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August 18 Coffee Church Highlights

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August 21, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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I’m late this week with my highlights, but I have a great reason…I’m in GORGEOUS Montana having a family vacation.  For those of you who don’t know it, I am a born-and-raised Montana girl.  Yesterday we went to Glacier National Park, which is about 30 minutes from where I grew up.  Mark snapped this shot from the top of Going to the Sun Road.  Not bad, huh?

glacier1

Back to my Sunday highlights!  It was a REALLY amazing Sunday!

I ended up visiting the Battle Ground campus.  I haven’t been there in a little while, and it was so incredible to see the change and growth in that campus.  There is a lot of momentum and excitement for community there.  I walked down the hall and multiple people asked me how they can sign up to volunteer.  There were new people and families everywhere. It was an out-of-body experience!

Meanwhile, I got texts from Mark throughout the morning updating me on Hazel Dell.  The 11:00 am was packed, lots of new guests, worship was awesome… Equal momentum coming from Hazel Dell!

Then I got the update from the Deaf Church…high attendance, new family connected, quality ministry for the morning…All three campuses firing on all cylinders and seeing God work in people’s lives!  It has been a process over the last year and a half since we merged with another church in Battle Ground, but we are seeing the fruit of persistence paying off.  Can’t wait for the fall!

I forgot to give a shot out to Kari and Terrance last week!  They come early to help babysit and set up a couple of times a month and it’s such a blessing!  Terrance has taken the title of Chair Jedi-Master, as my husband is pretty particular about the chair set up.  Terrance is a star!  I love our volunteers.

Both of our kid’s pastors, Vanessa and Kim, were giddy about their ministry on Sunday, too.  We are raising up some GREAT kids who love Jesus and His House!

The youth arrived home on Sunday night after their Rural Community Missions Trip.  They were exhausted from giving it there all, but God did incredible things in and through them as they served their guts out.  Tired teenagers who poured their lives out for others are blessed teenagers!  Way to go!!!

Speaking of teenagers, we are on our way towards an incredible team of youth leaders for the Battle Ground campus.  I know we have not made any announcement formally yet, but we are in the process of conversations, watching God’s story unfold, and planning.  We’ll be rolling out that plan…in God’s perfect timing…soon!  I’m pretty excited!

Financially it’s been a tight summer…that’s pretty typical, but we don’t want to go into fall trying to catch up.  If you are able to help us, we could use an extra $10,000 to start us off of the right foot for September.  You can give online HERE.  We appreciate your financial support of our ministry and do our best to use those funds to minister to as many people as possible!

If you’d like to get baptized, we’ll fill the hot tub any Sunday.  You can sign up online at www.coffeechurch.com.  We LOVE to celebrate with those of you who are experiencing Jesus’ life change in your heart!

Here’s some dates to put on your calendar.  More info will be coming!

September 13 – Vision and Volunteers Night…it’s a night to honor our new and previous volunteers.  We want you there!

September 15 – Small Group Signup Opens

September 17 – Simply Worship Hazel Dell

September 24 – Simply Worship Battle Ground

September 29 – Small Groups begin this week!

So many things going on and so many blessings from Jesus!  Take that blessing and spread it around!  See you when we get back from relaxing all week!!

 

Process Matters

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August 16, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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One of my favorite television shows is MasterChef.  If you’re not familiar with this hour of genius, it’s a reality show about three Master Chefs who judge a bunch of home-cooks on their talent and then give the winner a job in a high-end restaurant.  I’m not a chef, I don’t like to cook, and I don’t understand half of what they are talking about, but nonetheless, I love the show.

One of the interesting things about the Chefs is that they walk around while these poor souls are cooking and they can tell what is going to be an excellent plate of food and what will be sub-par.  Often times they don’t even taste anything on their way by…they just watch the process and get that disappointed scowl on their faces.  They know that the process makes the product.

After 16 years working with people, I can see that those same principles applies to all of us as well.  There really aren’t many surprises for us anymore in ministry.  The fact remains that people who attack their lives with grit, a teachable spirit, and high standards for themselves tend to see God work in amazing ways in their lives.  On the contrary, when we see people who refuse to change, won’t do the hard things, and won’t push themselves, we brace ourselves for the inevitable.

The process you put into your life and growth determines your product.

This is both good and bad news for all of us depending on our goals for the future!  So, what can we all do?  We can set ourselves up for success: read our Bible, pray, get involved in a thriving church, obey the Scriptures even when it’s hard, surround ourselves with people who will give us advice, take that Godly advice, serve Jesus with abandon…and the list goes on!

One fact that might help you if you have a previous pattern of a pathetic process is that you can course-correct if you want to.  When the Master Chefs walk around, they drop advice as they go, but most home-cooks still go with their plan despite the advice.  Needless to say, their dishes often get a poor reception.  But then, every once in a while, a cook hears the Master Chef, changes plans on a dime and the results speak for themselves.

If you’ve been going along, unwilling to listen (and obey) Biblical advice, maybe it’s time to course-correct yourself.  If you hear the people in your life who have gone before you giving you warnings…take them.  Change.  Grow.  Be teachable.  Do the hard things.  Do it now.

What you’ll end up with is a life as beautiful as fine cuisine.  The aroma, presentation, taste, and finesse of your life will speak for itself.

 

August 4 Coffee Church Highlights

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August 6, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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Sunday!  And it’s still hot!  Could this summer be any more amazing?  I’m loving the long, clear days with my kids in the pool.  They’ve been wet for two months now…

It’s been a great summer of growth at our church.  We’ve seen a lot of new guests come through our doors and decide to stay and be a part of our church family.  That being said, our services are completely unpredictable in July and August!  I couldn’t guess attendance at any given service if I tried.  I’m looking forward to September when we get a little bit of normality back.

