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Monthly Archives: October 2015

October 18 Coffee Church Highlights

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October 20, 2015
Ministry
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We were blessed with missionaries Doug and Tasha Myers last Sunday!  Wasn’t that a great sermon about obedience?  What is God asking you to do for him?

Doug and Tasha are currently ministering in Ethiopia where they will be starting a church next year.  If you’d like to be a part of a church plant in Ethiopia you can do that in two ways: 1. Move your family to Ethiopia and live a wild adventure for Jesus.  2. Give your money to the Myers to fulfill God’s dream for their lives.

Speaking of giving your money, jump in to our 12for12 giving campaign to give $12 a month for 12 months to our missionaries.  We literally want EVERYBODY at North Creek giving money to our missionaries to make a difference in the world.  We want to keep missions at the forefront of your mind as you make purchases throughout the week.  What could you do with your $12?

We are feeling like we are back to (our new) normal as a church after moving to Prairie High School four weeks ago.  We have fewer and fewer little kinks along the way and people are getting to know more people each week.  Thank you to everybody who has been so amazing with this transition.  It has been so smooth and we feel like God is changing our church in powerful ways.

Our Growth Groups are kicking off this week and we are looking forward to growing together and enjoying the company of some amazing new friends!

We have two new areas that we are building up in our church that you may want to be a part of: 1. Security team and 2. Prayer Team.  If you’d like to help with either of these teams, email Rachael@coffeechurch.com and she will get you processed quickly!

Are you reading the Bible?  Praying? Worshipping? God has something to say to you and He wants to use your life.  Put yourself in the posture to be used by God.  We are praying that the Holy Spirit changes everything about your heart, life, and the product of your choices.  We are a people of power and freedom, so let’s walk in that authority!

OK, we’re on our way to such an amazing place!  Thank you for your prayers, support, and love for Jesus.  Let’s change the world!

 

Just Keep Running

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October 15, 2015
Ministry
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Today’s post is in honor of October 15th National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and dedicated to my friends who have babies in Heaven.  You are each heroes to me for getting up in the morning, facing your grief and walking forward with the grace of Jesus shining through you.

 

Sometimes in this thing called life, we are thrown into the pain and suffering of this broken world with a front row seat.  Perhaps the closest we will get to the heart of pain is the loss of a child.

As parents, love is birthed in us at the moment of conception.  We begin to dream for, pray over, and protect fiercely this little baby that we cannot even see with our eyes, but whom we love with our very souls.  Our perfect picture is a healthy baby that grows into an amazing adult who will surely bury us before we bury them.  Anything short of that goal is almost too much for our frail hearts to handle.

Last week our dear friends, Daniel and Lisa, lost their baby unexpectedly late term in their pregnancy.  It is in that moment when you feel the earth’s horrifying gravity a little too heavily and yearn for the sweet respite of Heaven.  Words are too inadequate and we know that only Jesus can truly provide a soothing balm of peace in the darkness of grief.  It is simply breath stealing.

Daniel and Lisa’s oldest daughter and our oldest daughter, Delaney, have become fast friends in the last several months.  As a pastor’s kid, Delaney has been on the forefront of grief many times.  She has been with us for too many devastating visits and has held the hand of several friend’s facing the harsh reality of loss. Perhaps that is why Delaney latched on to Emily’s grief quickly and carried it with her as her own.  She delivered a gift to her friend, stood by her in small group, and cried over the sadness in her heart.

A few days later at Delaney’s cross country meet I watched my girl run in the distance and enjoyed seeing her long stride push past her own pain.  She was running with literally everything in her body and I could tell she was focused on doing well.  Delaney is not naturally competitive, but this day she was running with a new determination.

When we got in the car I told her that I was proud of her for trying so hard.  I was stunned when her answer came from the back seat, “I was running for Emily. I just thought of her the whole time and did my best for her. When I was struggling, I thought, ‘Just keep running.’  And so I did.”

I wasn’t expecting that at all and the beauty of realizing that she was still carrying that grief on behalf of her friend caused hot tears to roll down my cheeks.

God’s own wisdom often comes from the most innocent of moments, doesn’t it?

I sat quietly in the front seat contemplating what Jesus was speaking to my heart.  It had been such a long and difficult week and His sweet presence in the car was a welcome lift to my weary soul.

“Stacy, do you hear those words?  When you feel pain, JUST KEEP RUNNING.  When you want to stop, JUST KEEP RUNNING.  When you don’t know what to do, JUST KEEP RUNNING.”

And that’s true for all of us, isn’t it?

 

Daniel and Lisa…JUST KEEP RUNNING.

Greg and Kristina…JUST KEEP RUNNING.

YOU…JUST KEEP RUNNING.

 

And the really beautiful piece of being a part of God’s family…You are not out there on the course alone.  When you think that the grief might overtake you and the pain is too much, just remember that there are many people who aren’t just running with you…they are running FOR you.  And they are fighting for you, praying for you, and pulling for you.

You aren’t alone.  Just keep running.

