March 25, 2010
Dear Saddleback Family,
I am so blown away by you:
… how you continually place others before yourself
… how you take risks that others are unwilling to take
… how you consistently trust God, show love to unbelievers, and overflow with joy.
Last year, our four days of Easter services still couldn’t hold everyone, so this year we thought having Easter service at Angel Stadium would give us plenty of room! Wrong! The Sunday service filled up in 48 hours, the Saturday service half-filled in the same amount of time and now we will have TWO full stadium services – with about 100,000 attending, and still have to turn people away.
I am always stunned at how much you care for your friends who don’t know Jesus and how you bring them to our worship services. It saddens me that people who need to be saved by Jesus will be turned away from Easter Sunday because even a stadium was not big enough. We cannot add another Sunday morning service because of stadium parking limitations. I have no idea what solution we’ll come up with for Easter next year.
To reach people that no one else is reaching, we have done what no one else is doing. That’s our history, and that’s why we’re launching Decade of Destiny on Easter weekend. It is a faith-building, love-deepening, joy-increasing, and people-reaching strategy that we’ll roll out progressively over the next 10 years.
For the last 7 weeks, I’ve taught Jesus’ Seven Words from the Cross. On Easter, I’m going to share Jesus’ words after he rose from the dead!
They are the most powerful, hopeful statements ever said, and will begin our Year of Indestructible Hope – Year 1 of Decade of Destiny. Please read all I’ve written below:
DECADE OF DESTINY LAUNCHES IN 9 DAYS
The most important 10 years of Saddleback begins
4 KICK – OFF EVENTS
EASTER WEEKEND APRIL 3-4
SATURDAY MORNING: YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BECOME A LEGACY MEMBER!
Easter weekend, our 30th Anniversary, will close the door on our first 30 years. We are preparing an historic document called Saddleback Legacy Members which will include all the names of every member who joined Saddleback Easter 1980 to Easter 2010. It will be published and also archived for future generations to read about the Great Generation that helped build one of the great Christian congregations of history. I want your name in that book!
On the last day of our first three decades, I will teach the LAST 101 Membership Class of this Era, along with Kay Warren, Pastor Tom Holladay, and Membership Pastor Tommy Hilliker. If you attend Saddleback, don’t miss out on becoming an official Legacy Member. Join me in the Worship Center on April 3, for breakfast and Class 101 at 8:00 a.m. Click here to sign up.
SATURDAY EVENING: 1st EASTER SERVICE @ ANGEL STADIUM!
Four time Latin Grammy-winning worship leader, Marcos Witt will be singing in addition to my surprise special guest (who I can’t mention). It will be the same message/service as Sunday. There are tickets still available for this service but they will be gone soon.
SUNDAY MORNING: 2ND EASTER SERVICE @ ANGEL STADIUM! No tickets left.
NOTE: The reason we had to use tickets is because Angel Stadium required it, knowing that our Easter services are always packed out. The tickets are free and the Jonas Brothers are coming for free.
SUNDAY NOON: EASTER BAPTISM WITH PASTOR RICK @ ANGEL STADIUM!
If you’ve put off being baptized, this is your day! We are setting up 4 baptism pools at the stadium! You must be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled to be a member of Saddleback Church.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. If you have unused tickets for the Sunday Easter service please return them this weekend. Thousands are waiting on standby.
2. If it makes no difference to you, please attend SATURDAY and exchange your Sunday tickets for a Saturday ticket so those who need to hear the Good News for the first time can attend when they are most likely to attend on Sunday.
3. Rain or Shine the services will happen. So get a HOPE cap for $5 on the patio this weekend and wear it to Easter!
4. Sign up this weekend to be an usher at one of our Easter services. This will guarantee that you get in!
5. Pick up some Project City Hope Food Drive grocery bags this weekend and bring them to Easter filled with non-perishable food items. Help us share 50,000 bags of food with needy families in Southern California.
This will be another amazing Easter for the Glory of God!
THIS WEEKEND
This weekend, I conclude our series “When Love Speaks: Seven Words from the Cross”. Jesus’ last statement from the Cross is a powerful statement of hope containing four truths you can trust in during your darkest hour.
Saddleback Church
Purpose Driven Network
P.E.A.C.E. Coalition
View full post on Pastor Rick’s News & Views
