Enrolling Now!!!
We are excited to start the enrollment process for the 2012-13 school year. You can go directly to FACTS online to enroll your child(ren) for the next year. Christ Lutheran School is committed to meeting the needs of your children and providing a safe, loving environment for their growth. As you enroll or re-enroll, if you have any questions at all, we will be available to sit with you and help. Our admissions counselor, Lisa Olson, will be available at your convenience.

You must have completed the Admissions process or be registering a returning student before you can continue with registration online.

Register here

Congratulations, Pastor Irey!
Lance Irey was ordained as a minister and installed as assistant pastor at Christ Lutheran Church on Sunday, Jan.22nd. Welcome and God's blessings on you and your family.

Pastor Lance serves Christ Lutheran in the areas of Care Ministries, Senior Ministries, and our Recovery Ministry.

He works with us as a "worker-priest." This means he earns his income through other employment and serves Christ Lutheran in a part-time capacity.

We are very proud of Lance as he has made the move from member to pastor – having completed the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) ordination track through Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

 

Did you know that Christ Lutheran has an "Agape Fund"? It's an account, separate from our operating budget, used at the discretion of the Pastors to help individuals and families with urgent financial needs. Due to increased needs, the fund is nearly depleted. Debbie Miller's ChristCare group is doing a ministry project to raise money to replenish the fund. On Feb. 5th, after both services, they'll be selling homemade items & goodies. Please stop by the table on the patio to make a purchase or donation.

Need Math Tutoring?
Chuck Newman, a former High School Math teacher and tutor of many of our high school students presently and in the past, has volunteered to be available to tutor any middle school students. He will make himself available on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Mr. Augustine's room from 3 to 4 p.m. If your student is having difficulty, or just needs some reinforcement, come and let Chuck work with them. We thank him for this very generous offer.

 

 

Parent Teacher League General Meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012
7:00—8:00 PM
Fireside Room

Christ Lutheran School Says Thank You Alumni
We wish to thank all of our Alumni who recently participated in our Alumni Challenge. Our Alumni sent over $1,000 in donations to be used for scholarships and to improve technology. It is not too late to send in a donation if you wish to do so. You may drop off your donation to the school office, marked "Alumni Challenge." Way to go Alumni — you are AWESOME!!

 

 

A BIG change is coming to Christ, Costa Mesa on February 5th when we will implement a nine-week test period and try an "Equipping Hour" from 9:20-10:20 on Sunday mornings for Adults and Children. This means we will move the 9:45 service, 45 minutes later, to 10:30. The Equipping Hour will include Sunday School for the Children and multiple Adult study options. Pastor Mike and Pastor Glenn will each teach a class during this Sunday morning time. The trial period will conclude on Sunday, April 1st. On the Sunday after Easter, April 15th, at 9:20 we will hold an all church forum to talk about our experiences and whether we should continue this format into the future. Immediately following the trial period, we will provide paper and on-line surveys to assist you in giving your input. A copy of the letter sent to the church family is available … HERE

"Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" presents a seminar based on God's principles for a successful marriage and will be held here at Christ Lutheran on February 17 from 7-10 PM and February 18th from 9-12:30 PM. This Video Seminar is conducted by Patrick and Windy Himenes, friends of Pastor Mike and Kathy's from Laugh Your Way America™ and is a male-friendly, wildly entertaining and informative marriage event that brings hope and positive change to marriages. The cost is only $35.00 per couple or $18.00 per single. For more information call Debbie in the Church office at 949-631-1611 or 1dline@christcm.com. If you would like to register online you may go to www.laughyourway.com/events/ or by calling 866-525-2844. If it is easier for you, you may register with Debbie in the Church office. Invite your non-Christ Lutheran friends for FREE! Yes, free. No one should miss out on this fabulous seminar! One of the most frequent comments is " If I had know it was going to be this good, I would have invited more people!" If you are interested in helping with this seminar...again, contact Debbie in the Church office. Assistance will be needed with registration, promotion and refreshments.

BOOK FAIR COORDINATOR NEEDED!
Please contact Jen Haskell or Sharon McMullen through the school office if you are willing to help.
We are still looking for a coordinator to manage
the volunteer schedules and a few other tasks.

