CURRENT June, 2016 Inside this Issue

Transcription

1 CURRENT June, 2016 Inside this Issue Pastor s Paragraph 2 In Session 3 Missional Ministry 4 Mission/Adult Ministry 5 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Psalm 1:3 Adult Ministry 6 Children s Ministry 7 Youth Ministry 8 Caring Relationships/ Birthdays 9 June Calendar 10 Summer Events Schedule Summer Service Schedule June 26-September 4, single 10:00am worship service Fire + Works Central WA work day July 2 After-Church Barbeques In the church parking lot July 10, July 31, and August 28 Summer Bible Camp at McCollum Park July Local Service Day After Worship August 7 Mariners Game After church August 21 Contact Us church@northcreekpres.org NCPC Staff David Casson, Lead Pastor Kurt Helmcke, Associate Pastor Lolly Brasseur, Dir. of Music Ministry Molly Pankow, Childcare Coordinator Nathan Wagner, Dir. of Children s Ministry Sean Lian, Dir. of Youth Ministry Trinity Moffat, Office Supervisor Terry Summe, Finance Manager Maureen Moore, Office Assistant Sheri Payne, Facilities Coordinator Hal Hunt, Choir Director Bryan Venn, Sound Technician

2 Pastor s Paragraph 2 It's June again! The month when the school year winds down and we welcome another summer season full of promise...and much-needed rest! One of the aspects of summer I've always appreciated is the quality time it offers for the relationships we value. Families with school-aged children look forward to spending time together on vacation, weekend days, and even the longer daylight of week nights. The same goes for all of us, really, seeking to take advantage of the opportunity to spend meaningful moments with family and friends. Looking back on summer times of my past, it's never the amount of vacation days or the fanciness of the destination that matters most, but the moments of quality time spent with others. Those treasured moments often feature conversations in which we take the time to share stories. With each summer comes fresh opportunity for making the moments count for forming and deepening relationships, both inside and outside of church. Let's make sure we make full use of God's gift of the summer-time season for deepening our relationships! There's another key relationship in which we can spend quality time this summer, that's our relationship with Jesus. During the first few Sundays of June, our sermon series on "The Missional Triathlon" reminds us to "fix our eyes on Jesus" as we run with perseverance the race of faith. As we move into the summer season mid-month, our eyes and ears will be fixed on Jesus' parables in a series we're calling "The Storyteller's Wink." Throughout the summer we'll be spending quality time with Jesus as he tells us compelling and thought-provoking stories. Be sure to spend enough leisure time with these parables so Jesus' intended message starts to materialize in your mind and engage your heart. One of Jesus' core teaching moments in the gospels is when he taught his disciples how to pray, giving them an outline that we've come to know as the Lord's Prayer. Pastors Denise and Dianna are leading a weekly discussion group focused on living and praying the Lord's Prayer, following Darrell Johnson's book Fifty-Seven Words that Change the World. It is a great opportunity to spend quality time with fellow disciples and the One who calls us together. It's also a great practical follow-up to our Lent series on the Heidelberg Catechism, which ended with a focus on each of the petitions of this most central prayer. I'll be offering a weekly blog and doing a bit of tweeting based on the Lord's Prayer along with this series. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: quality time with Jesus also has to do with mission. We spend time with him as we serve others; if we take him at his word we might even be ministering to him as we care for those in need! This summer features a full range of service opportunities, from Service Days in Central Washington Fire-Relief to Summer Bible Camp Children's Outreach to another installment of the Serve Our Schools Day at Woodside Elementary. That's just a taste...be alert to additional opportunities. It's all about spending quality time with our most treasured relationships during the summer season. We look forward to knowing Jesus - and one another - better in the fall because of the choices we made during the summer. Joyfully in Christ, Pastor Kurt

