This weekend we’re launching our brand-new, summer teaching series, Hope in Hopeless Times, unpacking the book of f 1 Peter. The people of Peter’s day were a lot like us. They felt overwhelmed, and, at times, filled with despair and frustration. Peter’s first letter still speaks to us, like it did to the early church thousands of years ago, reminding us of the unwavering, unshakeable hope we have in Jesus.
We’re not going to skip a verse in 1 Peter so don’t skip a week! Join us every weekend at one of our locations throughout Orange County, or online at marinerschurch.tv, and invite your friends and neighbors to experience this incredible series with you.
Our amazing Mariners Creative Arts Volunteer Team has also created a beautiful series magazine filled with resources, original content, inspiring stories, and more to guide you as we explore the book of 1 Peter together.. Bring it with you to weekend worship services, and on the road with you when you’re traveling, to follow along with us week by week. Pick up a physical copy this weekend or download a digital version here.
Early in his musical career, Tim received a devastating cancer diagnosis and was told he had five years to live. 20 years later, he continues to live every day with purpose, hope, and a passion to reach and serve others with God’s love.
“I try to approach every day as being an instrument in God’s hands. ‘Lord, how are you going to use me in this sphere that You’ve brought me into today…How can I pursue excellence for Your Name’s sake?’ Then it’s easy to let the results be in His hands.” – Rob Pelinka
Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka shares how his faith kept him grounded amidst the intensity of the NBA Playoffs in the “bubble,” and what life lessons he holds dear from his 20-year friendship with Kobe Bryant.
After experiencing a devastating 42% drop in income, Laynie took a big step of faith and made a bold and generous gift, trusting God would provide for her and her young daughter.
Colby experienced the depths of God’s fatherly love, guidance, and comfort during one of the most difficult seasons of his life—the tragic loss of his earthly father.
I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
Over the past year, one thing has remained true. God is good and faithful. We’re so grateful for how God has worked through Mariners Church to serve and reach our communities and our world with His love.
Because of your generosity, we were able to expand our impact, serve our cities, and reach even more people with the life-changing, good news of Jesus.
Here are a few of the amazing things God has done through our church:
Throughout this past year, we invested heavily in our online services. Now, Mariners Online services serve people from all 50 states and 83 countries, with an average of 20,000 people worshiping online with us every weekend.
We increased efforts at the Mariners Food Pantry to serve those battling food insecurity and launched Mariners in the Gap to support families with childcare, academics, and after-school enrichment.
We launched weekend worship services at the OC Rescue Mission to share God’s love with the families at the mission.
Through Mariners Hosted Here, we’re now bringing our online services to 55 at-home gatherings, 61 senior living facilities, and 300 prisons across the United States.
Our Mariners in the Neighborhood locations will launch as four new Mariners Congregations this fall.
This is your generosity at work. Thank you for partnering with us to inspire others to follow Jesus and fearlessly change the world.
Mariners remains committed to going as far as the generosity of our church will allow. As we prepare to begin our new budget year on July 1, we invite you to take a step of faith to give generously and be a part of advancing God’s message, and His mission, on Earth. We’re excited about all the new opportunities the Lord is bringing our way and can’t wait to see where He will take us next.
“When I heard their stories, I felt like I knew them all my life. It reminded me of the process I had to go through to leave my country and come over to the United States,” Ali said.
Ali came to the United States at a young age seeking advanced medical care after losing one of his legs in an accident. As an adult, he became friends with a few people from Mariners Church who invited him to sign up for Rooted. At the end of his Rooted experience, Ali said “I believe” for the first time and made the decision to follow Jesus.
When Ali signed up to serve with Voice of the Refugees (VOR) and deliver food to refugee families, he wasn’t sure what to expect. As a refugee himself coming from a region that had experienced a lot of conflict, he didn’t know how people from other countries would receive him. “I wasn’t sure what type of people I would be meeting and talking to. I was a bit nervous about it,” Ali said.
One of the first families he met was from Iraq, a country that had been at war with Ali’s home country of Iran for several years when Ali was young. The father of that family was a former soldier who apologized to Ali for his part in the conflict. Ali assured him that what had happened was in the past and prayed with him. He told him, “we love God and God loves us the same. You are absolutely my brother.”
The experience stuck with Ali as he continued to serve even more refugee families with VOR in the following months. “It was such a powerful moment. I just felt blessed. It was such a heartwarming experience to know God is present and God is at work,” Ali said.
