Archive

Inspiration

Judgment Day

By
December 8, 2012
Inspiration
Leave a Comment

A while ago I was judged…openly, verbally, shockingly…judged.  I listened to the voice on the phone and my jaw literally dropped!  I was stunned and amazed at the words on the other end.  They were words assessing my validity, integrity, and honesty, and they weren’t kind.  I hung up the phone and the room was spinning!  I tried to gain some composure within myself, but I didn’t know how to process how UNFAIR those feelings were in my heart.  Welcome to the world, Stacy!  It ain’t always pretty!

In the process of trying to understand it and asking God to help me sort it out, I got a lot of perspective.  Here’s some thoughts I wanted to share on how to cope with being judged:

1.  Does the Judger even know you?  The person on the other end of the phone didn’t know me at all.  That day was literally the only day we have ever spoken and it wasn’t on a subject that has any eternal relevance.  Frankly, if I had thicker skin, I’d have shrugged my shoulders, hung up the phone, and continued making dinner for my family.  After all, I can’t live my life based on the opinions of people who don’t know me at all, and neither can you!  Somehow we need to learn how to put value on the opinions of people invested in our growth and limit the effect of the opinions of critics and strangers.

2.  Is the Judger forced to make the decision, even if it hurts you?  As a leader, I make decisions (judgments) in a split second that may hurt the individual, but I’ve got to look out for the whole.  If someone wants to work in our children’s ministry, but I’m not convinced they are reputable, they don’t get through the door…even if they pass a background check.  Why?  Because I am willing to judge one, as a leader, for the benefit of the whole.  It sounds awful, especially if you are on the receiving end of judgment, but we’ve all got to realize that we may be wrongly put in that position one day, and it’s OK.  I’d rather have someone wrongly judge me in a split second decision than be too insecure to make hard calls for the benefit of the big picture.  If that’s your case, take a deep breath, put down your offense, and work to gain the trust and appreciation of the leader.  It’s worth the work, because that’s the type of leader you’ll want to follow.

3.  Is the Judger right?  If you feel judged and it hurts you, there are one of two reasons why you are wounded…It’s either not true or it is.  If you feel judged, weigh it out and look in the mirror.  It’s not fun, but it is an opportunity to grow.  You may be being fairly judged and you just don’t want to admit it.

No matter what catergory or situation you are in, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that no judgment is worth you carrying an offense.  Pray it out, forgive, and get going on to bigger and better things!  You’re worth the work of forgiveness!  Be blessed!

I Am That Girl

By
November 21, 2012
History, Inspiration, Ministry
3 Comments

An old friend of mine, Kevin Geer, recently became the lead pastor at my first church.  It’s brought back a flood of memories as I’ve watched him dive into understanding and appreciating the history of Kalispell Christian Center.  That’s MY beginning, that’s MY church, that’s MY family…and I haven’t been there in 18 years.  Nonetheless, that piece of my story, although brief, means everything to me.

It began in 1986 when I was 10 years old.  My friend invited me to summer camp and we met in the parking lot of the church.  I had no idea what to expect and it was the first time away from my parents.  I only briefly walked through the doors of the building for an orientation.  We loaded up and rolled out of the parking lot a short while later.  I had no background with Christianity, but the second day of camp I decided that I wanted to give my heart to Jesus.  I vividly remember walking out of the chapel at Hungry Horse Bible Camp that night and staring up at the stars.  They looked so different!  I can’t explain it, except to say that I understood that God, the creator, was also my living Savior.

I wouldn’t step foot back in the church for another year.  It would be summer camp again, now as an 11 year old, and I loaded up my belongings in the church van for another adventure.  Once again, God spoke so clearly to my young heart.  He had a plan, purpose, and destiny for me and I knew it without a shadow of a doubt.   And yet again, another year passed.

After camp in 1988, I started having my mom take me to youth group on Wednesday nights.  My youth pastor, Mark Stromberg, became a lifeline in my faith.  Nearly everyone else in my friend’s circle came from a Christian home.  They had heard the Bible stories a million times, but for me, it was incredible.  God chose David!  God saved a nation by parting the Red Sea!  Jesus HEALED people…and not only that…if I pray, He’ll heal people through MY life!  I loved to learn about the Bible and did everything extracurricular that my youth pastor scheduled.  I can remember being CHANGED by a Bible study on the book of Judges.  That’s how desperately I wanted to know the Word of God!

At 15 years old, I got my driver’s license.  (In Montana, they think 15 year olds should have the privilege of driving a several ton weapon…) It was then that I could go to church on Sunday mornings, too.  I met Pastor Bob Ross.  He was at Christian Center for decades as the Senior Pastor.  He wore a suit, tie, and cowboy boots and he had a deep, gruff voice that bellowed out of the microphone.  He spoke with an authority that left you riveted.  For the next three years, I listened to him on Sunday mornings and Mark on Wednesday nights.

