OUR VISION
HOME FOR THE WANDERER & REST FOR THE WEARY
We envision an open, welcoming church that is a place for weary Christians to find rest and wandering “nones”* to find acceptance and family. With a youth ministry that reaches unbelieving students, connects them with other believers, helps them grow in their faith, discover their ministry and honor God with their lives. With children’s ministry that is a safe, fun learning environment where kids realize they are gifted and empowered by God to be the hands and feet of Jesus to their friends and parents. With a young adult ministry by young adults and for young adults that empowers and unleashes their passion and creativity into the world and trains them for ministry in the arts, sciences, business, education and service industries as missionaries to the culture.
With adult ministries for men, women, parents, singles, divorced people, those with special needs and those in recovery that teach people how to live in an intimate relationship with God, community with his people and as part of a bigger cause than themselves. With counseling and healing ministries that treat the whole person and restore people to their true identity in Christ, setting them free from baggage, pain, addictions, bitterness, anger, fear and worry to live freely and fully alive.
A church where prayer is not a program, but a lifestyle of dependance on God and faith in his available presence and power working in and through us. Where tithing is normal and extravagant giving is celebrated. Where people risk and dream and follow God with reckless abandon. Where we attempt ever more impossible things God leads us into, relying on his power and provision to do what we cannot make happen ourselves.
A church that is a greenhouse for creativity and arts, music, film, photography, hospitality and business that trains students and interns from around the world and produces influential music, food, art and media that blesses the worldwide church and impacts the secular culture. With a central hub campus and homes where people gather in every city in south Orange County that see themselves as ministry centers for their neighborhood and outposts of the kingdom in their city. And as people move away from Orange County we send them out equipped to remain connected to the church family and to minister to people wherever they are at.
All of this must be lived inside-out by our values of authenticity, intimacy, love and restoration. We will become a home for the wanderer and rest for the weary only to the extent that we pursue authenticity with ourselves, intimacy with God, love for each person and the restoration of all things until Christ’s kingdom comes and his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
*”nones” is the term for those who select “none” on forms asking for a religious affiliation.
OUR MESSAGE
We believe God created a good world and humans to represent him and relate to him on earth. Humanity rebelled against God and spoiled our relationship to him, each other, our world and ourselves. The Bible is the record of God’s unfolding promise to set it all straight through one man. That man is Jesus, God’s own son, who came to show us what God is really like and what he wants us to become. He said he came so we could have abundant life and that he came to destroy the works of the enemy who wants to steal that life from us. Jesus died on a Roman cross to take all the evil and sin of the world upon himself and destroy its power and pay its penalty. He rose from the dead to break the power of death, ascended into heaven and gave his Spirit and authority to his people to continue his work on earth. He will return one day to finish the job and restore everything in heaven and earth. Our job as the church is to pray for and implement what he has already achieved on earth as it is in heaven.
AFFILIATION
We are affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) is a rapidly growing multiethnic denomination in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents of the world. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the ECC values the Bible as the word of God, the gift of God’s grace and ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through a faith with Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God’s love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength that comes from unity within diversity. Find out more at covchurch.org or check out what we are doing locally at pswc.org.