SE E K WE E K : In O ctob e r, a l l ca mp u s e s g a th e red fo r a week to p u rs u e G o d mo re in te n tl y
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RH15: We cele b ra ted R H ’s 1 5 th b ir th d a y a t th e O C Fa irg roun d s a nd tha nk ed G o d fo r a d e ca d e & a ha l f o f H i s fa i th f ul n e s s
From O ctob e r throu g h A u g u s t , we s t u d ied A ct s , lea r nin g f rom the o r i g in a l G o s p el commu ni t y
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B a p t i sm s in the o cea n a s p a r t o f R H H B ’s s u m m er b ea ch s er v i ce s
C a mp u s Pa s to r Pe te S ha m bro ok l ea d i n g b a p t i s m s a t R HO
ANNUAL REPORT
V B S: Mo re tha n 1,0 0 0 k i d s h ea rd th e G o s p el a t 4 0 VBS s i te s a c ro s s O ra n g e C oun t y
C H R IST M A S: We pro cla im e d th e n e w s o f Je s u s ’s b ir th a t 2 0 s e r v i ce s a c ro s s ou r 5 ca mp u s e s
E A ST E R : Heave n c ra she d in w i th 154 ba p t i s ms on E a s te r S u nd a y a t th e Pa c i f i c A mph i th ea t re
GL OB AL MI SSI ONS: UGA NDA | SOUT H A F R IC A | M E XIC O | INDIA We sent a long-term team to partner with Harvest India in Tenali, India
C hurch- W i d e
12 C hu rch- W i d e Da ta
Co s ta Me s a
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R HC M Da ta
P ra ye r Tra in in g
A l pha
L i fe G roup s
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Hom ele s s n e s s
S cho ol s In i t ia t ive
Wo rsh ip A ca d e my
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R HM V Da ta
S a fe Fa m ilie s
M i s s ion
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R HF Da ta
S OL F U L
L i fe S to r y
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R HHB Da ta
O a k V ie w
You n g L ive s
36
37
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R HO Da ta
M e n to rsh ip s
L i fe G rou p s
M i s s ion V ie j o
F u l le r ton
Hun t in g ton B ea ch
O ra n g e
Dear ROCKHARBOR Family, In the pages that follow you’ll find RH’s Annual Report for the ministry year of July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013. It’s our attempt to capture the stories—the essence even—of what God has done in and through our five campuses over these last 12 months. We want to encourage you to take time to read through them, knowing that these stories of changed lives are your stories. As part of the ROCKHARBOR family, and as men and women who have financially supported our church, it’s your devotion, faithfulness, and contributions that empower ROCKHARBOR to have an impact in our community and beyond. As God adds to our numbers each year, we’re incredibly grateful for the foundation of family He’s given us in you, our faithful givers. Whether you’ve been here all 16 years or you’ve just come in the last month, we thank you for investing in God’s movement here. Celebrate the fruit of our community on these pages and know that you are an integral part of these stories. In the additional booklet, you’ll also find stories from organizations and individuals supported through our First Fruits ministry. Celebrating its 10th year, First Fruits exists to give RH’s first and best away to God’s work beyond our “four walls.” This year we’ve given more than $800,000 away and, as we look back at our decade of giving, we’ve been blessed to give more than $7 million towards Kingdom efforts all over the world! It’s a humbling perspective when we step back and see how your sacrifice impacts the Kingdom not just here in Orange County but in every corner of the globe. Yet it also seems that words are insufficient to capture how rich the work of God is in our midst. In Psalm 19 it says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” It’s almost as though only creation is adequate at the task of articulating just how good, how faithful, and how big our God is. We look to the heavens and acknowledge that all we’ve seen this year is because God allowed it to be. Our past, our present, and our future is in His great hands and we depend on Him for each changed life and story. Again, we hope as you flip through these pages you’ll find yourself in the stats and stories that follow. We’re thankful you’ve decided to be a part of the ROCKHARBOR family and look forward to another year of raising up spiritual communities and living out the Gospel together. Together, Todd Proctor RH Lead Pastor
FINANCIAL REPORT 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3 T O TA L F I G U R E S *
$6,963,338.41
$6,916,301.89
To ta l Income
To ta l E x p e n s e s
*To ta l fi g u re s incl u d e a l l R H ca mp u s e s a nd mini s t r ie s . Yea r-e nd s ur plu s w il l b e u s ed to help re ple ni sh R H ’s re s e r ve s . S e e th e fol low in g p a g e s fo r th e b rea k d own s o f ea ch ca m p u s ’s ind iv i du a l fi g ure s .
C h urch - W i d e F i n a n c i a l S n a p sho t
Th e C h urch - w i d e f u nd i n cl u d e s the sha red s e r v i ce s o f o p e ra t ion s , fa c il i t ie s , com m u ni ca t ion s , a n d mo re to a l l RO C KH A R B OR ca m p u s e s . Thi s f un d i s cove red b y con t r i b u t ion s f rom ea ch ca m p u s .
To ta l In come
$2,383,043.83 To ta l E x p e n s e s
$2,413,369.75
To ta l E x p e n s e s
326,526.65
134,338.87
Fa c i l i t i e s
M i n i s t r y Dol l a rs
3095 R ed Hil l
54,114.00
213,512.72
C a p i ta l E x p e n d i t u re s
B e n e fi t s
1,096,496.13
3,494.40
Pa y rol l
F i rs t Fr u i t s Tra n s fe r
228,845.37
148,353.09
O p e ra t ion s
A l l - C h u rch E ve n t s
(207,688.52) G row th F u n d
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ANNUAL REPORT
C O STA ME SA
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R HC M Da ta
L A U N C H D AT E
K E Y I N I T I AT I V E S
O cto b e r 4 , 1 9 9 7
CAMPUS PASTOR
Kit Rae
WEEKEND SERVICES
S a t u rd a y s: 6 p m S u n d a y s: 9 a m , 1 1 a m , 7 p m , 9 p m
M a r r i a g e C on fe re n ce A l pha & L i fe W i th G o d L i fe G rou p s . S cho ol s Ini t i a t i ve Hom ele s s n e s s Ini t i a t i ve Wo rsh i p A ca d e my Me n to rsh i p s RHU P ra ye r Tra i n i n g
Incom e
$4,452,234.92
$4,680,000.00
To ta l In com e
B u d g e ted
$4,331,347.77
$120,887.15
G e n e ra l G iv in g
C hurch G row th S u b s i d y
Expenses
$4,536,352.26
R HC M d e fe c i t cove re d b y s u r p l u s e s f rom o th e r ca mp u s e s .
