City Church's first Angel's game Saturday June 16th

• Tailgating party beforehand at 5pm, game starts at 7:05pm
• Tickets are only $10 each
• Bring your dad or a cool dude you know!
• Contact lisa@lovehopecity.com to purchase tickets

City Church Easter Service Information

Has it been a while since you've been to church?

Maybe you grew up in an environment where church was a place of guilt that your parents "made" you attend. The moment you had the freedom to choose, you opted out. Or perhaps you've really never been to a church simply because you didn't know where to go. No matter what your background is, City Church's Easter service  called "Anaheim Easter 2012" is a perfect place to start.

When is it? Sunday April 8th. There will be TWO IDENTICAL SERVICES at 9AM and 11AM.

**Krispy Kreme donuts will be available at the 9AM service to give extra incentive to come to the early service**

Where is it? Chain Reaction (located at 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim CA).

What can I do to help? The biggest way you can help is by bringing a friend who doesn't go to church.

Any questions... simply email Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com. Look forward to celebrating Anaheim Easter 2012 with you and as many friends as you can bring!

**Children's Ministry will be provided for ages 0-12**

Enjoy this clever video about our favorite weekend of the year...

I have accepted JESUS CHRIST into my life! I have made the decision to turn my life over to GOD and in accordance with God’s commandment’s, I was baptized before Him on November 6, 2011.

I have “believed in God” throughout my entire life, however I have only recently come to terms with the fact that HE has always been with me. I did not grow up attending church and was not raised in a faith-based environment. I was raised with what I would consider a “general knowledge” of who GOD was and instilled with a strong sense of right and wrong.

From a very young age, I remember being compelled to go to church with my friends. I would go for a short amount of time, but eventually I would stop going. When I was in my early teens, I began attending a church that some family friends would infrequently attend. I joined the church and the youth choir and regularly attended church. At the time, I did because it felt like it’s "what I should be doing."

The rest of my family was not attending church on a regular basis. They would come on a special occasion or sometimes when I was singing in the choir, but I was the only one who was regularly attending church. Now while I was learning more about God than I had known before and had more of a relationship with HIM while being a part of that church, I lived a life of willful sin and never fully turned my life over to GOD. I was not living the life that GOD wanted me to live and I knew it, even at that young age.

When I reflect on my life and what “brought me to Christ,” I realize that God has been calling me to Him my entire life. GOD has been making it clear to me that He wants me to accept Him into my heart, and live my life to serve and glorify HIM. I have known it, I have felt it and I have chosen to ignore it for the most part for all these years. Still, God continued to bless me as I ignored his calling.

When I was 18 I met the woman who would be my wife. A year later we were married shortly thereafter, our first child was born. We were barely 20 years old, married with a child without a plan or direction. Or so I thought... God had blessed me with a family at that young age to save me from the path that I was going down. Because my parents had instilled a strong work ethic, a sense of familial responsibility and provided an excellent model of what it meant to be a parent, I was changed for the better. I was living much more of the life that God wanted but nowhere near what I should.

Still God was there, granting me blessings, providing me with what I needed, giving me strength and perspective. I think back about how unworthy I was; not that I was living a horrible life as a terrible person but that God gave me so much and still I did not trust in Him, would not accept Him and would not live for Him. Even in the darkest times of my life, God was there, reaching out. He would try to reach me through message in a sermon during one of my infrequent visits to church, or a friend who found me wallowing in depression and grabbed my hands to pray aloud…

I had not been faithful to the God who had blessed and kept me all of my life, watched over my family and given me all that I needed. Not only did God continue to bless me, He continued to call to me to serve and glorify him; what an AMAZING GOD! Who but God would be so faithful to someone who he had given so much and gave him nothing in return? That’s how I know he loves me, regardless of my sins or the fact that I was too stubborn and prideful to turn my life and heart over to Him.

Still God called to me! One day during a casual conversation with a friend, she mentioned that she had attended a church and that she thought that we would enjoy it. That would prove to be an understatement. My wife was the first of us to attend City Church; I did not attend that Sunday because I had a lot of work to do. I could have gone but that was me, ignoring God’s call yet again. When I did attend the following Sunday, I instantly felt at home. Everything from the people, to the pastor, to the message, to the music filled my heart with a sense that this is where I should be and that this is what I should be doing. I can only describe what followed was a “Tidal wave of faith” washing over me.

