Element Christian Church - 4890 Bethany Lane, Santa Maria, California | Serving Orcutt, Santa Maria, and Vandenberg SFB in California | 805.310.4229 | info@ourelement.org
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LIVESTREAM & On Demand

January 29th Livestream:
January 22nd On Demand:
 
 

Livestream Links:

- Sermon Notes & Discussion Questions: Youversion or (PDF)
- Galatians Reading Plan and Discussion Guide
- DOWNLOAD CHURCH CENTER APP (Register for children's class, see calendar and more)
- Connect Card: Church Information or Digital Connect Card
- List of Gospel Communities
- Watch: Series Archived Messages
- Give: Online or download app for iOS or Android

Interact with us:
- Visit Linktree for all the links referenced
- Follow us on Facebook or Instagram @ourelement
- Tag us @ourelement
- Join our Weekly Email Update

 
 
 
 

Current Sermon Series:

Galatians Series
 
 
 

Recent Blog Post:

Thailand Info Meeting & Scholarship Opportunity

by Element Christian Church

Watch our info meeting from the team that went to Thailand last year...

 Here is more information about our Scholarship Program:

Scholarship Information

Galatians Series Reading Plan & Discussions

by Element Christian Church

We have a series-wide reading plan and discussions to help focus your time of Bible reading and follow along with the series. The reading plan can be adjust in any way. This could be beneficial to individuals, families, friends coming together or community groups looking to go deeper.

Download the Galatians Reading Plan and Discussion Questions Here.

Sacrament or Ordinance

by Aaron

At our last Weekender (the new name for our Gospel Class), I got a question that I didn’t fully understand. I kept calling communion and baptism “sacraments” for Element. A person asked me if I meant “sacrament” or “ordinance” when talking about those two things. My response was that it wasn’t a hill I was going to die on and you could call it whatever you wanted; I said this because I didn’t understand what the person was getting at. I went home that night and thought about it and at about 2 AM, the light went on in my brain and I was like, “OH, I know what they were asking now.”

I was not raised in a religious environment. I could probably count on one hand (probably even 2 fingers) the number of times my family went to “church” while growing up. Because of my upbringing, I do not attach deep meaning to certain words or phrases that many people who have been raised in a church setting do. One of those words happens to be “sacrament.”

The word sacrament comes from the word for mystery; mystery was a word that was used for something that was once unclear and now is clear because of God’s work in Christ. The mystery of Christ is that: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. They called this “revealed mystery” because it was what the Old Testament had been saying all along and we now see the reality in Jesus. Where did we get the word sacrament from if the word meant mystery? The answer to that comes from when the Latin language was taking over the world.

People didn’t know what mystery (mysterium) meant, so when translators wanted to make this word clearer, they borrowed a word from the Roman Army. A recruit for the Roman army became a soldier by undergoing a “sacramentum.” The sacramentum had two parts:

  • The soldier took an oath of office
  • The Army branded him behind the ear with the number of his legion

The “sacramentum” brought about new advantages like acquiring social and legal benefits. Ancient Latin theologians used the word sacramentum because they thought it was the best Latin equivalent because the church rite is spiritual and physical (we get new responsibilities and a new spiritual status before God).

Back to the Weekender question…Catholics are taught that a sacrament is, “An outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace.” Meaning it is a MEANS OF GRACE and can be tied to salvation. There are many outward signs of inward grace that are not sacraments in Catholicism (like the benediction at the end of a service), but in 1545-1563 the Council of Trent said true sacraments were a means of grace (and there were 7 of them): Baptism, Confirmation, Penance (Confession), Communion (Eucharist), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders (setting people aside as clergy), and Marriage.

Now, do we believe that marriage or communion is a means of grace being bestowed upon as believers? Not at all. We believe they are GIFTS of grace, but they do not affect our salvation. This is why, in order to not confuse people, the protestant church started to use the word “ordinance.” Ordination to the clergy can’t be a sacrament, because not every Christian is called to the ordained ministry. Marriage can’t be a sacrament, because it is not something only Christians do (and Jesus didn’t require it). Anointing the sick with oil can’t be a sacrament, because what happens to healthy Christians? Any time we try to make something a “means” of grace, other than Christ’s propitiating work for us, we shrink the Gospel.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church they still call certain things “The Holy Mysteries” which shows that the words can be used interchangeably. Essentially I use the word sacrament because communion and baptism at Element are sacred, but they are not a means of grace. We believe they hold great significance to our church and communal life, but should never be a substitute for the Gospel.

That’s a long way to say, “that is why I use the word sacrament; it is sacred, but it is not the Gospel.” 