 

 

 

The Lenten season is right around the corner...and that means the Lenten soup suppers as well. We have the first 2 already covered! How about that? Please consider hosting one of the next 4. They don't have to be hard or a lot of work. Call Debbie in the church office if you are interested or have questions and she can guide you through it!

Marriage Renewal Sunday: Are you celebrating an anniversary in a 5 year increment this year? Been blessed with over 50 years of marriage? Join us on February 12th at either the 8 or 10:30 worship service and renew your wedding vows. Call Debbie in the office and let her know what service you will attend and how many years you will be married. Don't forget to bring your wedding picture so we can put it on display!

 

Christ, Costa Mesa is Heading Back to Yunnan Province, China to do a Water Project in May, 2012…
It is time to start praying about whether the Lord would have you join me this May as part of a team to do a water project in the mountains of southwestern China. The target date for departure is the night of Mother's Day, May 12th with a projected return during the Memorial Day weekend. Costs are usually $2,000 to $2,200 per person + the shared fund-raising to cover the cost of the wa-ter project (somewhere in the $10,000 to $20,000 range for this project). Send me an email to let me know you would like be included in an introductory gathering in January. Pastor Mike.

SENIORS!...Concordia University Irvine and ALOA - Adult Lutherans Organized for Action present the 6th Annul Senior Fest on Wed. Feb. 29th from 9am to 3:15pm . Enjoy workshops throughout the day and keynote speaker Marva Dawn, internationally renowned theologian, author and educator. Registration ($25) begins at 8:30 a.m. is available online or call Mary Sipes at 949-214-3180. Lunch is included.

FIT FOR LIFE!! Two ways to start the New Year healthy. First, join or sponsor someone in the 2012 Fitness Challenge ~ a 12 week fitness challenge between January 5th and Easter Sunday, April 8th. Your fitness achievements and/or pledged support will be used to reduce/payoff the balance of the 4 Those 2 Come Capital Campaign. Second, join us every Saturday at 9:00am starting Jan. 7th for ZUMBA. It's fun for the entire family!

First Communion Will Now Begin In 5th Grade
After instruction in the grace and wonder and preciousness of the Sacrament of the Altar on March 7, 14, 21, and 28, 6:15-6:50 p.m. and once you have determined that your child is prepared to receive the magnificent gift of Jesus, he/she is welcome to celebrate the Sacrament for the first time during the Maundy Thursday Worship Service, April 5.
PLEASE PLEASE, review this opportunity with your child and together prayerfully decide if he or she is ready to come to the Lord's Table and receive the Sacrament.
Communing, either prior to the rite of Confirmation or after, is never to be decided without serious consideration. If you have any questions, please email Pastor Glenn

An investment in the Lutheran Church Extension Fund does more than pay you interest, it helps your church and others to build new facilities, or remodel existing buildings. It helps congregations fund new ministries and new programs to reach those who don't know about Jesus. In our district alone, LCEF has invested over $250 million in loans to our congregations and schools. To find out more, call LCEF at 1-800-843-5233 or visit www.lcef.org.

USED SOCCER SHOES WANTED! Our ChristCare group is collecting serviceable used soccer shoes for Friends' House in Long Beach. This Christian organization provides enrichment programs for underprivileged children. We will be collecting soccer shoes (any size) from January 22 thru February 12. Look for the box in front of church on Sundays, or contact Nancy Kuhlman, 949.548.5429

FLOWER CHART 2012... is up on the Resource Center door. We ask that you consider signing up for flowers on a Sunday. Flowers can be placed in remembrance of a loved one, on the celebration of a birth, anniversary or any other occasion. If no one signs up for flowers the church must pay for them regardless. It would help alleviate our budget if more of us signed up. Cost for the flowers is $40 but to encourage more people to sign up we have reduced the price to $25, however you can still pay $40 if you are willing.

