STEVE SMITH -- What’s Up?

Three years ago, Costa Mesa became the home of Rock Harbor Church, the

vision of Pastor Keith Page. With the blessing of Mariners Church in

Irvine, Rock Harbor reached out to teens and 20-somethings in an effort

to bring faith back into their lives, or to reinforce it in a way that

was more meaningful to them.

Four times each Sunday, Page, with worship leader Todd Proctor and a

group of dedicated, talented musicians, lead services unlike anything

outside of a revival meeting. Each service rocks the house with an upbeat

tempo that can be tough on the ears of oldsters like me, but which

clearly has the right appeal.

The best thing I can say about Rock Harbor is that without its

approach, many -- perhaps most -- of the attendees each Sunday would not

be in church at all. That, it seems, is exactly what Page had in mind.

Many of attendees are dressed in jeans and T-shirts, and although I

was raised to believe that one must dress respectively in the house of

God, I defy anyone to tell me now that God looks twice at the appearance

of these young worshipers.

Rock Harbor is making a difference not just in Costa Mesa, but in the

county.

Rock Harbor’s services are currently held in the Costa Mesa Senior

Center on the corner of 19th Street and Pomona Avenue. The center’s room

capacity is about 300 and it is packed for each of Sunday’s services. No

collection plate is passed and no demands are made, except that people

help each other.

The room is long and narrow and the ceiling is low, and while it may

be a good arrangement for some functions, for Rock Harbor it is only

temporary.

Recently, Rock Harbor leaders spoke of their desire for a more

permanent facility. One possibility is the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Pastor Page told attendees Sunday that a decision is forthcoming, but the

church may not be able to afford the fairgrounds.

My concern is not the money. I am confident that the money is a matter

that can be resolved. My concern is the noise.

Rock Harbor, you see, is not just entering any neighborhood. It is

proposing to plant roots in an area whose residents have a disdain for

loud noise.

Over the past few years, the residents of College Park have led the

charge to oust Cirque du Soleil, the traveling Canadian tent show, and to

shut down the Pacific Amphitheater, which led to a lengthy and costly

lawsuit.

Over the last two years, I have poked fun at College Park residents

by, among other things, complimenting them for their extraordinary

hearing and their devotion to noiseless living. To their credit, they

have responded to the barbs with smiles.

But now there is a new kid in town, one that is an asset to the city

and one that I do not want to see move elsewhere.

Rock Harbor’s fairgrounds plans call for a tent to be built for which

its congregation will be the sole occupant. Don’t let the word “tent”

fool you. These days, tent technology has progressed to the point where

they are able to duplicate many of the critical features of a

brick-and-mortar structure. They are double-walled and insulated, which

is good because in Rock Harbor’s case, the issue will be noise abatement.

“We believe that we can attenuate the noise [from the tent] based on

residential standards,” said Linne Fischel, a Rock Harbor facilities

committee volunteer. With current technology and placement farther away

from Fairview, I, too, believe they can.

So, while everyone figures out where the money is going to come from

or where the noise is going to go, let’s not lose sight of the big

picture. Yes, of course, the residents of College Park deserve peace and

quiet.

But it is imperative that everyone work every possible angle --

whether it’s money, noise or facilities -- to see that Rock Harbor stays

in Costa Mesa.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

can leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.