IN THE SPIRIT

* CHURCH NAME: Community Church, Congregational

* ADDRESS: 611 Heliotrope Ave., Corona del Mar

* TELEPHONE: (949) 644-7400

* DENOMINATION: United Church of Christ

* YEAR CHURCH ESTABLISHED: 1944

* SUMMER SERVICE TIMES: Worship service is at 9 a.m. Sundays

* FALL SERVICE SCHEDULE: Beginning Sept. 10, Sunday worship services

will be held at 8 and 10 a.m.; vespers will be held in the sanctuary at 5

p.m. Mondays.

* PASTORS: Bruce Van Blair, senior pastor; Chip Fisher, associate

pastor; Chuck Hoover, pastor of senior ministries

* CHURCH STAFF: Rodger Whitten, minister of music; Jo Ann Stahl,

office manager; Pat Markle, wedding director

* SIZE OF CONGREGATION: 215

* MAKEUP OF CONGREGATION: A solid group of healthy “eldsters,” some

who have served the local community and God’s kingdom for 50 years or

more. A strong and growing group of younger couples with young children.

The 40s and 50s age group is solid and active. For now, most children are

in the infant through eighth-grade range. Members come from mostly the

harbor area, especially Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, but also Costa

Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach and Tustin.

* CHILD CARE: Provided for all worship services and most other church

activities

* TYPE OF WORSHIP: A simple, traditional, thoughtful and reverent

service. The choir is among the finest small-church choirs in the area,

with an emphasis on traditional church music. It does not try much to

entertain, or to be the avant-garde with new or dazzling trends. The

congregation is a faith family -- things they want to share, the joy of

seeing each other and of being together, find their way into the service.

Both Sunday services are the same, except for the full choir

participating at 10 a.m.

* TYPE OF SERMON: Frequently one of a series, sometimes straight

Bible-teaching, sometimes working on theological questions raised by the

congregation. Often sermons deal with the practical problems and joys of

the Christian way, at times coming out of the Rev. Van Blair’s own

struggle and searching. Sermons focus on faith issues, not political

issues, though he believes genuine faith eventually touches every area of

life. Van Blair advises: “Let the listener beware.”

* RECENT SERMON: Based on Psalms 62, Van Blair preached on the irony

of the falsehood that assumes the gospel frees people from obedience to

the law while obligating God to love and forgive us no matter what we do.

He spoke about how silly it is to think that we control God. Van Blair

further cautioned about believing in a cosmic fool who we have created,

rather than the God revealed in Christ and the Scripture. He spoke of how

the grace of God keeps calling us valuable, even when we don’t see it or

believe it. Yet it never says that what we do, doesn’t matter.

* OUTREACH PROGRAMS: The life that each member lives in the community

is the church’s greatest outreach. Mission and outreach are where a

person spends most of his or her time, doing what he or she does best.

The church supports its denomination in a vast array of programs, with

Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter possibly the current favorite outreach.

* DRESS: Respectful, but no code in place

* CHURCH DESIGN: The building is of traditional colonial design, as

befits the church’s Congregational heritage. In 1957 the Congregational

Christian Church merged with the Evangelical and Reform Church to form

the United Church of Christ. Hailed as a milestone in ecumenical progress

at the time, it also confused and muted both identities. The church’s

heritage dates to the New England Puritans.

* MISSION STATEMENT: The congregation seeks to experience God’s

presence and Jesus Christ’s teachings in their daily lives; to create a

loving community that nurtures, cares for and respects each person in its

ministry; and to extend this loving ministry in partnership with others.

Van Blair explains: “Within the boxes and categorization of churches,

we are (or try to be) in the middle. ... We place enormous emphasis on

the freedom of each person to learn and grow in his and her own way --

each in obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not to the pastor

or the church or a preset creed. We study creeds and honor traditions,

but the Holy Spirit outranks all other authorities.”* INTERESTING NOTES:

Sara Andon and Whitten will perform a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in the

church sanctuary. The event will include works by Arnold, Bach, Barber,

Gershwin and Poulenc, as well as a jazz suite premiere by Mike Mower.

General admission is $8. For seniors and children 7 and older, admission

is $5. Children under 7 will not be admitted.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 8, Willene Jaqua will conduct a Puritan

Workshop.