Our Prayer Meeting Is Back and Better Than Ever

Prayer fuels the life of the church. It is the unique privilege of the Christian to come before the Lord in prayer—and we want to take advantage of it. Mark your calendars for 10/25. We’re gathering together as a church body before the Lord to present our requests and thanksgivings. What’s different this time around? Starting this month, we’ll be having a more intentional time of singing and reading God’s Word along with spending most of our time in prayer. If you have prayer requests, submit them here. Make plans to come see what it’s all about. Here’s the details:

Tuesday, 10/25

7:00-8:00pm

Hosted at the Women’s Club (121 S Center St, Orange, CA 92866)

Celebrate the Reformation Like Never Before

Mark your calendars for our annual Reformation Day celebration—Reformapalooza! Reformation Day commemorates Martin Luther’s nailing of his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This event sparked the Protestant Reformation and ultimately changed the world. We celebrate to remember the saints who have gone before us and keep the gospel central to all we do. And what better way to celebrate with food, fellowship, and games? We’ll even have a special guest appearance from Martin Luther himself. Here’s the details:

When: Sunday, October 30th

Where: Women’s Club Garden Right After the Service

What to Bring: See Below for Your Food Assignment

We can’t wait to celebrate together. But we can’t pull it off alone. We need your help. We’ll be having a potluck style lunch. We’ll provide the German sausages and buns, and we’re asking you to chip in for the rest. Here’s what to bring:

Last name starts with A-E: Bring a side.

Last name starts with F-P: Bring a salad or vegetable.

Last name starts with R-Z: Bring a dessert.

Guests, your lunch is on us! No need to bring anything. For all others, please bring your own serving ware. We’ll direct you where to place and store your items before the service. For hot items, we’ll have places to plug in crockpots, etc. For cold items, fridge space is limited, so be prepared to bring a cooler if necessary. If you have any questions, contact Andrew Maples.

News for October

We love spending time with your kids and teaching them about Jesus. We’re thankful that God has blessed us with members who are willing to put in the time to care for and teach your kids every Sunday. That said, we want to highlight our volunteers this month. Each week, they prepare and come ready to skillfully serve our families. We couldn’t be more grateful, and we want our volunteers to know that. So, make a point this week to thank our volunteers. This could be something as simple as a kind word to them. Whatever it is, let them know how much their efforts mean. This ministry wouldn’t happen without them.

Also, make note of our new memory verse this month: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).” Be sure to start practicing with your child before we recite at the end of the month! You can find the memory verse schedule here. Additionally, contact Andrew Maples to sign up for our weekly newsletter and for further questions. We look forward to seeing you at the Grove.

Proclaim the Gospel Wherever You Are

Last Sunday, Pastor Eric preached from Acts 13:1-52. This chapter recounts a remarkable event: the first international mission trip. As promised, the gospel is starting to spread across the world (Acts 1:8). This event has profound implications for us. We learn to see our lives as mission-oriented. Simply put, our lives are mission trips. In his providence, God has made us witnesses and given us his Holy Spirit to be witnesses wherever we are. Hit the button below to find out how. To learn more about missions, check out the SGC Missions Blog.

A Testimony About God’s Goodness

We’ve been talking a lot about Celebration. Now, we want you to hear about it from some of our members. Last Sunday, Keith and Stephanie told the church about their Celebration experience. As you read, take a moment to stop and reflect about your own experience. Think about the friends you made, mediate on and review what you learned, and of course, praise the Lord for his kindness. If you weren’t able to join us, use this to get excited for next year! Be sure and check out our Celebration 2022 photo album as well.

Hi everyone, we’re Keith and Stephanie, Nathan and James.

Our excitement and expectations for Celebration California go back to fall of 2021, when we were all registered and set to go. I think we may have already had some bags packed, when we all got sick and had to cancel last minute. So when we heard the retreat was being held again this year, we were determined to come along. 

Spending extended time in community with our church family sounded great, but the prospect wasn’t without its stresses. Traveling with little ones can be difficult, there are always worries about how meal times and sleep will go, how much attention we would be able to give to sermons and conversations, and whether we might be unwitting participants in the spread of germs. 

One of the obvious ways God met us on the trip was through His provision in these worries. Despite missing some of the sermons, we both felt we were able to engage in a meaningful way. It was truly a blessing to see each of our sons engaging in their own way – Nathan having fun exploring the grounds and seeing other little ones, and James running around with other kids and talking to so many other members of the church. 

I was particularly encouraged by Jon’s words on taking satisfaction in Christ and confession of sins. If we confess ours sins and accept Christ’s completed work to forgive them, we can be freed from trying to overcome them on our own and free to enjoy Christ as He intends us to.  So many things compete for my attention and promise satisfaction, it was a blessing to be reminded that only Christ can give the joy and satisfaction in life that I desire.  

For me (Stephanie), I didn’t know what to expect of this retreat. As Keith said there was some anxiety over how the children would sleep and how things would play out with little ones. 

However, I found myself feeling encouraged listening to Jon’s  sermon about confession. I was reminded that confession is such a core part of relationship with Christ. What a sweet gift it is that he Christ calls us to confess and repent and that we are instantly forgiven through Christ. 

 Saturday night was also special in that we broke off into groups and were able to share our testimonies of how God saved us. It was a blessing to hear the redemptive work that God has done in the Life of the members of this church. 

Here’s the truth, traveling with two little ones can be busy. We only heard two of the 4 sermons, sometimes had our conversations with friends cut short, and had to go to bed early.  But God was not limited by those circumstances. He spoke so clearly to us and our family through the sermons we did get to hear and the conversations we did have with friends. 

We’re so thankful for the opportunity to go, and for everyone who worked to make the trip possible. Celebration is the kind of event where it’s easy to see Christ’s grace and love at work, and we can’t wait to see how He’ll continue to use the time in future years. 

HAVE QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Last week, we kicked off Christianity 101 with great teaching and discussion about creation. We covered a range of topics such as the reliability of the biblical text, the accuracy of biblical translations, and what the Bible says about the origins of the universe. Join us this week as we talk about the fall and what went wrong. Here’s the details:

Every Thursday this October
Open Invitaiton
7:00pm-8:30pm
Woman's Club of Orange
121 S Center St, Orange, CA 92866

This is a safe, casual setting to ask any questions you have. We want you to participate and talk about what’s on your mind! Of course, church members are welcome to attend, but we also want you to spread the word. Tell your neighbors, send a link to your co-workers, text your friends, offer to come with them. Don’t miss this opportunity to share about the hope that we have. More details and registration below.

Basketball is Back This Tuesday (10/11)

We’re back at the park this Tuesday for basketball and fellowship. Not a fan of basketball? Don’t worry, we’ve got something for everyone. Some play ball, some take their kids to the playground, and others simply enjoy spending time with one another. This time around, we’ll have snacks and chalk for all the kids! Here’s the details:

• Meet at El Camino Real Park (400 N Main St 92868)

• 6:30-8:30pm

• Family friendly

• Open invite

Come and go as you please. It’s perfect for all ages so bring whatever you need for the night. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for outreach. We hope to see you there.

This is Your Official Celebration 2022 Album

As promised, here’s all your Celebration 2022 photos in one place. The button below will take you to our Facebook page. Let these pictures be a reminder of God’s kindness. We’re so thankful for the time we had together, and we look forward to doing it all again next year!