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When People Disappoint

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May 16, 2014
Inspiration, Ministry
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A flood of emotions ran through me this week as I turned from one disappoint to another.  Hurt.  Betrayed.  Sad.  Confused…ugh…

One thing that will be consistent on this earth is that humanity will hurt you.  People will let you down.  Sometimes the boundaries will seem invisible as people cross lines that you were sure were laid in cement.  And it will never cease to feel like a blindside.

As I prayed through each situation that came across my path this week, one thing God kept showing me was a mirror.  He kept gently reminding me of one thing:  I have hurt people with my decisions as well.

Ouch.

“But Lord, that was never my intention. I was just doing what seemed best for my life at the time.”

Nonetheless, the truth still stung.  I am just as fallible as the person next to me and my own humanity will result in hurting those around me at times.

But it’s much easier to point the finger at others than quietly contemplate where I am weak, isn’t it?

Yet when I stop long enough to seek the heart of God, one thing is always true: Grace precedes my judgment.

Grace for those who purposely hurt me.

Grace for those who hurt me in the process of making decisions.

Grace for those who never even knew my name, but their actions still impacted me.

And it is in that grace where the hurt and anger can be dealt with by Jesus, rather than solidifying into bitterness and resentment.  In this backwards world of Christianity, it is there that I win, it is there that I get my due, it is there where freedom becomes my prize.  It is there where revenge is no longer mine, but God’s…and I can rest in His justice.

It is also there where I can find the forgiveness that I need when I fail others.

His mercies are new every morning and many of us need them today…

May 4 Coffee Church Highlights

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May 7, 2014
Inspiration, Ministry
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Such a wonderful weekend as we gathered together to honor Jesus! We finished the Comeback series this week, but we never really finish telling people that it’s not too late to comeback to Jesus.

In fact, two people gave their lives to Jesus this weekend.  Nothing better than that!

Chris Harold preached through some intense toothache pain at Hazel Dell.  I was formulating Plan B if he passed out.  Thankfully we ended the series without incident!

Did you know that our Youth Ministries are ROCKING it???  Battle Ground took off like wildfire and Hazel Dell continues to set the tone for leadership and changed lives.  We love teenagers and look forward to watching God use our youth to change our community.

The deaf church had amazing time on their missions trip to Mexico last week.  Pastor Jim brought us back candy that tasted like peanut butter chalk.  It’s his favorite candy, so I’m not sure what that says about him…  He said the best part of the Mexico trip was being part of people’s comeback story!

We also had our Network’s Conference last week and enjoyed seeing a lot of our pastor friends.  We also heard some incredible messages.  George Wood, our national leader, preached one of my all-time favorite messages.  It was simply the stories of some of our missionaries from decades ago.  Many of them died never knowing the full impact of their ministries.  It reminded me that God is doing a deep work that I may never be able to see or understand until Heaven.  Keep going!!!

We need more volunteers!  Our kid’s classes are about to pop and we need assistants.  If kid’s aren’t your thing, maybe Kid’s Checkin is more up your alley?  It’s a great way to bless the children’s ministry without actually working with kids.  You can sign up to volunteer at www.coffeechurch.com.  We would love to have you involved and it’s a fabulous way to get to know people.

We are working on small groups for the summer.  We still need leaders!  It’s a fun semester to jump in because summer is shorter and more informal.  If you are interested, email Kari at kari@coffeechurch.com for more information.

We have an incredible series coming up called My Greatest Investment.  We only have one life, each with 24 hour-filled days, but there are keys places to put our time that will reap great fruit.  Join us for the next four weeks as we dive in!

P.S.  It’s Mother’s Day next Sunday.  Take your mom to church!

Whew!  Always a boatload of stuff going on! I hope you are full of joy and peace.  Be blessed!

Easter Sunday Coffee Church Highlights

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April 22, 2014
Inspiration, Ministry
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Happy Easter!!!  I pray your weekend was full of joy, hope, and peace in the resurrection of Jesus!  I love the story of a crucified and risen Savior.  And honestly, Saturday is my favorite part…it’s the day where Jesus-followers felt alone and abandoned…but the next day changed everything.  It is my reminder when I feel alone, tomorrow is a new day with a new hope!

We had an amazing Good Friday service at our Battle Ground campus.  About 160 people joined us in a night filled with music, reminders, and communion.  We spent time remembering that our sin has been nailed to a cross and we are free!

Thank you to our worship department for an incredible amount of work and prayer to make that evening a success.  We are grateful for your hearts and talents.  We appreciate each of you and are grateful to partner with you to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus!

We headed into Sunday with a beautiful sunny day and four great services with a total of 450 people joining us.  We celebrated with a couple dozen people who raised their hands to declare a personal “Comeback” to Jesus!