The desire to have a relationship with God and to live the life that He had always wanted me to live surged through my soul like a lightning bolt. I felt like God had put me in a place where I could no longer ignore what He was calling me to do. I would praise and worship Him; I would serve, glorify and not only accept God into my life but make Him the center of it. I know now that only through Christ can I be the man, husband, father and servant that He has intended for me to be. Only through Him can lead my family into a way of life with God at the center.

I am truly thankful that God has been so faithful to me, even when I was not faithful to Him. I have resolved to dedicate my life to God and to do my best to accept His will and serve Him. I have made the decision to be baptized as a public declaration of my faith and dedication to a life centered in Christ.

-Bill

My best friend, Shandi, singing, skating rinks, youth group all-nighters…of course I would go! But I had no idea what it truly meant to follow the Lord. So when Shandi moved away I was without friends and without influence to continue attending church.

At 15 years old, I was just beginning to find God’s love when my first boyfriend, an atheist, came into my life and caused me to question everything I had learned about the Lord. I was quickly convinced that there was nothing beyond myself. I lived selfishly, believing I lived as a body, I was to carry all burdens on my earthly shoulders, and I died as a body. For almost 10 years I lived this way, running from the brokenness in my home, working relentlessly to be sure I would never end up like the shattered alcoholic mother and father I had been born to. I was driven by dreams of money and great “success“, convinced that these were happiness. The determination for these dreams was fueled by all of the pain, depression and anxiety I carried and always having something to run from. Countless tears, hours of therapy, cuts across my arms, and medications, nothing was easing the pain. I had accomplished so much for my career by the time that I was 21, it was everything I wanted, so why was I so unhappy?

Things got better for me after that relationship with my first boyfriend finally ended after 6 years. I was off the medications, I was smiling again, loving my work and my new life on my own. But now I had to deal with the longing I felt for companionship. I had no friends and I had never felt like I could relate to anyone. I began looking for comfort and companionship in all the wrong places. Until one night in September 2009 the wrong place couldn’t have been more right. I met my soul mate Randy and for the first time, experienced unconditional love. This kind of love was foreign to me and when things got serious the anxiety began to creep back into my life. I was questioning everything again and was unable to trust. Even though I had found an incredible love, there was still a hole in my heart.

In the midst of my own trials, on January of 2011 I got a call from my sister that my Dad had fallen and hit his head. He was in a coma. He had struggled for many years with severe alcohol and drug addiction, and we knew he was in bad shape, but the news still hit hard. Some months before all of this my little sister who was living with my drug addicted Dad and Step Mom was taken to Pennsylvania by my older step sister and given the opportunity to begin a new childhood and a relationship with the Lord.

Aside from my ongoing struggles with my family, life was going good. I had a wonderful relationship, the career I had worked so hard to get, hobbies and goals, but the anxiety was escalating, it was affecting all of these important things in my life. I was determined to be perfect in every area in my life and not let the pain show through. My shoulders were so heavy and my body was weak. I couldn’t trust, I felt lost and I became convinced I was meant to live life alone. I knew what it was that I wanted for my life, but I had no idea how feel the love and happiness that should have been spilling from my soul. I gave notice at my job because I couldn’t handle the additional stress and demands that it put on me and stay balanced mentally. Being an atheist, the last thing I imagined doing was turning to God.

One day after work I was so tormented by my own mind that I fell to my knees and cried out in desperation for God. I had heard so many stories about Him lifting people up and them feeling His presence but I felt nothing. I was reassured in my disbeliefs when God didn’t help…or so I thought. Looking back, I can see how slowly, he began to put it on my heart to reach out to him. Although I didn’t feel like He was there, for some reason I continued to cry out to him. Randy has been a devout Christian for much of his life, but he never once pushed his beliefs on me. So I came to him one night and asked him why God wouldn’t help me. He explained simply and with such wisdom and without judgment, “It doesn’t really work like that. You have to be adopted by God. If a strange child came to our door asking for help, we would be apprehensive. If our own child came to us for help, we wouldn’t hesitate.” While he further explained and prepared us to watch The Gospel of John together I unknowingly grabbed a snack of bread and grapes and he just laughed and explained the sacrament. Our spirits bonded that night and it was the beginning of my walk with Jesus.

