IN THE SPIRIT

-- Michele Marr

* Address: 798 Dover Drive, Newport Beach

* Telephone: (949) 548-3631

* Denomination: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

* Year established: 1945

* Service times: Sunday 9:15 a.m., with children’s Sunday school

classes meeting concurrently. Children start by attending worship with

their family. They are dismissed to their classes during the service.

Adult classes meet at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

* Senior pastor: The Rev. David Monge

* Pastoral staff: Peggy Skeen, office manager; Dawn Bent, preschool

director; William Wells, minister of music and organist

* Size of congregation: About 150 attend worship on Sunday morning.

* Makeup of congregation: It’s a good mix of people of all ages. Most

live in Newport Beach, but many come from throughout Orange County.

* Child care: Professional child care is provided for Sunday morning

service.

* Type of worship: Traditional Lutheran service with organ and choir

music.

* Type of sermon: Monge draws the theme of his sermons from the

Scripture readings designated for the week in the Common Lectionary. His

style is varied, but always down-to-earth with an application for daily

living.

* Dress: Ranges from quite casual to a few suits and ties

* Visitor information: A card is available for visitors to fill out if

they wish someone to call or write to them. The church is currently

preparing a pamphlet of information for visitors. There is a monthly

newsletter, “Crossbeams.” Visitors are warmly welcomed.

* Church design: The chancel cross, the altar and altar rails, the

pulpit, the baptismal font and credence table are all the work of Seattle

liturgical designer Ernst Schwidder. All bear a sea theme in some form.

The cross is an anchor with Christ, the “anchor” of the church, on it.

The altar is boat-shaped, surrounded by waves; the pulpit is a boat’s bow

to represent the carrying of the “Word of God” into the midst of the

people. The font repeats the theme of boat and sea, and the altar rails

feature a wave motif.

The credence table, where the bread and wine of Holy Communion sit,

recounts the multiplication of the loaves and fishes by Jesus near the

Sea of Galilee.

All the pieces are hand carved of fine-grained hardwood. They rest

among high, white walls and earthy tiles from Italy. The acoustics were

professionally designed and engineered. Across the balcony, which houses

the organ, a carved panel reads, “Sing to the Lord a new song, let the

sea roar and all that fills it give glory and declare his praise in the

coastlands.”

* Mission statement: “Newport Harbor Lutheran Church, worshiping

family, anchored in Christ, providing safe harbor for all.”

* Church programs: There is an active youth group and a women’s

fellowship, study and service group that meet regularly, as well as for

special events.

There is an adult choir and children’s choir. Confirmation instruction

is provided periodically for middle school children. A class on the Old

Testament and Luther’s Small Catechism just began Wednesday..

* Outreach programs: The congregation typically has monthly outreach

projects organized by a couple in the church, Paul and Virginia Hawker.

Most recently they collected and distributed school supplies through the

Adopt-A-Social Worker Program, for children in families that can’t afford

the expense. They are now collecting Halloween costumes and money to

purchase costumes for children whose families cannot provide them. The

congregation also contributes to a number of projects on a regular basis

through the Lutheran Social Services.

* Upcoming event: There will be a Rally Day festival on Sept. 16 to

kick off the coming year. The rally will begin with youth-centered

worship at 9:15 a.m. Popcorn, a bounce-house, balloons and other fun and

fellowship for all ages will follow.

* Interesting note: The church is growing, seeing a lot of new faces

each Sunday, as well as returning members. The congregation is working on

a three-year strategic plan for its growth and development.

Monge said, “Our music program has a choir like I’ve never heard

before. Our music director was trained at USC. And we also have a

wonderful preschool program with 46 kids enrolled and a waiting list for

others.”

A number of community groups use the church’s facilities for their

music programs. Newport Harbor Lutheran presents special concerts

throughout the year, sometimes combining musical talent and goals with

other Orange County churches. Most recently they presented a program in

conjunction with Tustin Presbyterian Church.