Saddleback Church has launched a local P.E.A.C.E. opportunity to reach the needs of the students returning to school in September. People at Saddleback Church could purchase a backpack for ten dollars, take the backpack home and fill it with the necessary school supplies, and then return the filled backpack to church.

Our Saddleback church regional campuses stepped in and took on some of the backpack sales and were able to bring in approximately 300 filled backpacks to be distributed to students in need, all over the county. That is amazing!

Within the next few week over 1800 backpacks will be processed and delivered. This is great opportunity to reach the seeking by providing a “gift” for them this coming school year from Saddleback Church.

I love this church!

We are thrilled with what is happening at our regional campus locations! While some things remain the same (we still have the best donuts and coffee on our patios) some great changes are taking place:

Saddleback Corona welcomes a new Campus Pastor, Dave Williamson. They are excited about the changes which are taking place as they move to a new ministry office and institute two Sunday worship services at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. The community has come together to celebrate with a church-wide picnic in the park and beach luau, and they continue to offer great children’s and student events.  

Saddleback Irvine has moved to a new location for their weekend services. They are currently meeting at Northwood High School for the weekend and continue to use the facilities at El Camino Real School for their mid-week events and ministry office. As the student ministry continues to grow to 60 plus students, the need to split the junior high and high school becomes apparent. Plans are in the beginning stages. Irvine is also proud to bring Kid’s Small Groups to their children’s Ministry beginning in September.

Saddleback Laguna Woods has settled on one location for most of the rest of the year. After moving around to different clubhouses, they have been able to now meet in the same location, settle down, and feel more comfortable. They are reaching out to the community with different events and exposing Saddleback Church to people who have never been to church before. The church has added round tables to their worship area which has been a great benefit to the attendees.

Saddleback San Clemente continues to grow! In order to keep up with the growth, they now offer separate services for the junior high and the high school students. In addition the students lead their own worship services and have student bands. This campus is also getting ready to launch a new venue with a different style of music with the same great message. Kid’s small group continues to minister to children who want to develop spiritually in a small group setting, and P.E.A.C.E. trip plans are under way for the Philippines.

We are pleased to announce that our online campus is up and running. Now you can hear the inspirational message live from our Lake Forest campus via your computer. Not only do we provide the sermon notes for you online, but we also have live chat rooms, a response card, and the opportunity for you to send in a prayer request. The next time you find yourself out of town, or unable to visit one of our campuses, please join us online.

Try something new and visit one of the Saddleback Church regional campuses or our online campus. After all, we are just one church with multiple locations, sharing the message of Jesus Christ.

 

Here's an email I sent to the regional team...it's pretty informal, which is normal for me.

EXCITING STUFF>>>>

 

We’re opening a campus in the laguna woods village this easter. ITS GOING TO BE AWESOME. If you aren’t praying for this 3 times a week, the Lord may punish you heavily.

 

(how’s that for a little guilt? Drop any real guilt you’re carrying and pick up this pretend guilt.)

 

 

I just got done meeting with the leadership team for LW. ITS GOING TO BE AWESOME. ITS GOING TO BE SO AWESOME THAT IT ALREADY IS AWESOME. I don’t care if that doesn’t make any sense. (yes, that’s another evidence of awesomeness.)

 

The passion to reach a new community from these guys is something you can almost TOUCH and SEE. Who are they?

 

Rick Bradford is going to be serving this campus as the campus pastor.

Ron Ferrante is going to be serving this campus with small group support.

Joe Marchione is going to be serving the campus with ministry team support.

 

(We’re working on getting some team coordinator support, and will let you know when that happens!!)

 

THIS CAMPUS IS SUCH A GREAT IDEA. I wish it were mine. It came from Rick and Ron about two years ago. There is so much potential for this campus, check this out:

 

The first step is to build a crowd and solidify the core saddleback ministries.

The second step is to build several programs that allow seniors to invest into the next generation at Lake Forest campus

The next step is to take this model to other retirement communities and have them pour into local churches around them

The final step is world domination. Soon we will have a campus for this guy to attend. (just kidding, sort of.)

 

OK THAT’S ALL FOR NOW.

 

MUCH LOVE TO YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR SERVANT HEART

We made the decision yesterday, we're coming to Laguna Woods! We are hoping to make it by Easter, but we're not 100% on that date yet. STAY TUNED!

Do you live in Laguna Woods?

We possibly have a regional campus for you!!

But, before we can launch a new regional campus in Laguna Woods, we need some folks to commit to attending Saddleback Laguna Woods. There is no doubt that they have the facilities to meet your needs and, with a campus where you live, you have the opportunity to enjoy inspirational Saddleback worship music and great teaching by Pastor Rick, from a location closer to your home.

Join us on March 21 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. for a "kick-off" meeting and the chance to not only learn more about Saddleback Laguna Woods, but to commit to volunteer and attend this exciting new ministry that God is ready to provide, with your help.

For more information or questions, please contact Linda Vujnov (vye-no) at lindav@Saddleback.com or call 949-609-8766.

Saddleback - one church, many locations.

What a scene! Saddleback Irvine had 249 kids in the children’s program last week. As people continue to visit, and then call Saddleback Irvine their home, the number of children in attendance increases. Two Hundered Forty Nine was a record breaker for the campus.

With the increase in growth, seven children also gave their lives to Christ during the Christmas service, and many more children are choosing to get baptized and serve in the ministry as a volunteer.  The parents of these children are choosing to serve, and participate in the Child Dedication event. In addition, a whopping 63 people have signed up for the next C.L.A.S.S. 101.

We are excited to announce the launch of Women at Saddleback-Irvine which will meet on Monday nights and Friday mornings at the Saddleback Irvine campus. The women will fellowship together in small groups while digging deeper into God’s Word through a study called, "No Other Gods.”

A 15 minute launch party is taking place on February 1^st. This will give women an opportunity to register for the Bible study and seek answers to any questions they may have.

Saddleback Irvine continues pray for guidance and direction as they seek to meet the needs of the community.

 

 

 
Saddleback San Clemente's Candlelight service

Our regional campuses were able to conduct a total of eight services between December 21^st and Christmas Eve, and great things transpired as a result.

Our Irvine campus celebrated as seven children made a decision to give their lives to Christ. They baptized seven people, and were thrilled by the fact that thirteen people came forward to make a decision for Christ.

Corona’s Christmas service was highlighted by first time visitors attending Saddleback Corona, and people making a decision to change their lives and follow Christ. Volunteer from the campus delivered Angel Tree Ministry Christmas gifts to almost 60 families from Corona to Riverside to Banning.

Between candles, carolers, and live animals San Clemente welcomed 1,658 people to their campus and a whopping 73 were first time visitors! Twenty-five people began a relationship with Jesus Christ and many more as seeking to gain information about God and the wonderful things that is able to do when people give their lives to Him.

