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February 16 Coffee Church Highlights

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February 19, 2014
History, Ministry
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No snowstorm this Sunday, so we were back in business!  I hope you enjoyed the snow while it lasted, but I am thankful it has come and gone!

Sunday was great!  Chris preached at Battle Ground on the church being united, Jim preached at the Deaf Church on being rooted in love and our new Battle Ground youth pastor, Mat Marbrey, preached at Hazel Dell on the love of Christ.  He’ll be heading to speak at Battle Ground this Sunday, so if you haven’t met him and Janel, you can this week.

We could not be more excited about the youth ministry launch on March 6.  Tell a teenager you know about it and invite them to be a part.  Hangout hour will start at 6:30 pm and the main youth group will start at 7:00 pm.  Everyone is welcome to be a part!

We have baptism dates coming up if you’d like to be baptized – March 16 at Hazel Dell and March 23 at Battle Ground.  You can sign up at www.coffeechurch.com.

We have the best volunteers on the planet!  We’ve had lots of last minute cancellations because of the flu this year, but people just step up and make it happen every time.  I love the heart of our people to make room for those people who are far from God.  LOVE IT!

Simply Worship is TONIGHT at the Hazel Dell Campus – 811 NE 88th Circle, Vancouver, WA 98665.  It starts at 6:30 pm and lasts for one amazing hour.  Such a precious time to meet with Jesus, so make sure you are a part!  Kids up to 5 have childcare and we encourage our older kids to join us!

Thank you for your faithful giving!  We were behind this month due to Snowmeggedon, but we had a good offering this week and are back on track.  I know it is a step of faith to give your resources to God (P.S.  They are all His anyway), but I am so impressed by people who live in that kind of faith.  He never fails!

Small groups have kicked and are kicking off!  Once again the snow bumped our plans around, so some groups started on time and some groups didn’t.  You can still sign up online at www.coffeechurch.com.  We’d love to have you!

I hope your week is abundantly blessed!

 

 

February 2 Coffee Church Highlights

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February 4, 2014
History, Ministry
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Congrats to our Seahawks!  It was a pretty fun watching our home team dominate the game.

Small Groups opened for registration on Sunday.  You can register at www.coffeechurch.com for some great groups!  They kick off on the week of February 9, but one of our groups, Learning Sign Language, starts early, so check that one out right away.  It’s going to be a wonderful semester of growing in our relationships with other people and with Jesus.

We are in countdown mode to the launch of our youth ministry in Battle Ground on March 6.  We have an AMAZING team headed by Mat and Janell Marbrey.  If you’d like to be involved, you can email them at mat@coffeechurch.com or janell@coffeechurch.com.  If you know of a teenager in the Battle Ground area, let them know we are starting soon!

We are in the middle of our series Who Do You Think You Are on the book of Ephesians.  I really love Ephesians, so I am thoroughly enjoying this series.  I encourage you to pick up the Bible and read Ephesians over the next week.  It’s an easy read because it’s short, but PACKED with things to grow your life.  Pick something that you struggle with and ask God to help you change.

Our new building in Hazel Dell has been incredible.  I cannot express how nice it has been to have warm, clean facilities that accommodate our families so well.  THANK YOU to those of you who give month after month to North Creek.  The lives impacted by Jesus are directly connected to your sacrifice.  It does not go unnoticed and it does not go unappreciated.

Our Deaf Church has been growing and is doing well.  If you know of someone who is deaf, let them know about a great church!

Over at Battle Ground our young adults are stealing the show.  We had 5 recent graduates on the worship team on Sunday and one leading Tiny Town.  I love that our graduates feel like this is THEIR church and there is a place for them.  You just aren’t too young to use your gifts for Jesus!  Jessica Yonko is leading a small group just for young adults, so jump on in and get to know some people your age who love Jesus.

Our KidCity girls had a day out at G6 Airpark on Saturday.  It was a ton of fun and a good way for our girls from both campuses to know each other.  If you are missing events, etc., send me and email at stacy@coffeechurch.com and I’ll get you on the email list.

Did I mention that you can sign up for a small group at www.coffeechurch.com?  Yeah, go do that.

I love, love, love our church!  Loving Jesus is an amazing decision and so is finding a great church to be a part of!  Be blessed!