257,333.25
518,788.89
307,057.28
M i ni s t r y Dol la rs
F irs t Fr ui t s Tra n s fe r
B e n e fi t s
1,500,546.65
480,143.85
2,580.57
Pa y rol l
Fa c ili t ie s
C a pi ta l E x p e nd i t ure s
129,697.22
1,340,204.61
G row th F und
C hurch- W i d e F u nd
RHCM
A P R AYING C H UR C H B Y: L AU R EN FR AN C I S
Years ago, ROCKHARBOR leaders prayed toward what it would look like for us to be a praying church; there were no plans or programs in mind, but simply an openness to what the Lord might be leading His Church into. This year, over 1,300 people at RHCM went through prayer training! Although the intention was that people would learn the prayer model so they would be able to pray for people on the weekend – the Lord moved in big ways – even in the trainings. Here are a couple stories from this past year: In one of the recent trainings, Judy, a member of the RH family, was prayed over by two girls who had never prayed for another person before. As these girls listened to God on Judy’s behalf, they each got very particular words for her. They shared their thoughts with Judy, and she was amazed at how specific they were. Surely the Lord had spoken to these girls! Another RH attendee Lauren stepped forward for prayer one weekend after having a radical encounter with God. The person that prayed for her had just finished with prayer training and had never prayed for anyone outside the class. That night, Lauren was healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. While there is much to celebrate about Lauren’s healing in this story, it is also an incredible reminder of the power of Christ through any prayer. It didn’t take a seasoned, well-practiced pastor to heal Lauren. No, the Lord moved through the prayers of someone who had little “practice.” Beyond the trainings, God is moving through the team that gathers before each weekend service to listen and discern what the Lord might want to speak to those who walk through the doors. In this time, specific words have been shared that have been the door for healing of all kind. Whether it’s a word about a specific physical healing or a specific emotional issue…people hear from the Lord and others’ lives are never the same. Because of moments
like this, faith is built and carried into the response times at the end of service. God is cultivating an expectant culture of people who pray because they know it works. Learning to hear from God and be bold in sharing what He might be speaking is not something that we are stepping into alone – our pastors are experiencing it as well. During one of the messages in our series on Acts, the teacher, prompted by the Holy Spirit, felt that there were people who wanted to make the decision to follow Christ – before he even spoke one word of his prepared message. In an effort to be obedient, he simply stood up and made the call, explaining that he felt like some people might need to stand up right there and then and be prayed for. There was a certain degree of fear – what if he was wrong? What if no one stood up? What if he hadn’t heard from God like he thought he did? Asking people to respond before the message…crazy. Without a doubt, this was uncharted territory, even for a pastor.
But then...15 people stood up. 15 people entered into new life with Jesus because a pastor had listened to God, stepped out in boldness, and acted in obedience.
Prayer is something that marks our church in unprecedented ways. We’ve gotten to share our prayer model with churches around the country. City officials, nurses, people who have jobs in the world far from the church are able to take what they’ve learned in prayer training and pray with confidence for people they encounter. The Kingdom is being advanced in our county, and it has a lot to do with prayer. There are many more stories we can celebrate, and in looking back over the year, it’s more clear than ever: ROCKHARBOR is a praying church.
Find out more about prayer training at costamesa.rockharbor.org
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ALPHA
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or many who are beginning to explore the Christian faith, the church can be very intimidating. Many have questions and doubts, but desire to learn more. Enter Alpha. Alpha is a place where people are able to come with their questions about the Church, Christianity, and why we do what we do. The format is simple: people gather to share a meal and have a conversation. That’s all. ROCKHARBOR leaders have found the Alpha course provides a non-threatening way to evangelize. Instead of inviting someone who is unchurched to a weekend service, people can invite them to a low-key welcome dinner – no pressure. People from all walks of life and faiths (even self-proclaimed atheists) have come through the doors of Alpha. Alpha began as a 20-person meeting in a local bar after church but has since grown into a gathering of more than 100 people meeting weekly at RH’s Costa Mesa campus. Alongside an amazing team, Doug and Angela Bacon, who have been members of RH for many years, have been helping run the Alpha course since the beginning. “It is the front door for ROCKHARBOR. We would love to see it grow more because it’s so exciting to see. This is how our faith grows, when new
people come to faith in Christ and we get new and fresh water coming in,” Doug said. What we can celebrate about Alpha is not simply the number of people coming every week or the honest group discussions each week. Alpha is about the freedom to bring questions, and over the seven-week course, questions get answered in the most surprising ways. Victories are experienced. These victories can look a million different ways, but often look like people experiencing a genuine and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ for the first time. Leaders remember a man who attended Alpha and changed significantly over the seven weeks. Initially, he didn’t smile at anyone and he seemed to have a heavy burden on his shoulders. However, during the course, slowly but surely, this man’s heart was softened and his life was changed. Now, you’d see this man at church each weekend with his wife – smiling from ear to ear – engaged and excited to be a part of the RH community. This community is something Alpha is known for. “People are being discipled and are able to make friends at an otherwise huge church. Some will stay together and build life groups because of Alpha,” Angela added.
B Y: J O HN M C C U L L O UG H
ANNUAL REPORT
Another attendee, Josh had reluctantly been attending another local church in the area, but discovered ROCKHARBOR shortly before the Alpha course began. He knew he was home, but he had no idea how much of an impact this family would have on his life. After a few weeks of hearing about Alpha, Josh was compelled to attend the course. When he walked into Alpha for the first time, he says he was at the end of his rope, especially with Christianity. To his surprise, he was greeted with warmth and love. He experienced the love of God through people who listened to him and walked with him through a season of transformation. He realized he’d always known that God was real, but he’d never allowed himself to be fully changed by Him. Because of his experience at Alpha, Josh’s life is changed. He now understands the hope he has in Christ in ways he never did before. Simply put, over the last year, Alpha has been the catalyst for over 300 people to meet Jesus and find their place in His story. Email alpha@rockharbor.org to learn more about the course.