We are excited to see what God has planned for 2009 and Saddleback’s regional campuses. We anticipate even more people visiting our regional campuses as we seek to meet the needs of the people in Corona, Irvine, and San Clemente.

This week, Saddleback Irvine was all a bustle getting the portable baptismal ready for baptisms. Following their 11:00 services on Sunday the 21st, Saddleback Irvine heated the waters and welcomed anyone who wanted to make a decision to be baptized.

This day also marked the first of the Christmas services which continue on Christmas Eve at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Not only did seven children decided to give their lives to Christ during the Children's Program Sunday morning, but seven people made the decision to get baptized.

The sun was out, the water was warm, and men and women came forward to make a public declaration of their decision to follow Christ.

I had the unique opportunity to witness the joy on the faces of the men and women who came forward for baptism.

One boy from Korea made a decision to follow Christ while visiting the Student Ministries group. He picked up his Fresh Start with God materials and right away decided to get baptized. He is returning to Korea this Wednesday with a Bible, and a changed life!

What a great blessing.

How many more people will make a decision to follow Christ this Christmas season? Let's pray for thousands!

It's will be snowing at Saddleback San Clemente!

The candles will be burning at Saddleback Irvine!

The service time has shifted at Saddleback Corona!

We are excited to report that there is a lot happening around the regional campuses as they gear up for the Christmas season.

December 21st marks the first Christmas service ever for Saddleback Corona and Saddleback Irvine, and the third year for Saddleback San Clemente. San Clemente will be mooing and bleating with a pen filled with animals for their annual live nativity between their 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services.

Get your gloves on and grab your jacket because in addition to the wonderful Christmas services offered by all Saddleback campuses, Saddleback San Clemente will be dumping real snow at San Clemente High School for their "Snow Day." From noon until 3:00 on Christmas Eve, folks can enjoy snowball fights, sled runs, and compete in a snowman building contest, free of charge.

Saddleback Irvine is hosting their first ever candlelight services at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve with the first of their Christmas theme services beginning on December 21st at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.

Saddleback Corona has shifted to one service time at 10:00 a.m. The stage will be filled with poinsettias and erupt with Christmas music and an awesome message from Pastor Rick on the 21st.

December marks the tenth month for Saddleback Corona and Saddleback Irvine! God's work is marvelous!

8 months!

Our Saddleback Corona campus has been blessed with the opportunity to be serving the community of Corona for the past 8 months, and threw an amazing party to celebrate.

The congregation gathered for a 10:00 service on Sunday morning and welcomed members, friends, family, and kids.

Three videos highlighted the past eight months, in between worship songs, celebratory testimonies, and announcements, unveiling the great ways in which God has blessed Saddleback Corona's eight months together, and the ministries which have grown out of their campus.

Person after person took the "open mic" opportunity to share how Saddleback Corona has brought them into fellowship with other believers, allowed cohesiveness between families, and bonded friends through their involvement with small groups and volunteer opportunities.

The morning ended with an amazing array of homemade appetizers, salads, and desserts. Tommy's Burgers was generous enough to donate chili burgers and fries for everyone from their portable trailer outside the gym, while inside the building the PICS ministry took Christmas photos for family and friends, free of charge.

Saddleback Corona continues to draw people to their Citrus Hills Middle School facility each Sunday at 10:00, and nudge them into fellowship with other believers, by building relationships through community and small group involvement.

The weekly worship music is inspiring the message encouraging, and, if you happen to show up at the next Saddleback Corona celebration, the food is delicious.  

Waking up early to attend church on Sunday mornings is not a regularly scheduled appointment on my calendar. I cannot remember the last time that our family attended church services on Sunday morning.

Ever since Saddleback Lake Forest introduced the idea of a Saturday night service, and encouraged its members to attend we accepted the challenge, went, and never looked back.

I had the opportunity to visit Saddleback Corona one Sunday morning. Finding my way around the parking lot was simple since I encountered four parking attendants giving me great direction.

Upon exiting my car, and following the signs pointing me toward the worship center, I was greeted several times. I found my way easily and entered the gymnasium which resembled my first time visit to Saddleback Lake Forest.

Seventeen years ago, people sat in chairs and in bleachers at Saddleback Lake Forest, listening to the words of Rick Warren after engaging in worship with Rick Muchow. The Corona Saddleback setting was comfortable and similar to the early days of Saddleback Lake Forest, but a few of the names and faces had been changed.

I settled in easily. In other parts of the building children were cared for and ministered to as were students. Volunteers eagerly took their posts, resources were accessible, and the staff was friendly and encouraging - happy to ministering to the Corona neighbors.

I get Sunday mornings - the ambiance and the tradition. I'm grateful for freedom of worship whether it happens on Saturday, Sunday, in a chapel, in a high school building, on a couch in a living room, under a tree in a park, next to a hospital room bed, at a corner booth in a coffee shop, or in a movie theater.

Church isn't about a building or a day, it is about a moment, spending time in fellowship, worshiping God through music, diving into His Word, and meeting with His people.

I am grateful for choices.

The 40 Day of Love series is in full swing at all of our regional campuses!

This week one of the verses used during Rick's sermon was found in Romans 14:12-13, "Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on each other."

San Clemente decided to mix things up a bit at their campus and actually judge each other through an old fashioned apple pie bake off.

There were crumb tops, double-crusted, caramel laced, and cinnamon sprinkled, apple pies for everyone. Portion cups were stacked next to plastic forks for tasting, and the tally sheets were printed and ready. The pies sat, sliced, and lined up next to their numbers.

In between the first and second services, the pies were tasted and the scores were tallied. Blue and red ribbons hung from the shade canopy ready to be given the baker who's pie would be deemed, "The Best."

In addition, to the pie "bake off" there was a pie eating contest! Children and adults shoved their faces in pans filled with chocolate pudding and whipped cream, scoffing down mouthfuls in attempts to be the very first to finish and return home that day with a blue ribbon as proof.

The crowds cheered as the apple pies were tasted and the pudding pies were demolished at break neck speed. The ribbons for the winners were proudly displayed.

Many went home that day not only filled with the flavor of apple pie, but filled with God's Word through great teaching.

What a great day at Saddleback San Clemente.

It was great to visit Corona this morning. Here are the highlights:

Cari and Scott are experimenting with way to check kids into the rooms electronically. This will allow for better records, better communication with parents, quicker check in, and increased safety...all of these are really great things as we minister to the kids God has entrusted to us!

Dave and Mike are headed to the Dominican Republic next week to connect with some pastors there to see about the possibilities of the Corona campus doing a PEACE trip. They are also going to teach Purpose Driven Church and train some church leaders.

A meals ministry is starting, this was the first week they started taking names to see who is interested in serving.

