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Feb. 3 Coffee Church Highlights

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February 6, 2013
Inspiration, Ministry
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I’m a bit late this week!  We’ve got a lot of plates spinning right now, so it’s a litte crazy!  We had a great weekend though!

photoCheck out this picture of one of our miracle babies in our Coffee Church cup.  Hanaye was born to Will and Sarah in December at just 4 pounds.  God has truly filled their cup to overflowing!

Congrats to Wayne and Jenny who celebrated 20 years of pastoring in Battle Ground last weekend.  That’s an awesome investment into a community!

Also congrats to Matt and Andrea who’ve been at North Creek for two years.  You are welcome to follow in Wayne and Jenny’s footsteps and stay for at least another 18 years!

Small Groups opened and are filling up!  You can sign up today at www.coffeechurch.com.   Our groups start next week.  By the way, our youth pastor, Kris Gray, will be hanging out with adults in Mike and Alecia’s group on Friday nights.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know her, because if a teenager is around, she might be paying WAY more attention to them.  If you want to be in a group that is full, email me at stacy@coffeechurch.com and I’ll get you on a waiting list.  Sometimes people who sign up can’t attend and we like to fill in empty seats!

We are working hard on relaunching the North Creek Learning Center, which is currently our preschool in Battle Ground.  We have lots of exciting announcements coming up about that, but if you have a 3 or 4 year old (as of this fall), we have an amazing year planned for them!  Stay tuned as Registration Packets will be out in February.

The lights out at the Super Bowl made every pastor I know feel MUCH better about the technical difficulties that happen on Sunday mornings…

We are baptizing at Hazel Dell this Sunday and Feb. 17th as well.  We’ll also be doing it at Battle Ground on Feb. 24.  You can register to get dunked at www.coffeechurch.com.  If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and a desire to follow Him, it’s time to do that!

Services on Sunday were awesome!  We are talking about MONEY!  I love this subject because I believe that if we think correctly about money, we save marriages, we prevent stress, and we change the world.  A great vision is only limited by the generosity of others.  Don’t believe me?  Try leading something that has the capacity to change the world and do it without finances.

Loved this Facebook post:  Giving blood tomorrow in honor of being present, want to know more about that check out coffeechurch.com.

I got to lead a small group of 4th and 5th graders in KidCity on Sunday.  The topic was how to handle temptation…great conversation for kids entering junior high right around the corner!  I am so glad to be a part of a church where adults will look into my child’s eyes and talk about the choices they are making from a Biblical standpoint.

Did I mention you should sign up for a small group?  Yeah, do that now! Be blessed!

 

December 30 Coffee Church Highlights

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December 31, 2012
Inspiration, Ministry
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Well, my first highlight is that North Creek went REALLY multisite yesterday as we met in hundreds of home all over Clark County!  We cancel our regular services on the last Sunday of the year and encourage people to BE the church to their family, neighbors, and friends.  It’s awesome!

One of the best parts of cancelling our services is to give our team a break.  Most of our team volunteers or works for small stipends week in and week out.  Although we let them have Sundays off regularly, they are still wired to plan, think, and wonder how their ministry is going when they are gone.  There is something so refreshing about knowing that everything is on hold and they can decompress for a week.  Rest is spiritual!

Several babies to celebrate!  Tatiana (from Battle Ground) had a baby girl last month and I think it never made it to my blog!  Also, this week at Hazel Dell, Chrystal and Rene Arellano had Royce on December 26.  Just a day later on December 27, Sarah and Will Sherland met their own little girl, Hanaye.  Someone asked me how many babies North Creek grew by this year….I really don’t know as I lost count.  It’s over a dozen and we are considering buying all of our nursery workers new cars in deep appreciation for their ministry!

We prayed for miracles and what is more miraculous than a baby?  On that note, I have several ladies on my prayer list who want to get pregnant.  My prayer is that God will give them the desires of their heart!

Mark and I were in Montana all week.  Something happens when you spend time away.  It clears your head, gives you the ability to pray, think, and dream  We are ready for 2013!

While in Montana, we got to hang out with one of my long-time friends, Jenny Woods.  She’s the author of my guest blog a few days ago.  We were friends in high school, roommates in college, and now we are both in ministry.  I am grateful for her ear and friendship!

We also hung out with Kevin Geer, whom I wrote a blog to a few weeks ago.  He recently became the lead pastor at the church I went to as a teenager.  He will do great things for God there!  I am excited to watch his new adventure unfold!

