Category Archives: Mission Viejo

A Note From Jeff Maguire

MessageFrom-MV2

A friend of mine, a business owner in the area, asked me recently about my thoughts on his enterprise. I don’t get asked for my thoughts on businesses all that often. This is, of course, an area for which I have very limited expertise (seeing as how I’ve worked in the church for most of my adult life). His concern was over the potential threats to a great culture of community and relationships he’d built with his clients (of which I’m one) in his future plans for expansion. He asked me about how I deal with it in the “church world”: “Aren’t you worried you might lose something in the church — that intangible connectedness — as it keeps adding people?”

I said,  “I never really thought about our church like that. We work really hard to create a community of people who are warm and welcoming. We want people who call Mariners their home to constantly include people who are longing for a kind of transformation in their lives that they cannot give themselves. We want people who come to visit us to feel, whether or not they agree with us, that they were treated with respect and dignity and that we did our best to communicate Jesus in way that was both unpretentious and as free from ‘Christian-ese’ as possible. I want people to know that while we’re serious about following Jesus, we don’t take ourselves all that seriously. No matter what size we become, we’ll always work toward that end.”

I continued, “It sounds like you believe that what makes your business good, is that it is appropriately-sized. But, what makes your business good, is that it is good. You serve your people well. Your staff is amazing. The other people who make up the client-community here make me feel like I belong. I think it’s because of your DNA — that stuff that makes your company uniquely great — that people choose you guys over others… That’s what you’ll want to preserve with the greatest intensity as you grow. Who are the people who bear your DNA best? How do you celebrate and empower them? Because, no matter how big or small you become, people will continue to come back because of the culture you’ve crafted.”

In the interest of celebrating and empowering, I want to let you know how grateful I am to you who call Mariners Mission Viejo your home. You embody the best of the church. While we’re far from perfect, the people who come for the first time can’t help telling me, as I stand at the door, that they felt like Mariners’ people “went out of their way to make [them] feel welcome.” Over the past few weeks, as people had come to visit us from out of town, they said the same thing: “I wish my church back home felt like this. I love my church, but the people here are great — this is the most welcoming church I’ve ever been to.”

That’s what people remember — how they felt. Occasionally, people remember what they learn. But, that thing they can’t explain that feels somehow right and good, that’s what they remember. That’s the thing people who are new to Mariners say to me about their experience here. If Mariners MV is your home, you make it a great place for people to find their way to Jesus.

See you soon,

Jeff

Rooted Spring 2016

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Beyond a program, seminar or small group, Rooted is a catalyst for life-change. Rooted provokes questions and conversations and offers beyond-what-is-comfortable group experiences designed to give you a glimpse of your story in God’s story. Search “Rooted” on our website or click here for registration info.

ROOTED SPRING 2016
April 10 – June 15
SUNDAY ROOTED
begins on Sunday, April 10 at 9 or 11a
WEDNESDAY PM ROOTED begins on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30p

A Note From Jeff Maguire

MessageFrom-MV2

I woke up this morning in a tiny cabin so cold my own breath was plainly visible around me. The interior air was a stifling 39 degrees. I slept fully-clothed, wearing a sweatshirt, pants, and socks with a sleeping bag pulled tightly around me. Any exposed skin ached in the early morning hours. My head screamed for a cup of coffee as an emerging headache made its unrelenting demands for its daily sunrise caffeine therapy. In the tiny room packed with four bunk beds and a futon, there were supposed to be three others in “it” with us.

Somehow, those brave sons of ours — those formerly intrepid “others” committed to sleeping in the cold lower room of a poorly heated cabin as a right of manhood — those young men managed to find their way to warmer spaces in the cold of night. At 9:30 in the evening we had reached an agreement. It was a sacred man-pact. It was understood that we’d take one for the proverbial team. All the boys would free up the best beds in the warmer recesses of the cabin for other people. It was the intent of two dads to create a learning moment for our sons. We’d help our boys learn how to serve other people choosing something less desirable for the sake of some others.

Of course, I suppose being both a pastor and a dad, I’m prone to make too many things a learning moment. I’m often circling the wagons, telling everyone to take a knee for an aphorism or a nugget of fatherly wisdom that ought to span the generations. As a father (and someday a grandfather), I want to parent my kids into a future in which they have courageous, compassionate, and daring hearts. I want to point them toward Jesus. I want to meet them in mercy and understanding when they miss that target in the same way I want to be understood when I miss it. I want them to choose wisdom without legalism. I want them to discover that love is better than being correct, (no matter how often I get these two confused). I long for them to know both the fullness of truth and the fullness of grace. I want them to know I love them. I want them to understand that having more, newer, and better stuff will only leave them wanting more. I want them to be around caring adults who can pour into them.

Over the next two Sundays, we’ll  hear from two adults who cared about me in my adolescence. This Sunday, Scott Rachels, my junior high pastor will teach, kicking off our new series: THINGS I WISH JESUS NEVER SAID. Then, in the following week, Doug Fields will teach specifically to parents. There are so many people in our community , like me, longing for answers and direction on this particular subject.  Doug will be supplying our Mariners MV community with a free resource for the people you invite — a best-selling parenting book. So, over the next few weeks invite parents to hear from people who have “been there” — who know what it’s like to try to build into kids what we hope they’ll become.

See you soon,

Jeff

 

 

JHM: Mancation and Girlcation

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MANCATION: April Fools Edition
Apr 1, 5p – Apr 2, 10:30a, $10, O’Neill Regional Park
We will sleep very little, play games, have riddles, cook our own food, build a campfire, roast ‘smores and lots more! Click here to register, search “Mancation” on our website.

GIRLCATION: Blanket Fort Glamping
Apr 1, 7p – Apr 2, 10a, $10, Upper Room
Glam-camping in the most epic blanket fort designed by YOU! A night of girlie fun and bonding (and probably not much sleeping, let’s be real). Dinner, snacks and breakfast provided! Search “Girlcation” on our website or click here to register.

Contact Hilary with questions, hmccullough@marinerschurch.org

Child Dedications & Baptisms

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CHILD DEDICATION CLASS
Sun, Apr 3, 12:45-1:30p, Mariners Mission Viejo
Child dedication gives families the opportunity to make a commitment before the church to raise their child in a Christ-centered home. If you would like to have your child dedicated, you must attend this class to participate in our Child Dedications on Sun, Apr 10, during services. More info here or search “dedications” on our website.

CHILDREN’S BAPTISM CLASS 
Sun, Apr 3, 12:45-1:30p, Mariners Mission Viejo
Port Mariners Kids is having a Kids Baptism. Come and celebrate as a family, your child’s decision to be baptized! Join us on Sun, Apr 10 from 2-3:30p for worship, baptisms and ice cream sundaes! If your child is in 2nd-5th grade and would like to be baptized, he/she will need to attend the mandatory baptism class. More info here or search “baptism” on our website.

A Note From Jeff Maguire

MessageFrom-MV2

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