Pastor Jared delivering his Easter sermon “If Stones Could Speak”

E2 Church hosted a blowout Easter Celebration and After Party this past Sunday at Cosumnes River College. It was a thrilling and riveting experience. Have you ever seen a Sacramento church where over 100 people publicly declare their faith for the first time at the same time? Have you ever seen any church give away free food for 1000 people at a party with food trucks? Up until this past Sunday, I hadn’t either. I never knew church could be like this. The welcome and the experience of attending and being a part of E2 Church are simply indescribable.

About E2 Church

E2 Church is a non-denominational Christian Church, which opened its doors in February of 2017. They are an independent network site, from the rapidly expanding Elevation Church based in Charlotte, North Carolina and a proud member of ARC (Association of Related Churches). Founded by their Senior Pastor, Quang Nguyen (“Pastor Q”) along with 7 other founding families; they wanted to create a church to reach “un-churched” people, and to experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ in fresh new way. Rooted in the Book of Ephesians 2, their Mission Statement is “So That People Far from God will be Made Alive in Christ”. This mission is carried out by over 157 volunteers in everything they do each and every week, to transform a college campus into a church, and to build a Community of People that actually live out their faith. In July of 2017, they brought in a passionate Associate Pastor from Dallas, Texas. Pastor Jared Ellis brought a decade of ministry experience, along with a vibrant preaching style, that helped E2 reach a whole new demographic of people. In the last 12 months they’ve grown by over 418%, and if you ask the Leadership, they’ll tell you that they are just getting started.

Pastor Q, Lead Pastor of E2 Church on Easter Sunday

E2 Church is unique, as they do not believe in traditional membership of their congregation. They believe that if people decide to call E2 home, that it’s through active participation that you become a part of E2 Church. Their volunteer culture is unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen, and the genuine sense of Community they have established through their eGroups (Weekly Small Groups) & eTeams (Volunteer Teams) would rival any Fortune 500 company. Their Core Values of contributing your God given Gifts, Growth, Groups, and Giving, are the ethos of their “4 G’s – Growth Track”. They are church of contributors not just consumers, and this has become the foundation of their unchartered success and a huge part of their DNA. You can learn more about their Mission, Beliefs, History, and Culture through their e101 Course held every other week on Campus.

E2 Easter Celebration

The E2 Church Easter Celebration was hosted at Cosumnes River College gym stadium. All newcomers were immediately greeted as VIPs and ushered in and given prime seating. Most noteworthy, this is the normal practice for this church, along with all newcomers receiving a free t-shirt. Child care is provided and E2 has a very good system in place where each child wears a label with a code and the parents also have a printed code. They check to make sure you are holding the same code as the label on your child before they release your child back to you.

The audience of 1000+ people at E2 Church on Easter Sunday

The worship or singing portion of the E2 Easter service was more like a rock concert. Headed by Worship Director, Missy Robertson from season 12 of The Voice, the E2 Worship team delivered an explosive and compelling performance. I was mesmerized just by the power of the vocals. It was as good as any concert I’ve ever been to but better. I felt lifted and happy just listening.

Worship Director Missy Robertson and the E2 Worship Team

Pastor Jared Ellis delivered the main message which was entitled “If Stones Could Speak”. He made the audience laugh by telling them about his own Easter experiences as a child and growing up as part Greek in a Christian family. Most Christians are familiar with the fact that a rock blocked the tomb of Christ. He talked about how soldiers were guarding the tomb of Christ and reminded everyone that the bible says when the angel appeared that the soldiers fell down dead. In other words, God strikes down your enemies that try to keep you from him.

“When somebody sits down that means it is finished. It is accomplished. Everything I came to do has already been done. And so I’m gonna let my messenger tell you that right now it has been finished. Jesus sat at God’s right hand as a symbol of God’s authority and victory. But I love this! Whooooo! If you could get this. I will have you sit at my right hand but your enemies will be your footstool. Oh, did you forget about the soldiers who the bible says that when they saw the angel, they fell down as dead men? Which means that while the angel sat on the stone, here were the soldiers, and the enemies of God that try to keep you from God. Under his feet, under the feet of the one who has overcome, is the enemy that tried to stop you because no power could keep you from God. You can look at the devil and say you are under my feet baby!”