My email exploded while I was on vacation.  My new year’s resolution is to empty my inbox by the year 2014…

We are addicted to starting and restarting churches.  Lives are changed all around us everyday and there is no greater joy than being a part of Jesus’ first love, the Church.  Let’s do this!

Enjoy your last moments of 2012!  It may have been a difficult year or one filled with blessing.  Either way, Jesus is in the midst of it and if you will put your faith in Him, He will work all things out for good.

Be blessed!

 

December 16 Coffee Church Highlights

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December 18, 2012
Family, Ministry, Team
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It was a very different weekend than we had planned at North Creek.  In light of the shooting tragedies in our nation, we changed the messages to reflect both our grief and our hope in Christ.  Bottom line: when we come face to face with the darkest evil, we do not cower, but proclaim the love of Christ.  Love wins in the end.

I hugged a lot of crying people on Sunday.  It’s OK to be emotional and feel that grief!  Just balance it out with the determination to spread the hope of Christ as well.  We, as Christians, carry the weight of change in our country.  We must be the ones to show up, speak up, and boldy march into the worst situations.

I taught our preschool class at Battle Ground on Sunday with my old friend, Janelle V.  Super cute kids with LOTS of distractable energy!  Gotta love our Tiny Towners!

Our staff/board Christmas dessert was on Sunday!  I looked around that room several times and thought, “Wow. Our church is BLESSED with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”  Do me a favor and write one of them a letter or note about what you appreciate about their ministry.  You can find all of their contact info on www.coffeechurch.com.  They serve with an unstoppable determination and grace.

Invite a friend to church this Sunday!  It’s Christmas and we’d love to have them join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We dropped off a MOUNTAIN of toys to Sarah J. Anderson Elementary on Thursday, thanks to all of you!  They couldn’t believe that we just kept unloading more and more toys.  Sarah J. serves a lot of low-income families and your gifts will help to bless about 350 children.  Amazing!!!!!!

I walked into my daughter’s school yesterday and started weeping when I saw the police officers.  I know…that’s a little extreme.  But what I saw in front of me was goodness.  More people put their lives on the line for our protection, than people who try to rob us of our security.  I felt the same way when I saw the teachers as well.  We must always focus on the people in our lives who strive to bring peace, grow our lives, and try to make a difference!

We want to say a big “Thank You” to all of those involved in the Christmas Concert last week!  It was such a beautiful way to usher in the Christmas holidays.  It took an absolute ton of work and people, but it was so worth it!  Way to go!

My oldest daughter is home sick today.  She actually said, “Why couldn’t I be sick tomorrow so I don’t have to miss school?”  Maybe she’ll grow up to be a teacher!

Remember to send us any of your “Circle Maker” stories!  You can email them to me directly at stacy@coffeechurch.com.  We look forward to celebrating all the things that God did in our lives in 2012.  He is good!

Be blessed!!!!

 

December 2 Coffee Church Highlights

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December 5, 2012
Ministry, Team
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coffee church lightsWhat a weekend!  On Saturday we decorated both campuses!  Thank you to so many of you who showed up to help.  “Work” Days are often the times when friendships are formed and stories are written.  I LOVE ’em!

We got A LOT of comments about how beautiful the Christmas “Chandeliers” turned out.  Here’s the trick: Hula Hoops criss crossed with fishing line where bulbs hang randomly down.  Before you start bulbing, wrap your hula hoop with icicle lights.  They are time consuming, but inexpensive.

Our stage also consisted of a really cool wood structure that will continue to be a part of our stages in the future.  And here’s the eye-deceiver at Hazel Dell….the back wall is PAINTED to look like wood.  It’s not real.  I bet you’ll come back to church next Sunday just to see what I’m talking about.  You’ll tell yourself that you thought it was real wood.  Alecia Krause is our genius painter!

I had a young lady ask to be baptized on Sunday.  If you are ready to be baptized as well, you can fill out a form at www.coffeechurch.com.  We have a portable hot tub so anytime you are ready, so are we!  I love baptisms!!!!

We had a new Tiny Town teacher this weekend.  Thanks to Michelle for jumping in!

Mark preached at Battle Ground and the Deaf Church this weekend.  Always a privilege to be at our Deaf Campus.  I don’t know sign language, but it’s another reason that I am a Facebook fan!  Such an easy way to communicate with the hearing and the deaf.  If you are not my friend, find me!

