Nice title, huh? I thought about leaving the rest of the blog blank since I really don’t have the answer to this, but here we go anyway!

From the time Mark first spoke in Battle Ground until our launch, it will be 35 days. In that time we will renovate the building, do an advertising campaign, and acclimate 80 people into our vision and systems. Twenty-five people will be leaving the Hazel Dell campus and transitioning churches. We will double our worship team, kid’s volunteers, and host members. We need new signs, new offering envelopes, etc. The last time we did this we barely made it in 90 days. So, what’s our plan for success?

We’re praying. We’re praying that God provides the blessings for us like He did for Nehemiah. We’re praying for unity, we’re praying for open hearts, we’re praying for miracles. We’re praying that every financial need is met. We’re praying that deep friendships would bloom in the midst of work parties. We’re praying that God’s abundant strength would run through our leadership team like never before. We’re praying for wisdom. We’re praying that come launch day we would actually be refreshed and ready to do ministry like never before. In the midst of the work, we’re praying.

And the cherry on top of our sundae? We’re actually believing that God is so excited to answer those prayers!

See you on April 8.

Join us Friday, March 9 for Simply Worship at our Hazel Dell campus from 7:00-8:00 pm! It’s simply an hour to worship, pray, take communion, and be with Jesus. Childcare is provide. Kids can choose to join us for worship or watch a movie in their jammies in the KidCity room.

We look forward to seeing you there!

FUN day! Mark went to Battle Ground to speak for the first time and I preached at Hazel Dell. It was a very strange morning to work separately at two different campuses, but until we have the transition complete and some new staff hired on, we will do what we need to do to function well!

Mark enjoyed meeting people and beginning the process of letting our new campus know why and how we function. Every church runs differently, so it’s important that we are all on the same page going into this new church situation. Lots of details to communicate and systems to put in place!

I preached on Nehemiah on the Hazel Dell side. LOVE the book of Nehemiah, probably because I love all things leadership and Nehemiah is one of the greatest leaders ever! I focused on the first chapter, which basically gives us a model of prayer.

We had a great lunch with Matt and Jamie Bumala. They have been attending the church in Battle Ground for quite some time, but before that Jamie was a student in our youth ministry. We’ve remained friends and I can’t wait to attend the same church again! Thanks for lunch!!!!

Mark attended our Deaf Church in Battle Ground yesterday as well! He loved the experience and felt the presence of God in their service. We are loving getting to know their lead pastor, Jim. He has been incorporated onto our team and we are glad to have him. If he teaches you sign language, don’t believe he’s telling you the truth! He’s tried to teach us a few signs that would just get us in trouble…

I didn’t spend any time at all in any kids rooms yesterday, since I was wearing a different hat. I have to admit…kids make church WAY more fun! I love popping into various rooms and connecting with a couple of kids here and there. They are always the most encouraging, have the best smiles, and remind me that how I live and love changes their picture of Jesus. They keep me on my toes!

My favorite part of this transition: watching our staff leaders grow in their leadership ability. The growing pains for all of us are evident, but even in the last several months, as we have each wrestled with our own STUFF, I am seeing God molding us. We simply cannot be the same leaders we were yesterday and make an entire other campus function. The good news: God is doing the work and we are just feeling the sore muscles from the workout. He is faithful!

So many things to do, but I couldn’t be more excited for our Battle Ground opening on April 8. Why? PEOPLE are coming and Jesus will change their lives just like He changed mine. Now that’s motivating!

We’ve had lots of questions about what we are doing with the Battle Ground teenagers in the midst of this collaboration. Currently their youth meet on Wednesday nights with a volunteer staff headed by Rob and Lori Ball. Our youth ministry, The Difference, meets on Thursdays under the direction of Kris and Joe Gray.

Our answer is a temporary plan, but one that will allow the teenagers of Battle Ground and their youth staff to quickly incorporate into our strategy, systems, and culture. We will be bringing them down to our youth ministry for at least several months with Rob and Lori working alongside Kris to adopt our DNA. It’s a great way for those teenagers to be dropped into an environment with strong worship, preaching, and small groups literally overnight. Their first combined youth group will happen on April 12, 2012.

In the future we will re-assess the situation as the finances and attendance grow in Battle Ground, but for now we are combining forces in order to have the strongest system possible.

If you are a parent of a teenager in Battle Ground and would like more information, please email Kris at kris@coffeechurch.com. She is excited to get to know you and your students!

Lots of thoughts running through my mind this week! In five days, we will be full force into stitching two churches together in one common vision, direction, and mission with the intent to launch fresh on April 8, 2012. It seems overwhelming on one front, but on the other, we are miles ahead of where we could be. Here’s my thoughts about this crossroads:

We began to prepare for a multisite situation from Day 1 of North Creek Church. We have established key speakers, created a very large and united team, and developed processes that could be replicated in an instance. What should be a time of panicing and getting people onboard is not what we are experiencing at all. On one hand is a mountain of work, but on the other is a solid foundation to build on.

Our staff team is probably more emotional about the change than most other people. It has been interesting to navigate and walk through each person’s new realities. EVERYONE’S job is shifting and changing a bit, so it’s uncertainty on all fronts. We deeply love our staff, so it’s a fine balance of allowing them the time they need to process, but still moving the ball down the court. So far, so good!

I am also humbled by my inbox full of new volunteer applications…and that’s just from the Hazel Dell side of the fence! Battle Ground will get the opportunity to volunteer next week! Nobody seems to be waiting until the last minute to engage, but rather we can begin to train many new leaders this month so that next month is in full swing. There would be NO WAY to do this without the massive number of volunteers that are carrying the weight of ministry.

Our strategy is simple and very clear. Everything we do is through the lens of what a new guest will feel and experience in an hour at our church. We want people to be well communicated to about how we function, comfortable entrusting their kids to our care, clearly hearing the message of Jesus, experiencing quality worship, and to feel like they are welcomed. We look at everything through those parameters and fiercely protect our environments. As we attempt to replicate ourselves, this is our priority.

Work is coming. We have a timeline plan almost ready to unveil about how we will do a major advertising campaign and renovate a building over the course of the next few weeks. There is just a lot of physical labor…nothing new for our ministry!

So, that’s some of what we are facing as we stare into the face of a new future. I’m excited! Stay tuned for more information about how you can be a part!