Small groups start again in late September.  Gonna be great!  If you have an inkling to facilitate a group, it’s time to email Tasha and let her know at Tasha@coffeechurch.com.  Letting us know early makes such a smooth transition into groups, so thank you!

We had someone bring flowers with them to church with their tithe check.  They wanted to express to God how grateful they are for His provision and what a joy it is to give back to Him.  Well, that’s humbling…

On that same note, Mark spoke on Belshazzar on Sunday and about the greed that consumed him.  Most interesting was the number of conversations with people this week who don’t want to change the giving habits in their lives.  I think the most important character trait we can possibly have is to be teachable and want to grow, even in the hard stuff!  The goal of this life is to grow before you go…

At Battle Ground, Rachael preached her first sermon ever and knocked it out of the park!  It was awesome to have so many of our leaders take a week for Age of Kings and really do a phenomenal job.  My favorite part was watching the Scriptures come alive for each preacher.  They all spent so much time with their Bible character that it really transformed them in profound ways.

You can follow us on Twitter @thecoffeechurch.

School supplies are piling up at both of our campuses!  Thanks so much for bringing in your generosity as we aim to be present in our local schools.  We have two more weeks for you to bring your supplies.

Jim preached on Jehoshaphat at the Deaf Church.  That was the king I preached on, so he’s now my favorite.  Love me some Jehoshaphat!

We went to an open house for one of our young couples from Battle Ground on Sunday night.  I love young marrieds buying their first homes!  It brings back all of the amazing memories of our first house and how much fun it was to make it our home!

Being a part of church is so much fun!  Come and see for yourself!

Hope you are blessed!!!!

 

School Supplies and Community Help

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August 2, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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crayons

It’s School Supply time for our Be Present giving opportunity of the month.  At both of our campuses we have our crates out and ready to fill!  You can bring school supplies (lists are available at most stores) or you can write a check to North Creek marked Be Present and we’ll take care of it.  There are some high needs items this year: Crayola (BG schools only allow Crayola) broad & thin markers and Crayola colored pencils, book covers, Elmer’s glue sticks, self-contained pencil sharpeners and cash.

We also have an opportunity to show up in our Battle Ground community and help get supplies ready for needy kids:

Aug 12 and 13 – 6:00 pm – Packing supplies/ back packs at Adventist Community Services, 11117 NE 189th St, Battle Ground.

Aug 15 – 5:00 – 8:00 pm – Moving packs to the high school.  Start at Adventist Community Services, 11117 NE 189th St, Battle Ground or meet at BGHS to unload.

Aug 16th – 3:30 – 7:30 pm – Help kid’s “shop” for their supplies – Battle Ground High School

Our Hazel Dell supplies will be taken right down the street to Sarah J. Anderson.  Also, if you attend North Creek and are a single parent or need help with supplies, we will be glad to help you as well.  Please email me at stacy@coffeechurch.com to get on our school supply list.  If you have a school supply list for your child, include that in the email as well.

Thank you for being a church family that cares about our community!

Gymnastics and Jesus

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July 31, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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My daughter has recently moved up to gymnastics team, so I spend a great deal of time watching girls flip themselves precariously through the air and somehow land without incident most of the time.  Without any history of gymnastics in my own life, I have learned more since we started than I probably ever needed to know.

One of the most fascinating (and also tedious) aspects of the last year was how much time the coaches spend on strength training.  I have watched so many different workout sessions that my head could explode.  It felt like I waited for months to see my daughter do anything that even remotely looked like gymnastics.  With 12 hours a week in the gym, I was amazed in the beginning at how little was outside of the realm of muscle-building.

But now I get it.  I’ve watched Kennedy’s body begin to move differently.  Her legs, arms, and abs all function together because they have been trained to.  Where she used to struggle with a back bend, she can now easily fold in half, flip, and turn upright again.  And it wasn’t just because she learned the skill, it’s because she earned the skill.  Her body didn’t need to be told to do it; it needed to be prepared to do it.

I think faith is the same way.  If you stretch your faith muscles and work them out in what seems like the smaller things, then the larger challenges in life come easier.  We didn’t plant a church in our first step of faith…that would have been insurmountable.  We had stepped out in multiple avenues for many years to build our strength and trust in God.  When it came time to launch an entire church, we used the reserves of God’s proven reliability from years of experiences.  In seasons of dark doubt, we looked back on those moments to keep us on the right path.

Just like muscles, faith can be gained or lost in any series of habits.  There is never down time to your faith.  The best thing you can do is constantly be finding ways to push yourself in areas of trust in God.

Here’s a couple of thoughts on how to stretch your faith muscles:

1.  Speak what is Biblically true instead of what your flesh feels.  Trust God through your own voice!  When you are tempted to speak negatively, allow God’s Word to be your only outlet expressing your faith.  You will find yourself challenged in your thinking all the time!

2.  Spend time every day in the Bible and prayer.  As you read something or feel like God is telling you something, act on it.  For example, if you read the story about the Good Samaritan, find a way to bless a neighbor that day.  Give your faith time and effort to apply.

3.  Tell people about your relationship with Jesus.  There is nothing that will grow your faith more than making Jesus a part of your conversation.

The good news for my daughter’s gymnastics career is that she will continuously get stronger.  The better news is that there will always be a new and greater challenge in front of her.  That may sound like a bad thing on certain days, but it’s not.  It’s thrilling!  It’s exhilarating!  It’s what keeps us motivated in life.

So, go head, be brave and ask God to grow your faith today…but get ready…it will be the ride of your life!