IN THE SPIRIT

-- Michele M. Marr

Church name: Mariners Church

Address: 5001 Newport Coast Drive. The main entrance to the church is

on Bonita Canyon Road.

Telephone: (949) 854-7600.

Web site: www.marinerschurch.org

Denomination: Non-denominational, Bible-based.

Year church established: 1963.

Service times: Saturday at 6 p.m.; Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11a.m.

Senior pastor: Kenton Beshore.

Pastoral staff: Close to 30 pastors provide leadership for volunteers

serving in dozens of ministries. Small groups, social events and bible

studies are tailored for men, women, singles, couples, families, teens

and children.

Size of congregation: Combined attendance for the weekend services is

5,000.

Makeup of congregation: Demographically representative of the Orange

County coastal community.

Child care: Dynamic developmental programs for children in the 6th

grade and younger are held at all weekend services. Junior and senior

high school youth meet during the 9 a.m. service.

The church also offers extensive mid-week programs for young people of

all ages, which include kids clubs, junior and senior high school

parties, and Bible studies. The campus includes a child development

center for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten-age children. Mariners

Church Pre-School is open to the public, Monday through Friday. It offers

half- and full-day programs.

Type of worship: Worship is a celebration of one’s relationship with

God and with one another. Contemporary praise music is led by pianist Bob

Gunn, and includes the choir and the vocal team. All services integrate

multi-media. Members of the congregation share authentic faith

experiences in their walk with Christ. The 6 p.m. Saturday night service

is more casual and offers the best parking and seating.

Type of sermon: Kenton Beshore teaches at most weekend services

providing insightful, real-life application of God’s word and challenging

people to take their next step of faith. Story, humor, personal

experience and multi-media illustrations are used to convey biblical

truths in a range of life experiences.

Recent and upcoming sermons: “Imagine what God might do through you.”

Welcome wagon: On the weekends, visitors can meet with pastors, staff

and volunteers on the patio before and after each service. Ushers give

visitors a welcome coupon for a free welcome tape, coffee and pastry

available at the information table on the patio after services. Also

helpful to visitors is the church’s website ato7

www.marinerschurch.orgf7 .

Outreach programs: The emphasis is on getting people involved in

reaching out to others, not just writing checks to support outreach

ministry. Thousands of Mariners volunteers are engaged in the Lighthouse

Ministries, which focus on needs in the local community. A particularly

unique ministry, launched more than 10 years ago by church volunteers, is

the Minnie Street Learning Center in Santa Ana. In partnership with

residents of this densely populated immigrant community in Santa Ana,

volunteers work hand in hand to train, equip, love and provide for the

residents living on Minnie Street. The learning center is located in the

neighborhood and offers after-school tutoring for students of all ages.

Residents can take adult classes in parenting skills, English and Bible

studies. The church’s global outreach provides worldwide missions

partnerships and support. Short-term “Faith Adventures” trips provide

churchgoers of all ages a cross-cultural experience to extend themselves

and God’s love to all nations of the Earth. Volunteers raise their own

support for travel and work. Some of their latest efforts include setting

up a drug and alcohol addiction recovery ministry with Mariners Church’s

sister church in Egypt, a singles conference in the Ukraine, and a

business training center in Kazakstan.

Dress: Saturday services are very casual.

Church design: The church has a 25-acre campus where ministry

activities are offered seven days a week. The worship center seats as

many as 2,000 per service. The church is working with the city and

community to expand the campus with a new worship center, welcoming

park-like settings, dynamic youth and children’s buildings, a wedding

chapel, parking and recreational areas.

Mission statement: The church’s mission is to develop fully-devoted

followers of Jesus Christ, people who love God, growing in loving

community and reaching out in love to the world. Four key values govern

the activities of the church: 1) Honor God in all we do; 2) Teach God’s

word and be God’s family; 3) Every believer is a minister with a ministry

and 4) To be innovative in our ministry and relevant to our community.

Upcoming events: “Boundaries in Dating,” a seminar that teaches some

of the secrets of dating successfully, will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct.

21. Call Ext. 349 for more information.

“Single Parent Connection” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays.

There will be special speakers and topical discussion for the single

parent family. Call Ext. 431 for more information.

There will be a workshop titled “Parenting on Purpose: the Keys to

Raising Great Kids” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 14. Call Ext. 3870

for more information.

A small group Bible study will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesdays Sept. 26 through Nov. 14. For more information, call Ext. 380.

“Men in the Marketplace” meets 6:30 to 8 a.m. the second Tuesday of

each month. Guest speakers address issues in the workplace. For more

information, call (949) 222-1221.

“Be a Contagious Christian,” which teaches sharing your faith in a

style natural for your personality, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30

p.m. Nov. 17 and 18. The cost is $35 for classes, lunch and workbook. For

information call, Ext. 583.

“SHAMBALA” is held Tuesday nights. It is a crazy program for junior

high youth, including games, cool videos and small group discussions.

Call Ext. 323 for more information.