We began looking for churches and tried several Calvary Chapels before we found City Church. We had been to shows at Chain Reaction and felt comfortable with the venue and we were so excited to see people our own age, all so welcoming to anyone with Jesus in their heart. We were overjoyed to hear Pastor Kyle speak with a sense of humor, relatable stories, and parallels to life. We knew we had found the right place and started to get plugged in immediately. Randy and I, who live together, have even made the difficult decision to live apart until we are married and completely devote our relationship to the Lord.

On October 31, 2011, the day after my 24th birthday and only days after I felt an unbreakable bond with Jesus, my Dad passed away after almost a year in the hospital. Before the Lord took my earthly father home he made sure that his daughters were safe in the arms of the heavenly Father. What a beautiful gift I have received from God. I will cherish that forever and never will I turn from His love again.

Looking back I can see that though I turned away from the Lord, he never turned from me. He has carried me through life and blessed me all along the way but I was in pain because I was without His love in my heart. And so, in October 2011 I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am still a very new Christian but after experiencing the love that He has already shown me I am prepared to dedicate my entirety to the Glory of the Lord. He is helping me fight the pain and heal my heart and I am prepared to walk with Him forevermore.

Nick Vujicic Speaks at City Church Sunday October 9th.

Who is Nick? Nick is a man born without arms and legs who travels the world sharing his story of hope and inspiration despite devastating circumstances. There are tons of great videos about Nick on his website LifeWithoutLimbs.org. WATCH THEM!

Why should I come? You should come and bring a friend or two for several reasons. First, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear from Nick speak in an intimate context (he normally fills stadiums). Second, you should come because you will leave with a profound sense of hope and inspiration for your life as a result. Third, he's really funny. Fourth... there are a million more reasons, but that is plenty!

SPECIAL SERVICE TIMES - 9am & 11am.

We want to make room for EVERYONE who wants to attend; so for one week only City Church will have two identical services on Sunday October 9th at 9am and 11am. Feel free to attend whichever suits your calendar best. There will be free Krispy Kreme donuts for the first 100 people that attend the first service.

Big Announcement about Sunday October 9th at City Church from City Church | LoveHopeCity.com on Vimeo.

Are you new to City Church in the last three months? If so, my wife and I would love to get to know you personally. YOU are invited to our New Visitor Welcome Dessert!

When? Sunday September 25th @ 6:30pm-8:00pm.

Where? Pastor Kyle and Lisa's house in Anaheim.

What should I expect? Expect to have some good dessert, meet new people, and hear more about the vision of City Church and the "story behind the story."

How do I sign up? Simply email Lisa@LoveHopeCity.com today or sign up at church on Sunday.

It's hard to believe, but City Church is turning TWO!

We are calling it "2 for 200." As a 2nd birthday present, we would like to reach two hundred people that Sunday. Sorry, we won't be getting any tattoos this time. We are asking everyone to...

1. PRAY about who God wants you to bring. Pray FOR them.
2. INVEST in that person. Take them to coffee or lunch.
3. INVITE them to the birthday bash... but don't stop there.
4. BRING them on Sunday morning September 11th.

What's happening? The birthday bash will include a free catered lunch from "The Lime Truck" currently on "The Great Foodtruck Race" on Food Network. Jesse Brockman from the truck/show attends City Church and will be cooking that day. We will also have live performances from several local artists and a message from Pastor Kyle.

When should I get there? EARLY! Service starts at 10:30am as always, but if you get there early you can make sure to get a good seat. Your hard work of bringing a friend will definitely pay off. DO IT!

SMALL GROUP PROMO VIDEO from City Church | LoveHopeCity.com on Vimeo.

Thank you for being willing to get up bright and early on THIS UPCOMING Saturday morning, June 11. We are so excited to partner with Downtown Anaheim for their 12th Annual Northgate Market 5K Run. This is a great way to give back to the community.

