Just saw this great article on Rock Harbor church, a fantastic church in the area that is really doing a great job reaching the next generation here in the OC. Here’s a clip of the article:

Rock Harbor leaders shy away from the word “megachurch.”

“We aren’t everything to everybody,” said Mike Erre, the church’s teaching pastor known for wearing shorts and flip-flops while he preaches. “There are a lot of churches in O.C., and there are so many great ones.”

Said Proctor: “A generation alienated from church has been drawn to Rock Harbor, and we take that very seriously. We’ve been handed the future of the world. We are empowering twentysomethings as crew leaders.”

Erre, 36, said that part of the church’s success lies in its willingness to take on difficult topics.

“We tell the truth. There is a misnomer that the young generation wants the soft end. We talk about temptation, struggles and sexuality. We deal with identity issues, eating disorders. We want to be faithful to the Scriptures. They don’t want more talking heads. People are hungry for an authentic voice. Truth is deeper than coffee bars and rugs. The younger generation is very suspicious of counterfeit authenticity.”

While the church is hip and current, with a well-designed Web site and creative MTV-style videos during services, its message is central: Christ. And it is making a strong effort to reach out and contribute.

Rock Harbor has launched its Go Campaign, a six-month effort to raise more than $1 million for various charities. Organizers plan to build a school in Uganda, free women and girls trafficked into prostitution and build houses for families in Anaheim.

Part of the campaign involves mission work in Mexico, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Orange County. In Orange County, volunteers will go to Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Anaheim and Fullerton. The church plans to send hundreds of inner-city kids to camp and sponsor Indian orphans and Bible college students.

JG