RHCM
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LIFE GROUPS L I FE T O GE T H E R > LIF E A LONE 1 RHCM is about so much more than just sitting in a seat during a weekend service. It’s about walking alongside others, knowing people in your community and living out the Gospel together. One of the key ways this happens is through Life Groups. There are lots of things to celebrate that have happened in Life Groups in the past year, but here are just a few stories to look back on…
I
have been a part of RHCM for nearly 7 years. During that time, I’ve served with our families ministry and on the worship team. I truly feel like ROCKHARBOR is my home. However, over the past few years, I sensed something was still missing. I had lots of friends and people I served with, but I didn’t feel like I had true family. There was something comforting about being able to hide behind volunteering – I felt safer being in front of people on Sundays rather than with them in daily life. So many people knew me, but no one really knew me. Over and over I felt called to join a Life Group, but I always came up with excuses.
“I’m too busy! I’m already doing so much for the church! I don’t need to add another thing to my plate! I can just find people on my own…I don’t need the structure of a Life Group!” These were all the lies I told myself to avoid becoming a part of a Life Group. But eventually, I knew that I couldn’t make any more excuses. I needed a community of people that I could do life with, for the sake of being able to do ministry well. The first night I attended Life Group, I knew the Lord had placed me there for a very specific reason. People in the group had so much wisdom and offered fresh perspectives on a lot of things I had been wrestling with. I have grown so much over the past year and no longer feel like I am alone! This group has become like a family and I am excited to continue growing with these people God placed in my life at the exact moment I needed them.
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About four months ago I thought my world came crashing down when my fiancé and I broke off our engagement. I was devastated. I had found all of my identity from this person, and as a result had distanced myself from God. Soon after our split, God began to move in some pretty significant ways; not the least of which was the introduction to my Life Group. Finally, I feel like I have a place where I can share the struggles and triumphs of my faith with other Christians who are all in different places of their walk with God. I have learned so much from each and every person in the group and am so blessed to have been welcomed into this family. My Life Group has shown me that we all fall down when we follow Jesus, but to have people to share those times of strife with is what keeps us in community and on the right path. The support I’ve found in my Life Group has been second only to my personal relationship with The Lord.
My wife and I have been on quite a journey with our Life Group. We have had some challenges over the last year, and we have constantly wondered if it was time to “move on.” Then, we were asked to lead the group when we lost our leader. I’ve never led a group before, so I was stressed out the first couple months. I’ll admit, I almost threw in the towel several times after receiving criticism and experiencing some unexpected challenges, but I knew in my heart that God just wanted me to continue persevering. I knew if I just agreed to show up and do my best, He would work out the rest. I’ve grown tremendously through this experience. It has been said that you learn the best when you teach or lead. This leadership role has caused me to look at myself, see what God sees, both good and bad. Through this process I have really realized my identity. I know that I am a child of God, part of His will, and under His wing. I’ve learned how to trust Christ in my weaknesses, because He can do anything. We are still on a journey as a group and I am still learning as an individual, but I feel more purpose than ever, knowing God can use me right where I’m at. Not in a Life Group? Email lifegroups@rockharbor.org to get connected.
S TO RI E S B Y: L A U REN FR AN C I S, J O HN M C C U L L O UG H, T ED C HAR FAN O U S
RHCM
HOME LE SSNE SS IN C O STA M E SA
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ne of the ways we are working as a church family to help bring the reality of God’s kingdom to Costa Mesa is by addressing the issue of homelessness and helping those who have been displaced within the local community. In 2011, RHCM began a partnership with a number of local churches to form a group called Churches Consortium–an initiative of One Church for Our City Costa Mesa. It is through this partnership that we’ve been able to provide long-term solutions to come alongside those who are displaced within Orange County. A few examples include: the check-in center (a storage facility that is open 6 days a week, twice a day), Saturday mornings (laundry, showers, breakfast, and support groups), street outreach, and YOU Count (a partnership with Vanguard University to conduct research on the issue of homelessness). What we realized early on was that this issue was not something that was going to be solved by throwing money or food at the problem. The solution would be found in relationship. As we listened to people’s stories, we were
able to brainstorm programs that would actually work. For the first time, we were able to partner with the city and work together. One of the initiatives we were able to focus on this year was the Reconnections Program. It was designed to help provide funding and support for those experiencing homelessness so they are able to move to a permanent residence. Through this program, we met Sean, who had been experiencing homelessness for over nine years. It was through relationship that Sean was able to leave behind homelessness, nights spent in jail, and addiction. He was able to move back home to New Jersey and find a job, permanent housing, and reconnect with family and a son that he had not seen for years. More importantly, the fingerprints of God’s redemption and saving grace are now evident in his life. On Saturdays, the community gathers for showers, laundry, breakfast, and fellowship. This year, we had our first ever baptism on one of these days. A friend, Robert, decided B Y: M I C HAE L T. V EG A
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he wanted to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live more and more for Jesus. On the day of his baptism, the invitation was extended to everyone around, and another friend, Cynthia, decided that she also wanted to be baptized. This was an incredible time to come alongside members of our community and welcome them into a life with Christ! Over this past year, we have mobilized people in our church to empower and equip those experiencing homelessness in hopes to establish a foundation and healthy home for themselves. The idea is that we are getting involved with long-term community development – not just a quick and easy charity opportunity. RHCM believes we have the opportunity to come alongside fellow brothers and sisters and remind them of their dreams, encourage them, remind them of their identity in Christ, and help them step into the fullness of a redeemed life. For more info, email Becks at bheyhoe@rockharbor.org
SC H OOLS INIT IAT IV E