I met Sally who has been serving in Corona since the Campus opened six months ago. She first came to Saddleback in after reading the Purpose Driven Life, and didn’t want to just attend church as an “outsider” so she jumped in and got connected by serving in a ministry. It was cool to hear how she’s connected in our church family.

I also met Suzy, her husband is home bound because of his disabilities; he watches the services online every week. She attends the Corona campus to serve each week, translating Rick’s messages into Spanish. What a great servant!

Very fun to see everything happening in Corona. We’ve been told that we’ll need to leave the school in January...we’re hoping this won’t have to happen. Please be praying!

Today was a good day.

I had a great time connecting with the campus pastors.
I was a great time connecting with Tommy H, although it was short.
I learned from Rick Warren that we're doing a 40 days of Love message this weekend, so we are going "week on," this week in the regionals. (meaning that we're going to take Saturday night's message from Lake Forest for the folowing Sunday in the regionals)
I had a great time meeting with Mike and Dave to talk about ministry in Corona and the Spanish translation of the service.
I had a great pastor's meeting with Rick, where we discussed lots of cool ideas for the sermons from now till the end of the summer.
Scott and Jan went above and beyond on a project for me.

Life has been a whirlwind since last Easter, where has that time gone!

The regional campus ministry is growing here in Lake Forest. We've added a staff member, Linda Vujnov. She's going to help with the next campus launches. Sometime next week we'll post some a little bit about who she is.

This week we've been working hard to refine what it's going to take to open the next campus. We have lots of cool ideas to develop to give the campuses a smoother (I hope) and stronger launch. For those of you TYPE A personalities interested in long lists, click here for our launch strategy and check list.

Where do you think our next Saddleback campus should be?

 

What a Campus Pastor is:

Loves Jesus. Called to serve. Designed for leadership.

 

Believer in and doer of Saddleback DNA

A campus pastor is able to do what we do (strategy) and how we do it (spirit)

 

Charismatic and catalytic:

A campus pastor is able to attract and ignite the crowd to fulfill the five biblical purposes

 

Passionate

A campus pastor is excited about an area and the people and wants to see them connect with Jesus and grow spiritually

 

Innovator

A campus pastor is able to contextualize ministry, solution specialist

 

Relational

A campus pastor is able to connect well, to a crowd and with individuals. 
 

Team Builder

A campus pastor is able to lead leaders, develop people, and equip teams

 

Learner

A campus pastor is able to grow from feedback from others

 

Pioneer

A campus pastor is a church planter who is passionate to go into the unknown and build something out of nothing

 

Flexible

A campus pastor is able to change gears and directions—change is a constant at Saddleback!

 

What a Campus Pastor Isn’t (75% “done”)

Full time preacher

Church planter looking to create a new strategy, a campus pastor is starting a new Saddleback ministry

A ministry specialist, a campus pastor ought to have a dynamic range of skills

A lone ranger who’s middle name is maverick

 

What a Campus Pastor DOES (50% “done”...this won’t be an exhaustive list, just some of the practical things a CP will do...)

Responsible for all Campus staff, programs and ministries

Direct Oversight of Adult Weekend services

Pastoral ministry

Teach 101, and other classes as needed

Shepherd 4-6 small groups directly

Relational Connected to all ministry team leaders

I'd love your feedback,What do you think?

 

Another church emailed me and asked about our leadership structure, and I thought I'd post my response:

 

"There are definitely lots of ways to structure the leadership for a multi-site church. Here’s what we’re currently using in our strategy:

 

Each campus has a campus pastor, and all the staff at that campus report to the campus pastor. Each of the campus pastors reports to me. I’m on the pastoral leadership team that reports to Rick.

 

Many churches use some form of a “matrix” style of accountability. This is, as I understand it, a structure where each person reports to two ( or more) different people. For example, the children’s director reports both to the campus pastor and the children’s director back at the “mother ship.”

 

 

We aren’t doing this for a few reasons:

1. Companies that do this have much, much better management than churches. Their managers are trained to be managers. Most pastors can barely manage three people (speaking from my experience) I'm exaggerating of course! Pastors are better at caring for people than they are administrating a well oiled machine of a team.

 

2. In companies, the results and the bottom line are often clearly defined. There’s a number than explain how well a person is doing. (By number I mean a sales target, or a clearly defined process).  Of course we have clearly defined goals in our church (for example the 10x10 vision), but ministry is much more than these goals. You can “hit the numbers” and still be a bad leader. It’s hard to quantify changed lives accurately. It’s even more difficult when we’re often changing our methods for fulfilling God’s purposes.

 

3. Strategy is important (which is typically why you’d have the person in the regional reporting back to the expert back at the mother ship), but relationships are more important (in my opinion). The person closest to the relationships is the campus pastor, not the ministry leader back at the main campus."

 

the following are some thoughts I sent to the regional team about our communication....this isn't really cleaned up, nor is it a final version... just some thoughts to get the conversation about messaging started.

What are the things we ought to be communicating?

In our world, there are a thousand different voices and a thousand different messages. To lead well and to do great ministry, we must maintain a clear and consistent voice.

Without clarity, our message will be ignored.
Without consistency, our message will be forgotten.

It takes discipline to be clear and consistent. It’s much easier to communicate by impulse...whatever we’re feeling, or whoever we last talked to determines out agenda. We don’t want to be moved by these things. Influenced? Yes. Driven? No.

We need simple definition and dynamic repetition. What is our message, and how will we say it?

This post looks at the first question. The second question is for you to answer in your unique ministry context. These are the most important messages for a regional campus (BTW: I'd love your feedback on this)

 

1. You matter to God.

God is love, and he sent his Son to die for the sins of the world. If we’re not regularly communicating God’s grace and the hope that he offers, we are far off target. Are you treating people like they matter to God?

 

2. A relationship with God is possible through faith in Jesus.

Yea, there’s a lot to unpack here: salvation, forgiveness, hope, joy, faith...that’s the short list. After communicating God’s love, we need to be helping people make the most important decision of their life.

(the first two messages are clearly the most important, I think it’s a toss-up for prioritizing the following)

Attending the weekends regularly, it’ll help you grow spiritually.

If you want to grow, you need to be fed! Making the commitment to show up to church every week is a great thing because you’ll have a chance to sing great songs and hear biblical teaching that’s relevant and practical.

 

Check out a small group.

We’re better together, and everyone needs to share the burdens of life with a few others. If you don’t have a safe place to share and be yourself, then you’re not living as God intended. Small groups are the backbone of our church!

 

Tell a friend something they need to hear.

Since God is doing great things in our lives, we ought to be sharing this with others: family, neighbors, friends, co workers...I’m not just talking about evangelism, but also with our friends who are believers. They too need to hear about where God is moving. Share the gospel, talk about what God is doing in your life, or invite someone to church. Tell a friend something they need to hear.

 

Get involved and give back.

