“I didn’t realize that pouring into one person will then have that person pour into the next person… It makes me step back and realize that your small actions have a huge ripple effect.”

As a kid growing up in Santa Ana, Santiago didn’t enjoy school and often hid to avoid tutoring and at Lighthouse Community Center on Minnie Street. However, one of the volunteers, Felipe, never gave up on Santiago—every week, he would knock on Santiago’s door and invite him to youth group and church, making sure he was included. 

Little by little, Santiago began attending the youth events at Lighthouse Community Center, drawn in by Felipe’s persistence. When Santiago was in high school, he confessed faith in Jesus while at summer camp with Felipe as his counselor. He even began serving as a camp counselor, continuing the legacy of care Felipe had invested in him. Now connected in community, Santiago graduated high school with the support of other LCC tutors, eventually receiving a Pathfinder scholarship to UC Irvine. 

Watch and see how God used Felipe to impact Santiago’s life and create an incredible legacy of transformation!

“Everything I did—it had to be perfect. It made me feel like God was just so far away.”

Growing up, Leireen always struggled with the pressure of perfectionism in her spiritual life. Hoping to earn God’s approval, she tried to follow all the rules—yet the more she tried, the more lost she felt. Her struggle felt impossible to escape, and God seemed more distant than ever.

One day, Leireen attended a Mariners service and saw a story about a woman who went through Remedy, a care and recovery program at Mariners Church. Leireen realized the feelings of shame and perfectionism she had been struggling with were seriously affecting her relationship with God. She decided to sign up for Remedy, and there, she found a space where she could safely process her hurt and grow in her understanding of God’s unconditional love.

Watch and see how God freed Leireen from her shame and completely transformed her relationship with Him!

“And at that point, all I could do was pray. All I had was my family, my church family, and my community.”

For many years, Michael attended Mariners Church from the sidelines. Enjoying the anonymity and safety of blending into the background, he focused totally on his individual faith and never sought deeper community or connection. However, when Michael heard that Mariners would be launching a congregation in Tustin, he decided to take a big step outside of his comfort zone and attended a group prayer event for Mariners Tustin. There, Michael started getting connected for the first time.

Then, on Easter Sunday, Michael’s wife suffered a heart attack. As the paramedics rushed her out of the house, Michael saw members of his church family already at his doorstep, asking how they could help and coming alongside him and his kids in prayer.

Watch and see how God cared for Michael and his family during a devastating crisis through the power of community.

“Now I feel like I have purpose. I wouldn’t be able to tell you this a year ago.”

Although Mike grew up in a religious household and was baptized at a young age, he never had a personal relationship with Jesus. In his adult life, he fell into reckless living and struggled with alcohol abuse for many years. He was searching for fulfillment, but his relationships were suffering and he felt more lost than ever. 

When Mike’s wife encouraged him to join a Rooted group at Mariners, he was hesitant; he didn’t want to “go through the motions” of following God, like he had done in his past. But eventually, he decided to give Rooted a try. During those 10 weeks, it was like a switch had been flipped—for the first time, Mike experienced the love of God in a vivid, personal way. He saw a fresh purpose in his life, and began taking steps to pursue God, even choosing to get baptized again

Watch how God used Rooted to lead Mike into a thrilling, purpose-filled relationship with Him!

“God, you know, answered my prayers in His time. And not a bus—it’s a church for all Santa Ana, and their families and beyond.”

For Maria, getting to church was never simple. Every weekend, she would leave her one-bedroom apartment in Santa Ana, and start a three-hour journey to reach Mariners Irvine. Since Maria didn’t have a car, she had to take three different buses and walk for two miles just to be a part of the church family she loved so much. Maria made this trip for 22 years, praying all the while for God to send a new bus—one that would go directly from Santa Ana to Mariners. 

One day, Maria’s daughter came to her with wonderful news: Mariners was starting a church in Santa Ana. As soon as Mariners Santa Ana officially launched, she got involved wherever she could, serving at the food pantry and attending all three services each Sunday. Within the heart of Santa Ana, she felt more connected to her community than ever before. Although she had asked God for a bus, His answer went beyond anything she could’ve imagined! 

Watch how God answered Maria’s faithful prayer and brought about His plan in an amazing way!

“No matter how late in the game we may think it is, it’s never too late for God to lead us somewhere new.”

Working in the business world for most of his life, Bill was never interested in artistic expression. It was only in his 60s, when his role as a foster child mentor unexpectedly led him to join an oil-painting class, that Bill took up a brush and discovered his gift. Oil painting, he found, was not just a hobby he enjoyed, but a talent that the Holy Spirit was directing him to use for His purposes. 

Bill began painting Scripture, reimagining classic paintings through the lens of God’s Word. He painted biblical figures in the streets of Orange County. He even captured moments from the Mariners ministries in which he served. Though he had never imagined himself as an artist, Bill saw again and again how his willingness to use his new talent for God’s Kingdom led to powerful, Spirit-filled work.

Watch how the Holy Spirit used Bill’s faithfulness to gift and lead him in a totally new way!

“Nobody was ever going to convince me that there was this God, or Spirit. If I couldn’t see it and feel it, it didn’t exist.”

As an atheist and a successful academic, Jennifer had definitively rejected the idea of a living God. But then the impossible happened: a period of hardship hit during law school, and Jennifer found herself in a church, desperately crying out to a God she wasn’t even sure existed. In that moment of humility, she felt the Spirit of God surround her with love.

Driven by this tangible experience, Jennifer began reading her Bible and praying for the people in her life. The more she prayed for others, the more she saw the Spirit transform her, working to deepen her understanding of Him and His power. After seeing the living power of prayer, Jennifer began serving on the Mariners Prayer Team.

Watch and see how God used Jennifer’s commitment to prayer to make His Spirit alive in her life!

“All I could think was, ‘We have to get her to this audition, because she’s amazing…’”

Delaney, a high school senior, had an incredible opportunity—and a big obstacle. When her HSM Life Group leaders found out about it, they jumped into action to support Delaney in a big way!

“I clearly felt Him say to my heart and my soul, ‘Do you trust me?’”

As the sole provider for her elderly mother, Carmina had a lot of financial responsibility on her shoulders. She worried about losing her job, paying taxes, putting food on the table, and handling the bills for her mother’s failing health—it was too much for Carmina to bear alone. The thought of giving to her church seemed out of the question.

As she wrestled with her anxiety, God began to move in Carmina’s heart. She felt God ask her to trust that He would provide, even through difficult financial circumstances. She wasn’t alone; she could lean on God, who was with her through everything. Filled with peace, Carmina made the decision to give consistently to her church.

Check out how God used an unlikely solution to change Carmina’s heart.