“This is front-line ministry that is breaking boundaries and changing lives, and there is so much work still to be done!” The Schools initiative at RHCM is about far more than just helping out in a classroom once in a while. God worked to grow and deepen relationships this past year in the lives of the at-risk teens we work with. Justin Fox, Costa Mesa city pastor, says the importance of the power of relationships was emphasized in big ways. “Mentors moved beyond the prepared curriculum to really engage with their students in personal ways.” The stories that stem from this year’s mentorships include memories of cooking classes, fashion shows, pizza parties, hot rod clinics, model cars, you name it. And these are just a few examples of the love lived out by our mentors here at RHCM. “All of this came from the heart of our volunteers,” says Justin, “and real friendships and deep change are being made as a result.” Since the fall of 2011, ROCKHARBOR has been invested in the schools in our communities. This year our partnerships with administrators, school counselors, and the community took on many different forms as we continued to develop the program. Not only are there multiple churches working together in this mentoring effort, but the approval and support of the school district itself has allowed the ministry to grow. We’ve been able to make a solid impact in the lives of many at-risk teens. We have so much to celebrate when we look back at what the Lord has done over the last year. “We commissioned and blessed students in public libraries, we silently prayed for and tangibly shepherded students in classrooms and on lunch quads. God is giving us a front-row seat to His
incredible transforming power,” Justin says. One story of God working through mentorships happened at TeWinkle Middle School. A student had come to school with a ripped shirt, scratched and bloody, running from his house to the safety of the school. People noticed something was wrong, and the boy was sent to the office. Instead of having to sit in the office, alone, he was able to sit with a mentor who was on-site. He knew that he was not alone. During their conversation, the mentor learned about the boy’s love for drawing, and his dreams of designing t-shirts. After hearing this, he devised a plan to bless this boy, far outside the lines of his mentorship role. A few weeks later, he introduced the boy to his friend; a graphic artist from Quicksilver. The designer brought lunch, encouragement, artistic advice, and a trunk full of free clothes. This relationship stemmed from a hard situation, but the Lord truly used it for good. Despite the challenges, we’ve been able to see higher test scores and rising attendance rates. God is breathing new identities, goals, and futures into these students in part through the creativity, love and care of men and women who choose to invest in their lives. God is allowing this ministry to grow and develop, and there is always an open place on the team for others to become involved. Justin reminds us of this important truth. “This is frontline ministry that is breaking boundaries and changing lives, and there is so much work still to be done!” For more info, email schools@rockharbor.org B Y: AM O R Y Z SC HACH
RHCM
WORSHIP ACADEMY We sat down with Worship Director Keri Fox to talk about the Academy, a year-long worship training program that just finished its inagural year in June. What was the process that led up to launching the Academy? For a number of years, Todd, some of the other worship staff, and I have been working and dreaming toward ways that we can prepare and raise up more worship leaders. I have a passion to see more and more worship leaders step into their roles being prepared with a thorough understanding of what worship is, a deep relationship with God, a commitment to the Scriptures, and a capacity to lead a community in Spiritled times of worship. The hope here is to take a small group of worship leaders and spend a year investing in them so that they might be ready if ROCKHARBOR were to launch more campuses, church plants, or that they could even be sent out to other parts of the Kingdom.
What were a few highlights of the inaugural year? How did you see God move in the students? Honestly, the whole year felt like a highlight. One of the most exciting parts of our journey this year was seeing many of the Academy students learn to listen for and interact with the Holy Spirit for the first time. Many had a conceptual belief in the Holy Spirit, but were able to take a journey toward learning to listen for Him to speak, to follow His lead, to continue to ask to be filled with the Spirit, and to pray and lead expectantly. Another huge highlight from this year was a story of multiplication. One of our students came to us at the urging of her pastor. She came from a smaller local church about 45 minutes away, and her pastor wanted her to have a chance to be developed and equipped in ways that their church did not have resources for. She came here for 10 months and fully engaged in the Academy. A few weeks before the end of the Academy year, this student’s pastor pulled her aside and said, “I have seen such a change in you as a person and how you lead worship, that I want to give you whatever resources you need to start a small Academy here at our church next year.” I could not be more excited. What a beautiful picture of the Kingdom.
As you took this risk as a RH leader, how did you see God move even in your own life? I think I grew more throughout the process of launching and running the Academy this year than I have in any other year of my life. One huge way I saw God move through this year was in teaching me to search for His heart for each of His kids. As I got to intentionally walk with 11 students, I spent time in prayer for them, and I began to see how God made them each unique, with unique callings and giftings. It was amazing to seek God and to have Him show me how to speak to each one individually and to see Him shape them. It’s beautiful to see that God calls and equips individuals to lead worship in a way that is so much deeper and more powerful than any curriculum or program could teach.
What are your hopes for the next year of the Academy? Where do you see God leading this ministry? My hopes for next year’s Academy are similar to what they were at the start – that we would see young leaders who are called to lead worship be equipped with a knowledge of God, His Word, how to follow the Spirit, and how to lead a community into true worship. This year, we will be expanding the Academy beyond worship to include prayer, communications, and teaching tracks. I am excited to see how there will be even more diversity of gifts and calling and how God uses those to shape each student. To me, this ministry is a great greenhouse for God to prepare leaders for more Gospel communities to spring up in California and beyond. Find out more about the Academy at rockharbor.org
I N T E R V I EW B Y: L AU R EN FR AN C I S
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M I SSI O N V I E J O
R H M V Da ta
L A U N C H D AT E
K E Y I N I T I AT I V E S
S e p te m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 0 9
CAMPUS PASTOR
C ha d Ha l l i b u r ton
WEEKEND SERVICES
S u n d a y s: 9 a m & 1 1 a m
L in d a V i s ta E le m e n ta r y S cho ol S a fe Fa m ilie s fo r C h il d re n L o s A li s o s J r. Hi g h M i s s ion Ho s p i ta l P ra ye r a n d B ible R hy th m L i fe G roup s S e r ve Tea m s E l To ro Pa rk M ea l s on W h eel s Pove r t y U n lo ck ed
To ta l In come
$935,044.46
$835,000.00
G e n e ra l G i v i n g
B u d g e ted
To ta l E x p e n s e s
$873,045.68
R H M V s ur p lu s u s ed to cove r d e fe c i t f rom o th e r ca m p u s e s a nd to re ple n i sh R H ’s g e n e ra l re s e r ve s .