God is all about transforming us to be more like Jesus. There are some things that he can only teach us while we are serving others because of him. Everyone is SHAPEd to make a difference, where are you going to start serving?

In short, here are the things we ought to be talking about:

Grace
Salvation
Weekends
Small Group
Tell
Serve

As I talk about finding our voice, I’m not just talking about from the stage, in an email, or on a flyer. I’m talking about everything, EVERYONE communicates. When you’re talking with someone on the patio, how often do you hit one of our core messages? They ought to be in the back of your mind so you can minister to people intentionally, and help them take the next step spiritually.

What do you think? Am I missing something?

Last week we had a GREAT conference at Saddleback. Click here to check out some videos from the conference. Click here to see the "interview" with me... it's not very special, be prepared to be underwhelmed...

THIS WEEK: RICK WARREN is teaching from the San Clemente campus and it will be live broadcast to all the other campuses. CRAZY! For the next four weeks, we'll all be on the same page.

I spend some time today reviewing some of the debriefs each campus pastor does each month. I put them all into a file which you can download here if you want.

have a great weekend!
matt

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OK.

So, there's a ton of work still to be done (like updating this website), but it's not too early to start looking to the future and were the next campuses might go. CLICK HERE to see a map of the spots we're currently looking at. DON'T FORGET WHAT THE WORD POTENTIAL MEANS... this map has places we are considering.

To launch a campus, we need to do three things at about the same time:

determine a Location that’s strategically located to reach a community
discern the right Leader who is called to serve as a campus pastor
develop a Launch group of 300-500 who will serve and attend the new campus

(yes, I realize that my list is very cute with verbs that start with “d” and nouns that start with “l.” Thanks for noticing.)

 

that's all for now!
Matt

 

check it out:
http://kerrcafe.blogspot.com/2008/05/first-baptisms-at-saddleback-irvine.html

My first decade of ministry was to high school students. I imagine that I'll always have a heart to see godly people invest in the lives of the students God has entrusted to us.

One of these leaders is Leo Galarza, he's the director of student ministries for Irvine. Last weekend was their VERY FIRST service for students at the Irvine campus. We’re all in this together, so Kurt Johnston (Student Ministries pastor in Lake Forest) showed up to be a support. I heard rumor of a Matt Hall sighting as well (he’s also on the junior high team in LF).

More than 50 showed up! 6 committed their life to Christ, 7 recommitted their life, and 3 want to be baptized. It’s easy to skip over these numbers, but each person who showed up is someone Jesus died for. Each one was made to Jesus. Each one was made to connect with other believers. Each one has the potential to make an UNBELIEVABLE difference in their world.

Click here for pictures

All three campuses also taught Class 101 to the adults, which is also really cool. Class 101 is the place to go in order to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus. We talk about important things like salvation and belonging to a church family.

 

I was in Corona on Sunday, and it was so great to see how everything is coming together. They’re now past the “honeymoon” stage, and it’s time to roll up the sleeves and do the work of being the church. There are so many great people who are sacrificing their time to see the campus pull off great services. They also could use some more people who want to help, if you know someone in Corona, ask them if God is leading them to serve!

 

Last week, Pastor Rick invited all three campus pastors to join him at a church planting conference in Orlando, FL. They let me tag along too. Here are a few things that we found challenging and encouraging:

 

 

"If God is about community, then maybe we should be about community.  Instead of being church planters, maybe we should be community planters."

 

The topic of one breakout was about creating multi-ethnic communities.   There is no biblical mandate for planting churches based on the homogenous ethnicity principle – it may grow faster but it is not biblical. A multi-ethnic church isn't something that just happens, you have to be intentional about sending a message that says all are welcome. We tend to say, "You are welcome here as long as you like our style of worship." To develop our ethnic competency, we have to promote a spirit of inclusion and empower leaders of different ethnic groups.

 

Planting churches and planting campuses are two effective ways for local churches to spread the cause of Christ. It doesn’t need to be a ‘one or another’ mindset but you need to be intentionally to make either a reality.

 

Those who risk the most, gain the most. It was inspiring to hear of churches that valued ‘planting’ and did that on a time schedule rather than a statistical schedule. Those who wait until they are a certain size often won’t do it at all.

 

If you have a multi-site model it’s essential to build church-wide momentum as individual campuses are built. Every campus needs to be told about the vision, how they can contribute, and the progress on a regular basis.

 

Developing a healthy church takes time – anyone can get a crowd but that isn’t a church. A mushroom grows in about 6 days, an oak tree takes 60 years. Would you rather your church be a mushroom or an oak tree?

Had a great week last week.

Things are really coming together for the Corona and Irvine, everyone is falling into a healthy routine for what it takes to pull off the weekend.

 

I had two great conversations with ministry leaders from Lake Forest. As Saddleback’s ministry expands, we face a single question: what does ministry look like beyond the borders of Lake Forest campus? There are at least two critical tensions, and these four issues frame the answer to our question:

 

How much of the ministry is CENTRALIZED and how much is DECENTRALIZED?

How much of the ministry is CLONED and how much is CONTEXTUALIZED?

 

Ron Wilber (pastor of small groups) and I talked about what small group care might look like at a regional campus. Tracking groups in our database, is something that’s CLONED (each regional will do it exactly like Lake Forest) however, the data entry will be DECENTRALIZED. The key for caring for small groups is a RELATIONSHIP infrastructure, and this can’t be CENTRALIZED, but it definitely needs to be tied into and connected to LF in order to share ideas and keep lines of communication open. Lots more thinking to do here next week, that’s for sure.

 

I also had a meeting with Tommy Hilliker so we could talk about MEMBERSHIP and CLASS 101 issues. It had been a while since we caught up, so I spent a lot of the time just talking about what’s been going on in my life. So, after I stopped blabbing like a little girl (something that is normal for me), we got down to “business” and talked about the new member process, and some things relating to 101. The teaching material of 101 will be cloned across the campuses....but the teaching of the material will be decentralized. We need to dig a little deeper into what it takes to work through the new member applications to make some decision about what that ministry looks like in the regionals...

 

Anyhow, I’m in Seattle this weekend attend a multisite conference and visit a friend and his church. I’ll let you know if I hear anything interesting worth passing along.

 

Have a great day,

Matt McGill

 

 

 

 

WHAT A WHIRLWIND THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAS BEEN.

 

(I’m not sure why I put periods after each word in the title of this blog, I think that makes it more fancy and whatnot.)

 

I think the last 5 months of my life has been the busiest I’ve ever had in my life. It has been a wild ride with a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, and some serious highs and lows.

 

I thought my life would change up and slow down with the openings of Corona and Irvine at Easter. The three weeks after Easter have been busier than the three weeks before, I wasn’t ready for that.

 

God has shown up, and the encouragement that comes from seeing him at work has made everything worthwhile. All of us knew this, and held on to this when things were difficult or the details became overwhelming.

