Join us in serving The Forgotten:  those who society has deemed the least, the last, and the lost.

Mentoring Night – Outreach for Young Girls:
Calling all Ladies-->Watch movies & hang out with girls in the community.
*This Friday, August 20th – Time TBA (probably around 6pm)
If you are interested, please email nicolel@saddleback.com asap. Thank you!

Orphan & Foster Care Outreach in Orange County:
Volunteer Orientation – Orangewood Children & Family Center
*Tuesday, August 24th @ 10 a.m.
-->Please register, call or e-mail Lorena Rodriguez at (888) 871-5437
-or- lorena.roderiguez@ssa.http://www.facebook.com/l/c4cf4MEtF8X4NT5uoXI0LUzx7rQ;ocgov.com

Orphan Care – Haiti's “Swamp Kids”:
Sponsorship Cards & Sign-Ups available at The Forgotten Table after Crave!
$38 a month provides food, clothing, medical & schooling for each child sponsored.

HIV/AIDS Initiative – Volunteer Meeting & Information Night:
*Monday, August 23rd – 7-9pm in Ministry Office 2 (MO2) in the Gathering Room.
Speakers: Kay Warren, Elizabeth Styffe, Gil Odendaal & Introducing Jessica Charlton

Don’t forget that we are having baptisms this Thursday after the 7:15 and 9:15 Crave gatherings!

Why do we participate in baptism?

--To follow Christ’s example—“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river.”  Mark 1:9.

--Because Christ commanded it—“Jesus said, ‘Go then to all people everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then teach them to obey everything I have commanded you…’”  Matthew 28: 19-20.

--Because it shows you are a believer—“…many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”  Acts 18:8.

--Because obeying Christ’s command shows you know Him—“We know that we have come to know Him, if we obey His commands.”  1 John 2:3

Every person who has made the decision to believe in Christ should be baptized!  It is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection and a symbol of your new life as a Christian. 

“Those who believed and accepted His message were baptized.”  Acts 2:41

If you’d like information on Crave baptisms happening this Thursday, it’s not too late!  Please e-mail Lisab@saddleback.com for more information!

Saddleback Church is currently looking intensely for interns for this Fall.  (Internships are offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer.)

The "College Internship Program" offers internships in the areas of Leadership, Marketing, Social Media, Graphic Design, Web Design, Journalism, Video, and Public Relations. It is a 3-6 month opportunity, and the internship includes skills training, personal development training, mentoring, and real-world experience.

The ideal candidate for an intern position is a committed Christian desiring to observe and contribute to the work of the church, someone who is currently working toward or already holds a Bachelor's degree, someone who is willing to take on responsibility and work with a team, and enjoys working in a fun, enthusiastic work environment.

If you're interested in this awesome opportunity, download an application at saddleback.com/commintern and email it to kylec@saddleback.com. 

Got questions?  Call 949-609-8560.

Crave students preparing to leave for Haiti.

Hello from Haiti! We are coming to the end of our second full day, broken and encouraged at the same time. It is a surreal experience to get to be here, but every moment we spend reminds us that our God is also in this devastated place. Stepping off the plane, I realized it is less intimidating than I thought it would be because people here are just as human and in need of love as the people I have experienced in my life. When we smile, their faces light up and send a universal signal of love back our way. They long for attention just like we do and appreciate love and adoration.


Rainbow over Haiti.

On Sunday, our first day here, we went to Pastor Rene's church called Delmas. As we walked in, a couple hundred Haitian men, women, and children stood singing and worshiping the God of compassion and love. They sang loud without instruments or impressive lighting. It was just them and Jesus--pure hearts wholeheartedly worshiping their creator--it was inspiring. Later in the afternoon, a few people went to the church's youth conference and loved and prayed with college-age students.


One of the groups we are working with here is called "Swamp Kids." They used to live in a swamp until missionaries found them and helped them find a building to temporarily live in with the pastor. This man and his family lives with the 30 kids full-time and work hard to provide and love these children. Their orphanage is currently in a temporary location and they stay in a really plain building with screen-less windows (so many bugs/mosquitos get inside), without furniture, and without electricity. Some of the kids get to go to school, but the majority don't yet get to because of money reasons.


Dancing, balloons, and singing in the rain at Swamp Kids.

These kids are in extreme need, but we praise Jesus for taking them out of the swampy pit and placing them into a safer environment. While we were with them, we got to play with them and hold and love them! Bubbles go a long way when language barriers minimize conversation and hand games allow personal interaction. Soccer (or football as some like to say!) always provides a good time, the boys love to play and jump around constantly!

