Celebration 2022 is almost here—and we want you there! Join us in Idyllwild, CA from 9/30-10/2. This is a special event, and we believe that the Lord is going to do good things. You’ll build into the church, spend time with your family and friends, and leave with your soul refreshed. We guarantee it’s worth it. Concerned about finances? Financial aid is available. Still have questions? Contact Melissa. Details and registration below.
Tired of waiting in line to check in your kids? Feel the stress of getting it all done before the mid-service break is over? Don’t worry. We’re here to make it easy. Beginning this Sunday, you’ll notice a new table in the lobby right when you walk through the main doors. You’ll see a Grove sign, some instructions, and a few QR codes. You can check your kids into the Grove early there. This is what it will look like:
Scan the QR code on the table.
Fill out the registration form. We’re switching check in systems, so you’ll need to fill out a new child registration form.
Your child will be assigned a number for the Grove. This will be your child’s permanent number going forward. Each time you check in your child, always use this number.
After this, you’re good to go! Just be sure to get your child’s check in sticker at the Greeter’s table during the break, and you’re free to drop off your child.
Overall, this will help make check in easier and give you more time to talk to and meet new people during the break. For the first few weeks, we’ll be there by the pre-check table before the service to help you and answer any questions.
We had our first club meeting of the 2022-23 school year this week. For those who don’t know, we partner with an organization called Decision Point that works with students in public high schools. The goal is to establish Christian clubs on campus, equip student leaders to run the club, and help bring the gospel to their schools. We saw the Lord move in amazing ways last year from providing opportunities to preach on campus to hosting numerous outreach events.
So, what does this mean for you? Two things. First, we’re looking for ways to connect our church and the students at Orange High. More details are forthcoming. For now, if you’ve got ideas or a desire to help, contact Andrew Maples. Second, we need you to pray! Pray for our student leaders on campus, pray for their club meetings and outreach events, ask God to save students, and ask God to give us favor with the school. This doesn’t work without prayer, so let’s ask the Lord to bless our work here. We can’t wait to see what happens.
We all know the feeling: so much to do, so little time. From our pile of projects to an endless inbox, there’s always something to do. We’re not just tired. We’re weary. Our souls feel fatigue, and we’re not sure if we’ll ever get a break. If that describes how you feel, Isaiah 40:27-31 is for you. Guest speaker Jeff Purswell walks through this passage in detail to show how God counsels the weary. This passage addresses our hearts, turns our attention to God’s majesty, and teaches us how to live a Spirit-empowered life that is fueled by hope.
Pneumatology (i.e., the study of the Holy Spirit) is a vital aspect of the Christian faith. From one’s moment of salvation to one’s daily Christian walk, the Holy Spirit—and hence, our pneumatology—pervades all of life. We need to have an understanding of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we brought in Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology of Sovereign Grace Churches.
Jeff discussed our denomination’s beliefs on pneumatology and what these beliefs mean for our lives. One of the defining values of Sovereign Grace Churches is a continuationist pneumatology. You can read more about what that means by checking out our 7 shared values or reading our Statement of Faith on the Holy Spirit. Likewise, our understanding of the Holy Spirit affects how we live. For example, we don’t want a narrow pneumatology. We want our understanding to be robust, expectant, and defined by Scripture. We also don’t want an untethered pneumatology. We believe that the focus and aim of the Spirit’s work in the believer today is to exalt Christ, make Christ’s saving work effective in our lives, and make Christ’s presence an experienced and operative reality. Finally, we don’t want a neglected pneumatology. We want an intentional, conscious, and continual trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit. By learning more about the Holy Spirit and addressing these errors, we hope to know and experience the wonder and joy of the Spirit. To help do this, we’ve included a few resources below:
For those unable to attend, here’s the outline from the seminar.
The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul. In his discussion of the Spirit, Sproul makes deep theology accessible and shows you how to apply these truths to your life and the church. If you want to know more about the Spirit, this is a great place to start.
He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit by Graham Cole. If you really want to get into the weeds and you’re willing to put in the time, this detailed work will help you dive deep into a study of the Spirit.
If you’re looking for something shorter, try starting here for a few good resources on various aspects of the Spirit.
As always, if you’ve got questions, feel free to contact the church office to get in touch with a pastor. We’re here for you and want to help you however we can!
We love the House of Hope. During our time there, we’ve built friendships, had great conversations, and grown in our faith along the way. Good things are happening. But of course, this doesn’t work without your help! This is a great opportunity to get involved in the community and live out the Christian faith. It’s an easy commitment. We’re there two evenings each month for a few hours. Can’t make it each time? No problem. Come when you can. Our next meeting is this Wednesday (9/14). The details are simple:
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month
Meet at the House of Hope at 6:15pm
Eat dinner and hangout at 6:30pm
Pack up and leave at 8pm
To help us plan for food, please take a second and put your name on our sign up sheet. You’ll also find the full details there. Per request of the House of Hope, the address is not made public for safety reasons. Once you sign up, we’ll provide the address. We look forward to seeing you there!
Last week, the heat pushed us inside. This week, everything is back to normal. Our Seeds class (0-3 yrs) and Roots class (4-7 yrs) are up and running. We’re excited to have your kids with us again.
If you’d like to be in the loop with all things Grove related, contact Andrew Maples to get on our weekly email for things like lesson summaries, discussion points to help you talk to your kids about Jesus, and resources. And don’t forget about our monthly verse calendar. There’s always something exciting happening at the Grove.
There’s a lot going on in the world. The news can be discouraging—even scary at times. Not to mention, we’ve got our own problems at home and at work. For some, it’s easy to look out at the world and wonder what God is doing. What’s he up to? Is he even here? The answer is even better than we can imagine. God is here. He is present, and he is active. These stories are proof. That’s one reason we share them every month. They’re meant to cultivate a deep belief in the presence and saving activity of God in the world and in your life. So be encouraged, pray for faith, pray for our partners, and join us in declaring the praises of our present and loving God.
Take a moment and read through this month’s posts. You’ll find a list of ways you can pray for our partners. You’ll hear stories from conferences in Mexico and the United States. You’ll learn about our first Chinese speaking church and our partners in Australia. And finally, you’ll meet those who’ll add to this list in the future at our Pastor’s College. It’s all in the blog below.