 

Easter was great for all three campuses. Tons of people showed up, relative to each campus, of course. There were so many first time commitments to faith in Jesus, this was such a great thing to see.

 

I have been coordinating a ton of details....answering a million questions.... it’s one thing to prepare and practice, but it’s a WHOLE new thing to be actually doing campus ministry each week. This paragraph goes into the DUHHH! YOU THINK? Category....

 

So, what’s the next few weeks look like? San Clemente will keep doing what it’s been doing so well for the last two years. Corona and Irvine need to settle into a rhythm and figure out who does what. Please be praying about more volunteers for both campuses. Within the next few weeks, after getting a sense of the unique needs, Corona and Irvine will put together a calendar for the spring and summer. Within a month or so, each campus will begin identifying which small groups attend their campus and solidify the care structure and logistics... This is probably more information than you wanted.

 

I’ve been working on some little things and big things that will help everyone work together effectively. One of these things was the budget and the coding structure... let me tell you the truth: I’ve been thinking about this so much the last few days that last night I dreamed about account codes. SICK AND WRONG I TELL YOU. However, this work did not go un-noticed, as I was awarded a certificate today that said I was an HONORARY CPA. Does life get any better than this? (It does, but don’t tell any of the church accountants that).

 

Last week, I sketched out some ideas to train the leaders for the next campus launch... what a novel idea, training.

 

OK, well, this post is FAR FAR too long. I really need to write more often, so I write less.

 

Maybe in my next post I’ll write about where we are going next.

Easter was so GREAT!

I only visited the two rookie campuses, but heard great reports from San Clemente. Pastor Rick said it best:

Our first service of Saddleback Corona gathered 490 attenders and 43 accepted Christ. That's 10 % of those who attended!

Our first service at Saddleback Irvine gathered 1,826 attenders and 34 accepted Christ!

Our service at Saddleback San Clemente gathered 1,550 attenders and 39 accepted Christ!

 

 WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THIS?  8 DISCOVERIES: 

1) People will attend services, will bring their friends, and will accept Christ where the teaching is by video.  2) People in Southern California are hungry for spiritual truth. 3) Saddleback's teaching meets a need that is unmet in many communities. 4) The fastest, and most effective way to reach people for Christ is to start new Saddleback campuses, not by adding more services at our Lake Forest campus.  5) The future of our church is new campuses.  6) New campuses provide fantastic opportunities for our members to experience the thrill of using their SHAPE to serve God. 7) We already have the talent and leadership in our church family to begin all ten new Saddlebacks before the end of 2010. 8) We reached 10% of our 10 by 10 goal of "10,000 more changed lives" in just a single weekend!

For me personally, it was very cool to see everyone serving and working hard to pull of some really great worship experiences. It was also really, REALLY strange to be on the "sidelines" and not have any direct responsiblities for something. Next week, I may ask if I can sharpen the pencils or something, just so I can be a part of the action. Thanks do all of you who prayed.

SO NOW WHAT?
well, I answered 147 emails today...and didn't get to a SINGLE THING I planned to do YESTERDAY...so I guess we still have a lot to figure out. I'll post tommorrow or Friday some of the things I'm working on.

 

 

we're all set and ready to go!

great things are going to happen this weekend.

hope to see you at one of our regional campuses this weekend!!

come back next week for lots of updates!

Went to San Clemente last weekend, I've been neglecting them for Corona and Irvine, that's for sure.

Of course, they were on their game, even though they were down a team member who was on vacation.

Scott led the congregation in communion. God was honored as we remembered Jesus' death and resurrection.

Cynthia was all smiles and warm and ready to help someone find a small group. She may be the incarnation of joy. (yes, I know that's heresy, I'm not serious about joy being a god.)

Kim and Randy played a funny game in front of the 2nd to 6th graders. The goal was to see who could stuff the most marshmellows in their mouth...I really wanted to capture some video of that and feel like a failure for not doing so.

The student ministry is THREE weeks into a new change in their program. Junior and Senior high are meeting in different rooms for the first half of the service, and then come together for singing and a message. They set a record for attendance last weekend. Hmmmm, was that a good change? I think so.

Speaking of singing, not only was Travis' hair perfectly sculpted to look un-perfect, he is leading music in for the students while the message is happening in the adult service. HE WAS GREAT, but that's so obvious, that's like saying water is wet.

PLEASE BE PRAYING AS WE GET READY!

OK, so some really great things have happened lately.

1. Within the last two weeks, All Stars for Corona and Irvine has trained about 30 people for ministry. WAY TO GO Cari and Becky! They have also had many get fingerprinted. (but this doesn't mean we're not still looking for more volunteer leaders!)

2. Irvine had two preview services last Sunday. So GREAT! Check out what my cheesy flip camera captured:

3. Corona officially has a campus location! Yeah! When we got the signed paperwork today, I actually shed a tear...there were some people in the office, so that was a little embarrassing. Check out www.easteratsaddleback.com for a map and service times.

4. If today couldn't be great enough, on the way home from lunch, my wife called and said that she's pregnant. WOW. There's a long story here...we are excited to have number four!!

Easter is coming! And we're going to be ready!!

San Clemente is meeting in a huge tent for two servives. <<click here for more info>>

Irvine is having TWO preview services THIS SUNDAY (9AM and 11AM). Come and join us! For Easter, Irvine is having four services, two on Saturday, and two on Sunday. <<click here for more info>>

After all of the TRIALS for finding a location for Corona, we currently have three options:

(a) Centennial High School (this is now a great option as we were able to work out something out with the district).
(b) A church/school property that is available for lease (we’re getting more details on this tomorrow).
(c) A movie theater is available (this one would be the greatest challenge because we need to be out by 10:30).

Praise God! Please keep praying!!

 

Today is a great day. We’re less than four weeks away from Easter, and somehow I can type that without having a heart attack.

 

I’m writing this update from the new Irvine campus, we got access to the facility today, and have begun to move in all the ministry gear. Today was children’s ministry stuff and some of the A/V gear, tomorrow we’ll be unloading some the chairs, tables and other fun stuff. This weekend, Irvine is having TWO preview services, 9 and 11. Come check it out.

Erin sent this picture around today saying he always wanted to have a corner office:

 

On the CORONA FRONT:

We have a verbal commitment to use Centennial High School, which is great. Well, really it’s just good. What would be great is a having a signed agreement.

OK, So maybe I'm overstating things, perhaps there isn't really a black market for copper. However, it is really valuable.

 

It's so valuable that it gets stolen out of abandoned buildings. It gets stolen out of the kind of building that we were looking at today. It was the old Edwards 15 theater on the corner of Main and Rencon. The company that owns the building really wants to work with us. We took a look at the building today and found out all the copper wiring has been taken out of it.

 

I’m not an electrician, but I do remember something about copper providing a path of least resistance.

