Seasons of Life

Several years ago Pastor Chuck Swindol wrote a book entitled, "The Seasons Of Life". It was an outstanding book shedding light on the natural process people go through as they grow older. It deals with changes in family, career, life focus, and so on. One of the things I have found in my journey is that there are passages that one travels through as they experience the various seasons of life. These passages bring meaning and purpose to the journey. Ruthie and I are traversing one of those passages now. We have been in Pastoral ministry for 35 years. For the most part they have been very rewarding and fulfilling years.

When Silver Creek Community Church and Seattle Family Church merged two years ago I took a step back and breathed a sigh of relief. I felt the pressures of ministry being lifted off of my shoulders now that I was functioning on a team of three that were carrying the load of leading our church. I have recently come to the conclusion that I actually never fully reengaged after the merge. Brent & Elizabeth have walked with me for the past year as my job performance was slipping and I found myself dealing with some pretty severe anxiety. I have appreciated the manner in which Brent and Elizabeth have worked with me in addressing many areas of concern. We came to a point at which it was apparent that I was falling short and so our board became involved as a job description was developed where I could continue to serve as a pastor but function only in the areas where we all felt I could be successful. This new job description focused on my natural abilities and strengths and would allow me to have more time to heal, spend time with Ruthie, deal with my anxiety and reflect on where I stood in regards to moving forward in ministry. Initially I accepted the role but after some time spent with trusted friends and counselors who understand pastoral fatigue and spending much time in prayer while going through the process of weighing my options I realized that I didn't feel I could continue to function in a pastoral role. Therefore I needed to resign. My resignation will become official as of January 1st. I am going to be preaching the 19th and 26th of December and then will be in attendance on January 2nd.

I have been overwhelmed with the kindness and grace of our staff, board and leadership team during the past weeks as I have struggled with my decision. Ruthie and I love SCFC. We will always consider this home. For the next few months we are going to take a little vacation time, get rested up and decide what to do next. There are a number of options out there, none of which I want to think about right now. I am going to focus on getting healthy mentally, physically and spiritually this next year.

I want to be sure you understand two things; First, Ruthie and I love you all and will be attending SCFC when we are in town. We have no desire to go anywhere else. Secondly, We believe in Brent and Elizabeth. If you were here this past Sunday when I resigned to the congregation you heard me say I think they are two of the most gifted people I have ever worked with. Ruthie and I believe in them as "our" pastors. SCFC is in good hands.

Ruthie and I would ask that you pray for us in this season of our life as we discover what God has next for us.

If you have read any of my writings you will know I sign off with one or two sayings... "As always, I am expecting God's best!" or "Great days ahead!" Well, I believe both of those apply in this situation. Our best days are ahead of us and God is walking with us. I'll sign off saying, "I am expecting God's best for SCFC!"

Our New Tree

Fall is my favorite season! I love leaves under my feet, I love to wear sweaters, boots, crazy socks, scarves, gloves…you name it! I also love windstorms and the excitement of having our FIRST SNOW!! I am a kid at heart and I love every minute of what this season brings. We are now past Thanksgiving and headed into another Christmas season. I have been blessed with many great memories and traditions and so this time of year is also a blessing to me. I know that the overcast days can be overwhelming at times but I just pop a few extra Vitamin D pills and I am off and running! :)

Our family has the tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree! We have always enjoyed the adventure of bundling up, heading to a family owned tree farm in Arlington, meeting up with various family members and picking out the perfect tree. We have come to the point of knowing exactly what a Volz tree should look like. It has to be one that isn’t too full, the branches need to be far enough apart that our decorations have room to hang but they have to be close enough together to be able to fit a multitude of decorations and not show too much of the trunk. We like Noble firs that aren’t too wide at the bottom and we definitely like the fact that the tree is fresh because we typically have Christmas décor up from Thanksgiving until the New Year. In short…we are picky and that has worked well for us for years.

This year was different…the desire to maintain tradition was overcome with the desire to have a bit more time to just relax with the boys, avoid the rainy 42 degree tree hunting weather, save some money over the long haul, put some new traditions in place and just simplify. So…we finally made the switch. I never thought this day would come but here we are with an artificial tree in our living room. We like it but I believe we will come to love it. We don’t have to water the tree, or in many cases kick ourselves for not watering it. We don’t have pine needles everywhere, and there are no little spiders making our ceiling their home. We really do like the way it looks and we will now always have a tree that looks like the perfect Volz tree.

There are times in life when circumstances force change. Sometimes we invite that change and sometimes we have no way of predicting when it will occur. Regardless, it can take time to adjust. I don’t know what might be going on in your life right now but whatever the case may be I hope you will trust God to walk through the good times and the dark times, and to bring you to a place of contentment and trusting in HIM to supply your peace and joy regardless of the changes that may be happening around you.

Don’t forget to join us, at FUSiON, this Sunday! We are going to be talking about JOY!! It will be a great day to put new traditions in place and enjoy being with friends and our church family!

I hope to see you there! God bless you!
Elizabeth

Politically Incorrect

It's been so much more enjoyable to watch any television now that the election season is over. Even individuals and initiatives drive me crazy. Apparently to be politically correct you must overstate the truth about yourself and not even come close to being honest about your opponent. I'm happy to be involved in the political process, but could they just be straight with us and say what they stand for, what they care about and what they want to see happen. Let me take a moment a be politically incorrect and be straight forward with you about something going on at Silver Creek.

Silver Creek is a church that deeply cherishes and highly depends on it's many volunteers. There is a tremendous amount of people that give much of their time and effort to helping out in invaluable ways. Here's the politically incorrect comment where I just tell you the truth. Even with all the people already involved we continue to have areas where more people can step forward and fill a role or increase their involvement. Please know, we don't just create volunteer spots for fun, the spots are created because ministry is developing and growing. Read the next paragraphs and catch why the volunteer position are needed and then check out the new page on our website highlighting our top five volunteer needs.

Our group of kids birth through kindergartner, has grown to the point that the two rooms we currently use for these age groups is insufficient. It's exciting that God is blessing our church with families with young kids. God is blessing and we need to respond by opening a third room, designed for toddlers. This will allow us to meet the specific needs of each age group.

We encourage volunteers to find areas of ministry they are passionate about, even when that means they step away from a current volunteer spot. Some Base Camp (1st-6th grader) coaches have felt a pull to help with our Student Ministries. This means we are in need of people to replace those Base Camp coaches.

Living in the NW, we all know the value of a casual, warm and inviting place and if that place provides coffee all the better. Each Sunday, Silver Creek makes coffee and tea available to our guests and regular attenders. We can't yet afford the coffee that brews itself, so there's a team of people that get the drinks ready each Sunday. Our team of people that serve once a month has a couple of openings. Not having coffee on Sunday morning at a church this close to Seattle would be a sad, sad thing.

Use of video in our Sunday services and on our web page is engaging, fun and relevant. There are people in our church with creative video editing skills that need a place to express themselves. Monthly we have videos that need editing and preparing for viewing.

I can't imagine going through a Christmas season without hearing "The Little Drummer Boy". That would be as crazy as coming to a service on Sunday and not seeing a drummer in our band. Having multiple musicians for each instrument is critical to avoiding this situation and we are looking for additional drummers.

Our belief is that as people within Silver Creek become aware of why we need their help along with the role where help is needed, they will respond. Take a look at our top five volunteer needs and respond where you sense God might be leading you.

Thanks,
Brent

An amazing verse

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John there is a verse that maybe the most amazing verse in all the Bible. There John writes, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." It is really an incredible thought! That God would step out of eternity and take on the flesh and blood human likeness of humanity so that we could come to see Him and know Him.

