See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 
Isaiah 43:19

Welcome to 2017!

It’s a new year. It’s a new day.

God has new things in store for you. I believe He has new things in store for you every day, but in January it seems we pay a little bit better attention.

So PAY ATTENTION! (I’m type-shouting that with a smile.)

2017 will be a year of GREAT changes for our church.

– We will move into our new ministry space at Beach/Warner.
– Our staff will move into offices at Beach/Warner.
– Our staff will grow—you’ll see several new faces over the course of the year.
– New leaders will emerge.
– New projects will take shape.
– Awareness of our work in this community will increase.

And, most importantly, new people will encounter the love and good news of Jesus, while the rest of us take new steps in our own faith journeys.

Fasten your seat belt. Things are going to get even more exciting.

For starters, we’re kicking off a new series this Sunday: SOCIAL RESET. All of life (even all of Scripture) involves relationships—relationship with God or others. So for the months of January and February we’re talking about relationships. We’ll cover things like…

– sex (message rated PG-13)
– identity
– technology
– marriage/dating
– parenting
– friendships

We’ll have special guest appearances, activities on the patio, and challenges for life groups. We’re kicking off 2017 in a big way and we want YOU with us. See you Sunday at 8:30, 10, 11:30a or 6p.

caleb

PS: Catch up on and share last year’s messages here.
PPS: Give to Mariners HB here.

I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and are settling into a hopeful and intentional New Year!

REMEMBER: No services January 1st! We don’t have access to the Library Theater because of the holiday. So… we will kick off our new series, SOCIAL RESET on January 8th.

Kick off 2017 by rethinking your relationships. All of life (and the entire Bible) is ultimately about relationships. But in our culture of speed, social media, and artificial connections, what God says about how relationships flourish or fail might surprise you. Don’t miss this provocative teaching series.

SOCIAL RESET
Sunday, January 8 (through February)
8:30, 10, 11:30a & 6p

Bring someone with you! Come early, connect with humans.

caleb

P.S.: Give your year-end gifts here.
P.P.S: Listen to and share recent messages here.

The Mariners One Year Study Bible features a daily passage from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, along with insightful study notes. This limited edition Bible is available for purchase at the Welcome Center.

MARINERS ONE YEAR STUDY BIBLE
$20 (includes tax)
Reading begins Jan 1, 2017
Limited quantity

Ok, this week is a really big deal.

We, as a church—as followers of Jesus—are Christmas experts. Sure, most people like to celebrate. Of course, lots of people gather and give gifts. But what we do is different.

On December 23rd and 24th, our church—and our extended family and friends—will come together over six (6) services to remember, honor, celebrate, and make a big deal about the fact that God came to earth…and he came for us. Not just pastors and priests. Not just really nice people or the religiously impressive… ALL PEOPLE.

So bring your “all people” to hear the Good News. Don’t expect them to come to us. Follow Jesus’ example and go to them. They need your invitation. They want to know you care enough to invite them. Even if you’re out of town, encourage someone else to join us. Forward this email or share our video on Facebook. Your invitation—and your presence—matters.

Christmas Eve service times:

Dec 23: 4, 6p
Dec 24: 12, 2, 4, 6p

All services are the same. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Ericka, egoodrich@marinerschurch.org.

May God bless you and the people you love this Christmas Season. See you soon…

caleb

P.S.: Give your year-end gifts here.
P.P.S: Listen to and share recent messages here.

Christmas is more than just a holiday—it acknowledges a God who is present here and now. Jesus is the hope of the world. Christmas is the promise of God with us.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Fri, Dec 23: 4 & 6p
Sat, Dec 24: 12, 2, 4, 6p

Regular services resume Sun, Jan 8 (no services Dec 25 or Jan 1).

Volunteer for our Christmas Eve services! Help with hospitality, preparations, volunteer in Children’s Ministry and more. For more details, contact Ericka, egoodrich@marinerschurch.org

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

Everybody likes the idea of peace, but we’re not really sure how to talk about it or what it means.

“Peace on earth” says the pageant contestant. “Peace in the middle east” says the protestor. “Peace through power” says the politician.

