Strengthening Our Foundations
This has been a year of change and growth at Orchard Church. In January, our elders and I walked through the 9 Marks Framework for a Healthy Church, renewing our commitment to God’s Word, the gospel, and making disciples. Out of this renewed focus, the Lord added 3 new members, and we rejoiced to see 7 people baptized. In April, we refreshed our chapel and moved to three services, making room for around 20 new families.
Discipling the Next Generation & Our Church Family
God has been especially kind in our next generation ministries. We took 30 students to Camp Pondo. Each Sunday, about 25 junior high and high school students gather, with many returning on Wednesdays to grow in Christ. Our AWANA ministry now serves about 70 kids with a strong team of leaders and a growing worship team. At our first Grand Prix, the gospel was clearly shared, and at least one child trusted Christ.
In children’s ministry, God provided new volunteers, and our VBS attendance increased by about 30%, with many kids coming from the surrounding community.
One of my favorite pictures of God’s work is our WAM (Worship Arts Ministry) children’s choir. New families from the wider community have joined us, including out-of-state, not-yet-believing relatives of one of our second graders. Recently, one member of that family came to a saving faith in Christ. Hearing our four- to eleven-year-olds pray and sing together has been a beautiful glimpse of God’s kingdom.
Mission, Mercy, and Community Impact
This year we expanded our missions program by hosting missionary speakers, serving residents at Interfaith with a BBQ, movie, and testimony night, giving away 1,500 pounds of food, preparing Christmas boxes for orphans in Tijuana, and partnering with H2H Orphan Care as we prepare for a Romania trip. We formed an Outreach Team, led weekly prayer assignments and prayer walks, and carried out a monetary drive to support Escondido’s Alternatives Clinic.
Our campus continues to serve the wider community. We opened our facility to Bible studies, FCA, and RAW Ministries, our food distribution partner. Every week, Orchard and RAW together serve about 400 people through our Wednesday distribution. We again hosted Trunk or Treat, serving roughly 1,000 people, and are preparing for our Christmas Tree Lighting, hoping to bless many with the light and hope of Christ.
Worship, Community Life, and Sunday Experience
Our worship and community life have grown as well. We added new musicians to the
worship rotation, are training a volunteer sound engineer, and added a contract sound engineer. We hosted worship and testimony nights, our Praise, Prayer & Pie event, Steak & Study for men, monthly gatherings for Orchard ladies, and All Church Lunches to help people connect.
The Orchard Experience Team has elevated our Sunday environment by creating a welcoming “coffee spot,” run primarily by our high school and college students, where guests are greeted and served coffee and donuts. They also developed a simple system to help parents navigate to the Children’s Ministry area so families are warmly welcomed and kids easily checked in. Our “New Here” Tent has welcomed over 65 first-time guests with a gift, helpful information, and follow-up communication. We’ve added clear signage throughout the campus, and behind the scenes volunteers faithfully care for our facility. Between Sundays, midweek gatherings, and ministry partners, hundreds of people are now on campus at least five days a week.
Looking Ahead & Our “Best Gift”
Our vision from the beginning has been “to invite people to find hope and experience love through faith in Christ.” Our elders have been prayerful about funding this vision, and since 2014, our budget has grown every year—a testimony to God’s faithfulness and your generosity. With about 30% growth this year, our budget must also grow to keep up with shepherding and ministry.
Looking Ahead & Our “Best Gift”
Our vision from the beginning has been “to invite people to find hope and experience love through faith in Christ.” Our elders have been prayerful about funding this vision, and since 2014, our budget has grown every year—a testimony to God’s faithfulness and your generosity. With about 30% growth this year, our budget must also grow to keep up with shepherding and ministry.
Where is the most need?
We now need additional staff for pastoral presence, discipleship, and outreach. We also have key facility needs: adding stairwells to our back building (Building C) so it can be brought up to code, used more fully during the week, and, Lord willing, leased to a preschool that could help support ministry and campus care.
As we enter this season of giving, I invite you to join us in making our “Best Gift” to the Lord through Orchard Church. Would you prayerfully consider continuing or beginning regular monthly giving, and making a special end-of-year gift as the Lord leads? These gifts will help us move toward hiring additional shepherds, taking the next steps on Building C, and sustaining our campus as it serves our church family and community. All gifts received or postmarked by December 31 will be counted toward this year’s giving.