3 In Session 3 Your session, and a number of members who joined us, enjoyed an enlightening and challenging Missional Ministry conference this past month with speaker Darrell Guder treating us to great lessons on the church, our missional mission (yes that sounds redundant, but it really means something!) and the role of apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and shepherds. This content, along with the readings we have been pursuing in The Permanent Revolution, will begin to set the stage for a more intentional focus on being a missional church. At our May session meeting, we continued the discussion as we start thinking What s next? Look for more plans and learning opportunities coming up. June is a traditional time for change at NCPC, particularly with your leadership. This month we heard a report from our church officer nominating team, who is close to filling the positions for new elders and deacons, and have set the date for our congregational meeting to elect officers, on June 12 between services. New officers will be trained later in June, examined by Session at the June 28th meeting, and be ordained and/or installed on July 10th. Please plan to be at the congregational meeting to meet the proposed officers and see the new complexion of Session and our Deacon board for the coming year. Please be in prayer for the new elders and deacons, for the General Assembly commissioners heading to Portland June 18th-25th (one of whom is one of our elders), and for one another. Thankfully in Him, Karen Butler Clerk of Session

4 Mission Ministry Conference 4 Recapping the NCPC Missional Ministry Conference in Four D s Over three days in mid-may a broad cross-section of our congregation s leaders and stakeholders gathered for a Missional Ministry Conference. The goal was to invite all who serve in our church s many ministries to join the session and staff in some exciting new directions in which we feel God leading. At this conference we unveiled a number of bold initiatives inspired by a book the NCPC session and staff have been reading since the fall, Alan Hirsch and Tim Catchim s The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church. The weekend can best be summarized by four words each beginning with the letter D : 1) Darrell All weekend we were privileged to have as our guest speaker Prof. Darrell Guder, one of the leading theologians challenging the church to live into the fullness of its missional identity. 2) Discovery We unveiled specific plans for a new Discovery Course coming this fall, in which every NPCP member will discover their missional calling among the five roles of teacher, shepherd, evangelist, prophet, and apostle. 3) Difference We explored how our genuine commitment to being missional will mean two significant differences in the way we do church: organizing the life of the church around the five callings, and creating, training and sending missional communities out from the church into the local community. We presented a proposal and timeline for this second rather ambitious undertaking. 4) Discipleship Pastor Kurt mapped out a new vision for how we form disciples at NCPC. New curriculum will focus on training every member in their missional calling training that will take place in a number of new and less formal contexts (like small groups, cohorts, and individual discipling relationships). Expect more information on each of these new initiatives soon. If you have any questions, please ask David, Kurt, or a current member of session. Exciting things are under way at NCPC!

5 Mission 5 Announcing the NCPC Central Washington Mission Service Day Saturday, July 2 (with optional work day Friday, July 1) Serving in Fire Damage Relief during the Holiday Weekend All kinds of work, from skilled (construction) to unskilled (cleaning, painting) May include a sightseeing tour of the homes built by NCPC Projects coordinated by our partner in the Okanogan County Long-Term Recovery Group How to participate: Sign up online by Wednesday, June 15 Adult Ministry Stephen Ministry Stephen Ministry invites you to attend an evening with Jessica McDougall, Family Caregiver Outreach Coordinator, Senior Services of Snohomish County, as she presents: Giving Your Best: Supporting Others While Nurturing Yourself This presentation is about how we can maintain focus on our own wellness in the midst of supporting the family members and friends who rely on us. At some point each of us will care for, or know someone caring for, a loved one. How the gift of caregiving is shared greatly impacts the health of the caregiver. We will discuss strategies for maintaining a healthy balance and approaches that prevent isolation. Whether currently a caregiver or anticipating future needs, this presentation will generate discussion and practical strategies for remaining resourceful and engaged in our own life. The presentation is Tuesday, June 14, 7:00-8:00pm. No registration is required. If you have any questions contact LeAnn Venn:

