Saddleback Church celebrated its 35th anniversary at the Angel Stadium on Saturday.
Saddleback Church, led by Pastor Rick Warren, celebrated its 35th anniversary on Saturday at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, at which some 20,000 people were present.
"People have said 'Happy Anniversary' to Rick and me, but this is our anniversary--the whole congregation," said Kay Warren. "It's the church members who make Saddleback what it is today. This celebration is a statement of faith for the future of Saddleback taking the gospel across the globe."
Saddleback, which began in the Warrens' home in 1980, currently has about 27,000 weekly members in 14 different campuses: 10 in Southern California, and four overseas, including Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, and Berlin.
"I dare you to dream great dreams for God," Rick Warren said at the celebratory worship. "Whatever God asks you to do, do it, even if it's at great risk."
The anniversary celebration also launched the church's new series called "Daring Faith: The Key to Miracles," which officially began on Sunday. Warren related the upcoming series theme to the journey of the church itself.
"God has blessed Saddleback Church in an unusual way, but it has nothing to do with our being deserving. It has everything to do with God's grace," Warren said. "We dared to dream big, and God has done big things in the life of this church."
Warren also highlighted the importance of investing in the younger generation, and celebrated those who grew up in Saddleback from childhood.
"Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,'" Warren quoted Matthew 19:14. The worship service began with a worship song led by the children's ministry.
The celebration not only featured the worship service in the early evening, but also had a tailgate party in the Angel Stadium parking lot from noon to about 3 PM, which included barbeques, volleyball games, bounce houses, crafts, rock climbing, and face painting. The celebration also featured a baptism portion, and encouraged congregation members to bring canned food for the church's Easter food drive, through which Saddleback gives food to families in Orange County. The church gathered 80,000 pounds of food five years ago, according to the Orange County Register, and hopes to gather 100,000 pounds this year.
