In The Spirit

-- Story by Michele Marr

Church name: Harbor Christian Church

Address: 2401 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach. Nearest cross street is

Santa Isabel Avenue

Telephone: (949) 645-5781

Denomination: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Year church established: 1960

Service times: Sunday worship and communion is at 10 a.m., Sunday

school for children 10 and younger meets at 10 a.m., and adult Sunday

school meets before the worship service at 8:30 a.m. On Thursdays, a

women’s Bible study and prayer group meets at 10 a.m.

Special December service: Harbor Christian will rededicate its

sanctuary Sunday. The church has been repainted, inside and out, and a

large cross has been added. The congregation has designated the day as a

special Sunday to welcome all visitors. A luncheon will be provided for

all guests after the 10 a.m. worship service. For more information, call

the church office.

Christmas Eve service: A candlelight service will be held at 7 p.m.

Dec. 24.

Senior pastor: Dennis Short. Short has a doctorate in humane letters

from Chapman University.

Size of congregation: 120

Makeup of congregation: Parishioners range in age from 15 months to 93

years and are a mix of singles, couples, families and children. The

segment of young adults is expanding. There is a group of young adults

and singles that has dubbed itself “The Young and the Rest of Us.”

Junior and senior high school youth groups meet regularly.

Child care: Provided at the 10 a.m. service and as needed for other

meetings and events.

Type of worship: Worship services are a blend of traditional and

contemporary. Congregational singing of hymns -- including a wide variety

of spiritual, communion, praise and ethnic songs -- is a large part of

the Sunday service. A lay leader leads the litany, children’s sermon and

offertory during the service. Pastor Short delivers the day’s message.

The church has a fine choir under the leadership of director Michael

Phillips and accompanist Mavis Pietila.

Type of sermon: The message is most often based on a scripture from

the Revised Common Lectionary. It is contemporary, offering practical

guidance and direction for daily Christian living.

Upcoming sermon: The message for Sunday is titled “Building for the

Future.”

Welcome wagon: The congregation has official greeters, but all members

strive to welcome guests and newcomers with the open arms of genuine

hospitality. They consider community to be the heart of the congregation.

Outreach programs: Harbor Christian Church supports the work of world

missions and homeland missions, which provide both physical and spiritual

sustenance to people throughout the world. Pastor Short is co-chairman of

the Regional Social Concerns Committee. The church supports FISH-Harbor

Area, the Interfaith Shelter, the Interfaith Hunger Walk and the Tijuana

Christian Mission. Pastor Short and members are also active in the

Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council.

Dress: Informal

Church design: The main building, which is spacious, open and

multi-functional, and sanctuary were built in 1973. The design incorporated ideas from the entire congregation. Especially notable are

walls that surround the building in a manner intended to express arms

outstretched to the community and the stained-glass windows.

Mission statement: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

proclaims Jesus as Lord, draws its inspiration from Scripture and the

Holy Spirit, witnesses and serves among the whole human family,

acknowledges that Christian unity and Christian mission are inseparable,

and claims as its particular mission the quest for the reunion of the

body of Christ, celebrating weekly around the Lord’s table the life,

death and resurrection, and continuing presence of its Lord.

Interesting notes: The congregation of Temple Isaiah has shared

Harbor’s facilities for 24 years, including some joint services. Pastor

Short is a licensed marriage, family and child counselor and is also very

active with Marriage Encounter. He does a lot of premarital counseling

and presides at many weddings at Harbor Christian Church; Community

Church, Congregational (Corona del Mar); and other sites around the

county.