 

A Little History Reposted

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December 28, 2013
Family, History, Inspiration
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robin

I wrote this story five years ago, but am reposting it today in honor of my friend.  This story changed the trajectory of my life and will always be a catalyst for why I give my life to love others.  When you look into the eyes of a stranger, you never know what story you are seeing.  Treat people with all the grace and mercy you can muster.  Be blessed!

 

I was born a twin…OK, I wasn’t, but it seemed like it.  Just nine days after I was born, my next door neighbor gave birth to a little girl.  Robin and I became friends just like our mothers were.  We spent everyday together growing up.  All of my childhood memories include her.  We laughed, fought, and forgave quickly, just like sisters, for the first eight years of our lives.

It was Robin who convinced me to play doctor and put super glue eyedrops in her eyes.  Oops.  It was Robin who hit me over the head with a toy that left a dent in my forehead.  It was Robin who made me “marry” Jake from down the street.  It was always Robin in every story…

But when we were eight her parents divorced and her dad kept the house.  Robin moved around the block with her mom.  It was devastating for all of us, but thankfully we were able to walk back and forth to continue our friendship.

However, 29 years ago on December 28, is a day that changed our friendship and our lives forever.  Robin’s mother, suffering from depression, committed suicide.  My memories of that day are horrific.  In the midst of the chaos going on around us, we were left pretty much unattended.  Nobody really worried about us because we were together.  I remember my house being packed with people and it being very cold as the door was opened and shut many times over. The cold Montana air poured in with the people.  Next door there was commotion going on and ambulances being called.  I vividly remember going into my bathroom with Robin and watching out the window towards her old house.  I remember watching her mother’s body, under a white sheet, being wheeled out.

As an eight year old, all of this was etched into my brain in this very surreal way.  I am not sure what is reality and what is made up.  What I know is that my best friend lost the future that she had intended on having that day.  Nothing would ever be the same again.

The reason that I am taking the time to tell this story is because it shaped me in a way that nothing else has.  I may have went through a tragedy of immense proportions, but Robin’s experience was inconceivable.  And nearly a quarter of a century later, I can tell you that what I take from that day is a deep respect for the little girl who lost her mother.  Although she went through the worst thing imaginable, she is a survivor.  Today she is married, happy, healthy, and has beautiful kids.  She recently left this comment on my blog…

You don’t realize how grateful I am to have your encouraging words each week. As for many this time of year is a difficult time.  For us it is remembering love ones that have been lost, finances, health, and life in general. It is so important to let yourself take time to remember each and everyday that God has a HEART and He will guide us. Struggles are a stepping stone in our lives, but it also makes us strong spiritually and faithfully. It is not a time of year to questions ones faith, but to live for it.

Robin, every year on this day, I remember you, and am encouraged once again.  You made your own choices regardless of the foundation that you were given.  You had every opportunity to let that day destroy you, but you didn’t.  You are a shining example of what perseverance and determination can do in a person.  Thank you for not questioning your faith, but living for it.  I counsel people all of the time that are not sure they will make it through their situation.  Your story gives me the confidence to know that God will always help those who call out to Him.  I am thankful for our 37 year friendship and want you to know that I am very proud of the woman that you became.  You are an inspiration to me and I love you very much.

And I’m really sorry about the super glue.

November 3 Coffee Church Highlights

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November 4, 2013
History, Inspiration
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Congrats to Eli and Amber Ricondo on the birth of Josiah on Sunday morning!  Eli was scheduled for sound, but I think he came up with the best excuse ever to miss church!  We got to go see Josiah today and he is such a handsome baby.  We look forward to adding his cuteness into the rest of our awesome North Creek babies.  We brew a lot of coffee and birth a lot of babies at this church….

Tomorrow is the event we’ve been waiting for!  If you haven’t bought tickets to the concert, below is the info.

FB Revived Tour Banner Design Final

All of our services went awesome on Sunday!  Battle Ground finished up the Hunger series talking about the fullness of God, while Hazel Dell got to hear Josiah Thalhofer dive into the life of John the Baptist.  Both phenomenal messages!

The Deaf Church Women were off on a retreat this weekend.  Rumor has it that it was a lot of fun and everybody enjoyed themselves!

LOVE our worship teams!  Thank you for serving!