On a backpacking trip several years ago I found myself for a few days at a high mountain lake in the Rockies. When I set up camp I wasn't very observant. It so happened I set my camp up right in the middle of a grey squirrel highway. All day long there were squirrels running around me and chirping at this intruder. Over the few days I was there I kept trying to when them over. I would lay out some peanuts on the log and try to get them to come closer and closer to me. The hope was they would come to a point where they would trust me enough that they would eat out of my hand. I got them to within a few feet but never closer than that. It occurred to me that the only way they would ever trust me was if I became one of them. Then I would be welcome in their world and be allowed to have influence in their life. You can see where I'm going with this. God knew for us to completely understand His love for us He would have to come into our world and demonstrate it. Can you imagine a greater example than a Father laying down his life for his son. That is exactly what God did in Jesus Christ. I hope you celebrate the fact that Jesus loves YOU and He came to show it.

Hope you have a great end to your week,

Steve

Three Headed Pumpkin

Two weeks ago my kids and I got a real jump on the pumpkin carving process. We went to the store and they each got to pick out the pumpkin they wanted. My oldest son, Kade, found the best pumpkin we've ever had. It's actually three separate pumpkins that had fused together along their outer skins. We were all pretty excited about this great find.

We brought this unusual pumpkin home and placed it on our craft and homework table with the plan to carve it in one of the next days. Kade got busy hanging out with friends after school. I was concentrating on getting a couple home improvement projects completed. The other kids were sidetracked with homework and playing around the house. All that to say, we kind of forgot to carve the pumpkin. We forgot until my youngest son asked why the pumpkin was leaking water.

Our delay had led to the internal rotting of the pumpkin and it was oozing onto the table. Kade and I managed to cut the rotting section of the pumpkin out and still create a pretty sweet looking three headed jack-o-lantern. Unfortunately the decline of the pumpkin has continued and each day the jack-o-lantern gets softer, squishier and falling in on itself. Bummer how this incredible gourd didn't get to be all that we had dreamed it was going to become.

I've been reminded over the past weeks how incredible of a place God envisions Silver Creek Family Church to be. We are no three headed pumpkin but I know He sees amazing possibilities with what He plan for us to become. That's why I love it each fall when we take a fresh look at our Core Values. Our Core Values are pretty simple but so critical. When we keep them in focus, they prevent us from forgetting who we are on the craft table and becoming rotten inside.

We could easily become distracted with lots of things that make us feel good, that help us look like a church might want to look like and even good things that just take up our time. The problem is that we have been called to be something unique in our community. To reach people that nobody else is reaching. To be a place where people can journey together in their individual spiritual lives, knowing it's safe, yet challenging church.

I hope you've been able to be at church these past three weeks to hear about three of our Core Values. If you haven't head to our web site and take a listen. Then plan to be there during the next weeks as we finish up the series. We have to stay focus on what God has called us to be, let's not miss an incredible opportunity to be the church this community desperately needs.

Brent

Partnering with Parents

Every month I get a newsletter from the organization that writes our curriculum for both preschool and elementary students. They do an amazing job of writing scripts, providing activities and centering all of that month's content around a common virtue or truth. I found some great reminders as to how we can partner with parents as they connect with their kids. I know that not everyone reading this blog is a parent or has young children but everyone knows a parent and I encourage you to pass along this information as we desire to reach into the lives of children and help to transform the way that they see God and how they process what it means to be growing in their relationship with God.

At Silver Creek, ministering to the whole family and partnering with parents are both huge priorities. The first Sunday of every month we have FUSiON, our family production, which is in place to provide a worship experience for the whole family. We believe that if we can get parents and kids to start talking about the same virtues then we have the potential to make a far greater impact then if we just leave that job to the church. As we look for realistic ways to partner with parents to nurture their children's spiritual growth, it's just as important to understand what this partnership is not. It's not about making parents meet a specific, predetermined standard, as if every situation is the same. It is about helping every parent make the most of what they have.
If we want to partner with parents, we must first believe in them. We need to believe that they want to get this right and that they care about their kids even more than we do. A few years back, the Barna Group released these statistics:

85% of parents believe they have the primary responsibility for teaching their children about religious beliefs.


96% of parents believe they also have the primary responsibility for teaching values to their children.

Parents feel strongly about their influence with their children. So we in the church need to see our primary responsibility as partner - giving encouragement and providing helpful resources that seem possible from a parent's perspective. The resources can't add to an already hectic lifestyle.

The American Time Use Survey asked thousands of Americans to share how they spend each minute of every day, and then averaged the results. The survey found that sleeping, eating/drinking, working, and watching TV take up about two-thirds of the average day. In the "people with two or more children" demographic, three more categories took up significant portions of each day - household activities, traveling, and family care (an additional half hour for each child). Not surprisingly, some of the smallest slivers of time spent were on personal care, socializing, relaxing and thinking, and religious activities.

With so much already packed into families' busy lives, how can we help parents use the time they are already spending with their children to create more of an everyday faith? It seems like the most likely way is to intentionally cue or prompt parents to use certain times of each day to further their children's spiritual growth. To not just drive to practice, but talk about the Bible or listen to praise music on the way there. To not just eat dinner, but to start a discussion about God and how He is working in their family. By cueing parents to use these key times they already have with their children, we are partnering with them and encouraging them to use their greater influence for their children's spiritual growth.

We think parents want the best for their children. They want to raise kids who believe in God and see Him as active in their lives. We need to help CUE every parent to make the most of their everyday moments with their children, instead of setting up an unrealistic model that makes them feel hopeless. In First Look (preschool), Base Camp (K-4th grades) and Summit 56 (5-6th graders) we have included pieces, marked with a CUE symbol, to help prompt you as parents to create and see natural opportunities to build an everyday faith at home.

We are here to support you in this adventure!

See you Sunday!

Elizabeth Volz

Disappointments

Don't you just hate when customer service representatives are kind and helpful on the phone? Yep, you read the question right. It's frustrating when a person in a position (that is supposed to be a helpful position, but rarely is) proves that someone in that role can actually be helpful. We've all grown so accustomed to going in circles with the voice prompts that large companies force us to deal with. We've have all felt the aggravation of a customer service representative who forgets we are the customer, that they are supposed to offer us a service and that they are representing a company that claims they care about us. In those rare moments, when someone we need to be helpful, actually is, we are forced to evaluate and maybe adjust all our preconceived ideas and biases against anyone in that occupation.

I just hung up the phone with my medical insurance company, trying to find out if I could have a procedure completed that a specialist ordered. Unfortunately since the time I first saw the specialist and she ordered the procedure until now, I've changed insurance companies. I had to make sure the procedure would still be covered. The lady I spoke with was incredible. She listened to my situation, did some research on her data base and when I needed to talk with the imaging center to confirm information, she asked me to hold and made the call for me. She took care of everything, found all the information I needed and went above what I expected she would do.

Those of us that have decided to be followers of Jesus, face a similar stigma as customer service representatives. The label of being a Christian or follower of Jesus, often communicates to people that we are judgmental, arrogant and hypocritical. Too bad it's a label we've either earned for ourselves or someone else, that's a follower of Christ or claims to be a follower of Christ, has earned for us. Unfortunately it's been earned or demonstrated enough that it's often what people expect, from you or me, when they realize we are a Christian.

That makes our new task, to be one of disappointing people. To frustrate them by not living up to what they've come to expect from someone that claims to know Christ. How amazing will it be the next time someone tells you, "you are so different from what I was expecting a Christian to be?" "You treated me with love." "You didn't make me change everything I do and think before you'd consider me a person of value." What if tomorrow when you are the customer service representative for Jesus (which you will be), the individuals you interact with are blown away as they experience what they didn't expect?

Let's get out in our community and strive to be huge disappointments. I know that each of us can do it.

Have a great week,

Brent

What a weekend!?

This morning I was sitting with one of my men's groups and we were talking about the great weekend we just had as a church. It was so cool to be with guys my age (OLD) who have raised their kids and are at a different stage in life and listen to them talk about how important our children are. I couldn't help but think about the fact that we have made a conscious choice once a month to make our young families the center of our efforts. They are important every day of the month but on Fusion Sundays we say our families are the future. I also loved the fact that the guys around the table were volunteers Sunday working on the games or parking or whatever was needed. They got it right! The church isn't about just meeting their needs it literally is about reaching the community and making a difference in people's lives. They were thrilled to be giving back. I love that! I want to be part of a church that is always looking to raise the spiritual water table in the community. I have never been more proud of a church. We had 110 volunteers working inside and outside of the building to make KidFest and Fusion the great success that they were. In case you're wondering if it was successful, when it comes to numbers we had 606 people on campus and 398 in the three services that morning. There were numerous families that said Silver Creek is the church they'll come to when they choose to go to church.