58,808.84
112,205.34
35,515.87
M ini s t r y Dol la rs
F irs t F r u i t s Tra n s fe r
B e n e fi t s
241,058.85
95,460.20
12,081.47
Pa y rol l
Fa c i l i t i e s
C a p i ta l E x p e n d i t u re s
28,383.18
289,863.72
G row th F u n d
C h u rch - W i d e F u n d
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RHMV
SA FE FA M I L I E S F O R C H I L D R E N The moment we first heard of Safe Families, we felt our hearts stir. Safe Families places kids in short-term housing solutions, allowing their care-givers time to take the appropriate steps to be able to have the children back. The first step in this process is most commonly receiving care for themselves, The goal is to provide a safe place for the children so they do not end up in the foster system if it can be prevented. However, it was always something we figured we would do down the road when our kids were grown. When I became pregnant with our third child, we knew it would be an even longer road. My husband began talking about it a lot towards the end of my pregnancy and at 8 months, he felt the Lord was telling us to do it now. As much as I tried to fight it, I knew God was speaking to him and He confirmed it to me, too. Every time I would worry about how I would manage everything, God kept saying, “I will take care of it and I am faithful in keeping my promises.” When our daughter was 6 weeks old we had our first Safe Families placement, two sisters, and we began a journey that has been difficult at times, but also amazing to see what God has done. The Lord moved tremendously in our family this year, in all of us. My husband and I have a deeper relationship with Him because of all the times we had to get down on our knees and ask for His guidance with some of the difficult hostings we’ve had. We’ve experienced a new level of having to trust God and truly surrender control. We’ve also seen a huge change in our 8-year-old son. At first, he resisted the idea of Safe Families. He, the oldest of our three children, was suddenly given more responsibility and he acted out in a lot of anger and rage. We covered him in
prayer alongside our church family. Today, he not only embraces the children we take in, he looks forward to it. I don’t like to see our children hurting, but had he not gone through that, we wouldn’t have prayed for him like we did, and because of that, his relationship with Jesus has grown. He even chose to be baptized this year! The Lord also moved in the lives of the families we’ve hosted, specifically, the two sisters we first took in. We had them for five weeks and their siblings were placed with other host families from our church. In the end, they weren’t able to go back with their mom, so they went to live with an aunt. We tried to keep in touch, but were never able to connect. A few months ago, about a year after our hosting, we received a call from the aunt. The girls were getting baptized and she asked us to be there as their “surprise.” We were in tears hearing this, not only because of their baptism, but because we were invited as part of their family. After the baptism, we went to a celebration where the family served us and thanked us for taking the girls and pouring into their lives. We were so thankful to God, because while we were able to be Jesus to them, they also were a picture of Jesus for us. God took them from an unstable home to a safe home with a family that loves Jesus, and we got to support them in the middle of that process. There have been hard times and great times, but above all, we have found that being obedient to the Lord has been a true blessing. It’s never easy, but be continually ask God to fill us with more of Him and to show us what He wants us to do!
B Y: D E AN N A SM I L E Y
ANNUAL REPORT
RHMV
B EY O N D T H E W E E K E N D S L i fe on M i s s ion in S ou th C ou n t y
I
t was a Sunday morning with RHMV and we were focusing on our covenant marker of mission. We were able to Skype with a dear family from our community that had moved to Peru to work with Krochet Kids, and hear what the Lord was doing as a result of their obedience. Seeing their faces and hearing their voices was the perfect encouragement to our church family – reminding us that we are created to live out the Gospel alongside each other. After this, Chad began to speak about how each of us are grafted into the plan that God has for His Kingdom. The response to his message was simply this: “Close your eyes. Wait. Ask God to show you where He wants you to be on mission.” For some people this could have been a big change – like going to serve somewhere globally. For others, it could be the call to forgive someone you haven’t and know you need to or to ask for forgiveness. God instantly showed me my neighborhood. At first, this picture discouraged me a bit. You see, my husband and I moved to our neighborhood nearly four years ago. We have been trying to get to know those who live around us the whole time, but it’s been challenging. The closest we came to any sort of interaction was when we had our first born (babies make everyone friendly). But I still never felt settled with how closed and cold our street felt. So when the Lord highlighted our street during this response time, I thought, “Not again, Lord.” The Spirit stopped me though, and stilled all my defenses. Ever so gently, God encouraged me to not go to their doors to meet them – but rather to open mine. It got specific really fast. I decided to invite the neighbors over for cinnamon rolls and coffee. All I’d do is extend the invitation – if they wanted to come they could. We were told to write down what God had said to us, if anything, during this response. We then left it at the cross and knew that one of the RHMV staff team would follow up with us about it. My husband and I decided to print off flyers to leave
in mailboxes. All they said was, “On the 4th of July come on by! Cinnamon Rolls and Coffee!” We gave a time and our address. As I walked around leaving these in people’s mailboxes I had never met, I prayed continuously. As I prayed, I was given joy for each house, even the houses that I might have previously have written off. I prayed with expectation. Three days later, it was the 4th of July. We set up tables and chairs in our driveway so that if anyone wanted to join us, they could easily stop on by. Up until the moment people started showing up, I had no clue if anyone would. I will never forget what that morning was like. Out of the 20 houses we invited, 7 came over and got to know one another. Their response, across the board, was gratitude. Neighbors talked about how long they have lived by each other, and how after so many years it just felt awkward to stop and introduce yourself. People didn’t just drop by – they stayed for a couple hours. When a woman I had just met followed me inside to change a dirty diaper on my baby girl, I knew we had passed that “awkwardness” we were once controlled by – we were now neighbors. People from the last house I expected to show up were some of the last to leave, and the only house I had anticipated would be a fan of the idea didn’t come. We walked over some cinnamon rolls and told them we missed them. God used that moment to allow us to see there was a reason they hadn’t come. He made a moment for us to love a family that was hurting and needing to be encouraged. Jesus took loaves and fishes from one boy’s lunch to feed thousands. I believe after seeing what life is like now on our street, that Jesus took my simple cinnamon rolls to minister to His beloved. I am so blessed to have known this thing from start to finish, because now I won’t hesitate when I think I’m thinking small. Instead, I’ll remember that I’m thinking intentionally and God will most definitely work in that.