Location & Service Times

by Element Christian Church

Sundays: In person at 9:00 & 10:45am.

Kid's Programs for ages birth-5th grade are available during both 9 & 10:45am services. Middle School+ which consists of grades 6-9 is only at our 10:45am service.

Live-Stream happens of our 9:00am service only.

Our intent is to worship God in the following ways: Fellowship, Music, Teaching, Communion, Prayer, Service, and Laughter.

  • Fellowship: We are gathering today as a corporate group to encounter God together.
     
  • Music: We sing songs that speak of God's desire and ours for knowing Him better.
     
  • Teaching: We learn from the Scriptures truths that apply to our lives today, just as they did when the Scriptures were originally written.
     
  • Communion: We take time to focus on Jesus, and His sacrifice for us, then actively partake of the elements which remind us of this sacrifice.
     
  • Giving: We give back to God as He has so graciously given to us (we do not pass a plate, there are offering boxes stationed around the room for you to give).

 

 

The Comeback

by Element Christian Church

Upcoming Events

  January 22nd
Church Business & Thailand Info Meeting
12:30p-1:30p in the Sanctuary

Join us as our board briefly shares how we ended 2022 fiscally and what we hope to do in 2023. After their short presentation, our Thailand Team will be on hand to discuss in further detail what they experienced and where we're feeling called in our efforts to grow the Thailand Church Plant

Middle School Ministry January 29th
Youth Speed Switch Game Day

12:30p-3:30p in The Barn

he last Sunday in January all Middle and High Schoolers are invited to join us in the Barn for a game day like you've never seen!

Come and join us as we play board games, But…. when have you ever known us to play board games the normal way? Teams will be pitted against each other in a battle to the finish! But here’s the switch, literally; Every five minutes you switch games! There will be lots of movement and lots of game time food and snacks to eat between rounds as well. This is the perfect event to send your student if they haven’t gotten to know the other kids in youth! Also, the perfect event to invite your kids friends to attend. RSVP here.

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Middle School Ministry February 24th-26th
Middle+ and Youth Winter Camp

After a long Covid induced break, we are FINALLY going back to camp! Winter camp for students in grades 6-12 will be at Hartland Christian Camp on February 24-26.

Cost is $215, which includes a non-refundable deposit of $50 to hold your spot. We will do fundraising, and students who desire to go will need to sign up to help with at least one of the fundraisers in order to attend camp. There will be more information on planned fundraisers to come. If your student is interested, please sign up early, as it helps with planning. You can stay in touch and find all the forms needed to fill out on the Church Center App under the High School Group here (https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/groups/efamilies/high-school) OR the Middle+ group here (https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/groups/efamilies/junior-high).

The Weekender April 7th & 8th
Spring The Weekender

The Weekender is a 2-day event intended for anyone who wants to move beyond simply attending services and explore how to get better connected. Friday night includes dinner with staff, elders, and other leaders, as well as an introduction to Element’s vision and core values. On Saturday morning, we’ll share the theological beliefs that shape those values, how your role and spiritual gifts can fit within our community, and answer any questions you might have.

While attending The Weekender is a prerequisite to becoming a Member of Element Christian Church, attendees are not required to become Members.

Childcare and meals will be provided both days.
Day 2 will actually end around 12:30p followed by inviting the children to join in for a lunch all together.

Please sign up here so we can prepare food and childcare adequately.

Baptisms

April 23rd
Spring Baptisms

At Element we believe baptism is making a public statement about your life and commitment to walk in the ways Jesus calls you to. Many people only get the Jesus “as seen on TV” and don’t understand what Jesus does in “real life” or what following Him looks like on a practical level...so we not only baptize people, but have them write their stories as well. 

We then celebrate as a church family with food, swimming and laughter! We hope you will plan to join us for the afternoon! More details will be released as we get closer to the date.

If you are interested in being baptized, please click here to sign up.

 

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Join us Sundays:

9:00 and 10:45am
Children's programs available at both

Middle School+: Sundays 10:45am in the barn

Location:

4890 Bethany Lane, Orcutt CA 93455

Get Directions Here

Recent Sermons

  • Galatians - Week 4 - Our Story In His Story
  • Galatians - Week 3 - Whose Approval Matters
  • Galatians - Week 2 - Not The Gospel

All sermons

Element's Mission

OUR MISSION: To Glorify God by teaching and living out the Scriptures, transforming community into Gospel Community, and planting churches.

Read Our Statement of Faith

 

Element Christian Church - 4890 Bethany Lane, Santa Maria, California | Serving Orcutt, Santa Maria, and Vandenberg SFB in California | 805.310.4229 | info@ourelement.org © 2023.