 

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

 

 

October 11 Coffee Church Highlights

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October 13, 2015
Ministry
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After a very long and trying week, it was good to be in church on Sunday!  Jesus is so good…the hope of the world and the hope for our hearts.

We are adjusting very well to mobile church and have our setup down to a crazy science already.  Our environments are working great and we are enjoying some new trends happening at church.  The church is hopping by 8:45 am and people are showing up early to just drink coffee and chat in our foyer.  Our kid’s ministry has been calm and secure with plenty of room for experiencing Jesus.  We are loving the new found community happening on Sundays by our new systems.  Join us early and get to know some new friends!

We got to meet new baby Lilly on Sunday.  Congrats to Justin and Becki!  We are so excited for you as you begin a new season of your life as parents.  We are praying for your wisdom and a few good nights sleep along the way!

Isn’t worship fun in Prairie’s auditorium?  I love having a larger worship team and worshipping alongside more of you.  Here’s a secret to making your worship explode in your life on Sundays: spend time with Jesus Monday through Saturday.  Read your Bible, play some worship music, pray…I can tell who has been with Jesus throughout the week because they aren’t approaching Jesus the same way.  People who walk with Jesus regularly are just different after being in His presence.

Mark spoke on Spiritual Gifts on Sunday.  Take some time to read 1 Corinthians 12 and pray about what God has gifted you with and how He wants you to use those gifts to benefit His mission.  I am excited to watch people step out in His giftings and see the miracles that God has for His Church!

We got the sweetest gift from Carl and Susan for Pastor’s Appreciation month.  We also got some cards from kids, which is always sweet!  Thank you for taking the time to communicate your love.  It is appreciated!

We have several families who are facing grief this week.  We are praying for you and standing with you!  It is these moments that make me yearn for eternity.  I take comfort in the fact that we will all be together with Jesus at the end of this deal called life.

The Hazel Dell building has officially closed and is now Greater Faith Baptist Church.  We are praying for them and look forward to visiting in the future to see how they are doing!  As a church we are now debt free, but our budget only shifted slightly due to the rent at Prairie.  Thank you for those of you who regularly give to support North Creek, especially during this transition as we change so many aspects of our church.

claudioA year ago Mark went on a missions trip to Brazil and Argentina that changed his life.  God spoke many things to him and much of the direction shift we are currently experiencing is a result of those moments.  One of the greatest revivals in the world has been poured out in South America and we are praying that the outpouring of God somehow reaches us in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Last weekend Claudio Friedzon, the pastor who was a part of the beginning of this revival, had a massive outdoor service.  I attached this picture of the event so you can see what we see.  Imagine a Nation that calls upon Jesus to this magnitude!

Would you pray with us for this kind of impact in our community?  There is no other hope than Jesus for our world.  He’s it. We have to become a movement of people who stops thinking about a church that is convenient, a church that is safe, and a church that is small.

Nothing about serving Jesus is convenient, safe, or small.

Let’s change the world!

 

 

 

October 4 Coffee Church Highlights

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October 6, 2015
Ministry
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Week 2 at Prairie High School was awesome again!  I am LOVING having all the campuses together and seeing so many faces that I cherish and have missed.  We also love having the deaf church at the same time as our hearing church as we share some environments.  Thank you for all of you who have made this process so easy!

Growth Groups are open for registration!  Here’s what Chris has to say about small groups: “Through our Growth Groups you get to meet with like minded people that are learning how to become more like Christ. It is here that community is built for some and deepened for others. Where friendship and discipleship meet.  This session of groups will be a bit shorter. This makes them like a biblical community appetizer before the holidays and before we launch longer groups in January 2016. So consider this a Happy Hour Menu of great groups to feed your soul and grow your life!”  Awesome!  Join a growth group by going to www.coffeechurch.com.

We are enjoying learning about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  He is a real being in our lives with a powerful purpose!  Lean into all that He has for you!

Are you reading the book of Acts along with the sermons on Sunday?  I really encourage you to dive into your Word daily!  If we as a people of Jesus are not steeped in the Bible, we are destined to have one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity…this cannot be.  Honoring Christ means honoring Him with our whole self.

We are at the beginning of a campaign to help North Creek Church give more to missions.  Currently we support 11 missionaries, but are wanting to add one more and make that 12.  Would you consider giving $12 to missions every month for the next 12 months?  Just mark your giving envelope on Sunday 12for12.  Thank you for your generous hearts!

We are inviting all of you to come and pray in the auditorium from 8:30 – 9:30 am every Sunday.  The worship team is practicing, but we encourage you to take some time to meet with Jesus.

We are praying for Umqua Community College this week.  We stand with those who are grieving and fighting for a sense of security again.  Jesus is able to heal hearts and lives.

Our Hazel Dell building is set to close this Friday.  We are excited to move on to our future and we bless the new church moving in and pray for great growth for their congregation!

God is good!  He is holy, He is worthy, and He deserves our praise.  You will truly understand who He is in your life when you begin to seek Him with an unleashed persistence.  Pray, read, turn on some worship music, and ask Him to pour out all He has for you.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Let’s change the world.