We announced on Sunday that the loan we needed for the Hazel Dell campus went away…yeah, don’t ask me where it went.  While we are still eligible for a different loan, the ramifications of that is that our payments will be about $1500 higher each month.  Right now that is not currently in the budget and will change our percentages as well.  This means that every month we will need extra…exact amount to be determined  If you haven’t begun to give to North Creek Church, would you consider starting now?  If every person in our church gave $100 a month more than they do, our budget would double overnight.  Can you imagine what we could do with a doubled budget????  Coffee Churches everywhere! 😉  I call the Hawaii Campus.

Battle Ground got seven new volunteers this month!  Thank you for jumping in to make our church such a great place.  If you are thinking about volunteering, you might like to know that we only want you to serve ONE Sunday a month.  It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s a great way to get to know people.  Not to mention that the paycheck is being part of changing lives every week!

Mark your calendars for November 17 from 5:00-6:00.  We will have an All-Church Business Meeting to go over the nitty-gritty details of the building purchase, so that we, as a congregation, can make a decision.  So far, it’s all pretty good news, but we really want you to know everything before we sign the dotted line.

Know a teenager?  Tell the about The Difference Youth Ministry that meets every Thursday night.  More info available at www.coffeechurch.com.

We survived Daylight Savings Time.  I audibly laughed at those of you who showed up an hour early.  I did it once years ago…

Please remember to vote by tomorrow!  Our community is so important and voting is one way we can do our best to make it a great place.  And my friend, Cheryl Bledsoe, is running for Freeholder in District 2.  I’m so proud of her for putting her name on the line to serve Clark County!  Way to go, Cheryl!!!!

Well, go riffle through the Halloween Candy and be blessed with week!  So much to do and so much fun to have!

Countdown to Year Seven: Double Blessings

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September 27, 2013
History, Inspiration, Ministry
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We are in the midst of celebrating our 7th year anniversary as North Creek Church!  Over the last week, I have been sharing highlights from this incredible journey.  Here’s the next chapter in our story…

After we moved into the old nightclub, we had a fairly calm next three years.  We worked on our systems, continued to grow, and established ourselves as a church.  At about the four year mark, we noticed that God was bringing more quality leaders into our midst, but we didn’t necessarily NEED them at the time.  Because we don’t fill our staff table out of need, we just began to listen to God and ask certain people to come to our staff meetings without a job or a title.  It seemed strange at first, but a year later, it all became very clear when we had a divine opportunity to add another campus to North Creek Church.

IBattle Ground launchn January 2012 we began the process of merging with a declining church in Battle Ground to create that second campus.  We were about to become a church plant-multisite-turnaround-merger church.  If you are wondering who to ask for advice in that particular situation, let me tell you that it’s complicated.  Once again, we were setting off into a new realm of ministry with a whole lot of faith, very little experience, and as much advice as we could get.

Over the next year we would learn a lot about things like a multisite church structure, about what makes a church decline in the first place, and about how to divide a very tight team in half but maintain unity.  We would wrestle with systems, mentalities, and our own leadership limitations.  We would have one difficult conversation after another and resolve to fight for the culture we believed in.  We would watch our team stretch past their own weaknesses and we would navigate through all of their (and our) insecurities.  In the midst of that we would watch the people from the merger church acclimate to a new leadership team, a new direction, and we would watch helplessly knowing that we were intentionally creating a completely different church.  I will admit that there were the darkest days of North Creek mixed in that year for us.  We were torn at every turn with a deep love for all of our people, but a deeper love for the mission of God.  There were so many moments when we wondered what to do next.

WIMG1401hat do you do when you don’t know what to do?  Simple…do the last thing God told you and don’t waver.  So, that’s what we did.  We held to the vision that God had given us to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus by creating a church that unchurched people want to go to.  We poured ourselves into getting Battle Ground molded into the vision that God had given us for North Creek.  And then we watched as God flooded the doors with families, stories, and changed lives.  We watched as our team began to thrive and our people began to LOVE their church.  We watched as the volunteer schedule began to fill up and ministries began to have solidarity.  We watched it work.

Even as I type this, we are still writing this story.  We still have a youth ministry to launch, more volunteers to train, and a deeper leadership structure to establish.  All that being true, I am so amazed at North Creek Battle Ground.  It is a constant reminder in my life that this thing that God has asked us to do is bigger than me.  It’s bigger than Mark.  It’s bigger than the sum of all it’s people.

It is God’s holy, amazing Bride and His one and only plan to reach the world.

 

To Be Continued