 

Speaking of resistance, I can barely resist hoping mean things happen to the person who stole the copper. I know I’m supposed to be better than that... God is good, even when things are working much slower than I’d hope. Keep praying!

I know the updates haven't been very consistent! Sorry for this.

 

We began seriously looking for facilities in January, it wasn't until mid December that we found out that DAVE GREENE would be released from his current role in pastoral care. In January, Dave split his time between the two teams.

On just over a month, he and I have looked at more than 55 different places! No joke!

 

We currently have about 6 that look like they might work, and one of them looks REALLY GOOD. Please be praying for us, as we have an important meeting tomorrow.

 

We currently have an opportunity to lease a facility in Rancho Cucamonga, but opening a campus here would represent a significant switch in our strategy to reach the Inland Empire. We may be facing one of those situations where God wants to shift our plans to match his...

 

Anyhow, it’s been a wild ride! God is good... and I have the privilege to wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “We still don’t have a place yet! But God is good!”

 

(sometimes the second part is hard to remember)

 

 

It’s hard to believe we’re so close to Easter! If you’re reading this blog, please be praying for us!!

 

We’re still looking in Corona for a facility. I feel a little bit like Thomas Edison, not because I’m a colonial inventor but because we’ve discovered about 25 different places that won’t work for us. This Monday, we’re checking out a half dozen or so... we could be very close.

 

We are finishing up on the last few details for the Irvine facility. It’s exciting walk the building with the Irvine team and talk about what ministry might look like.

 

For both Corona and Irvine, we’re still looking to complete the teams. Since Erin had a two month head start on Dave, Irvine is a little further down the road.

 

In San Clemente last quarter, tons of great things happened (not including the 30 tons of snow), but ONE HIGHLIGHT that is most exciting to me is the 72 people who accepted Christ. So great!

 

Saddleback at home: I met with a woman last week who is going to start up a Saddleback SOMEWHERE in her home in order to invite some of her neighbors and friends who don’t have a relationship with God through Jesus. So great! I can’t wait to see and hear what God does because of her faithfulness.

 

There’s still never a dull moment, which is the safe and nice way for me to express what I’m thinking sometimes, which is, “GOD, TELL ME AGAIN WHY I HAVE TO LIVE BY FAITH AND TRUST YOU FOR THE MANY, MANY THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND MY CONTROL?”

 

My follow up thought is always, “You idiot, now you’re going to get the answer.”

 

 

there's lots going on, and more details than i can count... but rather than share an update about what's happening this week, I decided to post some of my reflections which I shared with the regional staff team earlier this week:

 

Many of you don’t know me well, so I’ll start with something that’s pretty central to who I am: I think about death a lot. Probably much more than most people; and hopefully not more than what’s healthy. (Dave, as the counselor among us, you can be the judge). Since my mom died of cancer when I was four, my perspective makes since that I’d wonder about this. It’s in my nature to focus and consider deeply, so this is something I’ve thought about over and over again.

 

According to my Dad, my mother was a strong believer. At the end of her days, while she was in the hospital, she led a couple of the medical staff to faith in Jesus. This was a comfort some of the time.

 

Shortly after I began to take God seriously, I feel in love with scripture. Its power was amazing and wordless. The Bible could still my soul and silence the questions. You’ve had those kinds of moments. Moments of comfort, the kind that comes from the crystal clear understanding of a truth. An understanding born of the relentless abandonment of the unimportant. And it’s almost like none of this is a choice, but that it just happens to you by God. The first time I first experienced this impact of God’s Word came when I read Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians:

 

For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.

 

When I read this for the first time, I couldn’t read anything else, I had to keep reading over and over. I love the completeness of this phrase, it defines life and death and everything after death. It’s the ultimate focus and the ultimate reward. All of life ought to be Christ for everyone: from the blind man healed to the grizzled veteran of the faith, imprisoned and facing certain death.

 

There is no hardship, no pressure, no threat, no anxiety, no deadline, no task, no conflict, no guilt, no responsibility, no burden that isn’t lightened by four simple words: to die is gain. Typically, we’re not facing death... and even if we were, it would be gain. Where are you if you don’t have hope?

 

I’m not talking about a glib platitude to be offered to the person in the throes of grief and sorrow that comes from tragedy and loss.

 

Instead I’m talking about what it means to be mature spiritually, this is a measure and a model for how we ought to conduct our lives on a daily basis. Life is Christ and death is gain. These eight words are a tough faith, a difficult teaching.

 

There are many confusions, mysteries, and paradoxes in the spiritual life. However, the important steps are easily accessible: is Christ your life? Does the hope of heaven shed any light on today?

I don’t know where you’re at right now and I don’t know what you are facing. I’m well aware of the challenges (ministry and personal) that I’m facing, and I take great comfort in the truth. It’s my prayer that you’d also be comforted.

 

 

I'm a little late with this post, but I wanted to share a few of the Christmas highlights from the congregation in San Clemente:

1000+ people showed up to Snow Day (snow man competition at the beach?)
1218 people showed up to worship at the Christmas Services
38 people made first time faith commitments

Great stuff!

SO MUCH has been happening: we're just 12 weeks away from launching TWO campuses: Irvine and Corona. Take a moment to meet Erin Kerr, pastor of Saddleback Irvine. (in a week or so, we'll introduce you to Dave Greene, pastor of Saddleback Corona)

 

Hi, I’m Erin Kerr and I am privileged to be the Saddleback Irvine Pastor! Pastor Rick’s vision of 10 new campuses by 2010 has opened up this amazing opportunity to extend our impact. My beautiful wife Joy and I are very excited because we get to serve and invest directly in the community we live in – the Irvine/Tustin area. My wife and I have been married for almost 2 years, have been at Saddleback about that long and have started praying for God’s wisdom in this new adventure with many of you!

 

One thing I have noticed in my life is that God has a great sense of humor – especially when it comes to adjusting to MY LIFE PLANS. For example, I was raised in NorCAL and NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED living in SoCAL (I love it though now). Vocationally, I never thought I was going to be a pastor. I actually grew up being known as the “art guy” - even studying graphic design at Cal Poly SLO (‘95). In ministry, I never EVER considered myself an “evangelist” and yet God, in his hilarity, has led me to champion this value in the two churches I have served in since seminary! And finally, although I grew up in the SF Bay Area with 49er fans everywhere, God chose me to be a diehard cowboy fan – OK, that’s pushing it but I feel like my life has been far from expected.

 

Anyway, one of my favorite bible passages is Jer 29.11 because it reminds me that God has a better plan even when I have high hopes on my own plan. From that verse, we learn that his plan is about prosperity (no, not heaps of cash on our doorstep but vibrant life in Him), hope (not wishful thinking but you can trust in) and a better future… ultimately through relationship with Christ. Not only that, his “little plan” (the Great Commission – you heard of it?) for humankind’s redemption is a tad more compelling and risky than my most Big Hairy Audacious Goal “5 year plan” (I don’t have one) - I love the fact that we get the chance to play a role as a partner with God.