B Y: J UL E S SHE R R E I T T 26
FULLERTON
ANNUAL REPORT
RHF
R H F Da ta L A U N C H D AT E
K E Y I N I T I AT I V E S
Feb r u a r y 2 8 , 2 0 1 0
CAMPUS PASTOR
Joel A l b e r to
WEEKEND SERVICES
S u nd a y s: 9 a m, 1 1 a m , 7 p m
R i ch m a n E le m e n ta r y F ul le r ton A r t s S OL FU L S oli d a r i t y M e n to rsh ip s S p ir i t u a l D i s c ip l in e s L i fe G roup s
Incom e
$495,013.14
$425,000.00
To ta l Incom e
B u d g e ted
$410,374.51
$84,638.63
G e n e ra l G i v i n g
C h u rch G row th S u b s i d y
To ta l E x p e n s e s
$495,013.14 40,153.71
49,136.94
173,443.94
M ini s t r y Dol la rs
F irs t Fr u i t s Tra n s fe r
Pa y rol l
73,067.87
1,298.21
Fa c ili t ie s
C a p i ta l E x p e n d i t u re s
12,284.24
126,937.10
G row th F u nd
C hu rch - W i d e F u n d
28
SUM M E R OF LO V E IN F ULLE R T O N
SOLFUL, the “Summer of Love in Fullerton,” is a large youth camp that takes place throughout the neighborhoods in the city. It is an initiative started by Fullerton ACT (Advocating Community Transformation). California budget cuts have forced the school district to cancel summer school because of the lack of funding. This leaves kids with nowhere to go. In neighborhoods with drastically smaller opportunities than most, SOLFUL is a safe environment for kids to experience something fun and beneficial. Everything from group sports and academic challenges, to yoga and banana sandwiches is incorporated. As part of the call to live out the Gospel in our community, ROCKHARBOR Fullerton has partnered with SOLFUL for the last 3 summers. As a volunteer, it is an incredible way to pour into my community by playing a small part in the big story of life these kids experience. One day, another volunteer was talking with one of the little boys and asked him about his favorite music. The boy avoided sharing and timdly shook his head, as if to avoid the question. My friend could tell there was something uncomfortable going on - something beneath the surface. After a while, the child revealed he didn’t like to listen to music because his mom scares him. He shared that she would get drunk, play loud music, and go crazy while she danced around. Hearing stories like this, about a simple thing like music, makes for a humbling and saddening reality check. Each day, we have games and activities that teach the kids life skills and things that will be useful for them to know as they grow up. One day we taught them about story structure in movies and used real life examples of heroes, villains, allies, and most importantly, mentors and role
models. On another day, they practiced working together as a group and thinking critically through a group challenge. I won’t forget the day when they did an activity that had them fill out a worksheet with an acronym for the word “INDIVIDUAL.” The L stood for “Loved,” and each kid stood up and shouted out, “I am LOVED!” – some declaring this truth for the first time ever. There are a lot of determining factors that can shape a kid’s life, and even though it can appear otherwise, it doesn’t have to be negative. There is so much to learn, so many truths to grab hold of over the course of childhood. This is why RH Fullerton committed to investing in these lives and hearts. As they begin to develop their perception of the world, it can be shaped by love and care, and this can absolutely redefine their future. My favorite part of SOLFUL is learning to trust the Holy Spirit in times when I am weak and unable to do anything for these kids on my own strength. Throughout this summer – in every hug, laugh, and dance off – we have an opportunity to trust that we are planting a seed – and this seed is a glimpse of hope that contributes to a larger story that Christ is already crafting. SOLFUL is an opportunity for RH Fullerton to be a church that shows the love of God to those in our community who rarely see it. It is about investing in lives through practical, day-to-day involvement, lots of prayer, and then leaving room for the Holy Spirit to move. To learn more about SOLFUL visit fullerton.rockharbor.org
B Y: P HI L L I P ST UR G E O N
ANNUAL REPORT
RHF
COMI NG T O FA IT H : A R H F LIF E ST OR Y
I grew up in a Christian family, but I’ll admit, I never really understood what it was all about. I would listen to the pastor say one thing on Sunday, and see my “Christian” friends act differently the rest of the week. God is moving in the city of Fullerton - compelling minds and capturing hearts of people all around our city. Ryan is one of those people. Here is his story: I grew up in a Christian family, but I’ll admit, I never really understood what it was all about. I would listen to the pastor say one thing on Sunday, and see my “Christian” friends act differently the rest of the week. I decided if that was what Christianity was all about, I could just be good without God. I considered myself a secular humanist for years. Then, a friend gave me The Book of Mormon and I started reading it. As I read and investigated the church, I had questions, so I began meeting with missionaries, attending LDS events, and church regularly. Through this experience I began to realize that God is real. For the first time, I recognized Him moving in my life. I really wanted to know Him, and thought the LDS church was the way to do it. The next step for me was to be baptized and make it official:
It didn’t take long for God to reveal His answer. The next day I met a young woman reading a Bible at a coffee shop. I asked her if she was a Christian and what that meant. As she shared the Gospel with me, she teared up just talking about her faith. She invited me to ROCKHARBOR Fullerton. So I went. It was the first time I had ever heard about a loving and redeeming God. Two weeks later, after a 7pm service, I asked one of the pastors, Brad, if I could talk with him. That night, the night I was supposed to be baptized in the Mormon Church, I gave my life to Jesus. Since that moment, God has been doing radical things in my life. I’ve been given so many opportunities to learn, grow, and further my Christian walk. I’ve been through prayer training. I’ve gotten involved in an amazing Life Group. I’ve been able to walk through life with someone in the mentorship program. This past Easter, I was baptized. But most importantly, I’ve become a part of a community that truly loves Jesus and is seeking Him together. It’s really cool to know that even when I didn’t know God, He knew me. He was orchestrating every event and allowed everything to fall into place to lead me to Him.
I was going to become a Mormon. As my baptism approached, I became nervous. I thought, this would be either the best or worst thing I could ever do. I didn’t want to go through with it because it was just the thing to do; I wanted to make sure this was the right decision. As I went deeper into LDS doctrine I started to see some inconsistencies. I brought my concerns to the missionaries. They tried to explain the contradictions, but mostly encouraged me to pray about it. So I did, and for the first time, I asked God what He wanted for me, and not what I thought I wanted.