Each month we build on the theme of the Fusion production and the Virtue of the month in Basecamp, our weekly program for kids. My prayer for all of us is that we will be thinking about what our role is in ministry at Silver Creek. What a great weekend!

On another note our Compassion International goal was 45 kids. Compassion International is an organization that recruits people to sponsor children all over the world. CI is one of the most respected organizations around the world helping educate, feed and clothe kids. When we asked them to send us 45 names they said for a church our size they usually only send 10 names. When we told them our goal they sent us what we asked for. I am happy to tell you that we are almost at our goal. As of yesterday we have 33 sponsors signed up! If you haven't yet and would like to sponsor a child you have one more week. This Sunday we will have the table set up for anyone interested in being part of this important ministry to the children of the world.

Have a great week, and hope to see you Sunday,

Steve

Bigger than ourselves...

A month ago I was listening to a podcast about churches and individuals making a difference in the world. I listened as pastors chronicled their experiences in being a part of something bigger than themselves. Congregations were challenged and churches made impacts that were far bigger than they could have ever imagined! I was encouraged and challenged as I listened to their reports. Later that week I realized that three out of four days I had heard people speaking about Compassion International and the ways that the organization was meeting the needs of children all over the world. My last wake up call was from, Janet Stearns who approached me on a Sunday morning wondering if we, as a church, would consider talking about the organization and encouraging people to sponsor a child. I took the information to staff and we unanimously decided that it was something we wanted to be a part of. We couldn't stand by and not play a part.

Steve, Brent and I talked about how many kids we could sponsor as a church. On an average Sunday, we have about 45 kids that attend our Base Camp and First Look ministries. We have the chance to impact those kids, for Christ, each and every week. Brent suggested that we think about matching the number of kids attending our weekly programs with sponsorships of kids. This determined our goal of sponsoring 45 kids!

The preparations were under way, Janet ordered materials, we recruited people to help in facilitating a table, we talked about it as a staff and Steve decided to highlight the needs and organization in his sermon. This past weekend, we were able to present to you the opportunity to sponsor a child for $38/month. Included in the monthly payment is:

• Food and clean water
• Medical care
• Educational opportunities
• Important life-skills training
• The opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.

I am thrilled to report that we are on our way to our goal. We had 30 kids sponsored and we are 15 away from matching the kids we get to minister to each and every week. The pamphlets we received are good through October 10th and so we are still accepting sponsorships for the next two Sundays. I pray that you will consider being a part of something that is bigger than us! We can celebrate lives that will be forever changed because we gave to a cause with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Thank you for your part in making that a reality!

Don't forget, FUSiON is kicking off this weekend and our parking lot will be teaming with activities and excitement! We use this ministry and outreach as an opportunity to connect with those in our community and to help people in discovering the beginnings of a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ! I hope you will join us and bring your friends!

God Bless You!
See you Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz

I've been profiled

It's a soul searching moment when one realizes that they have a habit or pattern that is so obvious to others that profiling takes place. There's a group of people in the Lynnwood area that have been watching me closely and have reached some conclusions regarding who they think I am. I'm now forced to wrestle with how I feel about this, if I'll allow it to continue, or if I'll stand up for myself and not be labeled.

Four months ago Starbucks introduced a new flavored syrup to there line of offerings, Dark Cherry. It would be a stretch to say that I dream about enjoying that flavor but I actually don't dream much any more because I'm always awake from all coffee I drink with Dark Cherry added to it. There is not currently a drink I order at Starbucks that I don't include Dark Cherry. It's brilliant in an Americano, regular old drip and on a hot day a Passion Tea Lemonade with Dark Cherry is pretty much a cup of vacation.

The barristas at a nearby Starbucks now great me, with "Hello Dark Cherry" or "what will it be with Dark Cherry" or "You're back for more Dark Cherry". I don't feel like they really know me as a person, they don't see all of my other qualities, they've labelled me and now that's what I'm known for. Excuse me for just a second, my drink is ready at the counter. You guessed it, venti drip refill with dark cherry.

I've probably earned the treatment I get at Starbucks. It got me wondering. What do other people that I run into, during life, label me as? Am I known by my neighobrs as friendly, considerate and generous? The clerks at the grocery store, do they think of me as courteous, patient and grateful? Do my kid's teachers recognize me as caring, dedicated and loyal? Is it possible that the barristas actually also think of me as kind, authentic and good-natured?

Whether we like it or not people are going to label us with qualities they think fit us. I can't force them to think one thing or the other but I can be aware that it happens. I can think about the way I present myself, the words I use, the expressions I display and my responses to peoples actions and words. When I compare how little I'm actually in a church service, a bible study or planning meeting to how much I'm in our community interacting with people, I need to remember that people are profiling and labeling me.

I can let this scare me or I can choose to let this be a challenge and encouragement. What will you do? What will people think when you come to mind? It's your label, decide what's going to be on it.

Hope to see you this weekend,

Brent

It was a Football weekend

Last February my good friend Lynn Moore was in a terrible motorcycle accident. I got the call on a Tuesday evening when we were setting up for our Fusion family service at the church. When I got to Harborview Medical Center, where most of the serious trama accident patients in the northwest end up, my worst fears were realized. Lynn was in serious condition. The first few days we didn't know if he would survive or not. On about day five in ICU Lynn began to recognize some of the people who were coming to visit him and support the family. Lynn and I have had a football rivalry going on as long as we've known each other. He is a died in the wool Tennessee Vols fan. He grew up in and around Vols football all his life until he moved to Seattle. I on the other hand am an avid Oregon Ducks fan. We would go back and forth on who had the best team year after year but since they never played each other neither of us had any proof. This year for the first time ever the two teams were meeting in Knoxville on September 11th. It was going to be the first time we would have "proof" concerning how good the teams were.

One night when I was in his ICU room and he was alert I said, "Lynn if you get out of the ICU and into a regular room in 15 days I will take you to the Oregon vs Tennessee game this fall. You will have to walk on your own power". That gave Lynn 7 months. Well, he made it out of ICU in time. The first day I went to see him in his regular room he greeted me with his trademark huge grin.

The last 7 months Lynn has been in rehab. He is gaining his strength and getting back to normal. As I stood outside the Vols stadium last Saturday night with Lynn we both hugged each other and walked into the game. And what a game it was! I'm not going to tell you the score - you can find that out on your own. On this night it was a win for God and His faithfulness to Lynn and his family. I will say that I have a picture of Lynn wearing my Oregon cap however. It was a great night.

When I knew I was going to be in Tennessee I called a good friend who had moved there years ago to let him know I was going to be in the area and see if he had time to get together for coffee. Richard said, Coffee?! I've got Tennessee Titan tickets. Do you want to join me at the game"? I have two favorite Pro Football teams; the Seahawks and whoever is playing the Oakland Raiders. You guessed it! The Titans were playing the Raiders. It was a hot and humid afternoon and Richard and I sat there enjoying the whipp'n the Titans gave the Raiders and reconnected.

As Lynn and I returned home early this morning (Tuesday) we talked a lot about God's faithfulness and His goodness to us. I can't tell you what a joy it was to spend time with two of my good friends. Isn't God good?

Well, on to other things...

The Financial Peace class we are offering this next Sunday only has one person signed up. We thought it may be a scheduling thing so we have decided to delay the start date and move the meeting time to Sundays after the second service. If you are still interested go to the website and sign up. We will announce it again this Sunday and you can let me know at church. The cost is $93. It just may be the best $93 you'll spend this year. Give it some serious thought.

I am looking for a great Sunday with you in church!

As always, I am expecting God's best!

Steve

Fall is here...already?

School is back in session, kids are lined up with their new shoes as they wait for their school buses, the temperature has dropped at least 15 degrees, people are lighting fires in their fireplaces and Fall is in the air. September and October have always been a bit of an extension of summer around here but we will see what 2010 will bring.

