We have the BEST team imaginable and everyday I am grateful for them. These are questions that I know they wrestle with all of the time in order to live with integrity and character! LOVE our team!

10 Questions Staff Members Should Be Asking
by Perry Noble

#1 – Do I trust the leadership of this church? (If the answer is “no” then there are going to be problems because you will be unable to fulfill what God commands in Hebrews 13:17.)

#2 – Do I find myself attacking other people whom I perceive may be more skilled than me? (If so then you have insecurity issues!)

#3 – Is there anything happening privately in my life that, if it became public, would disqualify me from ministry? (”Your life” is NOT “your life!”)

#4 – Do I value my calling to serve Jesus and His church over my perceived gifting? (If the answer is yes then you will do anything at any time to move His church forward. If the answer is “no” then you will develop a deep sense of entitlement that will cause you to believe that the church should completely be sensitive to your wants and needs above the call to preach the Gospel and reach the world for Christ!)

#5 – Would I attend this church if I were not on staff? (If the answer is no then you need to do yourself, the church and God a favor and resign right now! You cannot serve a church that you do not love–period!)

#6 – Do I always have to be the expert OR am I willing to have others step into my particular area of ministry and point out my blindspots and shortcomings?

#7 – Am I always telling others how tired I am? (If so…SHUT UP! You are IN THE MINISTRY! It’s HARD! Make sure you are taking a day off to rest and relax and then GET ON WITH IT!)

#8 – Do I get angry when I do not receive the recognition and praise that I deserve? (If so…repeat this phrase, “It’s not about me!”)

#9 – Am I honestly giving my best effort? (See II Timothy 2:15!)

#10 – Would the people who are closest to me at work say that I am a walking example of Philippians 1:27?

I wanted to share a blog written by one of our former students! For more of her blog, click HERE. You’re a great writer, Courtney! Keep it up!

Lessons From a Cat
by Courtney Huskisson
Posted: April 27, 2011

As most of those closest to me know, I do not like cats. End of story. However, recent occupations of house-sitting has brought me an encounter with angry kitty, fluffy kitty, and mystery kitty. Today’s story though is from stuck-in-the-tree kitty. Events are as follows:

Near the afternoon hour of one o’clock on Tuesday the twenty-seventh of April, I headed to the house where I was house-sitting to take their puppy on a walk (I love puppies btw). When stepping out of the car I heard a very mournful meowing. I was confused because as far as I knew all three of the kitties I was responsible for were safely in the house. So I curiously looked to where this meowing was coming from. Looking up I saw this sad kitty up in a tree meowing out for help. “Really?? What a cliche moment is this? Cat stuck in a tree. Should I call the fire dept. And make this even more of a cliche.” After much deliberations and trying to solicite help from neighbors that were either not home or ignoring me, I looked for a ladder. Placing the ladder in bushes on a sloped, mossy ground, I climbed up only to learn that trees are tall and Courtneys are short, even on ladders. After MUCH coaxing to the cat I finally stood on the very top step covering up the “do not step” sign with my foot. Stretching out as far as I could, I finally got one hand solidly on the cat. Yes! I can get down now! Oh, just kidding. THE CAT WON’T LET GO OF THE TREE!!! Pulling and tugging the cat won’t let go! Then the ladder wobbled and I almost found myself stuck in the tree too, or worse. After some frustrating grumbles the cat decided to slide down the tree, claws bleeding and broken and cracked in half. My thoughts coming away from this: “Well that was more than less than unhelpful”.

Continuing thoughts: how many of us are like that cat? In life we often times get ourselves stuck in all kinds of trees. In mistakes, in dangerous situations, in harmful lifestyle patterns, in bad relationships, and many more. Somewhere in our ascent up the tree we realize, this was a bad idea. But too late, we’re stuck. What a frightening feeling. Stuck, alone, unable to find a way out or down. No hope. All you can do is cry out. Finally! Hope comes! God reaches out his mighty hand, he is more than capable of holding us, and what does he find? We won’t let to of the tree!! The problem that WE got ourselves into, the problem that WE cried out for deliverance from, WE can’t let go. And in our desire to solve our own problems we get scratched and bloody and bruised when if we would have just let go and released our grip, God would have had our back. I’ve been there. Maybe you have too.

Can I say, thank God He didn’t just look at me stuck in my problem and just say, “Well, that’ll be a waste of time so I’ll just leave her there”. That’s for sure what I wanted to say to that cat. And thank God that even when I didn’t let go the first time He was faithful to never leave me alone. Perhaps we don’t let go because we don’t know who’s holding us. Maybe if that cat had known me she would have trusted me enough to let go of the tree. You let go because you know who’s holding you. Do you know who’s holding you? Do you know in who’s hands you’ve placed your security? If you don’t, I encourage you to stop right here and crack open that dusty bible and learn about the God of infinite love and mercy. The God that holds the universe in place is upholding you right now. Put your security and hope in Him.

I don’t know what tree you’re holding onto, but chances are if you’ve been crying out for help for sometime take a look down, and you might find the mighty hand of God holding you fast. Let go of the tree.

Love this article and wanted to share! Many blessings!