Find out more about RHF at fullerton.rockharbor.org
B Y: R YAN T R AN & B R AD T HAYE R 30
RHHB
HUN T I N G T O N B E A C H
RHHB
R H H B Da ta L A U N C H D AT E
K E Y I N I T I AT I V E S
M a y 8, 2011
CAMPUS PASTOR
A nd re w S che y
WEEKEND SERVICES
S und a y s: 9a m & 11a m
O a k V ie w Ne i g hb o rho o d S eek & R e s p ond Youn g L ive s L i fe G roup s VBS B ea ch S e r v i ce s Fo s te r You th
To ta l Incom e
$813,482.64
$770,000.00
G e n e ra l G i v i n g
B u d g e ted
To ta l E x p e n s e s
$714,001.64
R HHB s ur plu s u s ed to cove r d e fe c i t f rom o the r ca mp u s e s a nd to re ple n i sh R H ’s g e n e ra l re s e r ve s .
55,856.52
97,532.72
20,557.40
M in i s t r y Dol la rs
F i rs t F r u i t s Tra n s fe r
B e n e fi t s
213,350.02
42,910.96
7,451.32
Pa y rol l
Fa c i l i t i e s
C a pi ta l E x p e n d i t ure s
24,383.18
251,959.52
G row th F und
C hu rch- W i d e F u n d
32
RHHB
OA K V IE W The Oak View community is one of the lowest socioeconomic communities in all of Orange County. Nestled in-between the suburbs of Huntington Beach, you might totally miss it if you didn’t know where to look. This neighborhood is a hub for massive amounts of crime in the area including sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and gang violence. After praying as a campus toward what God might have for us in Huntington Beach, we were compelled to this neighborhood. What started as a simple appreciation breakfast for teachers at the neighborhood elementary school is now an entire community development initiative that RHHB pursues and invests in on a regular basis. One of the main ways we see God moving as we dive deeper into this community is through the unity of churches in the area. As we began to look at what it might look like to live out the Gospel – it was clear other local churches had a burden for Oak View as well. Instead of competing or striving toward doing something on our own, we got to partner with other churches in our city to invest in the neighborhood in ways we never could have on our own. Through organized efforts, combined resources, and unified prayers this neighborhood has been impacted by the collective Church in Huntington Beach – not just one specific community. A beautiful example of this church unity was the Back to School Carnival that was held last fall. RH Huntington Beach teamed up with two other local churches to put on an event for families with very limited income. There were tons of family activities for all, and even a fundraiser for the school literacy program (over $3000 was raised!). More than 150 volunteers from the churches involved showed up and spent their afternoon building relationships with Oak View residents. Over time, it was not just about helping out at an event for these volunteers, but instead it was about truly being family to each other. Martha, a resident of Oak View, had poured her heart into planning this carnival alongside the churches. The day before the event, in a gathering of the volunteers, Martha learned that her husband passed away. In that moment, she was surrounded by people who supported her, encouraged her, and most importantly, immediately prayed for her. This group of people was much more than just her volunteer team – they were able to walk directly alongside her in one of the most devastating seasons of her life. This is a picture of what true community looks like. This is what we pray for as we look to what might come from this community initiative. Living out the Gospel is not just about hosting events or dropping by once a summer to host a VBS for kids. It’s about partnering with the Holy Spirit and surrounding people who are often in desperate situations and offering them hope. It’s about meeting people where they are at and weaving relationship with them into our daily lives. It’s about truly loving our neighbors. There are other events and initiatives coming up this year that are aimed at deepening the relationships we’ve built and building new ones. We sense that God is up to something in Oak View and we are excited to partner with Him in the restoration of this community. Find out more about the Oak View iniative at huntingtonbeach.rockharbor.org B Y: L AU R EN FR AN C I S ANNUAL REPORT
RHHB
YO UNG LIV E S It is often said that motherhood is such a monumentally joyful experience that anyone who experiences it will never be the same. And that may very well be the case for most, but what about when that new mother is an unwed teenager? What about if, instead of this massive transition being an expected and planned event, it is a scary and alienating one? Often times, an unwed mother is treated like a degenerate or an outcast, left feeling broken and unloved because of a choice that just happened to bear large, tangible consequences. But, while they may feel unloved, Jesus loves them more than they could possibly understand. RH Huntington Beach has teamed up with Young Lives to show these local young mothers a glimpse of His love. Young Lives is a sub-sect of Young Life that was created specifically to provide ministry and mentorship to young and unwed mothers. Led by Director Myrna Bittar and blessed with a staff of devoted volunteers from RHHB, teen moms are showered with the unconditional love and support they need to conquer whatever issues they may be experiencing, whether directly related to their newfound motherhood or not.
