Inspiration

Mark and I just returned from a weekend in beautiful Coeur D’Alene, Idaho at a conference for Pastors in our Assemblies of God Network. We had a great time, so I thought I’d share some insights I learned with you. Enjoy!

Way too many people spend way too much time being frustrated with where they are at. I know this is true for pastors (I’m on top of every list!), but it’s probably true for a lot of other people as well. We always want to be at the NEXT season faster than we are. The further we get into pastoring, the more I realize that those seasons I wanted out of so badly were so precious to my spiritual growth. I’m desperately trying to find the balance between contentment and a relentless passion for the mission of God. It’s out there somewhere.
When a great leader compliments you, say “Thank you.” It may only happen a few times in your life, so don’t downplay the importance of it with meaningless words.
Everyone has a story. My most favorite thing about the conference is hearing everyone’s stories of church, pastoring, parenting, and growing. Some make us feel better about our own challenges and some inspire us to another level.
Longevity has sweet rewards. I was laying in the hotel room last night desperately tired of talking. Then I realized what a blessing it is because we have so many relationships that we value in our state that we wanted to catch up with. We’ve been pastors in our network for 20 years and it is so amazing to see people we went to Northwest University with who now have incredible churches. We are thankful for lifelong friends who understand the lives of pastors.
I cry every year when they honor pastors who have died. They flash pictures of grey haired, wrinkle-faced, eyes-hid-behind-bifocals, elderly men and women of God. What I see is people who gave their life to the greatest cause on the planet and stayed true to their calling. That is really my ultimate goal. Forget the church stats, the trendy websites, and the show of it all…If I just do WHATEVER God wants until my last breath…I have succeeded.
We have a top-notch team. The strength of North Creek’s backbone is found running through our team.
Everything comes full circle. Never close a door, because you just never know when you might want to walk back through it.

Thank you to the leaders above us who worked hard to provide us an opportunity to be better together! Mark and I appreciate the investment into our lives and our church. We are so excited for the future, but we are beautifully happy with what God is doing RIGHT NOW! Be blessed!

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By stacynewell

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Inspiration, Ministry, Series

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Inspiration, Ministry

A Promise Fulfilled

By stacynewell

March 28, 2013

History, Inspiration, Ministry, Team

2 Comments

Seven years ago we met Kim Goodrich. She was helping with kids at the church we were at and got wind that we were starting North Creek just a block from where she lived. She had expressed interest in being a part and we were pretty excited to add someone to our small band of brave people embarking on a crazy journey.

At first glance all those years ago, we weren’t even sure what to make of Kim. She’s a relentless go-getter and as feisty as a trapped cat. However, we quickly realized that she’s smart as can be, kind to her core, has an unwavering determination, and will never let the world get her down. In other words, she was made to start a church.

Through a series of events that we would never have expected or foreseen, God made it clear that our first Children’s Pastor was this very unexpected surprise sitting in our midst. So, with a bit of trepidation, we brought a Pepsi (her favorite drink) to the office and asked if she could come for a visit. We slid the Pepsi across the desk and asked her to take the job with a paycheck of $100 a month. She said yes.

Over the last seven years she has literally bled, sweated, and cried for the mission of this church. She’s taught the Bible, baptized kids, and loved them through elementary school turmoil. On top of it all, she took on the task of being our bookkeeper for the first six years of our existence.

We vowed that we would someday pay her full time.

Five years ago we all went on a devastating journey with her as her husband was suddenly diagnosed with MS. Kim, mother of two elementary kids, was faced with the impossible task of a daunting medical situation, needing a full time job to support her family, and helping her children understand this new reality. And to make matters worse, we were in no position to hire anyone full time. So, we watched as she navigated her life outside of the walls of North Creek. We cried with her on her first day of work.

But a promise is a promise…sometimes with a slightly different timeline than we could ever script.

With Wayne’s resignation last month we were faced with the fact that we needed someone to keep our finances afloat….and we had just the peg for that round hole! So, it is with great joy that we are officially announcing that Kim has been hired full time as both our Children’s Pastor at Hazel Dell and our Financial/Administrative person for all three campuses and the Learning Center. Yes, it’s a big job, but trust me, Kim will fill it well!

Kim – Thanks for sticking through this dream with us. We are humbled by your heart and inspired by your perseverance. We are grateful that you have loved our kids for seven years and look forward to many, many more. Let’s change the world!