Cypress Church Spends Sunday Serving In Local Cities

If you were planning on attending worship at Cypress Church on Sunday, February 24th and arrived at the church campus a few minutes late, you would have found the parking lot virtually vacant. You might have wondered: “Where did all the cars go?”  And the answer would have been: “East side, west side, all around the town…” for Gone Serving Sunday.

The Cypress Church congregation culminated their recent “Love Like Jesus” campaign with an entire weekend of community service. Teams of volunteers spread out to Los Alamitos, Stanton and all around the Cypress area. On Saturday the church staffed a water station at the annual “Race on the Base.”

Then, on Sunday, the congregation performed projects at the Cypress Boys and Girls Club, Arnold Cypress Park, Cedar Glen Park, Oak Knoll Park, Evergreen Park, the Tina-Pacific neighborhood and the Precious Life Shelter. "Today has created blessings that will make a difference for years to come,” stated Theresa Murphy from the Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos.

Church members partnered with volunteers and staff from city agencies and non-profits to paint park benches and bleachers, plant flowers, clean up trash in streets and alleys, distribute donations, wash windows, organize supplies and beautify local parks. They logged a total of 326 total service hours in just one weekend.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, “Volunteering and civic engagement are the cornerstone of a strong nation.”  The EJournal USA states that: “Americans volunteer not because of coercion or profit, but because they recognize a need and are willing to take responsibility for meeting that need." Pastor Mike McKay of Cypress Church has hopes that these acts of kindness will help change people’s perception of God and His Church as community residents see Christians actually living their faith.

In 2013 Cypress Church will be celebrating their 35th year of ministry in the Orange County area. The church started as a home Bible study in 1978. Now hundreds of area residents call Cypress Church their “home.” In addition to Cypress, the church also serves the communities of Buena Park, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, La Palma, Lakewood, Anaheim, Long Beach, Stanton and the surrounding area.

Cypress Church community service teams provide volunteers to assist at the local Senior Center. They also help with the Independence Day celebration held on July 4th at the Joint Forces Training Base and the Cypress Community Festival to be held this year on July 27th at Oak Knoll Park. They also send teams of volunteers to serve the disadvantaged and needy all over the globe including Orange County, Los Angeles County, New Orleans, Mexico, India and Ecuador.

The Cypress Church main campus is located at 6143 Ball Road just east of Valley View. The public is welcome at Sunday services and Bible studies that are held at 9:00 am and 10:30 am as well as many other activities throughout each week. Good Friday services will be held on March 27 at 6:00 and 8:00 pm, Easter Sunday worship will be on March 31 at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 am. Information about the church is available at (714) 952-3001or online at www.cypresschurch.net.

Photo Caption #1 (top): Volunteers from Cypress Church worked together with staff from the Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos to plant flowers, sort clothing donations and many other activities. "Today has created blessings that will make a difference for years to come,” stated Executive Director Theresa Murphy.

Photo Caption #2: The Cypress Boys and Girls Club staff partnered with volunteers from Cypress Church and a local Boy Scout Troop to organize supplies, wash windows and clean up the grounds around the club.

Photo Caption #3: The Marino Family and many other volunteers from Cypress Church assisted the Cypress Recreations and Community Services Department with cleanup and painting at several area parks.

Photo Caption #4: During their “Gone Serving” weekend, members of the Cypress Church congregation staffed a water station at the annual “Race on the Base” in Los Alamitos.


Cypress Church - 6143 Ball Rd. - Cypress, CA 90630 - Phone: (714) 952-3001 - http://www.cypresschurch.net/

Cypress Church Partners with Non-Profits to Recruit Volunteers

It’s no secret that local charities, non-profit groups and even government agencies have been struggling with limited resources due to the economic situation. The Bridgestone Group, a consulting team for non-profits, has stated that “Organizations are being forced to make hard choices about where to focus their resources.”

One way that these agencies can increase their level of service to the community, even within the context of a shrinking budget, is by recruiting additional volunteers. Recently Cypress Church took a big step to help other non-profits in the area by organizing a Community Ministry Fair. Representatives from eight local organizations set up displays in the church lobby and hundreds of area residents had the opportunity to discover needs and become active participants as volunteers.