The reality of summer being nearly over is definitely bitter sweet at the Volz house. There are parts of me that love the routine of the school year and Fall is one of my favorite seasons, I seem to accomplish way more now then I ever could during the summer. As much as I enjoy this season, there are other parts of me that are already mourning the loss of days for sleeping in, vacations around every corner and the opportunity to spend endless hours with my three boys, doing whatever we wished. That being said, school is here and its time to adjust!

We are really excited to be getting back into our fall programming at Silver Creek. We are going to be refocusing our energy on INVITE. We are working on a number of different opportunities to invite your friends to come and see what we have going on at SCFC.

October 3rd we have our big FUSiON kickoff. We decided that the gym setup, last year, left us with a bit of a sound engineering nightmare. Our room was way too deep and our sound was either too loud, in the front, or low energy, in the back. We wanted our actors and singers to be able to connect more effectively with EVERY person in the audience and so, as a result, we have decided to turn the entire room sideways! Ron Sund has been rebuilding our set, Rick Poole has been putting out fires with the technical side of things and we have countless people scrambling to put everything in place for a successful launch on October 3rd! I hope you are planning now to invite your neighbors, bring your friends and pack the place! The parking lot will be filled with all kinds of fun activities for our KidFest event and you won't want to miss out! Stay posted as we get closer to launch! We hope to have things in place, in the gym, to be previewed the week of September 23rd. Pray that details continue to be resolved and plans fall into place! We are also going to need your help in order to make that day a success! Sign-ups are available starting September 12th and we will desperately need anyone willing to pitch in.

We are also welcoming back the Taproot Theater on October 16th. There will be two different shows at 5 and 7 pm. "Remember Being Born" will be a great night and an opportunity to connect with other adults. The cost is $10, which also buys an additional ticket for a friend that doesn't attend a church. The adult council will be providing dessert for the evening! Mark your calendars, invite a friend and plan to attend.

Youth group for our 5-8th graders starts back up tonight (Wednesday) from 7-8:15 pm, High School youth group starts up on Sunday from 6:30-8:00 pm, SWAP officially kicks off on Sunday from 5-6 pm, our Women's Bible Study "Battlefield of the Mind" starts up tomorrow night and there is room still available if you are interested. Lots of things are happening at Silver Creek and we hope you and your family will take advantage of the opportunities to invite and plug in!

I'm looking forward seeing you all on Sunday!
Elizabeth

Things you can count on

Football in the fall, kids getting messy when eating ice cream, long lines at the Department of Licensing and free samples at Costco on Saturdays. These are just of few of the things we've learned to count on in life. They may not always be something we like, or find helpful (lines, messy faces) but we know that we can plan on them happening. Anytime we can plan on something or anticipate a result there is incredible security in that.

We've just wrapped up our message series looking at the meaningful contradictions of the beatitudes. If you missed a week or want to hear a message again check out our media page. Starting this Sunday we roll into our new series, Tried & True. This will be our focus through the month of September and then continue during the regular worship service on FUSiON mornings. We will be looking at promises from God that we find in the Bible and what we can anticipate from those promises in our life.

As I reflect on the last series and think about the one ahead, they tie into each other way better than we had even intentionally planned. All of the beatitudes, which are themselves a promise of blessing can radically change our lives when we live them out. I hope that as you think back on the meaningful contradictions we've looked at, you'll see just how much God truly wants to bless each of our lives. How much He desires for us to sense His presence, love and provision.

Moving into the fall our church wide focus will move to our core value of Invite. While you think about and experience God's promises and blessings in your life, ask God to bring people into your life and give you opportunity to Invite them to Silver Creek. My guess is that they too could truly benefit from the Tried & True promises of God that we will be looking into.

I hope you have an fantastic Labor Day Weekend. If you're in town, we will have one service at 11am, please join us.

Take care,
Brent

You gotta love the things kids say...

You have got to love the things kids say. Some of the following are statements that kindergartners made;

"Dear God, instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you've got?"
Jane

"Dear God, thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy."
Joyce

"Dear God, I bet it's really hard to love everybody in the world at the same time. There are only four people in my house and I can never do it."
Nan

"Dear God, if you give me a genie lamp like Alladin, I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set."
Raphael

Dear God, the teacher said that Edison made light but I heard in Sunday School that you did it. I bet he stole your idea."
Donna

Dear God, please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year."
Peter

"Dear God, Maybe Cain and Able wouldn't kill each other so much if they had their own room. It works for my brother and me."
Larry

Dear God, please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now."
Ginny

"Dear God, if we come back as something please don't let me be Jenniffer Horton because I hate her."
Denise

"Dear God, if you watch in church on Sunday I'll show you my new shoes."
Mickey

Sometimes I love day dreaming about great childhood memories. I grew up in a good family with 38 cousins and at last count over 80 second cousins. We stopped counting the third cousins because it felt like we were taking the federal census. We would have a family reunion every Labor Day. Most times we would have to reserve the entire park. I can remember the kids all over the place and all the excitement that came with the energy of a big crowd. Everyone was safe because we all watched out for each other. Even to this day when our family gets together we have a blast. The things kids say reminds me of the innocence of those times and the expectations we all had that everything was good and there was no prospect for that to ever change. Well, we all had to grow up and face the rest of what life had for us. For the most part it was good. There were a few tragedies, a couple of young cousins died as children. That still hurts a little even though we know they are with God. Out of 350 some Stricklers I can think of less that 20 divorces. That says something these days. I feel blessed to be part of great family traditions.

One of my favorite childhood stories was when my mom and I were at odds with each other. I thought she had been unfair about a number of things. I don't remember what they were now but I can remember hearing a line on TV where the Actor said, "This place isn't big enough for the two of us! One of use are going to have to leave.!" In the heat of the moment I said to my mom, "This house isn't big enough for the two of us! One of us is going to have to move out!" When my Dad got home that evening he made it very clear who would be moving out if he didn't behave. Mom and I laugh about it now but I don't think she enjoyed the comment much the day of. Kids say and do the darnedest things. I remember a few choice things my girls said when they were little. I'll spare them the embarrassment here but talk to me later.

I sit here this sunny day reflecting on God's goodness to our church and to our families and friends. Take a moment this week to write a note or a text or an email or twitter or whatever it is you do to communicate with a family member or a friend about how much you appreciate them.
See you in church.

As always, I am expecting God's best.

Great days ahead!

Steve

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Have you ever noticed that some people respond to bad news better than others? I can't recall when it happened but I clearly remember a time when I decided not to let what life throws at me to determine my attitude. I discovered that most times the most powerful tool I have at my disposal is the choices I make when something unexpected happens that isn't all the pleasant. Such was the case on the morning of August 6th a couple of weeks ago. Ruthie and I had left the day before on a much anticipated car trip in our little convertible Mazda Miata. The car was a recent purchase for the purpose of relaxation and fun drives in the country. Emily, our daughter recently married to Jeremy, was having a reception in Nampa Idaho where Jeremy grew up. Jeremy's family all live in Nampa and so they were planning a fun gathering of family and friends to celebrate the recent wedding. Ruthie and I were really looking forward to the trip which we were sandwhiching in between seven days of our road trip. Looking forward to the vast and beautiful parts of Montana and Idaho we were going to be driving through we set out on the morning of the 5th. The first night we stayed at a nice new Holiday Inn in Lewiston, Idaho. After an evening diner it was back to our room and a good nights rest. The next day we would travel through Grangeville, Riggins, New Meadows, Macall and then down into Boise and the Treasure Valley. A beautiful drive of about 280 miles. I got up at about 6:30 Friday morning and started getting ready for the day. I went out to the parking lot where I had parked the car the night before and to my shock, found that someone had taken a knife to the cloth top. My first response was, "Are you kidding me! That's going to be expensive!" The next thought was,"I wish I would have caught the rascals in the act!" My next thought I've already asked forgiveness for so there is no need to post it here. Now if the car was an old beater it would have been one thing, but this was a beautiful 20 year old car I found sitting in a teacher's garage for the last 12 years with less than 34,000 miles on it. It was like brand new. I was very proud of the purchase. As I stood there looking at the top cut into pieces I knew I had a choice to make. Will I let this destroy our vacation or will I be glad for the low deductible on my insurance policy and just go buy some gorilla duct tape patch the top together for the rest of our drive. I decided a long time ago to hold onto things losely and people tightly so the choice was actually pretty easy. It is only a piece of cloth I would need if it rained. We moved on and, by the way, had one of our best times ever!
The point? We all have choices to make as life throws us curve balls. At Silver Creek Family Church we are constantly vigilant to help people live life to the fullest and honor God at the same time. That means occasionally we have to turn lemons into lemonade. Good thing most of us really like lemonade.
As you face your week, be thankful for the people God has placed in your life. Remember the relationships you have are for life, the things you possess will fade and wear out. I continue to expect God's best for all of us.

