In the spirit

-- Michelle Marr

Address: 2525 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

Telephone: (714) 545-4610

E-mail: fairviewchurch@aol.com

Web site: www.fairviewcm.org

Denomination: American Baptist USA

Year church established: 1949

Service times: Sunday worship is at 10 a.m.

Senior pastor: Bill Godwin. Godwin came to Fairview Community Church

on March 1, following the retirement of former Senior Pastor Gary

Barmore.

Pastoral staff: Joyce Smith, associate pastor; Mac McOlash, spiritual

health; Gary Barmore, pastor emeritus

Support staff: Catherine Wright, secretary; David Lewis, choir

director and pianist; Laura Lewis, music coordinator

Size of congregation: 150

Child care: Professional child care is available at all church events.

Type of worship: Blended, with music drawn from both traditional and

contemporary styles

Type of sermon: Godwin’s sermons are expository. Each message is based

on a scriptural passage. Practical applications for contemporary life are

made from the text.

Recent sermons: “Finally, What We’ve Been Looking For,” “How We Can

Help America,” “How To Have Real Joy,” and “All You Need Is Love”

Sermon for Sunday: “We’ve Got A Great Thing Going,” based on Acts

2:42-47

Visitor hospitality: Visitors are welcomed at the door by greeters.

During the service, they are invited to fill out a guest registration

card and are invited to join members at the fellowship-refreshment time

after worship. A follow-up phone call is made, and a letter is sent to

visitors. If visitorsdesire, a church member or the pastor makes a visit

to their home.

Church programs: Fantastic Fridays, a bimonthly gathering for kids in

third to eighth grades; age-appropriate group gatherings for Xers,

boomers and seniors; Sunday School for children; a women’s group; a men’s

group; in-home Biblestudies; ongoing new member classes; occasional

“talk-backs” after the worship service to discuss the sermon topic in

more depth; choir; spiritual growth classes; Vacation Bible School;

Annual All-Church Mountain Retreat. Occasional message talk-backs to

discuss the morning message. In-home Biblestudies. Ongoing new member

classes are held on Sunday.

Outreach programs: The church supports a monthly gathering of staples

for Food for the Hungry, which distributes the food to local charities.

Members provide support Adopt-A-Social Worker in conjunction with Orange

County Social Services.

Dress: Varied, from casual to dressy

Church design: The chapel architecture is popular for weddings. A

youth center is in the works.

Mission statement: “We are called by God to create, enjoy and extend

gracious”

Christian community: Accepting, including, connecting, serving,

empowering, healing, intelligent, faithful, zestful, Christlike.

Vision: All the people -- ministers

Interesting note: The Armenian Christian Fellowship of Orange County

meets at the church at 1:30 p.m. Sundays. A Latino Bible study meets at

the church at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Step-by-Step, a nonsectarian, secular

preschool holds classes in buildings on the grounds, Monday through

Friday.

The preschool can be reached at (714) 966-5264.