We believe the local church is a perfect place for men to grow in their ability to preach and teach God's Word.

To do this, the pastoral team must be committed to equipping and training them. They need to share the pulpit with them. They must be students themselves and not build the congregation around one man's preaching gift.

The congregation also has part to play. They must receive the men, their teaching, and most importantly the Word proclaimed. They need to learn to benefit from men learning to preach. Not every sermon will be delivered as well as the last. Doesn't matter.

As Charles Spurgeon tells the story, upon entering a church where his grandfather was preaching... 

"He saw me as I came in at the front door and made my way up the aisle, and at once he said, "Here comes my grandson! He may preach the gospel better than I can, but he cannot preach a better gospel; can you, Charles?"

Join us in praying for this year's Preachers Club. Each man will be studying Bryan Chapell's Christ Centered Preaching, meeting monthly with Pastor Eric, and preaching in 2014. 

• David Christensen
• Lucas Enge
• Christopher Erkelens
• Alex Reyes
• Dylan Sohie

Mark your calendars!

Don't miss the first ever Tea.ology. We've been praying for this kind of stuff for years and it's finally here. Wendy Macadam will lead the meeting and there will be time to discuss schedule, topics, location, and (of course) your beverage of choice.

Open to all women, 18 years and older and a regular attender of Sovereign Grace Church. Come enjoy talking about God with your friends.

Cafe Lucca in OTO

October 11th 7pm-9pm

Have you been visiting Sovereign Grace for a while? Are you looking to get more involved in the life of our church? Get to know us better by attending Starting Point.

The next class begins Sunday, October 13th. 

Register today.

Last week Dustin Smetona wrapped up his year long internship with us. He's not going anywhere and everyone was very pleased with all that we learned this past year. Dustin is a great guy with a good chance of Pastoral Ministry in his future. We couldn't be more grateful to God for the Smetonas!

Dustin shared the following testimony during our service... 

I have so many people to thank for this internship.

There’s my wife whose sacrificed time and effort to free me to do this. There’s family, friends, and others outside the church who gave financially. There are former church leaders and professors who invested in me. The list goes on. And my gratitude overflows to them all.

And then there’s you, Sovereign Grace. You have labored to train and assess me for ministry. You offered me the opportunity to explore my calling. You patiently lent your ears as I learned to preach. You encouraged me as I’ve learned to lead.

You made my internship a delight. 

Thank you Leadership Council members (Nate, Lucas, Les, Roger). You took the time to formally encourage, assess, and critique me.

Thank you members of our small group. You supported Kristin and I personally this past year and we need you now more than ever.

Thank you Worship Team. You’re the undisputed best Christian group on the planet...not only because of your talent, but because of your love for one another and example of loving God more than music.


And our Pastors (Eric and Mike). Thank you. Your commitment to training men for ministry is a wonderful display of God’s character. I count it an honor that you shared the important responsibilities of shepherding this church with me, that I might grow and be trained, and hopefully one day, become a pastor after the example you two have set.

What’s next for you Dustin?

The answer is simple. I’m not going anywhere. My role with Smetona Photo is evolving and the church leaders have expressed their commitment to help keep me moving towards pastoral ministry. They have encouraged me to continue orienting my life around that calling and around you, my church.

And so with that, we will still be here growing and serving with all of you. And that brings us great joy.

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Don't miss the first Youth Meeting of the year! The format has changed (read more about it here) and David Christensen is leading the meeting.

Thursday, September 12th, 7-9pm at the church office.

All Junior and Senior High are welcome. Bring your friends. Wear good shoes for walking. Parents welcome to tag along. 

We love weddings at Sovereign Grace. They combine all kinds of great things we are passionate about...love, romance, family, sacrifice, commitment, community, beauty, the gospel, Jesus, fancy dresses, pretty decorations, food, friends, a party, and cake. Not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea. 

Marriage is God's idea.

Our pastors (and intern) have been busy officiating a number of wedding ceremonies and things only appear to be getting busier going forward. And on top of this, we've been praying for open doors to do more weddings outside our congregation. There's no reason we can't play a part in people getting married in our city!

God designed marriage to say something about Christ and His church and the wedding day is a great opportunity to proclaim this mystery.

Excellence.

In order to perform more weddings with excellence, Geneva Enge has volunteered to become our Wedding Coordinator. She'll be assisting the Pastoral Team, tracking with engaged couples and ensuring things go smoothly on the big day. She won't be a substitute for the traditional wedding planner's role...think of her as more of a liaison between the church and the wedding party.

Please join us in praying for Geneva. This is an important opportunity for our church and she brings real strengths to the table. Pray God would bless her work, bring us lots more weddings to officiate, and that our witness to Orange would expand!

We have made connection with a Christian group that meets on Chapman University's campus called Revive, and are partnering with them. As a first step, members of our worship team will be leading worship at their first meeting of this school year which takes place in the Wallace All Faiths Chapel. Members of our college and singles' ministry will be there also to connect with students.

Here's a few things we'd like to ask you to pray for:  

1. For the gospel to be proclaimed to everyone on the campus
2. Opportunities for us to welcome Christian students without church families into ours
3. Clear ways for us to partner and support the ministry Revive is already doing

This September we are making significant changes to the way we minister to teenagers. We still believe young people are called to love Jesus, live for Jesus, and be members of HIs church. We also still believe Christian parents play a primary role in discipling their children.

Our new format is simply a new strategy. Our best effort to transform Jr/Sr High students into young men and women who worship God.

What is changing? 

1. Pastor Mike is no longer the "Youth Leader" and David isn't our new one. Let's just say "the whole church" is our Youth Leader now...including you!
2. Youth Meetings (Jr/Sr High, 2nd Thursday of the month) will be led by parents and coordinated by David Christensen. These meetings are about fellowship, service, and worship.
3. David Christensen is piloting a teen discipleship program. Teens will be able to apply to participate and our church members will be trained to disciple. More details TBA.

Mark you calendar and invite your friends. Our first Youth Meeting of the year is Thursday, September 12th, 7-9pm. Watch for more info.