Peace and Christmas go together. The angels spoke of peace when Jesus was born. He was called the Prince of Peace. He talked about peace when he walked the earth. And this Sunday, we’re going to explore peace that’s possible, and how to find it. Join us on Sunday at 8:30, 10, 11:30a, or 6p.

Join us again for any of our Christmas Eve services:
Dec 23: 4, 6p
Dec 24: 12, 2, 4, 6p

Bring people with you. This Sunday and the 23rd/24th will be important and special hours in your week.

Peace be with you…

caleb

P.S.: Listen to recent messages here.
P.P.S.: Give to Mariners HB here.

Join us as we celebrate the holiday season with Oak View families at our annual Oak View Christmas Tree Lighting event! We’ll have festive food for sale, a hot chocolate bar, live music, kids crafts, and more! This will be a safe and fun night to build relationships in the community. More info here and register.

OAK VIEW CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
Thu, Dec 15, 5-7p
17241 Oak Lane, HB 92647

During the Christmas season, we celebrate that God saw us when we were far off and sent us the greatest gift; His Son Jesus. This gift compels us to love and care for the poor and marginalized among us. As a church we are committed to caring for the thousands of people in our community experiencing poverty and crisis this season.

OAK VIEW CHRISTMAS PARTY & HOLIDAY STORE
Sat, Dec 17, 9a-3p (volunteer shifts vary)
Oak View Family Resource Center
17261 Oak Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Last Sunday, we kicked off our God With Us series to lead us through the Christmas season. We talked about HOPE—the hope that comes from knowing Jesus—and putting our hope in Him this Christmas, rather than the tangible things of the world. I am so grateful that even in the midst of the pain, loss, chaos, and so much more many of us might be experiencing this holiday season, we have a God who loves us so much that He sent us the greatest gift, his Son Jesus. I am grateful that we can put our hope in Him and in His love. And I am grateful that it doesn’t stop there! We get to be a part of bringing this hope to our community and to the world!

We are in the midst of Celebrate Differently, where we as a church are committed to caring for those in need around us and putting the love of Jesus on display in our community. It has been amazing to see your generosity in response to the opportunities we have put in front of you. We will be giving over 700 gifts to children and parents in need this Christmas! We have already collected hundreds of food items to stock the food pantry at Westmont Elementary! And just this past Saturday we had over 40 volunteers at Westmont to prepare the food pantry and paint the library! The principal was in tears at the end of the day, full of gratitude, because we as a church are committed to meeting the needs of those families. It is a beautiful thing to see YOU being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. And Celebrate Differently isn’t even over yet!! I want to remind you of a few upcoming opportunities to Celebrate Differently with us.

• The Food Drive for Westmont Elementary ends this Sun (Dec 11), so make sure you bring your food donations if you haven’t already.
• Annual Tree Lighting in Oak View is next Thu, Dec 15, from 5-7p! This will be an awesome community event as Mariners HB and Oak View families come together to celebrate Christmas. You won’t want to miss it!
• Oak View Christmas Party & Holiday Store will take place next Sat, Dec 17 where parents will get to come and “shop” for their kids, while kids are being entertained with cookie decorating, crafts and more!

Email me mbannister@marinerschurch.org to sign up to volunteer at any of these Celebrate Differently events! As we continue the Christmas season, what a privilege we have to bring HOPE to the people we serve and come in contact with. May we be “holders of hope” for those that might feel hopeless this season. Join us at one of these events and bring HOPE to a family in Oak View.

Imagine singing Christmas carols in English and Spanish as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors in Oak View…

Imagine looking into the eyes of a parent as you help them select the perfect Christmas gift for their child…

Imagine wrapping that perfect gift for an Oak View parent to take home to their child for Christmas…

Imagine the huge smile on the kids’ faces as their parents walk out of the Holiday Store with a bag of gifts selected just for them…

Imagine YOU being the answer to someone’s prayers for God to provide for their family this Christmas…

Imagine our community in Huntington Beach feeling loved and knowing the HOPE of Jesus because YOU were willing to show up…

Now let’s go be “holders of hope” together!

Monica