Great days ahead!

Pastor Steve

Training at Silver Creek!

Our staff and interns went on a short retreat to Greyland, WA last week. It was fantastic and we had a great time! We spent hours talking, praying and dreaming about ministry and what we feel God is putting before us in the coming year. We are conscious of an ever-changing culture and it is critical that we be engaged in following God’s plan to accomplish His work. We looked at our Core Values, and we talked about how effective we have been in functioning within those values. Our Core Values are Worship, Connect, Invite, Train and Serve. We are always evaluating the effectiveness of ministry at Silver Creek. We want to stay relevant yet grounded.

One area we felt we could improve was in Training. We want to provide opportunities for all ages to grow and continue to be challenged. We have been effective in providing Invite events and Connect opportunities. We are excited about our entry points including FUSiON, Adult Worship and Student Ministries on Wednesday and Sunday nights but we also want to be conscious of the depth of ministry and ongoing growth.

This fall we are offering on a number of new Training opportunities. These classes and programs are directed at taking those already involved at Silver Creek to a deeper level. We know that it is critical to grow in depth of knowledge and in knowing God personally and relationally. If we are better equipped with Biblical knowledge and application then we are also more able to tell those, in other areas of our lives, about Jesus.

I am highlighting a number of these different Training opportunities. If you have any detailed questions please don’t hesitate to contact any of the staff we would be happy to discuss any of our programs with you!

In September we are kicking off, SWAP, a program for our 7th-12th graders. To further develop the Word of God as an important part of our students growth, SWAP will be used as a tool that will provide an in-depth study into God’s Word. It uses Bible study, fellowship and competition to get the word into the lives of our teens. This year the study will be on John. Participation can be at whatever level that works for your student’s needs. The basic level is time spent together in the Word trying to get the Big Picture and apply it as individuals. The higher levels would involve the students taking time to study and memorize key verses from John on their own. The level of participation is up to the discretion of the teen and their parents.

SWAP will be meeting on Sundays from 5-6 PM and will be led by Roger Sauter, Rain & Anne Sterns and our new High School Intern, Breanna Hemingway. We will be having a parent informational meeting about SWAP before our last two Summer Spectacular Showcase Events on August 22nd and 25th from 6-6:30 PM. We encourage any parents that are interested in knowing more about SWAP to attend one of those sessions. We feel this program is worth your time and know that an hour a week can make a huge difference. For more information please contact Roger Sauter at rlsauter@gmail.com.

We are also kicking off a Women’s Bible Study class on Thursday Evenings. They will be reading and discussing “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. The class will start on September 9th and be offered every other Thursday. The ladies will be meeting for dinner at 6:15 PM and then moving to the study at 6:45 PM. Penny Bravo is taking the lead and Cidney Ratliff will be supporting her as needed. Signups will start soon, the course book only costs $9 and we believe this will be a powerful tool for all women interested in going a little deeper with their studies.

We are also launching another Financial Peace class on September 12th. This class is incredibly useful in taking control of your financial situation and looking for ways to find peace through the process. Many of those that have taken Financial Peace have been thrilled with its results. Consider this as an opportunity to grow in understanding and freedom in your financial decisions. The introductory video will be shown after church on the 12th and the following classes will be offered on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 PM.

As you can see, we are interested and committed to offering more training to you and those that you know. Please take advantage of these opportunities. We believe your time and energy will not be returned void. There are many volunteers that are making these new classes and programs possible. We believe in them and appreciate all that they do to make Silver Creek a challenging and engaging community!


God Bless! See you Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz

Did you see that?

I've always been a fan of magic tricks. There are a couple of simple card tricks that I know that are pretty good but I really like the big stage magicians. Obviously the tricks that you don't expect and that you have no idea how it was done really get my attention. This past week I saw a trick that was done on America's Got Talent that blew me away. You can check it out at this link on hulu.

It was an amazing trick but I love the line the magician has, that "America this is the trick you'll be talking about tomorrow at work". I have no idea how many people were talking about the trick at work the next day but you've got to believe that's close to what people were saying when they first saw or heard Jesus in the early days of his ministry. When he'd heal a blind man or help a girl that had never walk before people had to be saying, I can't wait to talk about that tomorrow at work.

Jesus was drawing huge crowds in those early days. During one of those gatherings, of a lot of people, he shared what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. It's out of this sermon that we find the Beatitudes. You can read them in Matthew 5:1-12. People were probably talking about them the next day at work because they can sound inviting but a bit confusing. That's the focus of our current sermon series, Blessed? the meaningful contradictions of the beatitudes. If you missed the first week you can listen to it here. Actually this is a great place to go, any week you miss a Sunday and want to stay current with a past message you haven't heard.

We will spend the remainder of August looking at the Beatitudes. I hope you're able to be a part of each week and find out what Jesus is calling us to in these nine profound statements. These concepts could change the world if all of us took them to heart.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Brent

Life is fragile...

I am in the middle of treatments for three accidents that I was in last year. It was a long year and my recovery, from accident related injuries, has been slow. The hours I have spent working with insurance, getting my car repaired, going in for back and neck treatments, x-rays, an MRI...it has been a bit ridiculous. My first two accidents were pretty bad, in the split of an eye, I was stopped. My busy day had been redirected towards a new goal...getting myself back in a car that functioned and making sure I got my body back to "normal". In that one flash, all of my previous plans were side lined.

Last week, an individual, who attends Silver Creek Family, was in a serious accident immediately after church. Both cars were totaled and both parties had aid units who took them to Steven's Emergency. A Sunday afternoon, with the intent to do yard work, ended up in the ER. My friend is doing ok, she is recovering and hopes to be back up and running soon but in that moment, our frailty and vulnerability is very real. Life is short and we are so very fragile.

Last week, Michael and I took the boys to the San Juan Islands. We had days of sitting on the boat, cruising the beautiful waters and inlets, watching for wildlife, reading books, enjoying the beautiful weather...it was wonderful, restful and necessary. Our busy life, yet again, was put aside for just a week and we had the chance to connect as a family. Our trip into the San Juans is one of the highlights of our year! We love it up there and we look forward to the break that we get to enjoy.

All of our lives are crazy! We have so much to do, so much to accomplish, so many dreams and aspirations. All of these things are important and worthy of our effort but through car accidents and vacations and the ups and downs of life I am constantly reminded that we are fragile, we need to take deep breaths every day, we need to take time to tell our kids that we love them, we need to force ourselves to stop and admire God's beautiful creations and realize that our time here is short and He wants us to enjoy all that life brings.

I hope you are taking time for your family and friends and that you are finding time to slow down the pace and take advantage of our short but amazing summer. Plan to make time for your church family as well. Summers create a lot of inconsistency in attendance and we still have a full crew of volunteers to spend time with you and your kids.

Live every day to the fullest and don't ever forget that our lives are a gift from God and shouldn't be wasted!

God Bless You! I hope to see you at Family Camp!
Elizabeth Volz

Fatal Traditions

Someone said that churches that celebrate their past more than dream about their future are doomed to fail. I believe that. It's not that we shouldn't be proud of our past achievements and successes. It just that the successes of the past must be built on and not just celebrated. Organizations that live in the past don't spend sufficient time dreaming and planning for a productive future. If we look across the American church scene I think we see the majority of churches bogged down with trying to maintain traditions that at one time were very productive but have become out of date and disconnected with the culture the church is meant to transform. There are ministries that really hit the mark in by gone days that just don't get the job done today.