Speaking of Facebook…our last small group was filled with a lot of Facebook junkies.  I noticed that many of them became fast friends because they had an additional way to communicate on a regular basis.  I had never had that happen before, but thoroughly enjoyed watching it!

We got a new baby at Battle Ground yesterday!  Congrats to Tatiana!!!

coffee church teamOur staff team did a video shoot this weekend for some of the upcoming Christmas events.  We laughed, we cried, we ate fudge…  We have such an amazing team!  We were missing a few of them, but nonetheless, we had a good time.  Thanks to Brian Enquist of Home Video Studio of Vancouver for filming us and to the Swensons for having us over to destroy your house.  Have I mentioned that I appreciated the fudge???  Cause I did….a lot.

It’s December!  In honor of the Modern Family sermon series, spend this month reconciling one relationship before the new year.  I know it’s not always that simple, but what if it is?  What if the worst relationship in your life can be exponentially better with a phone call?  This is life, so it might get worse, but the risk might also be worth it….you’ll never know until you try.

Now, I’m off to make that phone call…  Be blessed!

November 18 Coffee Church Highlights

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November 19, 2012
Ministry
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My highlight this week is that Mark made it!  He woke up in the middle of the night SICK with the flu.  Our Sunday schedule was as follows: Throw up, preach, throw up.  A lot of people asked me why he was still preaching even though he was so sick…well, he’s a pastor at the core of his being and he believed in his sermon.  He wanted to preach it and that he did.  He delivered it strong and with authority, which was the dichotomy to when he got home and slept for the next 18 hours…

On another note…people do so much for our church that goes unseen!  Mylissa is our shopper, Ron cleans up outside, the Tilley’s donated a day to do a deep clean, Adam is our new “honey-do” volunteer (Sorry, Adam, for the ridiculous title), and the list goes on…it is amazing to have Behind the Scenes servers who give and give!  Thank you to all of you!

We had a new guest yesterday who said she wanted to start a relationship with Jesus.  That’s why we get up in the morning!  Thank you to those of you volunteer and give so that people can have their “AHA! Moments”.

My small group is coming to a close next Monday.  It never fails to happen…I find amazing things in each person that I really like.  That is my favorite part of groups – putting random people in a room and getting to know their stories!   I’m sure some of them will be back in our next group and some will try another group, but I am SO thankful that I got to dive into their lives for a season and get to know them.

Yesterday one of the Battle Ground groups brought 7 baskets for Thanksgiving Dinners.  We were able to bless some families – not necessarily who NEEDED the food the most, but all of whom NEEDED the reminder that they are important to God and their church.  THANK YOU to that small group who went out of their way to make people feel loved.  Here’s some of the Facebook notes we got about it:

Thankful for the generous, giving hearts of my church family ♥ North Creek is the best!!!

Juuuuuuust got my socks incredibly blessed off me by my church. *serious warm fuzzies ya’ll* I’m soooo sooo thankful! Thank YOU, North Creek Church for {Being Present} in my little families lives!!! I’m already plotting how to pay it forward.

Our family is feeling so loved and blessed by our church family at North Creek!  THANK YOU Coffee Church for BEING PRESENT and being AWESOME! 🙂

If you’re feeling the desire to be generous, stock up on toys and jackets for our upcoming Be Present Give.  More information coming, but there’s your warning!!!!

If you are looking for an end-of-the-year donation, please consider North Creek as well.  We took on a mountain with the merge, and although we are on track to be solid and stable by the one-year mark, it’s been a big financial adjustment to need double the income from a year ago.  Worth it?  Yes.  Learned lots?  Yes.  Want to launch more campuses in the future?  Yes.  Crazy for the mission of God?  Yes.  Drink too much coffee?…

We had a group of 35 people go to Winter Jam on Friday night!  Everybody had a good time and it was another great opportunity to meet people you might not have previously known!

On Thursday the youth had a guest speaker who was our former student.  Courtney Huskisson is one amazing woman whom we are proud to have gotten to invest in for a season!  Thanks for coming back to preach and showcase what a life devoted to Jesus looks like!

The K-2nd Grade boys had a giant nerf gun fight party after church yesterday in Hazel Dell’s auditorium.  That’s why we don’t decorate with fancy, breakable things…

Way over my word limit for the day, but it’s not my fault that God is doing so many cool things…. Be blessed!