The stickers going on the water bottles say, "we drink from the source" and have City Church's website. Come prepared to pass out water, love on people, and who knows, maybe meet a new person that wants to come to City Church. We will have cards on the table you can pass out to people with the church's address and website.

Here are the details:

Please bring scissors if have a pair. Do eat breakfast before you come or bring breakfast/snack/water with you.

Please allow time to park and unload your water bottles. The race starts at 8:00am, so we have to be ready to go by then.

6:45am Body Paint Barbarian Shout Team Shows Up
Please wear black or navy blue athletic shorts
Traci, please wear black or navy blue athletic shorts and shirt
Dan will provide the face and body paint
People who signed up: Jimmy, Anthony, Traci, Joey, Cameron and Kris

7:00-7:15am Set-Up Team Arrives (previously was 6am, but there is no need to show up that early. Get some extra sleep)
You will be starting to put labels on the water bottles and set-up the cotton candy machine
People who signed up: Jessica, Alexis, Kim, Cameron, and Angelica

7:30-7:45am Water Bottle Team Shows Up

Address: If you need an address to put into your GPS, use the following:
195 Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, CA 92805
People who signed up: Kyle, Joey, Kim, Aubrey, Terri, Jessica, Angelica, Lydia, Traci, India, Kris, Brenda, Kaitlin, Alfredo, Mia, Bea, Dan, Cameron L., Scot B., and Jamie

Downtown Anaheim is located south of Lincoln Ave and east of Harbor Blvd at the intersection of Center Street Promenade and Lemon Street.

The exhibitors, volunteer check-in, pancake breakfast and registration tables will be on Center Street Promenade & Lemon Street.

Parking: Is available in Parking Structures located on Oak Street @ Clementine or Lemon. There is no charge to park during the event.
2 Hour Validation is available at 205 Center Street Promenade for Farmers' Market.

Here is a link to the website about the run and frequently asked questions: http://www.downtownanaheim.com/Home/5k-run

Ask to find the finish line where the City Church station/table will be located.

If you need assistance carrying your water or if you need help with directions please contact Dan Rogers at surgelive@yahoo.com. If you can't come for some reason and took water on Sunday, make sure to return the water to Dan before the event on Saturday.

The run starts at 8:00am and it should be over by 9:30 or 10:00am. There will be a band playing at the end of th

Thank you so much!

Are you NEW to City Church in the last three months?

If so, we would love to get to know you a bit better at our "Welcome Dessert." It will be an informal time to hear the vision about why City Church exists, meet new friends, and hear how YOU can get involved in the ministry of City Church.

When is it? Sunday May 15th at 7:00pm.
Where is it? Pastor Kyle & Lisa's house. Sign up by emailing Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com and we will send you directions.
What should I bring? Just yourself! It will be a casual environment. We look forward to getting to know you.

SIGN UP TODAY.

1. $35 gift card to Red Robin (her favorite restaurant).

2. $40 gift card to Target to buy something nice for herself.

3. $20 for a full-body massage (great deal). (I forgot to include this in the e-blast --WHOOPS).

4. A card we all signed "GOD LOVES YOU - NO STRINGS ATTACHED."

5. We made a video on my iPhone where we told her why we picked her and she will be shown the video tonight when she is given the gift!

She loved Jesus more than anything. I can hardly remember a single conversation with her in which she didn’t talk about Jesus – stories of missionaries who left everything for the sake of Jesus, stories of how Jesus was faithful to her in difficult times, recounts of her time in scripture when Jesus spoke to her. The phrases she used the most were “jian mei joo” and “hallelujah,” which mean “praise the Lord” and, uh, “hallelujah” in Cantonese. I’ve echoed those phrases to her every single time we’ve met in the past 15-20 years. As her hearing faded over those years I’ve said them louder and louder to her, to the point where I put my mouth right up to her ear and shouted them. I can only imagine how loud she’s shouting those words now as she sees her savior face to face.

As the years progressed our conversations became less coherent and more comical. The last extended and semi-coherent conversation I had with her was about two years ago. She was going on about her daily life at the nursing home where she lived the last several years of her life. At one point she noticed that I was spacing out and picking my nose. She stopped talking, then started scolding me for doing such a thing. I’ll never find a wife if I pick my nose like that, she said.

