Hi Newport Church Family,
Happy Fifteenth Birthday!
Fifteen years ago on Saturday 15th July 2006 our family boarded a flight in Sydney, bound for Los Angeles, with one purpose in mind.
Our vision and our mission was to plant a life giving church in the Newport Beach area of Orange County that would impact our city and beyond, connecting people to Christ, to life giving relationships and to their God given purpose and destiny.
Community, Connection and Cause
The very next day we held our first Sunday gathering at 2601 PCH, Newport Beach. What began as an inspirational vision meeting transitioned into what in reality became our first service, only 24 hours after our arrival!
Fifteen years ago there were no Iphones nor Instragram. Facebook was in it’s very early stages and social media was largely limited to Myspace.
Those who were invited, or came to that first meeting, came either by personal invitation, by word of mouth, by text or by visiting our website.
101 people came to that meeting, Brooke Fraser led us in singing “None but Jesus,” I spoke on the three pillars of our vision, Community, Connection and Cause, Christine Caine spoke on Vision and Generosity and three people made decisions to accept Christ as their Savior!
Our church was birthed, out of a visionary information evening that turned into our first church service!
It was as if our original plan for the gathering could not hold back the Spirit of worship and passion for God’s word that was present in the meeting!
The three highlights of that first service which have remained central to our vision ever since were:
Passionate Worship
Passionate worship that brings us into the Presence of God, has always been an expression of who we are as a church. We chose “None but Jesus” as the first song that we sang as a church because we want Jesus to be at the Center of all that we do!
Passion for God’s Word
God’s Word and our passion to share Jesus’ words of life have always been central to our vision and mission. Just as God framed the worlds by the word of His mouth, so we are passionate about framing our world with the words of God’s mouth until His Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Passion for Salvation and Generosity
When Jesus visited Zacchaeus’ house, his life was dramatically transformed. Jesus said, “today salvation has come to this house, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save those that are lost”
Jesus expressed simply and clearly the purpose of His mission and Zacchaeus’ response to the gift of salvation was an outpouring of generosity. He said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Salvation and Generosity are at the heart of the Gospel and we are passionate about building a house of salvation out of which will flow a life giving stream of generosity.
That evening the three people who received Christ as their Savior were the first of many thousands to experience our church as a house of salvation and the seed that was sown in that first offering primed the pump for a flow of generosity that has followed ever since.
Fifteen is the Number of Rest and Restoration
This Sunday as we will celebrate fifteen years of Newport Church we are so thankful for all of those, who over the years have partnered with us in bringing God’s love, grace and hope to countless thousands. Without you, and the work of the Holy Spirit in and through you, we would never have been able to achieve what we have so far.
It is significant that in the Bible, fifteen is the number of Rest and Restoration.
As we celebrate our fifteenth birthday, I believe that these two words are not only significant but prophetic for our church.
Rest and Restoration are the platform upon which we stand as we look forward to the next fifteen years.
This Sunday I will be speaking about Rest and Restoration and we pray that you will be inspired and encouraged in our time together and leave full of hope and faith.
Make sure you come early for a free coffee and for some birthday cake after the service!
We can’t wait to see you either online or in person.
Thank you for your Generosity
Once again a big thank you to all of you who contribute through your faithful generosity, you are making a difference that only eternity will fully reveal.
If you would like to give your donation, tithe or offering now you can do so by clicking here.
Let’s make the most of our opportunity over these coming years to continue to build a hub of hope and faith. May our church be a house of salvation with a spirit of generosity, where people can experience God’s presence through passionate worship, the power of God’s word and true love for each other and our world.
See you tomorrow!
We love and appreciate you all greatly,
Pastor Jonathan & Dianne Wilson
Senior Pastors