6 Adult Ministry 6 Summer Engagement in the Lord s Prayer Study and Fellowship Together Join us for an incredible study of the Lord s Prayer using the book, 57 Words that Change the World A Journey through the Lord s Prayer, by Darrell Johnson. We invite you all to covenant and study the prayer our Lord taught us to pray! Revs Dianna Kunce and Denise Easter, NCPC Parish Associates and principals of Renewal Ministries, together with Joe and Peggy Upton, will facilitate the group. The group meets eight consecutive Wednesday evenings, June 22-August 10, 7:00pm, to study each chapter. This covenant group gathers at the Upton s home at th Court SE, Mill Creek, WA (regular weekly participation is encouraged). After refreshments, we have a time of study and sharing based on each chapter of the book. The cost is $15 per person for the book (scholarships available). Childcare is available. Register on the NCPC website, in the church office, or call Peggy Upton: About the book: Nowhere is Jesus' brilliance more manifest than in the prayer he taught his disciples to pray, the prayer that has come to be known as the Lord's Prayer. A mere fifty-seven words in the original Greek, the Lord's Prayer gathers up all of life and brings it before God. In eight stirring meditations, Darrell Johnson shows how the Lord's Prayer sums up the essence of Christian faith and, when prayed in faith, draws us into the Triune God's work of transforming the world. Rev. Johnson is an ordained minister in PCUSA. He was Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College in Vancouver B.C. He is a popular conference speaker and has serviced as preaching pastor for a number of congregations in North America and the Philippines. He has published many books, including Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey through the Book of Revelation. Continuing Fall 2016 Offering NCPC is Co-Sponsoring a Weekend Event with Renewal Ministries (November 12-13) This is a weekend of renewal for our church and also for other churches who are invited to join us. You won t want to miss this rare opportunity! Saturday, November 12, 9:30am-3:30pm Rev. Darrell Johnson, author of our summer study book, is coming to our church to offer more teaching on the Lord s Prayer. This is an all-day event and includes lunch. The fee is $25. Register on the Renewal Ministries website or renewalministries@live.com. Sunday, November 13 NCPC Worship Rev. Johnson is preaching during our morning worship services.

7 Children s Ministry 7 Why VBS is No Longer Relevant for the Missional Church Vacation Bible School? What do you think of when you hear that phrase? Fun, fear, boredom, excitement? Well here s what I think of when I hear the phrase Vacation Bible School, or VBS. Being stuck inside on a beautiful day, being forced to color a picture that I didn t care about, listening to someone tell a Bible story while I had to sit perfectly still. Those are the memories I associate with VBS. Now I didn t attend a lot of VBS programs as a child, I only remember one or two. But I don t remember them being highlights of my summer. But the year is 2016 and VBS programs have come a long way from the 90 s and early 2000 s when I was a child. Now we have big themed programs, designed to get kids excited about God. The programs feature fun, electronic music, crafts centered around the theme and tons of ideas on how to help kids have fun at VBS. In recent years I ve helped put on some of these programs, and when they are done well I think they can be the highlight of a child s summer. But most of these programs are still held at a church, mostly inside, focused on inviting people to come to our church. But like we began talking about a few weeks ago, we can t simply invite people into our church and expect them to come. We have to go out into the community and be the church. We must engage the people around us and meet them where they are at. Using this same thinking, if we attempt to use the same model for VBS that we used when I was eight we are doing VBS the wrong way. That s why I love the idea of Summer Bible Camp and the current format for it. We don t invite children to come to us, we go and meet them at a park. Instead of spending time telling kids why they need to come to church, we can show them who God is through his beautiful creation, and allow them to explore that creation. Instead of telling kids how they need to live their life we can show them how Christians act through our interactions with them. So this summer at SBC let s embrace what it means to be a missional Christian. Part of this means realizing, that, for many of these kids we only have one week of the year to show them what it means to be a Christian. So let s do it outdoors in a space they re familiar and comfortable with, where we can spread God s love outside our church walls in our community! Will you join me? By Nathan Wagner Children's Director Register for SBC

8 Youth Ministry Youth Ministries Spring Retreats 8 This spring, 27 students from North Creek got away to experience one of our two youth retreats. The Middle School students attended Island Lake where camp speaker Daniel shared the Gospel, and Motor X was the popular activity of the weekend. By request of the Senior High students we returned once again to Camp Casey for a relaxing weekend on the beach and time in God s Word.