We are also working with a refugee camp called Camp Abraham. These people live in temporary tents and tarps, set up in the dirt after the earthquake ruined their homes. The people of these camps have big hearts and love to play! They gave us a tour of their camps and the little girls holding my hands proudly pointed at their tarps and introduced me to their mom. They are such sweet children and love to jump rope, climb on us, and especially dance! The little boys literally climb on the guys on our trip and the little girls never stop asking the girls to hold them. They are beautiful and so loved by God. We are privileged to be here.

Today (Tuesday), we drove by the government building, aka the Palace, and saw the destruction caused by the earthquake. We saw the crowded clumps of people around town and the brokenness left by the rumbling earth.


"The Palace"

We finished the day by visiting Swamp Kids again, where we interrupted their school lesson for the day (oops!)! Those kids are beautiful and so great and they are opening up more and more each time we see them. They have been through a lot and are more shy than some of the other kids we have worked with, but as we continue to love, hold and play with them, they open up more and more. We made little paper hand puppets today and repeatedly mouthed the phrase "komon ou ye" which means "what is your name" and bonjou, because they are the phrases we best know. The kids loved to play with the puppets and eventually the creole term for 'hello' became a song, sung over and over again!


Photo by Nicole Leever (Crave Team)

God is good and He is moving in Haiti. We are so thankful to be here and to experience His presence daily. Everyone is safe and having such a great time! We can't wait to share more stories when we get back!!

Injustice: n; a violation of the rights of others; unjust or unfair treatment.

Human trafficking, land grabbing, abuse, and corruption…all are injustices happening in the world and even in Orange County.  We can change this!  Come to this compelling event to see the reality of injustice and ways you can help here at home or in other communities around the world.  There is a role that each of us can play!!

Join us next Monday, July 12^th, from 7-8:30pm in the Refinery Theater for this free event.

We live in a political system set up around "rights" -- the right to life, liberty and pursuing happiness, the right to free speech ... the right to an attorney (hopefully not a right you'll be needing soon). But this idea of "our rights" can cause problems if we let it sink too far into our souls, and it can keep us from living a life that really matters.

This week at CRAVE we'll talk about what our lives -- even our country -- could look like if we discovered that real spiritual freedom can be found in laying down our rights.

Crave is heading to beautiful Catalina Island this Labor Day Weekend (September 3-6) to explore what it means to respond to the invitation of Jesus to follow him.  While in the beautiful setting of Catalina we’ll enjoy extended times of prayer and worship together, hear from engaging speakers and have a ton of fun playing in the ocean. The private retreat center offers snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, hiking and more for our free time activities.

The cost is $199 early bird (if you pay in full by July 8^th), $220 after July 8^th, BUT FOR ALL 2010 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, we are offering a $50 discount on registration! 

SPACE IS LIMITED!  For more info and to register, e-mail Lisab@saddleback.com.

Life after high school is crazy: we have to figure out what to do about jobs, money, college, living situations, midterms, money relationships, more money, what are new connection to our parents looks like, will THEY give us money? ... it's a weird time.

It's also a time utterly unique in American history. Our generation is experiencing a longer gap of singleness -- being out of high school but unmarried -- than any generation, ever. So what do we do that? Is being single that long a good thing? Is being married something we should rush? And what's God purpose for this crazy season of life anyway?

This week at CRAVE we're going to continue to study the book of 1 Corinthians, and see how Paul advised a group of people who were facing the same questions. Hope to see you there!

Don’t forget that we are having baptisms this Thursday after the 7:15 and 9:15 Crave gatherings!

Why do we participate in baptism?

--To follow Christ’s example—“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river.”  Mark 1:9.

--Because Christ commanded it—“Jesus said, ‘Go then to all people everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then teach them to obey everything I have commanded you…’”  Matthew 28: 19-20.

--Because it shows you are a believer—“…many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”  Acts 18:8.

--Because obeying Christ’s command shows you know Him—“We know that we have come to know Him, if we obey His commands.”  1 John 2:3

Every person who has made the decision to believe in Christ should be baptized!  It is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection and a symbol of your new life as a Christian. 

“Those who believed and accepted His message were baptized.”  Acts 2:41

If you’d like information on Crave baptisms happening this Thursday, it’s not too late!  Please e-mail ChelseaC@saddleback.com for more information!