In no particular order, because it’s all amazing to me:

1. Baptisms, baptisms, baptisms…can’t beat that! We got to share with 16 people this year as they were baptized.

2. Lee Malone preaching for the first time. He began a relationship with Jesus at North Creek and now he’s preaching…yep, that’s why we did all of this in the first place!

3. Painting the building…OK, the actual painting part was awful, but the finished product is much better!

4. Adding a successful Saturday night service and breaking the 200 in attendance mark…300 here we come!

5. Outreach! That’s a hard one to pin down. We don’t want to be a church that schedules big outreach events all of the time. What we want is a bunch of people who constantly look for ways to bless others and then do it in the name of Jesus. I get email after email of ways that people are finding to make a difference! That’s the Bible come to life. No fancy programs, just people giving flesh to their faith on a daily basis. Some of my favorites that I heard about: Christmas day feeding the homeless, furnishing a single mom’s house, helping SO many families move that it’s hard to count, meals for people with babies and surgeries…read the last year of my blog for so many more!

6. Staff Meetings…they are a funny place to be and it’s a window into the health of this church. We fight, we laugh, we cry, we discuss, we dream, we reminisce…and we leave loving each other more no matter what. That table is how I measure how we are doing as a church. If the stories coming out of our ministries reflect our core values, we are on the right track.

7. The Great Baby Boom of 2010…YIKES!

8. New Small Group system – We switched to a ten week semester system and saw great success in the fall of 2010! We look forward to getting the ball rolling again and seeing discipleship in action.

9. Bible Reading – we had lots of people begin 2010 by reading the New Testament in 90 days. Many people continued a new lifestyle of Bible reading throughout the year, including kids, teens, and adults!

10. First Missions Trips…one for adults and one for teenagers. From Arlington, Oregon all the way to Mexico, we got to experience the first of many trips that will leave from North Creek Church! I can safely say that everyone who went left completely changed by each experience.

I am sure I am missing a thousand things as well. It was just a great year from our nursery to our kid’s ministry to youth to adults. And I couldn’t be more ready to see all of the blessings coming our way in 2011.

Today is my husband’s 40th birthday! I have never really known someone who is as pure in heart as my husband! He lives his life with loyalty, faithfulness, and perseverance. He is not pushed by jealously, worldly recognition, or wealth. He simply does the right thing over and over and over, believing that in the end, righteousness will be rewarded.

At forty years old, he’s never known anything but a life of ministry. He has stood firm against the pounding waves and enjoyed the seasons of blessings. He poured his life first into teenagers and then into an entire church. He loves the Bible and weighs every word carefully when he preaches, so as not to do the gospel any harm.

He’s a great husband and daddy. He would rather play in a wading pool with his daughters than meet royalty. He makes time for all of us and we never feel that the church is more important than our needs. We feel like a part of the ministry of which God has given him the mantle of leadership. He loves us, protects us, and provides for us with joy.

So, my love, thank you for being more incredible at home than you are in a pulpit, more in love with your family than prestige, and more in love with Jesus than we can describe. We honor you and love you! Happy Birthday!

Stacy, Delaney, and Kennedy

Hello from Montana! We left on Christmas morning for the long drive to my hometown of Kalispell, Montana. It’s shockingly cold here! Delaney is thrilled with the winter wonderland outside, and despite the 10 degree weather, she is outside as much as possible. Kennedy thinks that cocoa and movies is a much better way to vacation.

We had two beautiful Christmas Eve services on Friday night. They were our first ones ever as a church and I loved them! Tiffany Rugg and her friend Julia blessed us with flute music as people arrived. Then Tiffany and Scott Wisecarver and Sarah Sherland lead us in carols. It was all surrounded by candles and such a sweet reminder of Jesus’ birth. I love Jesus and I love being with the people of North Creek!

Now we are enjoying this week with my parents and then we will dive back in for an exciting year! I am working on some 2010 highlights and it is just amazing what North Creek accomplishes in a year. It gives me great anticipation as we cross the threshold into the next season!

I hope that your Christmas week was blessed with family, friends, and the love of Christ!

Join us on Friday night for a Christmas Eve tribute to Jesus! It will be a candlelit night with carols, a brief message, communion, and coffee. Children who are 1st grade and older will be joining us, while younger kids can attend a special service just for them! All kids will receive a goodie bag! If you want to share some holiday cookies, feel free to bring them to one of our Christmas Eve services.

Our Christmas Eve service options are at 6:30 and 8:00 pm. There will be no regular services on Dec. 25 or Dec. 26.

What a fabulous year we’ve had in Vancouver! We find ourselved surrounded by family and friends this holiday season and consider ourselves immensely blessed by so many loving relationships.

Our kids are also doing well! Delaney started first grade this fall and is loving every minute of the social circle. She is growing into a beautiful young lady who loves art and being creative! Kennedy is now four years old and in preschool. She loves to sing, dance, and cuddle! They both enjoy two sets of amazing grandparents who spoil them with love.

Our church is going strong! North Creek will turn 5 years old in the upcoming year…where did the time go? We are continuing to see health, growth, and excitement for our future. We look forward to what God has in store for us in 2011.

Serving Jesus and living a life on the edge of faith has been the greatest adventure! We look back often and laugh at the providential hand of God in our story. This holiday season we hope that you will remember the miraculous birth of our Savior and know that the same God has miracles in store for you as well.

Merry Christmas!