Looking back, I am sure that Pastor Ross and Mark had no idea that this little girl from a non-Christian home was hanging on to every word with a death grip.  They probably wondered many times if their ministry was worth it.  They probably sat in board meetings and fretted about how to pay the bills.  They probably fought wrong thinking in people’s lives and went to bed many nights feeling defeated.  They probably had dark moments where they questioned their call to ministry and their ability to lead.

And there I was.  On the left side of the sanctuary, about three rows in.  Every week.  I would go on to graduate from Bible college, get my license to preach, and start a church.  I would grow up to love Jesus and believe I could change the world.  I would grow up…changed.

So, thank you.  Thank you to my pastors, thank you to the board who made the right decisions, thank you to the congregation who wrote tithe checks, thank you to the volunteers who served.  I had no idea that a fleet of people were sacrificing so much for me, but rest assured, it was worth it.

And to Kevin…there’s a little girl in your audience somewhere.  Don’t stop.  Don’t question.  Don’t quit.  She’s hanging on every word, too.

Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley

By
November 15, 2012
Inspiration, Ministry
Leave a Comment

deep-wide-andy-stanleyJust finished Andy Stanley’s book Deep and Wide.  (Andy is the pastor at North Point Church in Atlanta.)  WOW!   What a book for pastors and leaders!  I loved every page (even the ones that hurt my feelings!).  I highly recommend this book for people who attend North Creek Church as well.  So much of our current model of ministry is based off of North Point and it may help you understand why we do what we do and help you be a part of it in a more strategic way.

The best part of the book was simply the reminder of what it takes to lead a church.  I think sometimes it’s easy to focus on the warm and fuzzy parts of ministry and wish that was the job description…holding the new babies, hugging necks on Sunday mornings, and watching spiritual “light bulbs” come on in people’s lives.  But the other side is what creates those moments and it’s tough…vision casting, correcting course, fighting for your culture, leading change, and changing minds.  It’s a weight that is heavy, but it must be carried if we are to raise up churches that do more than sustain the status quo.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the book:

“We know that the best performers usually build the biggest churches, but not necessarily the healthiest ones.”

“The church needs leaders who are willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that we hand it off to the next generation in better shape than we found it.”

“[At North Point Church] we are inconsistent and at times unfair.  Not on purpose.  We just find that clinging to grace and truth creates tension.”

“Our goal isn’t to create an environment that is ‘set apart from the world.’  We are up to something way more significant than that.  We want to change the world.”

“Vision is the place to begin every discussion pertaining to change.  You should never begin a conversation about change by addressing where you are now.  You should always begin with where you want to be.”

“Watch what happens when a leader who is naive enough to believe that Jesus is still building his church stands up and casts a vision so compelling that it ignites the imaginations of people who were secretly longing to give their lives to something bigger than themselves.”

“Ask [Jesus] to burden you with something worth risking your career for.”

 

Just those few lines out of the book are enough to challenge the very core of every pastor. I know it challenges me!  Good thing I love a challenge…

I believe that North Creek has all the ingredients to reach into the hearts of those who are far from God and watch Him change their lives.  And we will stop at nothing less.  Would you do us a favor and pray for our pastoral staff?  We want to be leaders of a mighty movement of God.  The cost of that is high, but so are the rewards.  Let’s build a Church that changes the world.

Full Circle

By
November 13, 2012
Inspiration, Ministry
Leave a Comment

circle_makerIn January of 2012 we had a sermon series called The Circle Maker where we talked about the importance of prayer.  We especially encouraged people to keep a running list of prayer requests and answers, so that each of us could see the hand of God working more clearly in our lives.

Now, in January 2013, we want to celebrate the big and small answers to our prayers!  If you have a specific thing that God clearly answered for you this year, would you let us know?  You can email me at stacy@coffeechurch.com and tell me the story.  If you are willing to have your prayer and answer shared, but would rather not use your name, just indicate that in the email.  We recognize that almost half of our church was not with us in January (that’s a lot of growth!), so feel free to jump in even though you missed that particular sermon series.  We want to highlight any amazing prayer answer in 2012!

We may not be able to share all of the answers in one sermon, but we will make sure that we use them in blogs, stories of changed lives, and future sermons in order to bring glory to God!   We have been tracking a lot of your requests and are already ASTOUNDED at all that God accomplished in our lives in one year.  It is a great reminder that He’s not absent, but fully engaged!

Don’t be shy!  Even if you think it’s “little”, it’s still a BIG deal to us!  Thanks for being on the journey with us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ!

You Shouldn’t Agree With Everybody at Your Church

By
October 4, 2012
Inspiration, Ministry
Leave a Comment

church vancouver washington battle groundI recently got an email from someone in our church that said, “North Creek has changed my life, I love coming, but I’m leaving because I disagree with someone that also attends and I don’t want to see them.”  My first thought, “How is this person EVER going to find a church where they agree with everyone?”

Honestly, I understand the temptation to run away from people that you disagree with.  I think we’ve all ducked into the next aisle at the grocery store to avoid someone at sometime.  We have all attended the family reunion and DREADED the encounter with THAT cousin, aunt, brother, etc.  It’s awful, it’s miserable…it’s life.

If you need to agree with everyone in your church, one of three things are currently true about your life: Read More