About High School Ministry
Or… as most people refer to it, HSM, is here to help students journey through life with Jesus Christ. We believe that a life lived with, and for, Jesus Christ is the best life possible! That doesn’t mean life will be easy or that life will be perfect, but it does mean that we rely on God’s promises to always love us, care for us, provide for us, be with us, and more!
We offer awesome events, engaging weekend services, life-changing small groups during the week, and opportunities for individual students to serve and take next steps of growth on their own. Everything we do is designed with our audience in mind. We take great pride in knowing and caring for high school students here in South Orange County. HSM is not a country club… we are not exclusive or only for “insiders”, but rather we welcome anyone and everyone, because that is who Jesus Christ came for!
So whether you are new to the area, new to church in general, new to Saddleback Church, or are someone who is moving up from our junior high ministry, there are lots of ways to get involved. Come check out a weekend service, join a life group, join us at an event, or reach out to us to get connected even before you show up at something! The bottom line is that our team is here to help and we’d love to serve you in anyway possible.
Statement of Faith
ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
(Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22 | Psalm 90:2 | Matthew 28:19 | 1 Peter 1:2 | 2 Corinthians 13:14)
ABOUT MAN
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." This attitude separates man from God.
(Genesis 1:27 | Psalm 8:3-6 | Isaiah 53:6a | Romans 3:23 | Isaiah 59:1,2)
ABOUT ETERNITY
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence.
(John 3:16 | John 2:25 | Romans 6:23 | Revelation 20:15 | 1 John 5:11-13 | Matthew 25:31-46)
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate his power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
(Matthew 1:22,23 | Isaiah 9:6 | John 1:1-5, 14:10-30 | Hebrews 4:14,15 | 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 | Romans 1:3,4 | Acts 1:9-11 | 1 Timothy 6:14,15 | Titus 2:13)
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
(Romans 6:23 | Ephesians 2:8,9 | John 14:6, 1:12 | Titus 3:5 | Galatians 3:26 | Romans 5:1)
ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.
(John 10:29 | 2 Timothy 1:12 | Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14 | 1 Peter 1:3-5)
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under his control daily.
(2 Corinthians 3:17 | John 16:7-13, 14:16,17 | Acts 1:8 | 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16 | Ephesians 1:13 | Galatians 5:25 | Ephesians 5:1)
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to all mankind. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.
Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.
(2 Timothy 3:16 | 2 Peter 1:20,21 | 2 Timothy 1:13 | Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6 | Proverbs 30:5)
ABOUT MARRIAGE
Marriage and sexual intimacy are wonderful gifts from God to be stewarded for his glory. God’s design for marriage is to be between one man and one woman for life. Biblical marriage requires that both people have biological differences from birth as male and female. Any sexual relationship or activity outside of biblical, covenanted marriage is sinful, and is not blessed by God. While marriage is a gift from God, we also believe that singleness can be a gift from God and can be God’s call on a person’s life.
(Genesis 2:23–24 | Leviticus 18:22 | Matthew 15:19–20 | Matthew 19:5–6 | Romans 1:26–27 | 1 Corinthians 6:18 | 1 Corinthians 7:7–9 | 1 Timothy 1:9–10 | Hebrews 13:4)
Meet The Team
Jason Pogue
Jason has been on staff at Saddleback Church for more than 20 years and has been leading the HSM team since 2016. He loves Jesus, his wife, the San Diego Padres, his three kids, (Abby, Hunter, and Savannah) and his dog Chase – but not necessarily in that order!
Jason is the head of our high school team and the lead pastor to our students. He oversees the vision for our youth ministry and leads the care and growth of our staff and volunteer leaders. He also leads a life group of high school guys and teaches at our Weekend Services on most weekends.
@jasonpogue
Kara is a Saddleback OG and was a student in JHM and HSM. She is passionate about students experiencing the love of Jesus and stepping into who the Lord has made them to be! Kara loves all things sports (basketball and football are her favs), going to the beach, spending time with her friends and family, and cooking and baking (she is in her sourdough era).
Kara oversees the operational aspects of our HSM Events including Summer Camp and Winter Retreat. She also coordinates registrations and placements of Life Groups.
@karaduffus
Kara Duffus
Brittany Haan
Brittany has been on staff at Saddleback Church since 2015 and has been serving in HSM for over 7 years. She loves chorizo breakfast burritos, mountain biking, chasing sunset views, and all things sports. Any of these with her husband or some of our HSM students is her favorite!
Brittany is thrilled to be on HSM staff overseeing all aspects of our adult leaders: enlisting, equipping, encouraging and empowering them to be the incredible shepherds God has called them to be!
@brittanyhaan
Eric Natividad
Eric has been on staff at Saddleback Church since 2018 and has been serving in HSM for 4 years and was also once a student in HSM. He has a passion for creativity and wants to see students reach their full potential and know Jesus intimately!
Eric oversees graphic design, social media, video content creation, and weekend services. He also loves fashion and loves talking with students about thrifting!
@eric.natividad