Another time she was talking to my then-girlfriend, Lisa. Grandma’s words of wisdom to her: “even if you’re ugly, Jesus makes you beautiful.” Lisa is not ugly, but she appreciated the words anyway. Her words made us laugh, and they also captured the truth of the gospel: we are made beautiful by Jesus.

My favorite story of her goes like this: A few years ago she was at an airport with a couple of my aunts. They went to use the restroom. My aunts finished their business and went outside. After a while they realized that it shouldn’t take grandma so long to do her thing, so they went back into the restroom to check on her. They found grandma on the ground, crawling out of the bathroom stall. She couldn’t figure out how to open the stall door so she lined the ground with toilet paper and started crawling out from the stall on her back. And the whole time she was saying “Jian mei joo! Hallelujah!” This little 90+ year old woman was having her own time of private worship on the floor of a public restroom.

Death is grandma’s reward. She has lived her life well and Jesus is welcoming her into his presence with the words she has longed to hear her entire life, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Even as her body decomposes and we prepare to say goodnight to her, we know that she is more fully alive and happy than we can imagine.

I journey forth rejoicing
From this dark vale of tears
To heavenly joy and freedom
From earthly bonds and fears
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit--
Goodnight, goodnight till then

Why thus so sadly weeping
Beloved ones of my heart?
The Lord is good and gracious
Though now He bids us part
Oft have we met in gladness
And we shall meet again
All sorrow left behind us--
Goodnight, goodnight till then

I go to see His glory
Whom we have loved below
I go, the blessed angels
The holy saints to know.
Our lovely ones departed
I go to find again
And wait for you to join us--
Goodnight, goodnight till then

I hear the Savior calling--
The joyful hour has come
The angel-guards are ready
To guide me to our home
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit--
Goodnight, goodnight till then

("Goodnight" by Matthew Smith) --> Listen to it HERE.

There are Good Friday & Easter services at Chain Reaction? YES! Read on.

Have you ever felt like God couldn't love you because of what you had done in life?
OR maybe... you feel this nagging sense of emptiness and meaninglessness...
Others want to get on board with God's plan for their lives, but don't know how.

If ANY of those questions resound with you...

Join us for Good Friday & Easter Sunday to "Get your swagger back."

We are City Church (LoveHopeCity.com). We meet at Chain Reaction because we think it's exactly where Jesus would have been.

Join us for Good Friday & Easter Sunday 2011.
***Children's Ministry Provided at BOTH Services***

Service Times (@Chain Reaction)

Good Friday April 22nd @ 7:30pm
Easter Sunday April 24th @ 10:30am

Are you NEW to City Church in the last 3 months?

If so, we would love to get to know you a bit better at our "Welcome Dessert." It will be an informal time to hear the vision about why City Church exists, meet new friends, and hear how YOU can get involved in the ministry of City Church.

When is it? Sunday February 20th at 7:00pm.
Where is it? Pastor Kyle & Lisa's house. Sign up by emailing Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com and we will send you directions.
What should I bring? Just yourself! It will be a casual environment. We look forward to getting to know you.

SIGN UP TODAY.

Who is on YOUR list?!?

Whether you have seen us at an event in Downtown Anaheim, checked us out on the Chain Reaction website, found us through the perusings of the internet, or heard about us some other way, we would love to invite YOU to City Church's first EVER Christmas Eve Service!

ALL ages are welcome! Bring any friends and family you like!

When is it? Friday December 24th @ 7pm.
Where is it? Chain Reaction located at 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim CA 92801.
What is happening? We'll have plenty of warm & tasty holiday treats, a great inspirational message from Pastor Kyle, great Christmas songs led by musical guest "REVEAL," and some guest performances!

Can I bring my KIDS? ABSOLUTELY! We have a terrific FREE Children's Ministry program called CITY KIDS. Parents can enjoy the service while children 12 & under enjoy a great program exclusively for kids.

Questions? Email Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com or feel free to call us at (714)795-3945.

