Mission Viejo

A Note From Jeff Maguire

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MessageFrom-MV2

“Never pray for an easier life— pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power— pray for power equal to your tasks. Then doing your work will be no miracle— you will be the miracle.”  – STREAMS IN THE DESERT

I recently joined a gym. As far as gyms go, it’s about as warm and welcoming as any could ever be. People high-5 each other. Everyone gets greeted warmly. New people (me) are enfolded quickly into the group. The coaches are patient and encouraging.

Nevertheless, it’s still intimidating. People who look like they ate the Incredible Hulk for breakfast bench press Volkswagens and bend rebar beams into neat little v’s. Me? I’m content to hang out by the water cooler and stretch… a lot. Hydration and flexibility —  that’s what I’m all about. But, that’s not really true. I just don’t want to be seen failing at lifting the things that are decidedly not-heavy for everyone else.

It’s in that space, somewhere between what I want to accomplish and what I can do at present where my own character gets revealed.

I want the end of the journey. I want to stand atop the mountain, plant a flag in the soil, and claim it as my own. You can keep the trial, the heartache, and the frustration that accompanies the rest of the journey.  I want an easier way. Then, usually in the seconds before I start my workout I discover there isn’t one. There’s only one way. The hard way.

Long ago, the tasks that those superhuman-Marvel-action-figures who belong to my gym can now do with relative ease were at one time impossible. The only way they got strong was by attempting things that were on the outer limits of their abilities. They pushed. They struggled. They felt insecure. They failed. Eventually, however, they triumphed. And… on the other side of every one of their triumphs lay another challenge, greater than its predecessor.

I know the workout/faith analogy has a few shortcomings. But, it’s not without merit. The August 3rd reading from STREAMS IN THE DESERT reads: “Never pray for an easier life— pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power— pray for power equal to your tasks…” No one ever really got stronger by praying that gym weights would weigh less than they do, thus requiring less effort (I know this from experience:  I’ve been fervent in this fruitless prayer every time I attempt a workout). The faithful pray for power to overcome. In overcoming new strength rises and a new person is formed.

The response from our current teaching series (OH! THE PLACES WE’LL GO) has been amazing. I’ve talked with a number of people who are facing big challenges. I chatted with others who are just coming through them. I received emails from people detailing their own story of being invited by someone to come to Mariners MV. Continue to be the great, warm welcoming inviters that you are. Let’s go on the courageous journey of faith together always looking to include those unconnected, weary and lonely, tackling the trials head-on, praying for strength, overcoming, and being transformed in triumph.

See you Sunday,

Jeff

Huntington Beach

A Note From Jairus Williams

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HBMessageFrom-Banner-Jairus2[2]

Hey Mariners HB!

It was so good to be back at church this past weekend! Getting to go to South Carolina was great, but coming back home to California and Mariners HB made me so happy. (Not to mention it is 25 degrees cooler.) It was also great to see you guys worship and to just be able to sit in the room with you worshiping and connecting with God while Taylor, Zach and the team led us. Our church is a worshiping culture. Don’t stop connecting with God with reckless abandon! It is beautiful to be a part of.

Summer is a time for being together and celebrating, and we have so many ways to get connected over the next month so we can go into the fall season with a bang.

This week is CASH MOB FOOD TRUCK SUNDAY!! Bring your appetite and a few extra bucks and bless some local businesses.

Baptisms – sign up here.

Plan to come to the Summer Beach Fun party on Saturday, August 29…more info to come!

I’m looking forward to seeing you this Sunday. Come expectant and ready to worship…we have a very special guest speaker.

Jairus Williams

PS: You can set up STEP IN contributions here.

PPS: You can listen to past messages here.

Ocean Hills

A Note From Jeff Pries

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MessageFrom-OH

Well, summer is in full swing and part of that is trying to get away and travel (which I was able to do last week). That is why we felt Oh! The Places We’ll Go is the perfect name for our summer series. We all find ourselves on a journey to different places in life, either figuratively or metaphorically. This week we will be looking at the journey in our relationship with God. Do you ever feel like your relationship with God can go up and down as life goes up and down? Like life is letting you down, so is God letting you down? This is something we all struggle with. We want our walk with God to feel more secure than that, more stable. This week we will find out how our perspective on life can really impact our relationship with God.

Not only am I looking forward to being back this week, I am excited for our final Framily event! This Sunday we will have a pancake breakfast after each service. Join us for gourmet pancakes, live music, and entertainment for the kids. One of the things I love about our church is the community feel we have, so you won’t want to miss out. Also, we are in the midst of a School Supply Drive. There are many families in our area who do not have the means to obtain backpacks, pencils, pens and other school supplies. We are hoping to ease the pain for parents who cannot afford all of these products. So if you can, pick up a supplies list (or view it on the website), grab something in the store and donate it this Sunday.

Blessings to you,

Jeff

Mission Viejo

Continuing the Conversation

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Continuing the Conversation

New to Mariners? Not yet a part of Rooted or a Life Group? These gatherings will help you take your next step beyond the weekend service. Join us for a time of music and discussion led groups that look back on the previous Sunday’s message. This is a great way to meet new friends and get more connected at church. For more info, click here or contact Mike, mkenyon@marinerschurch.org

Thursdays, July 23-August 6, 7-8:30p, Upper Room

Huntington Beach

JHM Parent Meeting

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HB JHM Compass Graphic

JHM Parent Meeting
A phase is defined as a time frame in a kid’s life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. A parent has 936 weeks between a child’s birth and graduation. WE don’t want you to miss what’s happening during the critical phase your child is in now!

As we look at the four phases:
– EMBRACING them physically as toddlers (when they were yearning to know they were safe and loved).
– ENGAGING their imagination as second graders (so they could discover how God’s story intersected with their story).
– AFFIRMING their worth as they transitioned (through puberty and middle school toward increasingly challenging questions).
– MOBILIZING them to serve in high school (so they walked away experiencing what God can do through them).

We want to call attention to where our quickly developing middle schoolers are and how our strategy of parenting maximizes the time that we spend with them!

This is an opportunity to start some important conversations that may call attention to ways we can parent more efficiently. We will specifically discuss how we can embrace, engage, affirm and mobilize our children! RSVP at marinershbjhm.assist@gmail.com to let us know you’ll be there. We need an accurate head count for book materials. For more info, click here.

Sun, Aug 9, 11:30a (during 3rd service), Ancestry Room (behind fountain)