Without listing all of the ministries and strategies that I think have failed here let me just say what I believe about a thriving growing, effective organization. Every organization or group, whether a church, a business, or a family is made up of a series of systems. A family produces in it's members what the family systems are designed to produce. A family consisting of dysfunctional relationships will produce people who are dysfunctional. The way to change what the family produces is to change the systems and expectation. In the same way, a church produces what the organizational systems are designed to produce. If the ministries are designed to only take care of the attenders then that church will not be a welcoming place for new people let alone effectively reaching out to people who are not there yet.

One of the things I love about Silver Creek Family Church is the dedication of the leadership team to always evaluate the effectiveness and productivity of our ministries. We ask the question, are we reaching our goal? We critique and then adjust almost everything we do. We ask the question, where can we improve even if only by 1%.

This year in our soccer camp we took a giant leap forward. The last three years we continued to lay a good foundation to build upon. This year we reaped some of the rewards of all that hard work.

This fall you are going to see some major changes in the way we present the FUSiON production. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag but this next year is going to be our best so far. Elizabeth and her team of volunteers have some great ideas for set design as well reworking the feel of the room. You are going to love it! Why do we do that? Because we ask the question, can we do it better? We are applying that attitude in every area of our church. It may be a little uncomfortable at times because change is almost never comfortable. The reality is God has called us to make a difference in the neighborhood where He has placed us and to do that we have to keep learning and responding to the needs we encounter.

I just got the year end report for our food bank. Wow! Over 71,000 people served this year! Over 23,000 infants! Over 7,000 seniors. Each of the past few years the food bank has grown in terms of numbers of people served. Lynnwood is a better place because of the 60 plus volunteers that work the food bank each week.

I hope you can sense my enthusiasm for our future. I would encourage you to find a place to serve if you are not already. If your serving, ask yourself, can I do better?

Last of all I want to thank everyone who is working so hard to make SCFC such a special place.

See you in Church!

Great Days Ahead!

Math Explains It All

We are all aware that life moves by very fast, so fast that at times we lose track of what month it is or which things we need to get done. This was brought home to me this morning by the police officer that pulled me over to remind me my tabs expired last month.

I will never be accused of being a math guru or resolve any world crisis' with my ability to figure out complicated equations. However, I think I've figured out mathematically why our lives seem to go by faster the older we get.

Consider this: A family in our church just had a baby last week. Over the next year, that year will equal 100% of the babies entire life to that point. That's a very high percentage of that babies life, essentially it will take his entire life to complete that one year. That one year is all he knows. My youngest son, Colby is 7 years old. This next year will equal 1/7 of his life. 1/7th of your life is still a pretty high percentage of life. For me I'll turn 37 in September, so this next year will equal 1/37th of my life. That one year is getting pretty small in comparison to the rest of my life, no wonder it's going to move quickly. This morning on the Today Show, a lady was honored by Smuckers for turning 114. This next year will be 1/114th of her life, she'll barely blink and find herself again on the Smuckers label, but this time for being 115 years old.

I know what most of you are thinking. Why hasn't Brent pursued a doctorate in mind blowing mathematical concepts? Just wait until I explain how to discover your own "funny ratio." Maybe next time.

This summer, as with each summer around Silver Creek, we want to focus on our Core Value of Connect. When you think about how much faster your life is going each year, as I clearly explained, your time is becoming very precious. If you and I don't become very intentional with how we spend our time, we will miss out on connecting with people.

As I write this, I'm challenged to consider practical ways that I can free up time to connect more with my family, friends and neighbors. One thought is to do the dishes less but I'm not sure Julie is going to buy that. But I'll bet if Julie and I did the dishes together, it would be a great time to connect, the dishes would get done quicker, and I'd get husband points for helping around the house.

For each of us, consider what are some things that aren't really all that important that we can set aside for the summer and invest in spending time with others?

Silver Creek is providing ways for you to Connect, and I hope you're planning to take advantage of them. We've got two more Family Camps coming up, a movie night, a swimming party, several motorcycle rides and two Park It's in August. You can visit our website's event page to get more details on any of those events.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Brent

Win some - lose some

In professional baseball there are 162 games in the regular season. Every professional club will win at least 50 games and lose 50 games. Champions are made by what they do with the other 62. My observations in watching people over the course of my career is that everyone loses in some area of their life and everyone wins in other areas. The tale of a successful life well lived is in how they treat people. There are some people who are well loved, who have had terrible misfortunes on their journey here on earth. Misfortunes that could make then negative and bitter. The redeeming aspect of their life is that they have stayed sweet in their relationships with people.

I was at the wedding of a friend in Salem a few years ago. The young girl getting married had a mother with a serious case of MS. When she was first diagnosed about 20 years previous to the wedding, her husband of 7 years left her stating that he "hadn't signed up to be a care taker for the rest of his life." This lady, I'll call her "Helen", could have turned very bitter. She would tell you there were moments when she was bitter and angry. Helen told me she made a decision that this was the life she had been given and she was going to live it to the fullest and not let her attitude turn sour. Sitting with Helen and listening to this remarkable lady, I couldn't help but remember the time that Ruthie and I came to the same cross road. Were we going to let Ruthie's illness turn us into people we never wanted to be? Or were we going to attack life and live it the best we could. God has watched over us and blessed us in ways that are beyond what I would have ever expected. Perhaps the greatest blessing is that God gave us two wonderful daughters and two great son-in-laws that love God and each other. When the preacher said, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" and I said, "Her mother and I do". I meant it and stated it with pride that Ruthie and I had done a good job raising a couple of girls and preparing them for life. It is a blessing and a gift to finally have some boys in the house!

The rest of Helen's story... A man walked up who I recognized as the man who walked out on Helen 20 years earlier. He was a broken, bitter man living with his demons. He started crying as his daughter addressed him. She chose to have someone else walk her down the isle and give her away. Helen's grace in dealing with her ex that day displayed a life well lived in the midst of difficult circumstances. I don't know that I have ever seen a better portrait of God than I saw in Helen.

You win some and you lose some, but you chose how you are going to respond. Someone has said, "You can't change your past but you can change your ending." How are you going to finish?

See you in church.

Great Days Ahead!
Steve

ISA - an incredible week

119 campers, 30 coaches, 6 support staff, more soccer balls than anyone can count, lots of laughs, friendships growing, just a bit of rain and several days of sunshine; it’s been a great week here at ISA – International Soccer Academy. God has been so good to us this week, as our coaches have had many opportunities, generated by soccer, to tell kids about God’s love for them. There have been a few minor bumps, bruises, and sprained ankles but to this point no major injuries.

Steve, Elizabeth and I have greatly appreciated your support leading up to these weeks. We know that many of you desire to be at camp and see for yourself what happens at camp but are unable to drop by. In the next couple of days a highlight video and photo slide show will be uploaded to our web site, to give you a glimpse of what we’ve been up to this week.

Tonight (Thursday) is a critical part of the ISA week, as we’ve invited campers and their families to join us at Silver Creek for a celebration dinner. There are over 250 people that RSVP’d for the dinner. In planning ISA this dinner is a key to why we spend so much time and resources for this program. Getting families on our campus, to hear about Christ, to see up close who we are at Silver Creek and what we offer is one of the reasons we believe so much in ISA.

Please be praying for this evening. If you don’t have plans tonight and want to drop by a see all the excitement or would like to help serve meals, greet families or clean up, send me an email and we’ll find you a place.

Look forward to seeing you this weekend at church,

Brent

Meet the Interns...

A year or so ago Brent, Steve and I were discussing the fact that God had brought, to our church, an amazing group of talented, dynamic, creative individuals that were each beginning a journey of finding a place to serve at Silver Creek Family. These 20 somethings were seeking more and more opportunities to plug in, dabble in various (and multiple) areas in ministry, were desiring to impact the direction of Silver Creek and were ultimately wrestling with the question as to whether God might be calling them into full time ministry.

