Irvine, CA // Sunday Service Time: 9:30 AM

X Close Menu

Missional Partnership - Ryan & Lindsey Cavinder

Cavinders

We came to the Village last January hoping to find a church that truly valued community. We wanted to feel connected, to find people we could grow alongside, enjoy life with and engage in the gospel with on a day-to-day basis.

We had no idea what God had in store for us.

It didn’t take long for God to take our desire and turn it into our mission. Over the summer we were contacted by some close friends who asked us if we would be interested in becoming a CARES team in Irvine. CARES teams are responsible for building community and sharing the gospel with non-believers in apartment complexes all over the country. We discovered the darkness that lies in these communities and learned that 95 percent of people in apartment communities are un-churched. God was tugging at our hearts.

God had blessed us with an incredible community at the Village and was now charging us with the responsibility of sharing that community with others, specifically his lost sheep. The elders placed their full support behind us and our community group did a fantastic job of rallying around us as we went from church-shoppers to local missionaries in less than a year.

What a difference a year makes!

We feel unbelievably blessed to be serving His kingdom in such a unique and powerful way. We have the ability to speak with non-believers in their homes, to reach those who want nothing to do with church and to show them the love of Jesus.

Over the past four months we have been striving to connect with as many residents as possible, building relationships, having spiritual conversations and inviting them to join us for church. The transformative power of the gospel that we long to share with those in our community has built us up in several ways.

Lindsey: God has urged me to step boldly out of my comfort zone and to swallow my fear and let the Lords words escape past my teeth. I have always hid in churches, allowing the enemy to convince me that I have nothing to offer to those in need. CARES has opened my eyes to see the skills the Lord has blessed me with and in serving, He has revealed desires of my heart that I was previously unaware of.

Ryan: When we began this adventure we expected to grow. What we did not expect, however, was the spiritual attacks we would have to endure to achieve that growth. The enemy has targeted us and we have tried to live each day with a “bring it on” mentality, but we have been constantly reminded how weak, sinful and powerless we are without Jesus.

The Village has been more than just a church home for us. The love, training, support and encouragement we have received through our partnership has changed our lives and helped us to change the lives of those around us. In 2014, we want to fully commit to this wonderful church body the Lord has blessed us with and we invite all of you to serve in community with us.

Leave a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.