“All I can do is praise God for allowing us to be used to show these young people that He loves them. I cannot even describe the feeling I have each month when I go home after club knowing that we got to share the Gospel message with a group of young people that would not hear it elsewhere, and knowing that we got to be the only piece of God they know today. I am so thankful that I get to be in this ministry with mentors that are my friends, with my husband, and with my church,” Myrna says. To provide the most intimate and effective mentorship, each Young Lives volunteer was paired with one young mother and her child, and was encouraged to support them in every way possible. Through this program and the mentorship of the RHHB women, the young mothers were shown the brilliant and generous love of Christ. As a result of this new light in their lives, many of the young moms chose to follow the Lord, turned their lives over to Him and wanted to be baptized – something that obviously went well beyond just changing the lives of the young ladies but will directly affect their babies as well. But it’s not just the lives of the young mothers that end up being transformed as a result of the Young Lives ministry. As one might expect, it also had huge effects on the lives of the mentors as well. Through being able to hear these young ladies’ stories, hold their beautiful babies, and cheer them on through all of the struggles and challenges they face in their lives, the volunteers were able to see the direct fruits of their labors and celebrate next to their mentees as they moved forward and found success in their new lives. One mentor says, “My heart’s desire is to show these two girls the unequivocal love of Jesus Christ so they can be led by The Holy Spirit in life by showing them unconditional love and helping them find their beauty and purpose in life. I know that right now, at this VERY moment in time, these girls need love…that they need someone to SEE them and show them who Christ is through action.” In this sense, both the mentors and the mentees were able to reap the rewards that come with bonding through Christ’s love. By sharing their lives with each other and loving like He loved, they were able to not only make significant impacts to each others’ lives, but they were able to serve as a shining example of the fact that, when we share the love of the Lord with the world, we are often blessed beyond any of our greatest expectations. Find out more about Young Lives at huntingtonbeach.rockharbor.org B Y: J O SH E C K
34
ORANGE
R HO Da ta L A U N C H D AT E
K E Y I N I T I AT I V E S
Nove mb e r 6 , 2 0 1 1
CAMPUS PASTOR
Pe te S ha mb ro ok
WEEKEND SERVICES
S u nd a y s: 1 0 a m
O ra n g e Hi g h S cho ol Ja n i to rs fo r Je s u s Hom ele s s M in i s t r y Ha r t Pa rk L i fe G roup s M e n to rsh ip s Fo s te r C a re
Incom e
$446,011.19
$380,000.00
To ta l Incom e
B u d g e ted
$443,848.45
$2,162.74
G e n e ra l G i v i n g
C hu rch G row th S u b s i d y
To ta l E x p e n s e s
$446,011.19 20,337.29
53,090.21
157,039.60
M ini s t r y Dol la rs
F i rs t Fr u i t s Tra n s fe r
Pa y rol l
30,218.87
3,915.21
Fa c ili t ie s
C a p i ta l E x p e n d i t u re s
13,272.55
137,149.72
G row th F u nd
C h u rch - W i d e F u n d
36
RHO
M E NT OR SH IP S This last April, RH Orange, in partnership with another local church, provided mentorship support to high school students at Orange High School. While the program initially had some trouble getting started, students and RHO learned to trust and wait for God’s timing. After a few false starts and lots of prayer, RHO dove in, meeting regularly with students from April to June. According to Rebecca Kridner, City Liaison for RHO, “It was amazing to watch the transformation, not only in the lives of the students, but also in the lives of the mentors.” People who signed up for the mentorship program walked in to the first meetings with students full of anticipation, and for many people, full of fear. “It can be an intimidating place,” Rebecca said. “But the key is being consistent in the students’ lives.” Some kids were receptive and enjoyed spending time with their mentors; others were not so enthusiastic. One mentor recalls having trouble connecting with his student – a struggle that led him to have doubts about his own capability to be an effective mentor. Despite his feeling of inadequacy, he committed to continue meeting with his student, no matter how hard it was. In the end, his sacrifice proved worth it as he saw a major transformation in the student. While mentors were not allowed to initiate conversations about faith as a part of their agreement with the school, many opportunities arose where students initiated these topics and mentors could respond to their questions. One particular student who had a difficult situation at home opened up about the bad dreams he was having. He confessed to his mentor that he didn’t believe in God, but asked whether he thought dreams could be spiritual. This question opened the door for a conversation about faith, and the mentor was able to be honest about his relationship with God. At such a pivotal time in these student’s lives, there is a great need for the Church to invest in the youth of our communities. Over 50 students were part of this program, and the hope is for more students to be connected with mentors next year. As we continue to build relationship with schools and students, we are expectant that the Lord will move in unexpected and amazing ways. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a mentor, please email Rebecca at rkridner@rockharbor.org B Y: K AT I E M AYB ER R Y
ANNUAL REPORT
RH O LIFE G ROU PS God is moving in the city of Orange, and as a church, we are excited to get to be a part of what He’s doing. One of the key ways that we see God moving in our church is by bringing us together as a family. RHO is about so much more than just sitting in a seat during a weekend service. We know each other. We care for each other. We carry each other’s burdens. The main way we do this is through Life Groups. Over 150 people in our church (that’s over 50%!) join together each week in Life Groups all around our city. Here are some things we can remember and celebrate from Life Groups that gathered over the past year: • A group of Life Groups got together to put on a yard sale that helped raise money for a family who was in the process of adopting a child. • One Life Group saw the huge need for volunteers in our Families ministry and decided to serve together one Sunday a month. • A number of our groups are growing into communities where discipleship and mentoring between individuals happen within the context of the Life Group. This is exciting because it means
these groups are being pastored and field, and we strive to be obedient to shepherded by our Life Group leaders opportunities that come up to share with others. rather than just facilitated. Each week, we all process what was Here is Tobias’ account of the way shared on Sunday and talk about what that his Life Group has impacted him: it means to us right now in our walk with Christ. It’s beautiful, because since “It is my personal conviction that Life we’ve developed the sense of family in Groups are the best way for people to our group, there is a lot of openness and participate in church, to exercise their honesty in what we share about where gifts and passions as they support and we are. We are able to be real. It’s funny to think that some in build up others in the group. Over the last year and a half, we have the group were once intimidated by focused on building family in our group. discussions about the Bible because There isn’t a topic we can’t discuss they didn’t feel like they had a firm grasp together. We’re there for one another on it. Now, one year later, those same when we need support during a difficult people are now actively participating season. We share our life experiences and have great thoughts they share each – all of them. We learn from each week. Just being connected with the because we understand that we’re all group is helping them process & learn from different places and have different more about Jesus. It can be challenging to feel at home things to offer. As we become more confident in our in church when you are seating in an individual identities in Christ – we are auditorium with hundreds of people. able to join together as a family and But, I’ve found that Life Groups is really press into what it looks like to live on where church happens. Being able to mission in our city. As a group we are see people walking alongside each other able to learn to wrestle with what it and doing life with one another over means to sacrifice every day – for the the course of this year is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve had gotten to sake of others knowing Christ. We’ve started to see our workplaces experience.” and neighborhoods as our mission
To get connected with a Life Group at RHO, email Nick at nkinnier@rockharbor.org B Y: L AUR EN FR AN C I S AN D T O B I AS HO FFM AN
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R HO
Thank you for your continued financial support of ROCKHARBOR. Your sacrifice and partnership have played a part in allowing these stories to happen. Here’s to another year of ministry together and another year of stories to celebrate.