After a day at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, we decided to stop at the world-famous Saddleback Church to hear the world-famous Rick Warren preach on our way back Sunday.

The size of Saddleback defies description. Imagine entering your church driveway on your very own multi-lane highway. That’s for starters.

At the beginning of Pastor Warren’s most excellent sermon on “Growing a Heart Like Jesus,” he outlined their church’s “10 by 10″ goals. By the end of the year, 2010, here is what they hope to accomplish:
* 10,000 lives changed, baptized, and joining the family
* 10,000 small groups
* 10,000 completing their basics classes
* 10,000 going on an international P.E.A.C.E. trip
* 30,000 in weekly worship
* 30,000 members
* 30,000 serving through a local P.E.A.C.E. project
* 1,000 famlies caring for vulnerable children
* 1,000 members sent as ambassadors to U.S. churches
* A P.E.A.C.E. team sent to EVERY nation in the world

The last one is the biggest & coolest goal. (The P.E.A.C.E. acronym stands for Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the Young.) Check this out: Saddleback intends on being the first church in history to literally answer the call from Jesus to go into all the world by sending out teams to every single nation.

Dream big, I’ve always heard. If that was a goal in and of itself, Saddleback could check that one off its list.