Newport Mesa Christian Center

Church name: Newport Mesa Christian Center

Address: 2599 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Telephone: (714) 966-0454

Web site: www.newportmesa.org; additional information about

Newport Mesa Christian Center’s worship, its children and youth

programs and its other ministries and programs is available at the

Web site.

Denomination: Assemblies of God

Year church established: 1938

Service times: Three identical services are held on Sunday at 9

and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Children’s church and youth church, as well as

many adult education classes, are held concurrently with the morning

services. The church celebrates Communion on the first Sunday of each

month. Tuesday evening programs are specifically for junior high

through high school youths. Wednesday evening programs are teaching

activities for elementary school-age children. The church will hold

special services for Easter. The times for the services are not yet

set, but will be available soon.

Senior pastor: Scott Rachels

Pastoral staff: George Fessler, Rick Francis, Brett Janzen and

Jeff Keith, Children’s Team: Sharon Noble and Gabe Gaeta.

Size of congregation: 1,500

Makeup of congregation: The congregation is multi-generational

with a mix of families and single people.

Child care: Child care, for newborns through elementary school-age

children, is available at all services.

Type of worship: The worship combines contemporary music with a

30-minute message.

Type of message: On Sunday mornings, the message is usually part

of a series developed on a biblical theme or on a book of the Bible.

All messages are designed to be practical and to touch people in a

personal way.

Recent messages: Questology: A compass for your spiritual journey.

Upcoming messages: Under The Sun: Facing Life’s Tough Issues. What

is the point of life? Can I find happiness? How should I spend my

time? Why is life unfair? How much money is enough? Can good come

from bad? What happens when I die?

Visitors welcome: Greeters and Welcome Center volunteers are on

hand to welcome guests and to answer their questions. Free coffee and

refreshments are available.

Church programs: Many programs are available for adults and

children. Small groups are forming for adults interested in meeting

in a mid-week fellowship group. The church’s Men’s Ministries hosts a

retreat with special guest speaker Jack Hayford. The church’s Women’s

Ministries has several programs, including Mothers of Preschoolers,

or MOPS, and TEEN MOPS. During the summer, the church runs a 10-week

day camp, Sonshine Day Camp, for elementary school-age children.

Outreach programs: Each summer, the church sends more than 100

abused and neglected children, selected through Orange County social

services, to one week at the Royal Family Kids’ Camp. The church

trains 50 counselors and 20 support staff and raises more than

$30,000 through a number of fund-raisers to pay the children’s

expenses.

Mission statement: “To develop more followers of Jesus; closer

followers of Jesus. We seek to do this by helping people to: Belong

to God’s family. Grow to reflect the character of Christ. Serve the

needs of oppressed people in our community and our world. Celebrate

the greatness of a mighty God who has purchased our freedom through

the gift of his son. Reach out in love to a world searching for

truth, hope and meaning.”

Dress: Come as you are. Casual.

Church design: The worship center is simple and attractive.