Cypress Church has a rich history of volunteerism. George and Lynn Pardon, who facilitate community service efforts at the church, were the primary organizers of the Ministry Fair. They have helped coordinate volunteers for the Cypress Community Festival, the Cypress Senior Center, the Fireworks Spectacular at the Joint Forces Base, the annual Race On The Base, the Boys and Girls Club and many other local events, agencies and activities.

Participating organizations at the Community Ministry Fair included: Boys and Girls Club of Cypress, Cypress Community Festival, Cypress Recreation and Community Services, Cypress Volunteers in Policing and Emergency Response Training, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, Illumination Foundation, Precious Life Shelter and We Care of Los Alamitos.

“It was really helpful to be able to be able to meet and talk with representatives from all the different groups in one place and time. I found out about many different ways that I can help out.” said church member Jean Koehler.

The Cypress Boys and Girls Club provides children with a safe place to grow and learn. The Cypress Community Festival is the annual birthday celebration for Cypress and is set for July 27th at Oak Knoll Park. Cypress Recreation and Parks provides programming for all types of activities and maintains all of the parks in Cypress.

The Volunteers in Policing are a team of trained citizens who assist the police with non-enforcement duties. The Emergency Response Program educates the public about disaster preparedness. Habitat for Humanity builds affordable housing for low-income families.

The mission of the Illumination Foundation is to help break the cycle of homelessness in Orange County. Precious Life Shelter supports homeless, pregnant adult women. We Care of Los Alamitos pools community resources to meet emergency needs of families and individuals.

All of these community service organizations are in need of volunteers and Cypress Church is committed to be part of the solution through their ongoing “Love Like Jesus” campaign. “When we put love into action it matters, it has positive results and effects,” says Pastor Mike McKay.

The public is encouraged to join with Cypress Church and partner with local community agencies to raise the quality of life in Cypress and the surrounding area. Those wishing to volunteer may call the church office at (714) 952-3001 or contact George Pardon by email at gpardon@sbcglobal.net.

The main campus of Cypress Church is located at 6143 Ball Road just east on Valley View in Cypress. Sunday Bible study and worship are at 9:00 am and 10:30 am. More information is available online at: www.cypresschurch.net.

Photo Caption #1 (top): Cypress Church held their Community Ministry Fair during February to recruit volunteers for local non-profits. Participants included (left to right): Mary Niven from Precious Life Shelter, Wanda Slade from the Cypress Community Festival, Ashley Krebs from Illumination Foundation, Marty Thompson from We Care of Los Alamitos, George Pardon and Lynn Pardon from Cypress Church.

Photo Caption #2: The Cypress Volunteers in Policing and Emergency Response Training were represented by Ed Spurgeon, Linda Croce and Janet Spurgeon at the Community Ministry Fair held in February 2013 at Cypress Church.

Contact information for community groups in need of volunteers:

Boys and Girls Club of Cypress - Phone: (714) 527-2697 - Web: http://www.boysandgirlsclubofcypress.com/

Cypress Community Festival - Phone: (714) 886-9749 - Web: http://www.cypressfestival.com/

Cypress Recreation and Community Services - Phone: (714) 229-6780 - Web: http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/recreation/recreation_home.html

Cypress Volunteers in Policing - Phone: (714) 229-6625 - Web: http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/police/community_relations/volunteers.htm

Habitat for Humanity Orange County - Phone: (714) 434-6200 - Web: http://www.habitatoc.org/

Illumination Foundation - Phone: (949) 273-0555 - Web: http://www.ifhomeless.org/

Precious Life Shelter - Phone: (562) 431-5025 - Web: http://www.preciouslifeshelter.org/

We Care of Los Alamitos - Phone: (562) 598-9790 - Web: http://www.wecarelosalamitos.org/


Cypress Church - 6143 Ball Rd. - Cypress, CA 90630 - Phone: (714) 952-3001 - http://www.cypresschurch.net