As the Christmas bells jingle your ears and the holiday drinks tingle your tongue, remember to pray about who God wants you to BRING to our Christmas Eve Service. Statistically, it is the #1 time of year when someone who does not claim religious affiliation of any sort will darken the doors of a church. That means it is a HUGE outreach opportunity. Having said that, sometimes inviting someone sounds intimidating. To make it less scary, here are 10 easy and creative ideas to invite/bring someone.

1. "The Classic Cheeseball." - Bring someone a small gift (plate of cookies/coffee/starbucks card) and hand them a flier. It's trite, it might be a bit cheesy, but if it's done tastefully and lovingly, it can be effective. Don't try to be "over the top" with your invitation, keep it real and personal. Remember, many people are lonely during the holidays and they're looking for something fun to do.

2. "The Sloppy Joe." - Invite someone over to your house or meet them for lunch/dinner (no you don't have to eat sloppy joe's). Focus on getting to know them, and at the end of the meal let them know that you'd really love for them to come with you to the Christmas Eve service. This one is very effective because you are investing in the person before inviting them AND they already know you so they will not feel completely uncomfortable.

3. "The Techno-Geek's Delight Part 1." - Post it on your Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr page that you will be attending Christmas Eve service and would love to invite any of your friends to come. Make sure to post a link to the website LoveHopeCity.com so they have all the information.

4. "The Techno-Geek's Delight Part 2." Posting a status update is great, but even BETTER is sending a direct message to someone! Everyone loves getting a direct message/email. It feels more personal. Scroll through your facebook friends and pray about who you could send a nice, encouraging direct message to with an invitation. People will feel special.

5. "The Memory Factor." Remember this: the person you are trying to bring to church for the first time is NOT in the habit of coming. Your job is to REMIND them with a personal phone call or text message the night before and possibly the day of just to be sure. People want to be remembered just like you do. REMEMBER to remind your friends and make sure to let them know where you'll be sitting so they are not alone!

Our Christmas Eve service is going to be an absolute blast. Please don't miss this amazing opportunity to welcome in a new soul into our community!

CHALLENGE: In the comments, write the first letter of the person's name you are hoping to bring. That way we can all pray for each other's new friends!

Are you new to City Church in the last 3 months?

If so, we would love to get to know you a bit better at our first "Welcome Dessert." It will be an informal time to hear the vision about why City Church exists, meet new friends, and hear how YOU can get involved in the ministry of City Church.

When is it? Sunday November 14th at 6:30pm.
Where is it? Pastor Kyle & Lisa's house. Sign up by emailing Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com and we will send you directions.
What should I bring? Just yourself! It will be a casual environment. We look forward to getting to know you.

SIGN UP TODAY.

Dear City Church,

Our vision is to be a church that GIVES BACK to the Community. We have an AWESOME... I repeat... AWESOME opportunity for you to participate. As a community, we will be participating in this year's annual "Tree Lighting @ Downtown Anaheim."

When is it? Saturday December 4th from 10am-7pm.

What we will be doing:
1. Serving two (really fun) Christmas crafts to nearly 7,000 kids.
2. Festive Christmas activity stations including finger nail painting, games, and more.
3. SHOWING People Jesus' love by GIVING BACK to the community.

How can YOU help?
SO glad you asked... we will literally need dozens of volunteers to pull this thing off. We will bring a fairly elaborate setup.

1. Setup/Teardown.
2. Crafts/Activities: we need a lot of helpers with this. The activities are simple, but will require a lot of hands.
3. Fliers: we will need people to hand out balloons and fliers.

We are asking everyone who attends City Church to volunteer at least two hours that day. Would you like to help? Email Kyle@LoveHopeCity.com.

I (Pastor Kyle) would be honored if you came to support me at my first ever stand-up comedy show.
Here's the info...

When? Saturday October 30th at 8pm.
Where? Crossroads Christian Church. 2331 Kellog Avenue, Corona CA 92881.
Cost? $10. Simply pay at the front when you arrive.

Anything else I need to know? You will also hear from my classmates, and our teacher Nazareth. It will be an awesome night. Come prepared to laugh and have a good time!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK HERE.

Year in Review Photo Video. from City Church | LoveHopeCity.com on Vimeo.

Just a little encouragement for you on a Tuesday! Keep your spirits high! God loves you!