During this same time we have been working towards building our ministry teams, raising up leaders of leaders and developing ministry in all areas. We feel that we have the potential to greatly impact our community and so we wanted to create an environment where people could be trained, coached, mentored and given an opportunity to be involved on a deeper level. We met with Brian Muchmore, the director of Youth For Christ, Metro Area, and he had some great advice in developing an internship program. His experience both inspired and scared us. Ultimately we felt this was an area that God had called us to develop and so we moved forward and diligently starting putting wheels on the program.

I am happy to report that, as of today, we have FIVE amazing interns that have agreed to journey with us on this first step. In exchange for their weekly time, we have offered a room in our intern home (former parsonage). We believe that by living together, working together and being involved in ministry together that we can help to create a spiritually rich and fulfilling opportunity from which our interns can launch into ministry.

We desire to invest in them and coach them towards their calling while still accomplishing our mission at Silver Creek. It is one of our Core Values to SERVE and so we provide opportunities for kids from 4th grade on up to adults to plug in and offer their gifts in all areas of the church. This is just another step towards making that a priority, not only in our church, but in the hearts of individuals that attend Silver Creek. It is an investment that is not just for today but for our future.

Now that you know some of the background, allow me to introduce each of them to you!

Ashley Gingrich
Mid-High Student Ministries Intern

Ashley is a fun, committed, loving and energetic leader. She has had a passion for student ministries and has worked in ministry for many years. She stepped into the role of directing our 5th-8th grade student ministries in 2009 and has been involved with Leadership, Creative Team, FUSiON, Base Camp and Worship. You name it, she has done it! It wasn't until recently that she stepped up her role in Student Ministries and she was brought on as an official intern in May. Ashley coordinates a team of amazing individuals to pour into the lives of students on Wednesday nights and she prepares curriculum for Summit 56 as well a Gen 78 on Sundays. She is also on the lookout for new faces in our 5-8th grades and will be doing contact work in developing relationship with those kids.

Mandy Ingraham
Student Development Intern

Mandy is a wonderful, sensitive, highly driven firecracker. She has worked as a coach for our ISA camp for 5 years and has been involved in some capacity for 10. She has now joined our ISA Leadership Team. She is creative, organized and incredibly capable. Mandy is able to connect with students in an amazing way. She reaches out to those hurting and she knows exactly how to connect with their hearts. Mandy will be working closely with our students, 4-12th grades, that volunteer on a regular basis at Silver Creek. She is overseeing our Asst. Coach team for ISA this year and she will be spending time connecting with kids throughout the year that serve in various roles in the church. She works with kids on Wednesday nights in addition to both Summit 56 and Gen 78 on Sunday mornings. She desires to be a liaison between students and leadership and will help in connecting and plugging new individuals in to ministry.

Paul Charles
ISA Head Coach
Summer Intern

Paul is back in the area for his 10th year with ISA (International Soccer Academy). Paul has just finished his third year at Eastern University and spent his Spring Semester studying at Jerusalem University College. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Silver Creek Family Church during his summer breaks. We have enjoyed throwing Paul into working with the Students and Kids and he also has been able to preach from time to time. Paul will be returning to Eastern University in mid-August but we encourage you to get to know him during his short stint here. He loves to debate and discuss all sorts of biblical issues and he has a real passion for the next generation and connecting them to the heart of God.

Travis Gingrich
General Ministries Intern
Webmaster

Travis is a bright, witty, renaissance man who has a special gift with technology. Travis is a man of many talents. He is intrigued by the challenge of solving problems and he is absolutely committed and driven by opportunities to show excellence. He is generous with his time and resources and is wanting to dabble in many areas of ministry, this is why his title is less than specific. Travis recently launched our new Silver Creek Website and he is constantly looking to improve the way we market and show ourselves to the community. Travis also loves to read and is constantly driving us to look at who we are and what we want to accomplish through the eyes of those outside our church. Travis has started a connect group with some young 20s and has found it to be fulfilling and challenging.

Breanna Hemingway
High School Ministries Student Intern

Our most recent addition to the intern program is Breanna Hemingway. Breanna is passionate, creative, incredibly extroverted and loves life. She has been involved with ministry since she was in high school both as a student and worship leader. She desires to know people at their core and she pursues relationships with everyone. Breanna is rejoining us after being away for a year. She returned to the Lynnwood area in December '09 and has been involved at South Everett Foursquare in both serving the students, Wednesday night homework groups and also recently having the opportunity to preach to their congregation. Breanna has also spent time on the mission field in Ghana working with Child Evangelism Fellowship and is passionate about reaching those that have yet to meet Jesus. We are excited to have Breanna joining us in the beginning of July in working with our High School Ministry. She will be moving into the role of leading the HS team, she will be preparing talks for our students and she will be doing a lot of contact work to build relationships.

I hope that you have spent a little bit of time reading these short paragraphs about these young leaders. They each, individually, are gifted and will be incredible assets to their areas of ministry in which they serve. If you see them in the halls, I encourage you to take the time to get to know them a little bit better. They are around Silver Creek all of the time and we are blessed to have them as a part of our growing community.

Thank you for your support in helping to make this ministry opportunity a success!
See you in church on Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz
Executive Pastor Silver Creek Family Church

Upgrading from Spaghetti

I just left a meeting that involved eight of the eleven home owners on our street and a representative from the City of Lynnwood's Water Department. As home owners on our street, the water meters for all of our houses sit at the top of the street. The water line we are each responsible for runs along the street under our neighbor's yards, until it reaches our house. My water line is close to 300 ft and some neighbors have lines over 600 ft. This is called a spaghetti line water set up. It is a set up, because when there's a leak anywhere along the line, the home owner it belongs to gets to dig up the other neighbor's yard to repair the leak. Our meeting with the city is an attempt to get a water main, operated by the city run down our street, with meters being placed directly in front of our houses.

This is ultimately what all of the home owners desire but according to the city, we are each looking at a bill of $2,000 to $5,000. We've currently got water, it's a pain sometimes when you're the house with the leak, but we've got water. To change it and make things better it's going to take a serious investment, we'll still have water. We just won't have as much water line to potentially have to repair. What's interesting is that not every house on the street has to buy into the new water main system. Once the new system is in, those that have opted in and those who haven't will basically still be getting the same water. The quality will be the same, the cost we pay is the same, the pressure will be basically the same but I tend to think that those who make the investment will have better water.

Here's why I think that. If we consider what Silver Creek offers as "water" being provided to those that consider Silver Creek their church, the "water" available is all the same. Whatever type of "water system" you've used to connect, the "water" is there. What I have discovered is that those that buy in and are invested are still getting the same "water", but it's better "water". When you or I invest in anything, the result or benefit that we experience always seems to improve. The "water" doesn't change, the message that is preached is the same, the worship team plays/sings the same song, the family camp, block party, KidFest or bunko night events are the same, the facility location is the same. But for those that have invested, that have made things happen, that have a deeper passion for the "water", to them their is an upgrade from a spaghetti water system to a water main system.

Summer at Silver Creek has a distinct emphasis on our Core Value of CONNECT. Staff and leadership plan events strategically aimed at helping individuals CONNECT at a greater level than where ever they are currently. Those that know just about everyone at Silver Creek will hopefully know everyone a little better. Those that are relatively new and don't have many connections, will have the opportunity to get to know a few more people. In order for connections to happen, it will take an investment by individuals . The investment may be a few dollars, will certainly include time and a willingness to develop relationships at different levels with other people.

We recognize that summers are busy, so we add lots to our calendar. Not to make summers busier but so that when your schedule doesn't allow you to attend one event, you'll hopefully be able to catch the next opportunity to connect and you won't go all summer without seeing other people from Silver Creek. Let me highlight some of the ways you can CONNECT and invest this summer.

• Join a CONNECT group or plan to join one in September.
• Make sure you get to at least one of our summer Family Camps (July 30-Aug 1 or Sept 3 - 6).
• Be at our Block Party on July 4th, from 5-9pm and listen for ways that you can be a part of making that event a success.
  