Sunday School Has Started!!!! Below are the classroom assignments. Drop your child
off in their class and introduce yourself to your student's teacher. If you have not had a
chance to register online, you can do so by by going to www.christcm.com/sun_school.htm.
Ages 3 and 4 Room 109
Pre-K and Kindergarten Room 103
Grade 1 and 2 Room 104
Grade 3 and 4 Room 106
Grade 5 and 6 Youth Room
Sunday School Headquarters Room 107
Our Sunday School web site also has our volunteer interest page for anyone feeling led
to help out on Sunday mornings. We are still looking for some volunteers for the new year
of Sunday School and would love to get you plugged in! Questions? Contact Kyle Frazier at or 949-631-1611

Monvee! At this very moment, God’s Spirit is using every moment of every day and every event and relationship to shape you into His best version of you, one that mirrors our Savior, Jesus. Along the way, there are important spiritual disciplines that we share and do together, like Worship, Bible reading and memorization, small groups, prayer, etc., however, we are not the same. A cookie-cutter approach to discipleship and personal growth doesn’t work. Why? We all have unique learning styles, worship pathways, and temperaments; we may be similar, but we are not the same. Monvee is a personalized and intentional discipleship growth plan. It is a tool, if you will, that we are presently using with the ministry staff and will be rolling out to you SOON. In preparation, go to www.monvee.com and familiarize yourself with this interactive assessment tool that will guide you to live life centered in Christ.

Christ Lutheran School PTL is partnering with Tanaka Farms...to deliver fresh, seasonal, local and organic produce to Christ Lutheran. Tanaka Farms will return 10% of the purchase to PTL to support programs like Art Masters, Assemblies, Bibles, School Picnics, School Musicals and much more. Purchase must be made in advance. Pick up an order form in the School office or contact Jen Haskell for more information at haskell5@ca.rr.com or 714-323-1365.

ARK – Advancing Recovery in the Kingdom - Ministry:
Vicar Lance Irey has developed a new ministry entitled ARK (Advancing Recovery in the Kingdom). If you are in need of help or need continued support in dealing with addiction(s) or know someone that is, I would encourage you to join us for an open meeting of Alcoholic Anonymous @ 7AM every Saturday morning in the Youth Room (Old Fireside room). Lance also working on developing a Biblically based recovery study group for poeople struggling with addiction and dependencies.

Did You Know CLS Has a Facebook Group Page?
Come visit and join our group Facebook page at Christ Lutheran School,Costa Mesa, CA. The main purpose for this group is to keep our families and friends updated with currentevents. Please invite your friends to join!

Third source funding ministry needs for Christ Lutheran School.

• Financial aid is a critical need in this economy and always to provide a Christian education for children.  This past year we baptized 19 children as a result of the school ministry.
• Technology is another critical need to prepare children for 21st century skills.  It changes at such a rapid pace it that your donations are critical.

We thank you for supporting the school ministry.  For convenience you can donate online.  Please choose below which area you would like your donation to benefit. 

Christ Lutheran School Scholarship & Technology Funds
Can you contribute?
If you would like to make a contribution to the CLS scholarship fund, please use the links below.

Cash Contributions To The Christ Lutheran School Scholarship Fund

Cash Contributions To The Christ Lutheran School Technology Fund

 

OUR FOOD PANTRY looks worse than Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard!! We need everything!! Pasta, canned fruits, canned veggies, tuna, mac-n-cheese, and cereal are a few of the items we are extremely short on. Your help is very much appreciated.

Donations for the People in Tijuana-The rules have changed along the border going into Mexico. Used clothes and shoes are no longer allowed to be brought in. Duty or taxes are charged on food brought in. Lutheran Border Concerns, the organization that we coordinate with, has advised us to collect cash donations and buy beans and rice once we get into Tijuana instead of bringing these from California. If you would like to donate specifically for these, please mark your donation "For TJ Food". We are checking on school supplies and books and will get this information in the Sunday bulletin as quickly as we can. We do know that anything we bring in has to be new and we have to have the receipts for everything attached. We still need to raise funds to cover the project costs of $2500 so please mark your donations for "TJ Project Costs". If you have any questions, please contact Terry Walls at terryllann@aol.com.

Feed the Hungry -
Our usual Neighborhood Food Distribution date is the second Saturday of the month. I want to encourage those that can to arrive by 11:00 to assist with the set up. As more and more neighbors come for assistance, the need for advance preparation increases.

Registration Now Happening At Christ Lutheran School!! – We invite all families with children preschool through 8th grade to take a tour of our school. Our school focuses on educating the whole child academically, physically, spiritually and emotionally, thus providing a foundation for success in future academic and life endeavors. We offer small class sizes, before and after school care, choir, band, Art Masters and competitive sports programs to name just a few.
Contact Lisa Olson, our Admission Counselor, at 949/548-6866 to schedule your tour now.