 

So, yes, we are planning and strategizing – being wise stewards. But let’s see what God, our Father and King, will do as He raises up servants (you) and leaders (and you) to join Him (and me) on the adventure of impacting the Irvine area by living out God’s purposes-pointing to Jesus all along the way. If you want to know what you can do right now to help: please commit to praying for that community, a location to meet, for your role God wants you to play, for the people we need to encourage there and for God to get the credit for it all. Thanks for your prayers! 

 

Blessings,

Erin

ekerr@saddleback.net

Two really great things happened this week.

First, last Wednesday we had our first gathering for the Irvine congregation and we prayed in the parking lot of the school where we are headed. It was low key and casual. Even though we did very little to get the word out, almost 70 people showed up and weathered the cold (cold for California) for prayer.

Second, we hit  a major milestone on the planning side of things (read: non-exciting). We had the final budgets/staffing approved for both Irvine and Corona. We knew we were going to Irvine and Corona, now we have a clear understanding of how we’re going to resource and staff these ministries. Very excited about both things!

Josh Griffin wrote this earlier today:

Scott and his team have a great lineup of Christmas fun for their holiday weekend. They'll have free family photos, a live nativity with real animals, and Christmas carolers during the services over the weekend. But the best part is Monday - they are trucking in trucking in 30 tons of snow to hold a snowman making competition and children's sled run in the parking lot.

When's the last time you saw a real snowman in Southern California? That is super cool ... my kids haven't seen snow in 2 years, that would be a great time!

JG

PS: Grab some free Christmas music here, too!

Over the last few days, I’ve been to DC and ATL visiting two churches that have a multi campus approach to ministry. 

The first person we met was MARK BATTERSON and he started National Community Church. I’ll start with the most important: Mark strikes me as a leader who is both very passionate and very humble and very focused on his calling and vision. (Often people like to use ‘both’ to only refer to two things, but since there is no English word that can stand in for ‘both’ and refer to three things, I am limited and forced to use ‘both.’)

Mark wasn’t just warm and likeable, he was genuine and thoughtful, eager to help and was encouraging. During Mark’s message (which was good, of course I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t think it was), someone behind me said, “he’s such a dork” with all the admiration and affection that was like one sibling to another. It was exactly the great kind of connection I think is important for a leader to make. RW likes to say, “We take God seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.” When I’m in a conversation with someone, I’m often thinking, “nor do I see any reason to take you seriously.” (just loving others as I love myself.)

NCC is committed to reaching the people of Capitol Hill, and some of the surrounding areas (like George Town and Arlington area). They have a UNIQUE challenge: many of the people in their mission field are in their 20s, and the turnover rate is 40-50% each year. Their calling is to be in market place locations, like UNION STATION, movie theaters, and even a coffee house.

Let’s talk about that coffee house: it’s called Ebenozer’s (didn’t ask why, although my short time with Mark leads me to believe there would be some significance, I don’t think he leaves much to chance) and they had some really great coffee. I’m a total food snob (one of the reasons I’m a fat pig) and I know good coffee (even though it doesn’t make me that fat). A coffee place is only as good as its espresso, and when I ordered my customary FOUR SHOTS of black-toasty-liquidly-velvet-silk-kick you in the face-little slice of heaven, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Check out their website and Mark’s blog.

We also met with David McDaniel from North Point Ministries (www.northpoint.org) to talk to him about their strategy for a multi site approach. I’m not going to write as much about David and North Point because this is the longest blog in the world. David was also very helpful and had a great heart. They have been very successful and it would be easy for most people to develop an attitude of superiority—not David! North point plants BIG campuses, one has 3000 seats and the other has 2000 seats. Both have multiple services, and while they aren’t yet at capacity, I got the feeling that they would be within a year or so. When they plant a new place, they intentionally want to “cannibalize” their existing campuses (his term, not mine). The intentionally want to plant NEAR so as to empty seats and keep the onus on ALL CAMPUSES to reach and invite new people. Unless I understood incorrectly, they have no “full time” worship music pastor. Instead they contract all of their musicians. I think this keeps things fresh, although I’m sure they use several people regularly. Good stuff!

There’s probably more I could write (both serious and silly) but I’ll keep this post short and sweet and end it now.

Progress Report

(sorry I didn’t post this earlier! I’m trying to do at least one update each week)

 

 

Irvine: Once the 40 days of Purpose campaign is over, Erin Kerr (pastor for the Irvine Campus) will fully transition from the missions team and be able to focus his full attention to this new campus. We are looking at an Easter launch date, but are planning on having a few gatherings beginning in January. I’ve heard a few stories of some people stopping by the campus and praying, so GREAT!

 

Corona: Dave Green is still in transition from the pastoral care team, so please be praying for God to bring his replacement.

 

Potential Campus Pastor: we are currently considering another pastor to lead a campus, I can’t tell you who and I can’t tell you where... but you can be praying for God to work out the details and that we would follow his leading.

 

Planning: YEA!! Everyone’s favorite thing!! I’ve made some more headway on the staffing for each campus. I need to fill out some HR paperwork which will really help to define roles and responsibilities. This is important! (but not always exciting) Also, I’m close to finishing a 2 year ministry strategy that will serve as a template for each campus. YEA!

 

Saddleback Somewhere: Saddleback SOMEWHERE is an expression of our weekend services in a home setting. We’re getting close to launch a few of these groups as a “beta test” for what this might look like in the future. We are still looking for another group that’s within 20-25 minutes of Saddleback Lake Forest, if you are interested, let me know. (mattm@saddleback.net).

 

ROAD TRIPS: I’m taking two road trips in December to visit some other churches that are doing regional campus ministry. I’m looking forward to learning some things and meeting leaders who are “in the trenches.” I’ll keep you posted with what I learn!

 

There’s probably a few other significant or interesting things that have happened, I need to be better at slowing down enough so I can share them with you and give thanks to God!

 

A few of us have been talking about Saddleback Irvine for half a year, praying and wondering what God might do. Last night, after a few tacos and tostadas, Anna, James and Jane, John and Grace, my wife (Misha) and I went to El Camino Elementary School (Let’s not forget 3 babies and two boys who were running around with more energy than what comes from splitting an atom).

 

When we arrived, staff from the Irvine Unified School district were still there, cleaning out the school. They let us in. It was exciting to look around and talk about where the different programs might take place.

 

Before we left, we took a few moments to thank God and ask for his continued guidance. It is such a great thing to watch God work, it is humbling to be invited to work alongside him. Last night was a quiet and unassuming beginning for what God is going to do in the next few months.

 

The school is near Walnut and Yale, in case you want to stop by as well. I think it would be great if you gathered a few people to pray for Irvine.

