Monthly Archives: September 2013

This week was very full of highs and lows…

First off, welcome back to school to most of our Battle Ground and Vancouver students! We are back to making lunches, finding a pair of socks that actually match, and keeping track of homework. It’s fun and daunting all at the same time!

Last Wednesday we had a tragedy in our community with the death of Tanner Trosko, a senior from Ridgefield High. Some of his extended family attends our church, which always makes that kind of a loss hit home in an even more profound way. I was so proud of our church for stepping in to provide meals and help in whatever way we could in these initial days of this situation. We will continue to serve and pray for the days and months to come. There are no words to sum up the horror of losing a child, but our hope is in Christ to bring peace in the midst of the nightmare.

Sunday was the end of our Platform series at Battle Ground. Your life is the platform that God is choosing to impact the world! How are you using your daily stuff to bring the focus back to Jesus? We also kicked off Jackpot at Hazel Dell. We will be focusing on some of the benefits of being a part of Church! God has a beautiful picture in mind for being a part of a Jesus-centered community. I know there are a lot of people with a lot of scars from negative Church situations. That being said, we need to walk through the bad stuff that comes with humanity and find the health! God has asked us to be humble, be submissive to one another, and love one another. I am so grateful for our people at North Creek who embrace those traits week in and week out!

Our Kindergarteners transitioned from Tiny Town to KidCity this week. Here’s a story from Facebook I love:

Dad: So did you have sooo much fun in kid city Sydney?

Sydney: Yes, but I cried part of the time…

Dad: Why? Sydney: Cuz I won’t get to see Scott [Tiny Town Volunteer] anymore.

Thank you to Scott and all the Tiny Town workers…you make a difference! That is exactly how I want our kids to feel about Church…Love where you’ve been and love where you are going!

Jordan lead worship at Battle Ground and Emily lead at Hazel Dell. Aren’t we blessed by amazing leaders? Every week I am profoundly amazed by what they bring to that stage and to my heart.

I am sure looking forward to Friday for our Vision and Volunteers night. If you are a volunteer at North Creek and somehow missed the information, email me right away at stacy@coffeechurch.com because we want you there! If you haven’t RSVP’ed, take a moment and email rsvp@coffeechurch.com. It’s going to be an amazing night to eat great desserts, enjoy the company and be honored for serving! A lot of us are even dressing up, so pull out some clean pants and come to the Battle Ground campus!

I hope you have a good week! Be blessed!

Our Highest Expectation

By stacynewell

September 6, 2013

Family, Inspiration

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The first week of school has officially come to a close. It will be marked with many new highs and lows as it proved to be one to remember in the Newell home.

As always, on the first day of school we tell our kids one expectation we have from them. We figure that in the midst of all of the new procedures, rules, and social mandates, we probably only have one shot at our kids hearing us. So, here’s our first day speech. It never changes, but their hearts do.

Sweet Child,

This year all we ask is that you love people. That’s it. The tests, the books, the homework…it’s all important, but not the most important. At the end of the day everything else will fade and love will remain. So, love people.

Love your teachers. Try diligently to be a blessing to them. They work hard and they have good intentions. Sometimes they even have bad days, but please, please child, love them.

Love your friends. Friends are the heartbeat of our lives. They bring meaning to the mundane and they are valuable. Treat them as the precious holders of your dreams and secrets.

Love that kid. You know who I’m talking about. They have very few friends and it’s probably because they are either rude or awkward. Either way, you love them. Even if others laugh at you for doing so, love them.

Love your family. That’s your sister on the bus and she is important to you. Even on the days you don’t think so, she is. Make sure that when she trips off that bus, you run to help her. Don’t laugh, love.

Love the lunch lady, the bus driver, the principal, and the people you pass in the hallway. Love the lady who works in the office and the nurse who sends you back to class when you think you’re too sick to stay. Love the librarian. Love them all.

This world, especially at school, is full of judgment, hatred, teasing, and bullying. That’s not who we are. We are Christ-followers and we’ll get a lot wrong, but please don’t get love wrong.

Oh, and remember, our amazing child, WE LOVE YOU. Deeply, profoundly, but not anywhere near how much Jesus loves you.

It is with that we send our kids away from our watchful eye for seven hours a day. We trust them to manage the greatest treasure we have invested in them and that is the love of our Savior.

We’ll be thrilled if our kids’ education results in them curing cancer or walking on Mars. We’ll be thrilled if they graduate with honors or are the valedictorian. And we’ll be thrilled if they grow up to be ordinary people dripping with an extraordinary love.