10 Characteristics of Good Leadership
by Ron Edmondson

Here are 10 characteristics of good leadership:

1. Recognizes the value in other people, so continually invests in others – Good leaders see a large part of their role as developing other leaders. Leadership development takes place in an organization as good leaders begin to share their experiences, good and bad, with others.

2. Shares information with those in the organization – There is a tendency of some leaders to hold information, because information is power, but a good leader knows that the more information the team has that collectively the team is better, which directly benefits the leader.

3. Has above average character – There are no perfect people, but for a leader to be considered good, they must have a character that is unquestioned within the organization. Leadership always draws criticism from someone, so a leader may not be able to get everyone to believe in him or her, but the people who know the leader best should trust the leader’s character.

4. Uses their influence for the good of others – Good leaders are as interested in making a positive difference in people’s lives as they are in creating a healthy profit margin. This doesn’t mean that balance sheets and income statements aren’t important, in fact they are vital for the success of an organization (even non-profits), but a good leader doesn’t separating a desire for helping others from the desire for financial success. Good leaders find ways to leverage financial health to strengthen the well-being of others.

5. Is skillful and competent – Good leaders can be depended on for their professionalism and follow through. You don’t question whether a good leader is going to be able to complete a task. If they don’t know how to do something, they will find someone who does, but they will ensure that a job is done the best way it can be done.

6. Not afraid for others to succeed (even greater than their own success) – Good leaders realize that some followers will outgrow the leader’s ability to develop them any further. Good leaders, however, aren’t threatened by another’s success. They are willing to celebrate as those around them succeed.

7. Serves others expecting nothing in return – Good leaders have a heart of service. They truly love and value people and want to help others for the good of the one being helped, not necessarily for personal gain.

8. Continues to learn – Good leaders are always learning and implementing those learnings into the betterment of the organization. That could be through reading, conferences, web-based learnings, or through other leaders, but also through people who report to the leader.

9. Remains accessible, approachable, and accountable to others – Good leaders don’t isolate themselves from people regardless of the amount of responsibility or power he or she attains. Good leaders willingly seek the input of other people into their professional and personal lives.

10. Is visionary: Thinks for the organization beyond today – Good leaders are always thinking beyond today. “What’s next?” is a common question asked by good leaders, knowing that someone must continually encourage change, growth and strategic thinking for an organization to remain healthy.

Happy July 4th Weekend! We live in the GREATEST nation in the world. We freely live and freely love our God. I hope that you will take time this weekend and tell someone about Jesus…just because you can! I am so proud of our country and the foundation that it was built upon.

Today we had church at the park and it was AWESOME! Congrats to Adelina,Jessica, Adam, Shahla, Peter, Kaylyn, Chelsey, Michaela, Natasha, Kassie, Cody, Meghan, and Brendan for being baptized today! Your commitment to Christ is the greatest decision you will ever make and we are honored to be a part of your story.

We had pretty good weather considering the ups and downs of Washington summers!

Thank you to Alvina for the scones and Lora for the donuts! We had a great time sharing breakfast with 200 of our closest friends!

Our teens are home from camp. One Facebook said, “Bottom Line. Camp changed my life. Jesus is so incredible. What a beautiful wonder He is. He makes beautiful things out of us. ♥” Love that!

I love watching the kids play in the water together! Not only do I want our kids to learn about Jesus at church, but I also want them to have opportunities to make lifelong friends that have the same values and morals. It is so important to have a group of people in your life who will walk in wisdom and godliness alongside of you!

Mark and I are on vacation for the upcoming week! I am intentionally going to leave Facebook and emails aside as much as feasibly possible in order to enjoy my family. I am keenly aware of how important disconnecting is every once in a while. It gives the opportunity to refocus, refresh, and rest!

Stayed tuned to my blog while I’m on vacation. I’m reposting some of my favorite bloggers!

Enjoy this gorgeous week, stay safe with the fireworks, and remember how awesome true freedom in Christ is!

I was just out on my back porch with a cup of coffee all by myself. The sun filters through the trees, my cat curls up in his favorite spot, and for just a moment, the whole world is peaceful and quiet. It is in those times that Jesus and I just talk. I tell Him things that bother me, make me happy, and what my dreams are. I listen for His sweet spirit to refill me and I remember how great He is.

I walk over to my little vegetable garden and see it’s progress. It reminds me that God provides for us. Sometimes it reminds me that He even provides for the slugs that are eating my precious veggies…Either way, it says that He takes care of it all.

I wander around through my flower garden as well. It always reminds me to pray for my mom. She’s an amazing gardener that can pretty much make flowers grow out of rocks. I’m getting better at it as time goes on and I hope that one day my garden resembles hers. I seem to have mastered my roses this year. Each one is intricately gorgeous. The petals are all different colors, different shapes, and different styles, yet they are all roses. Just like us. We’re all different but we’re all His kids. My friend from Montana taught me how to trim my roses. They have to be cut just so to retain the right shape of the overall plant. Hmmmm…I think that’s true for us as well. He trims us just so and right where we need it in order to retain the right shape.

I know that my time in the silence of my garden will soon be interrupted by the pitter-patter of the little feet of His other creations, but in the meantime, this is where God and I start our summer days. God’s creation is the true revelation of who He is! He’s so diverse, creative, and yet it all functions together in unity.