Our church is some sort of entity that I cannot wrap my brain around…After a lot of converstaions and prayer, this week our youth pastor (Jeff) became our media/creativity director, our small groups pastor (Kris) became our youth pastor, and I became our small groups pastor.  (You may need a diagram to get that straight.)  And everybody did that by choice…I’m pretty sure that our staff put all of their jobs in some sort of a poker match and came out with new ones…I mean, that’s just strange.

As I called some of our key leaders this week to explain all the changes, someone commented, “What?  Did they just get bored with their current jobs?”  Not really.  But just as with anybody else, you grow and change and God puts new things on your heart.  When that happens in most churches, you turn in your resignation letter.  But what if you love the vision and heart of where you’re at and just want to do something different for the next season of your ministry?  Well, at North Creek, you do just that.  So although it seems a little odd, maybe that’s because it’s a symbol of health?  Maybe it gives people the opportunity to invest into a church long term and continue to dream new dreams…

So, as I embark on my new ministry, I do so with fresh excitement and direction.  I look forward to working with our small group leaders.  I look forward to watching all of our ministries grow and change under new leadership.  As always, I’m just one of God’s chess pieces and it’s His game.

“Mediocrity is the height of selfishness, and excuses are simply another way of being dishonest.”

OHHH!!  I love this quote!  It’s really deep and hurts all at the same time.  I read it on my friend’s facebook today and it struck a cord with me.  I’m a big fan of excellence.  I try to live my life in such a way that if I say I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it…and well.  Of course I fail, but far more times than not, I live above the mediocre line.

So much of life is one big choice.  You can choose to do a pathetic job, you can choose to have a pathetic attitude, you can choose to use excuses to buy you time.  But when it comes right down to it, what you produce represents who you are.  If you produce peace around you, it’s because you are a person of integrty.  If you produce drama, it’s probably because you are a gossip and an instigator.  In your job, if you produce excellence, it’s because you invested time and energy into your product.   If you have a great marriage, it’s because you do whatever it takes to avoid selfishness and dishonesty (mediocrity and excuses).

What a sentence to hang your life on!  Rise up!  Let go of the excuses and just be exellent.  If you commit to do something, do it with abandon.  Half-heartedness robs someone else of doing it well!

This morning we helped a family move in to their apartment from half way across the country.  They are new to our community and would have had a big job ahead of them without a little help from North Creek.  They also have dinner arriving from another small group tonight, as well as a welcome basket from yet another small group.  

Sometimes it’s easy to think that the best ministry is done on a large scale outreach.  While that is equally as important, it is also good to remember that a single act of kindness can mean the world to someone.  I didn’t know much about that family when we arrived today, but when all was said and done, I thought, “I’m really glad someone gave back to this family.”

They are the kind of people who would give everything for others.  IAnd it was really important that they know that Christ is looking out for them as well.  It was one of those timing things.  When God comes along in the midst of a circumstance and orchestrates people in such a way that they feel like God himself is saying, “I love you.” 

And that’s the joy of ministry.  It’s not always a big commitment, but it’s always a big result.  If we just look for the simple opportunities, God will use our lives in miraculous ways. 

Thank you to the small groups who took time this week to do something special for this family.  Really, from the bottom of my heart, you ministered deeply to a group of people who really need to believe that the church is an organization of God’s love and service.  You make North Creek look a lot like Jesus…

Yesterday when we got home from a great day at church I read the news that a pastor was shot to death in his pulpit in Illinois.  Pastor Fred Winters took over pastoring his church when it was just about the size North Creek was when we started.  He had been there 22 years and had grown that church to about 1200.   He had a wife and two daughters…again, just like our family.  I couldn’t help but feel the reality of that situation.

How does his congregation feel?  His daughters?  His wife?  All of it hits so close to home when you live daily in a similar reality.  I can’t even begin to imagine how God will rebuild all that was broken in one bad decision yesterday.  I know He will, because He always does, but nonetheless, the journey that all of these people will go on will be a monumental one.

It again reminds me of our deep love for our church.  As I thought of how Mark would feel, I know that his pastor’s heart would be so angry.  Angry because he wouldn’t want his people to watch him die, not like that.  He wouldn’t want his church to have to go through that kind of trauma.  He’d be mad that anyone, under any circumstances, would use his church for something so evil.  And he’d be mad that he prepared a sermon that he was supposed to preach and didn’t get to.  He would, of course, be crushed for me and the girls.  He would want one more moment to enjoy his family and would be sad to be robbed of that.  On the flip side, he would also want all of us to be better because of it and allow God to use his life for HIS glory. 

And that’s really my prayer for Pastor Fred’s church.  That they would be righteously angry and somehow find a way to be better because of it.  I pray that each person who attends there would have a new and deeper love for Jesus and would fight for that.  It would be easy to paint the target on God and question how He could ever allow it, but, just as Mark preached yesterday, God is not our enemy.  And as we delve deeper into our series, Twisted, I hope that moments like this remind us all to have a new and deeper love for Jesus. 

And in the meantime, let’s be thankful that we have a pastor that is alive for another Sunday.  I’m totally biased, but I am so appreciative that God gave us a man who would sacricifice anything for both Jesus and His church.  I love you, honey!

We have several changes on the horizon due to some great growth lately!  God has brought so many new faces into our midst and all of them come with talents and giftings that will become part of the DNA of North Creek.  We anticipate strong growth throughout this year and we are sensitive to the good and difficult things that come with growth.  Change, although exciting, strips us of our comfort zone.  That’s not always the thing you want to feel when you step into the doors of the church!

The first comfort zone that is transitioning is that our worship team is going to be getting overhauled!  Many of you have met Marcus by now.  He has an extensive background in music and has been with us for several of months.  We’ve been meeting regularily with him regarding the role that he can play in our worship department.  After discussing it and praying, we have decided to allow Marcus to restructure and provide leadership on the worship team.  That transition will be complete by Easter, so over the next month the face of North Creek’s worship will be altered!  Please help us to welcome Marcus and his wife, Tracy, as part of our team.

Leading change is one of our favorite things to do.  It’s difficult, but it also bonds a church together like never before.  Communication, unexpected situations, and even conflict makes us a better church as long as behing all of that is a commitment to the mandate of God…love Him and love people.

So, as we take this journey together, let me say this: “Put on your seatbelts.  This church is healthy, strong, and going great places….quickly.”