 

 

 

Today was a GREAT for the Irvine campus, as Erin and I checked out a few different possible locations.  (By the way, Erin Kerr will pastor the Saddleback Irvine congregation)

 

Our first stop had a lot of potential. The facility would be great, however there would be a TON of headaches to make it work. And I literally mean a ton. Since the average headache weighs about 8 ounces, from there it was just simple math. Needless to say, while the day started off hopeful, we were a little discouraged upon leaving the first stop.

 

Even before the day started, we weren't overflowing with joy and bliss for our second stop. The reason for this was simple: parking. Since elementary kids don't drive that often (the exception being the mid-west, where they drive tractors and/or combines at the age of 4), the school we were about to check out boasted of exactly 37 parking spots. Did you know that every car that comes to church is filled with 1.7 people? This wouldn't cut it.

 

However, we were diligent to the end, and committed to looking at it with our own eyes before we scratched it off our list. So, we park and walk around the school. As we rounded the corner of a building, we were stricken with awe. Before us was a glorious vision of endless miles of blacktop, sitting so innocently behind the school. I may have heard a quiet whisper, "park on me." (please don't tell people I hear voices) After looking inside the school, we found a great place for our worship services, and excellent space for our children's ministries.

 

Perhaps you're wondering if I'll give you the location of the school. While I'm a firm believer in the power of suspense, I also believe very strongly in clarity (however I don't believe in being concise). The school we visited was El Camino Real Elementary School.

 

View Larger Map

 

The third spot we looked at was the AMC theaters in "the district" in Tustin. They were great, not as good as the school, but still a good back up option. We still have a few other places we're going to check out. If you have an idea, email Erin at ekerr@saddleback.net .

 

KEEP PRAYING!

As we move outward and plant new regional campuses, a top priority is to REPLICATE what it means to be Saddleback. We don’t do this because we’re enamored with ourselves. Our purpose is to serve God, and we've found great success with our strategy. It's not the only strategy that works, but it's the one we know. As we reach new people and build new congregations, we will need to CONTEXTUALIZE Saddleback’s ministry to meet those unique needs. There's a tension between REPLICATION and CONTEXTUALIZATION. Our essential DNA will morph if we are not careful to watch and maintain a balance that's wise. Here are some unacceptable solutions which I feel fails to maintain a healthy balance:

 

1. SaddleCLONE. In this approach, each regional looks exactly like Lake Forest, it's just a smaller mini-me. In Lake Forest, there are many ministries that won’t be needed in a regional. Their presence will only detract from growth. If the quilting ministry was SaddleCLONED at each regional, it would have a single person doing cross-stitch.

 

2. TIME Machine. In this approach, each regional turns the clock back and imitates the "good old days" of Saddleback. For example, “In the third year of Saddleback, Glen (our executive pastor)  lead the worship. It was good enough then, so we'll send Glen to be your worship pastor.” We have learned too many lessons to make the same mistakes. It’s not a bad thing for a regional start up to have more resources than Rick and Kay had when they started Saddleback. (It's my understanding that Glen never led worship.)

 

3. Free Range Chickens. In this approach, each regional plays the recorded sermon, if they feel like it. If they want, they may choose to replace Rick with interpretative dance, or turtle watching. Everything else is up for grabs. New values are defined, unknown programs are created. The only time this regional uses the word PURPSOE is when they incorrectly say PORPOISE.

 

 

At the heart of who we are is the five unchanging biblical purposes: evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. Over time, our methods will change (they must change), but our purpose will never change. We are not driven by personality, programs, or property. We are driven by the eternal purposes of God. Everything that happens at a regional campus is designed to fulfill God’s purposes for the church in a way that is consistent to the spirit of Saddleback.

The theme for this week was PEOPLE. Some weeks I spend most of my time thinking about "big picture" stuff, some times it's heavy with details, but this last week was all about people.

This week the leadership of Saddleback met to discuss the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. San Clemente is getting geared up and ready for all the great things that are going to happen. (OK, so this was more of a meeting than people time...)

I met with two different people who may be a fit for leading a campus. It's both fun and challenging to have several things in motion at once, things that are going in different directions with different velocities. I wrote in an email to one of them: "God is pulling me into something that's way bigger than me and my abilities, so I'm under the assumption that my life will be complicated and confusing for some time. I know that God is going to do some unexpected things..." 

I met with a potential new staff member who will serve in San Clemente. It was so great to connect! It really wasn't an interview, as it was the beginning of a friendship. She will be caring for many of the small groups that are connected to San Clemente. I loved her thoughtfulness, experience, common sense wisdom, passion, clarity of vision, depth of heart to see people connect. She is going to be a great fit with the San Clemente team and I'm confident God is going to do some great things through her ministry.

I met with two of our communications guru's to talk about our over all marketing plans and next steps for creating a template for a regional website.

I also met with Johnny Baker, he is one of the ministers who oversees the Celebrate Recovery ministry at Saddleback. We haven't connected for about two months, and it was good to get some more info about how CR works. San Clemente just launched a CR program a few weeks ago, big stuff! 

This afternoon I have a meeting with Rick Warren, I'm pretty sure he wants me to write all of his sermons for him (kidding, of course!)

So, what’s happening in the regional world? A lot of things!

 

First, we have this web site up and running. It’s not flashy or fancy, but we’re hoping it’s helpful in informing you about what’s going on and how you can get connected to a regional Saddleback campus.

 

Second, we have identified the pastors for Corona and Irvine! This is big news! As a step in faith we have chosen both leaders from our staff at Saddleback who already have developed great ministries. It is a tough thing to transition from the known into the unknown. Dave Greene will pastor the church in Corona. Currently he is on our pastoral care team. Erin Kerr will pastor the church at Irvine. He’s currently serving on our missions’ team. These men have a great heart for God, are true servants, and will be a blessing to those they will be serving. These are men of character and conviction, with a proven record of faithfulness, which is rare in our world. However, Erin loves the Dallas Cowboys and Dave drives a motorcycle, so they may be weirder than I suspect. You’ll be able to read more about them over the next few weeks on this blog.

 

Next, GREAT things have been happening at our San Clemente campus. Within the last 6 weeks, the SC Crew has launched a Saturday night Service, small groups for children, and students, and a Celebrate Recovery ministry. They’ve been busy! If you haven’t visited them yet, check them out.

 

With the help of some others, I’ve put together a two year ministry strategy that will serve as a template for each of the campuses. If I were to talk too much about it, I’d probably bore you, so I won’t post the details here. This strategy will be a great roadmap and a huge help while planning our future ministry.

 

That’s all for now however, this blog will be updated at least once a week. Check back with us and, if you are computer nerd, subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking here.

Here is the very first post for our snappy new blog! Check here to find out the latest information about what we're doing and where we are going. Below is a great vid about some of those serving in San Clemente.