Our Deaf Church included an Easter play to visually show the power of the resurrection story!  They had a packed service and a potluck afterward to celebrate together.  Pastor Jim got to pray with a man who wanted Jesus in his heart as well…that’s what it is all about!

Thank you to all of our volunteers who worked on Easter Sunday.  We are “Door Holders” in the house of God to allow other people to walk in and hear the message.  We appreciate your time and energy that makes North Creek what it is!

Our KidCity classes knocked it out of the park with stations that walked them through the story of God, each with tactile objectives to help our kids learn the story in a hands-on way.  We have great kid’s ministries!

On top of all of the Easter excitement, our youth ministry at Hazel Dell turned 5 years old on Thursday!  Happy Birthday to the Difference!  You are an amazing group of teenagers and we love you!

And on to the next thing!  Our small groups launch in about a month and we are looking for leaders.  The summer semester is SUPER fun to lead…anything goes…Bible study, dinner group, workout group, hiking group, ANYTHING that gets our people connecting in healthy relationships.  They are also short at only 6-8 weeks long, so it is a short and fun commitment.  Throw your idea out to Kari at kari@coffeechurch.com ASAP so we can get you equipped to facilitate.  Thank you for being a part of investing in people!

Whew!  Our family is gearing up for my daughter’s gymnastics State Meet this weekend, so we are still in full-speed mode.  We can’t wait to watch her shine!

Thanks for being a great church!  Isn’t it profound to have the privilege to tell the world about Jesus?

 

 

April 13 Coffee Church Highlights

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April 14, 2014
Ministry
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Such a gorgeous weekend!  For all you students, we hope you enjoyed Spring Break.  Couldn’t have been any nicer weather!

Battle Ground enjoyed a packed house last weekend.  Awesome!   We would love for you to volunteer one Sunday a month as we grow.  You can find the volunteer form at www.coffeechurch.com.

Over at Hazel Dell we finished most of the parking lot and were pretty excited to say goodbye to our previous mud pit.  Thank you to the dozens of people who have come to help over the last four months of getting this building painted, cleaned, and looking sharp!  We still have lots of details to nail out, but all of the immediate problems are dealt with and we can function well in our new home.

Easter weekend is next weekend!  Plan on joining us twice if possible.  First for our Good Friday Celebration at Battle Ground and then again on Sunday for our Easter services.  We cherish the story of the death and resurrection of our Savior and look forward to sharing it with you.  Invite a friend!  Everybody is welcome at the Coffee Church.

On Sunday we expect extra people for our services.  You can help us by doing two things:  1. Come a little early.  It gives extra time for kid’s checkin, getting a cup of coffee, and getting into service.  2. Fill in the seats in the front and middle of rows first to better accommodate those people coming in after you.

That being said, we have great parking, plenty of chairs, and lots of coffee, so it will be a wonderful morning!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Caleb!  He wore a crown on Sunday and told me he was turning three, so I think he deserves a shout out.  I think we should all wear crowns on our birthdays…

Well, I hope this week is filled with love, peace, and joy in your life.  The Good News is that we serve a God who took away all of our sin and we are truly all walking comeback stories!  Be blessed!

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Easter is Around the Corner

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April 11, 2014
Ministry
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It is just one week until we unroll a weekend worth of honoring our crucified, yet risen Christ!  Easter is my favorite holiday of all and such an amazing reminder that our sin has been nailed to a cross and we are FREE!  It means everything to me and I cannot wait to celebrate.

If you have never been to church, you are welcome.  No need to dress up or be perfect.  Just come and be rest assured that you are in good company of people with scars, pasts, and faults.  We all have one thing in common…Christ died for us and we are no longer bound by what we were.

Here are the events that you can join us for as we set aside time to hear the story of Jesus once again.

Friday, April 18 Good Friday Services

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Join us for a unique Good Friday Celebration on Friday April 18th. We believe that Jesus’ death made a way for us to have life. It will be one of the most creative approaches to telling that story. The night is hosted by Pastor Chris Harold with Matt Garner, Alissa Fisher and the North Creek Band. Grab a friend and don’t miss this.

This event is located at North Creek Church in Battle Ground, WA (Next to Maple Grove Elementary).

Childcare is provided up to ages 5. Your older children are welcome to enjoy the night with you.

Sunday, April 20 Easter Services

All four of our services will be dedicated to telling the story of the resurrection of Jesus!  Everybody is welcome!  Kids will have their own special services with a gift.

Hazel Dell – 811 NE 88th Circle, Vancouver, 98665

9:30 am

11:00 am

Battle Ground – 500 SW Eaton Blvd, Battle Ground, 98604

10:00 am – Regular service

11:30 am – Deaf Church (not a translated service, but designed completely for the deaf)

 

We are looking forward to having you as a part of North Creek’s Easter weekend!  Be blessed!