’m excited to introduce you to our new Preschool Director, Liz Graham. Our preschool is a wonderful outreach to the community and holds our value for blessing families and pointing kids to Christ. Liz will share her vision for the preschool, and she looks forward to getting to know all of you! One of the best ways we have to let people know about our preschool is you, so please be talking to your friends, family and neighbors.

We’re continuing in our series on James this weekend. We’ll be talking about a topic we like to keep to ourselves, but we realize the only way we can deal with it is if we actually… “deal with it.” I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday.

Have a great rest of your week.

Blessings,
Jeff

Help Fristers provide the learning materials needed for kids to learn and grow, as they prepare for kindergarten and life! For a list of supplies requested, click here. We would like to collect approximately 10 sets of supplies to support the children. Contact Julia with questions, jhelgeson@marinerschurch.org.

FRISTERS SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
Through Sun, Aug 28
Bring your donations to the foyer by Aug 28

This weekend is going to be a Sunday you don’t want to miss. It is our Sunday Together, where we come together for one service at 10:00 AM, a great way to all be together. Community is such a big part of our church, and I love the community our Sunday Together gatherings bring. Plan on hanging around after the service. We will have a band, fun things for the kids and a barbecue. It should be a beautiful day together!

Great news about our preschool, we hired our new director Liz Graham. I look forward to introducing her to the congregation in the next couple weeks. I can’t believe it, our preschool opens in September. It is going to be a great part of our church and a blessing to the community. Don’t forget to spread the word and let people know. If anyone has questions, they can call 949-769-8500.

A quick reminder, if you are looking for a fun, but low maintenance camp out, this Friday is the perfect opportunity. Make sure you come hungry, I will be firing up the barbecue for us all.

I love our church, and as you can see, there’s a lot going on. It’s a great place to be and also find connection. I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

Blessings,
Jeff

Upcoming…

SUMMER CAMP OUT
Fri, Aug 5, 6p–Sat, Aug 6, 10a
Come get the camping experience here on our very own campus! Bring your tents, sleeping bags, and your hungry stomachs for a night of food, games, s’mores, a movie, and the beautiful outdoors! It was a blast last year so don’t miss out! More info here.

SUMMER SUNDAY TOGETHER
(New date!) Sun, Aug 7, 10a–1p, Worship Center and patio
Join us as we gather for one service to celebrate and spend time in community! For one Sunday only, we’ll meet at 10a and then head out to the patio after the service for a BBQ! More info here.

Summer weather is in full force around here and even in this heat wave, it’s been great to enjoy this time with my family. I don’t often get to slow down to their “summer” pace, but I love it when I do. I hope you are enjoying time with your family as well.

We had a great service last weekend with Deanna Ramsay leading worship and Jared Kirkwood teaching for us. It was also fun to see all of you helping pack up care packages for Nykiea and his battalion. You guys were so generous. We packed enough so we can send a package once a week until they come home. I love that we are able to care for these men and women, while they put their lives on hold to protect our country. It’s a blessing to do ministry with you all!

Just a reminder that our Summer Camp Out is coming up next Friday (Aug 5th). It’s a lot of fun, so we would love to have you join us. I’m excited for the fire starting competition! You know me- any competition, I’m in! So start working on your fire starting technique and you can RSVP for the Camp Out here. And then that following Sunday (Aug 7th) is our Sunday Together, which means we will be meeting all together at 10a, rather than our 9 & 11a service. It will be great to worship as one community, and as always, eat a delicious BBQ meal after the service.

Looking forward to Sunday with you. See you soon.

Jeff