Towards the end of his sermon Pastor Jared made a powerful statement. He indicated to everyone in the audience that just like the stone from the tomb of Christ was lifted and sat upon, so could everyone also take something that has been hindering them and sit on it. Pastor Jared explained how you can sit upon the rock that blocked you from something and nothing can separate you from the love of God. “This is my story. This is my song. I will praise my Savior, all the day long. I will praise my Savior, all the day long. The stone of separation was washed away. But first it was shaken to let you know that there is nothing more powerful than the love of God in your life. I know that you might be here this morning thinking of every rock that took you from God but let me tell you, he shook the rock. Not only was the stone shaken, the stone was shifted. It no longer. It no longer stands in your view but now your view stands in your victory. You have been given direct access to the door. But the stone has become your seat. The very thing that God delivered you from is now the declaration of your life. Your pain has become your platform. And your dysfunction has led to your destiny. But this morning the question is, will you receive the love of God?”

Consequently, when Pastor Jared stood up and prayed and asked people to give their life to God I was amazed. I was amazed because I saw so many people in the room raise their hands. There were at least 150 people who were so moved by the Easter service that they chose to publicly declare their faith. Every church is different. Also, each man or woman’s walk with God or their deity is their own business. Only they know whether they truly believe. However, I’ve been to a lot of churches and church services and I’ve never seen so many people at once accept God or publicly declare their faith. I’ve never seen so many individuals of any religion, not just Christianity, publicly declare their faith.

Children enjoy the E2 Easter Celebration After Party with food trucks

E2 Easter After Party

After the incredible E2 Easter Celebration, the After Party began. There were many food trucks including Drewski’s, Squeeze Burger, Buckhorn, and Indian Cuisine Chaat. 1000 people obtained blue tickets for free food from the food trucks. Furthermore, there were 7 bounce houses, a bubble zone, and an epic Easter Egg Hunt with 30,000 eggs. I know my family personally enjoyed the free food and my daughter Roxy was thrilled to meet the Easter bunny and get a bunch of eggs with treats and candy in them. There were a lot of people but it was fun, entertaining, and cool to be a part of.

People enjoy the entertainment & 7 bounce houses at the E2 Easter Celebration After Party

Reflections

When I first went to E2 Church, I was immediately struck by the warm welcome and the sense of community that seemed to abound in this church. I was welcomed, invited back, reached out to, and cared about. We also appreciated that there was a nacho bar after our first church experience. This wasn’t like any other church I had ever attended in my life. There was no awkwardness with me trying to figure out if I and my family fit in. There was no judgment for anything in my life. My husband and I spent years trying to find a church where our family could call home. I believe we have found it.

Cruz Yong & his Uncle Michael Yong enjoy the E2 Easter Celebration After Party

This past Sunday, I witnessed this incredible E2 Church Easter Celebration and After Party that my words can never fully describe or explain. But I saw a lot of people from Elk Grove and Sacramento taking in this experience and enjoying it. I know that I personally enjoyed the Easter Celebration and After Party with my family and that in a very short period of time, E2 Church has become home and the people like family to me. I know that when I hear either Pastor Jared or Pastor Q speaking, it moves both me and my husband. Pastor Q and Pastor Jared share their own life experiences and I can tell you, the sermons are very relatable and very applicable to your own life. I personally leave each service feeling inspired and lifted. The E2 Easter Celebration was no exception.

While I know that not everyone will go to church and not everyone believes in God, I can only really tell people what happened this past weekend and my own personal experiences with this church. I can only say that my husband and I are more convicted than ever in our faith. We are incredibly thankful and grateful for the welcome, the caring, and the friendships we have experienced in a short period of time. It’s genuine.

Carissa Cheung & Roxana Cheung with their Easter baskets after the E2 Easter Celebration

Check Out E2 Church

There are two services every Sunday at E2 Church. One service is at 9:30am and the other is at 11:30am. At both services, child care is available from 6 weeks old through 5th grade. Also, my daughter Roxy looks forward to going to eKidz and seeing her friends in the Motions eKids group at church every Sunday now. I now extend this invitation to you personally and on the behalf of E2 Church. If you’ve been looking for a church or are just curious, please come and check it out. You’ll be greeted as a VIP on your first visit and welcomed in with open arms.

E2 Staff at the E2 Easter Celebration After Party

From Pastor Jared & Pastor Q

“We want to thank everyone who came out for our Easter Experience this past Sunday. E2 Church loves getting to be a part of the Sacramento community and exists to be a place with arms wide open. We hope that we can continue to be a positive impact on the lives of families and individuals here in our city.”