9 Caring Relationships 9 Prayer Ministry PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT John 14:16-21 Christians never have to feel guilty for being uncertain about how to pray. The indwelling Holy Spirit knows our needs and desires - as well as the mind of the Father and the details of every situation. He speaks to God on our behalf while teaching us to pray in accordance with the Father s will. Keep in Prayer Art Beard Andrea Cole Steve Giboney Taryn Jensen Winnie Marshall Ed Pack Emma Pellegrino Brad Strawn Nayda Wallace Valerie Wearne Agnes Weeks Bea Wyatte June 1 June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 14 Nancy Jones Samantha Matz Vincent Matz Joan Mitchell Anna Jimenez Nathan Odell John Gibbs Drew Paris Mike Sharpe Bob Heivilin Austin Kertesz Megan Slaughterbeck Brooke Yule Evie Armstrong Julia Frisvold Crosby Paris Valerie Wearne Darcy Hakkarainen Callie Carmean Ralph Henning Lila Rhodes Heather Perry Cherri Baxter Stephanie McGuigan MaryKate Wilson LaVonna Ihde Dave Little Simon Vance June 15 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30 Karen Giboney Elizabeth Pankow Libby Yule Forrest Dill Ron Skorka Norah Brindisi Cameron Down Diane Storm Mike Mitrovich Kyle Schuh Tyler Thomas Cody Rushbrook Levi Rushbrook Lee Allen Randye Barsotti Joyce Simpson Peggy Upton Mark Roundhill Bill Cray Jasmine Ye Kynan Anderson Caerwyn Lewis Sebastian Lewis MJ Pankow Jennifer Gatherers Julie Vance Michaela Mulligan Morgan Pepelnjak Karl Geyer Tal Anderson Marcus Carmean

10 June Calendar 10 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5 8-8:45am Intercessory Prayer 9 & Sunday Worship Life Groups :45am Intercessory Prayer 9 & Sunday Worship 9am Sunday School Godly Play Life Groups :45am Intercessory Prayer 9 & Sunday Worship 9am Sunday School Godly Play Life Groups :45am Intercessory Prayer Sunday Worship Sunday School Life Groups 9:45am Intercessory Prayer 13 9:45am Intercessory Prayer 6:30-10:30pm Nightwatch (302 14th Ave S) 9:45am Intercessory Prayer 9:45am Intercessory Prayer 6 7 Women s Bible Study 14 Women s Bible Study Women s Bible Study Women s Bible Study 1 6am Men s Bible Study Homework Help 6:30pm Worship Team Youth Group 8 6am Men s Bible Study Homework Help 6:30pm Worship Team Youth Group 15 6am Men s Bible Study Homework Help 6:30pm Worship Team Youth Group 22 6am Men s Bible Study Homework Help 6:30pm Worship Team Youth Group 29 6am Men s Bible Study Homework Help 6:30pm Worship Team Youth Group 7:30am TOPS Alanon OA 7:30am TOPS Alanon OA 7:30am TOPS Alanon OA 7:30am TOPS Alanon OA 7:30am TOPS Alanon Dinner at the Creek OA 2-12pm Employment Network pm Employment Network 1pm Silver Thimbles pm Employment Network Ladies Craft Night pm Employment Network 24 9:30am Women s 7:30pm :30- Men s Saturday Breakfast 9:30am Women s 7:30pm 18 9am Church Clean Up 9:30am Women s 7:30pm 9:30am Women s 7:30pm 25