We invite you to come serve with us and our partners at Voice of the Refugee (VOR) on World Refugee Awareness Day. Join us this Saturday, June 26 at a family picnic where we’ll play games, connect, share stories, build relationships with our refugee families and neighbors, and celebrate the launch of VOR’s summer programs. Learn more and sign up through the link below.
“What does giving mean to me? It means faith. It means bold, crazy faith. I’m trusting in God, that He’s going to provide for me. I’m giving without limits and without sanctions. I am just handing over what God has given me because I know that it’s all His to begin with,” Laynie said.
In March 2020, Laynie experienced a devastating 42% drop in income. As a single mom working in the financial industry, Laynie questioned whether she would have enough to care for her daughter. Feeling out of control and fearing what the future might hold, Laynie decided to pause her recurring giving.
In the summer, Laynie went back to an in-person service at Mariners Irvine for the first time in months, and she heard an inspiring story of a woman’s journey of giving, even when it was difficult. Over the next few days, Laynie felt God leading her to make a big gift to Mariners Church—much bigger than what she felt comfortable with. At first she tried to barter with God, but after three days, she took a step of faith and gave the full amount.
The next day she received two letters in the mail. One was a letter from the IRS saying she overpaid her 2019 taxes and was due a big refund. The other was the check, which arrived six weeks earlier than promised and was half the amount she had just given to Mariners.
The experience blew her away. Even when she thought she was giving more than she was able, God remained faithful and provided for her. She quickly signed up for recurring giving again, trusting God would continue to take care of her and her daughter’s needs. Through her journey of generosity, God brought her freedom in both her finances and her heart.
“I think what I’m so humbled by is God’s goodness. Once I fully surrendered to Him and stopped trying to control money, the fear and anxiety I always struggled with dissipated. I know God will always provide for myself and my daughter,” Laynie said. At the end of the year, Laynie reflected on all God had done through Mariners in 2020 and celebrated knowing she was a part of it.
The Bible says, “Though (the Macedonian Christians) have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others. They gave not only what they could afford but far more; and I can testify that they did it because they wanted to…They begged us to take the money so they could share in the joy of helping the Christians in Jerusalem.” 2 Corinthians 8:2-4
Because of the giving of our generous church, we’ve been able to move quickly at all the opportunities the Lord is bringing our way. As we pray and plan for the 2021/2022 ministry season, we invite you to prayerfully consider giving to Mariners before June 30, the close of our fiscal year.
You can give online here or at any of our weekend services to be a part of advancing God’s message, and His mission, on Earth.
Each year, the directional elders of our church come together to prayerfully choose a church verse that will guide us throughout the next year. Through this process, we believe the Lord has given us a verse to center us and lead us as a church during this next season of ministry.
“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching,” Hebrews 10:23-24.
We pray that as we enter into this next ministry year, this verse will remind us of the unwavering hope in Jesus and encourage us to keep moving forward with faith to love and serve the people of Orange County and beyond. We hope this verse will inspire our church family as we continue considering one another in order to provoke love and good works!
This weekend, we’re also beginning a new teaching series through the book of Esther, Are You There God?. Esther is an epic account of God caring for His people.Interestingly, the story of Esther never mentions God by name, but He is intimately present, working behind the scenes doing extraordinary things through ordinary people.Through this series, we’ll see how God is continually working, in every situation, for our good.
This series is a great opportunity for you to invite a friend to join you as we go through this powerful book of the Bible that’s filled with encouragement for us in every season. Click the graphic below to learn more!
https://vimeo.com/556346908/298d18bcf7
We serve a God who loves us and has a great plan and purpose for our lives. When it was time for Him to pick His team to share this amazing news, and His love, with humanity, He chose you!
When we reflect on this incredible reality, we can’t help but respond! This weekend, we invite you to join us at our Volunteer Expo happening after every service to explore the different serving opportunities and ways for you to get involved at Mariners. There is a place for you to use your unique gifts, experiences, and passions to serve others and fearlessly change the world.
Whether you’re passionate about investing in the next generation, love making people feel welcomed during weekend worship services, or have musical or creative gifts you want to use to inspire others to follow Jesus, we believe there is a spot on one of our ministry teams that only you can fill. He has plucked you out of space and time and put you here, right now, for a specific purpose—and He wants to use you!
So what are you waiting for? Take the leap! Jump into serving and be a part of something bigger than yourself. We can’t wait to see what God does through you!
Stay after services this weekend to experience the Volunteer Expo and meet ministry leaders and other volunteers to learn more about our many ministry teams, and discover how you can jump in and serve others. Plus, there will be plenty of fun, music, and other great surprises for the whole family! We hope to see you there!