• Whenever you're in town, come to the Park It's immediately following Sunday morning services on July 11, Aug 8 and 11. Everyone brings their own lunch and we spend time together at North Lynnwood Neighborhood Park on 44th Ave.
• Bring your family to our movie nights out on the new grass field behind the church, July 2nd and Aug 27th.
• There are also events all summer for 5th - 12th grade students, do what you can to get you kids in those grades to these events. Sign up now and save $5.
  
• Those that enjoy riding motorcycles have several options for group rides as well.

All of these events are listed on our new web site and can be registered for there as we get closer to each particular event. Take a look at Events & Calendar.

I believe that Silver Creek offers tremendous ways to connect relationally and grow spiritually and both will happen at the rate that individuals chose to invest of themselves.

Looks like the sun is coming out this weekend, hope you get a chance to enjoy it,

Brent

Everyone has a story...

We survived Family Camp! Actually, we more than survived! It was a fantastic weekend! We had a group of 66 at camp and an additional 9 that joined us at the lake on Saturday. We had the opportunity to build new relationships, reconnect with established relationships and get to know each other as a family. We played games at camp and at the lake, we ate together, we laughed together, we worshiped together...it was a great weekend! God was bigger than our last minute cancellation. He took care of our camp and we grew as a community. If you weren't able to join us, I hope you can join us for our Rasar State Park camp at the end of July or our Labor Day camp at the end of August! It is always an enjoyable experience!

One activity we did as a group was that we each had a special fun fact about ourselves that we had listed anonymously. We got that collective list at the beginning of the weekend and our job was to do some detective work and strategically ask people about their facts and try to figure out who belonged to which fact. It was great to see how this activity gave us all a chance to learn things about everyone, even those we are closest to! There were facts about travels, special skills, interesting experiences, funny stories...you name it, we had them on our Fun Fact sheets. At the end of the weekend we knew some fun things about each other, we were able to share stories and understand each other on a new level.

Through this activity I remembered an important detail. We each have our own story. God created us with unique qualifications, skills, abilities, experiences. We each have our individual stories that make us unique, intriguing and amazing! Sometimes we might feel like our stories aren't significant or maybe we feel our stories are shameful and we run from ever being truly understood or sometimes our stories might seem overwhelming to us and those that happen to hear them. We all have feelings about our own stories but the reality is that we have an opportunity to reach and understand people better through our stories. We were created so that we could in turn share our stories and relate to people around us in ways that are unique and powerful. I heard so many stories being shared this weekend and there are hundreds more that are represented in our church. Tell those you come in contact about the impact and difference that GOD has made in your life. What makes you different from the world and how can God change your heart? What is your story? Who have you told lately?

Brent challenged us to reach out to those in our neighborhoods. He encouraged us to throw a BBQ, spend a little extra time chatting while mowing or gardening, bake a plate of cookies and deliver them to a neighbor...find a way to reach out and share life with those around us. This is a tough challenge, what if our neighbors are shy or what if our lives are just too busy to take the time? How do we fit it in? It is a challenge to me as well but I am encouraged to know that I have the opportunity to know God and share his love with those in my life and who am I to decide who it is that God is trying to reach? I just need to be willing to be available and open to what He is trying to accomplish. I am going to do my best to open my eyes, be available to opportunities to reach out to my neighbors and see what God does.

We all have a story to share and I challenge you to share it...

Elizabeth

bombers in the car

So I was at a meeting with a friend today. The weather was nice so I left the sun roof open. Not a bad idea. When the meeting was through we got into the car so I could take him back to his place of work. As I was driving on this little country road outside of Snohomish with a fresh cup of coffee in my hand I was attacked by a bumble bee who apparently was laying in wait for a victim. He was like a World War II bomber. I could hear him but I couldn't see him until he hit me in my right temple. All I can say is the coffee I had just purchased now was on the dash board and windshield as well as on all of the front half of me. I would have been able to pull over if it wasn't for the car behind me tailgaiting and the fact that there was NO place to pull over! I almost went into the ditch but was able to catch myself by some very nimble moves I learned in college football. Tuck and roll took on new meaning. It reminded me of a time I was hiking in northern Idaho and found a really cool cave to camp in. In the middle of the night I had to turn my light on to look for something and found a heard (I don't think that's correct) of bats on the ceiling. They came to life the moment my light went on. Problem was, I was the only thing between them and the opening to the cave. When the light came on they all made a mad dash for the cave opening. The dance moves I made would have impressed John Travolta!

At any rate, after pulling over and getting the bomber out of the car I sat laughing at what life throws at us. We are never free from unscheduled events in our lives. We seem to always find new adventures. Well this week has been one of those weeks. With the Entiat camp ground canceling our family camp, Brent, Elizabeth and I have been working to pull something together. The good news is, WE HAVE A CAMP! We will be meeting at a camp near Leavenworth for our Memorial day camp. There are about 70 of us still going. Though its about half of what we would have had, we will still have a great time together. We will also have a family service at 11:00 on Sunday at the Lynnwood campus. I encourage all who are still in town to come. I will be teaching on the miracle of Peter's release from prison in Acts chapter 12. It was totally the result of the church praying. I will be teaching on that as well. I hope to see you all there on Sunday (unless you are camp). Look out for the bombers!!!!

Great Days Ahead!

Pastor Steve

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Have you ever noticed that when you want rain you don't get it and when you want sun it doesn't seem to stop raining? well, that's the story of our week. We just hydroseeded the 33,000 sq ft field in the back of our property. The cost was substantial and so we attempted to time it so we would have rain in the forecast, to help with the watering process. Every weatherman in town said rain. I have found that being a weatherman is the only position you can be wrong 90% of the time and still get a raise at the end of the year.

So, Brent and I have been water boys this week. I don't know what it is about Lynnwood and weather. It rained in virtually every surrounding town this week. Lynnwood? Not so much! Oh well, we are well on our way to a great field and a bunch of fun on the grass. The youth are already planning several summer activities. In the evening of July 2nd we'll have an outside movie on the grass. Brent is salivating over the possibility of having a field for deerbase. If you don't know what deerbase is I can't explain it in writing. I can barely explain it in person. Needless to say it is high energy and a blast!

On another note we are really excited about our Memorial Day Family Camp. We have 111 people signed up so far, many are new families. It will be a great time to be with old friends and to make new ones. If you are in town that weekend we will have one service at 11:00 am. I'll be coming back to teach that day. I'll be teaching on another great story out of the book of Acts. I hope you will join us.

I just looked outside. IT'S RAINING!!!!!!

Great Days Ahead,

Steve (The water boy)

We all need some Amazing

My wife Julie is so amazing. After we attended the Financial Peace University class that was held at Silver Creek in the the fall, we determined that to reach our financial goals she would need to head back to work. She has now been working at Starbucks, in Mukilteo, for close to four months. She has consistently been getting scheduled for the opening shift, which means she has to be at the store by 4am. Which has her getting out of bed a touch after 3am.

I love Julie, but she is not naturally a morning person. The good news is, she's not actually getting up in the morning, it's still the stinking middle of the night. When I say she's amazing it's not because she is able to get up at this time but her motivation to get up when the alarm clocks blares it's ugly noise. She's committed to the future of our family. She cares about our three kids and sees the benefits for them if we are able to get ourselves completely out of debt. If we get out of debt there's a good chance that we can help each of our kids with college costs, hopefully more than the $150 we currently have saved up for their college education. Getting out of debt will give us the freedom to be more generous with others that we see in financial need. It will also mean that someday we can retire. Ultimately, she goes to work for the betterment of her family.

Julie is often tired in the afternoon and is certainly wiped out by around 8pm, following those early morning shifts. But she is sacrificing in a tremendous way for us, she is truly an incredible example of a loving and caring, wife and mother. In the same way that I started this note, she is amazing.

This got me thinking, we all need amazing people in our lives. We all have so many shortcomings or areas where we could just use some help or a little extra care and attention. The problem is that it's not really practical to hold up a sign requesting someone to be amazing for you. Here's my solution.

Rather than any of us holding interviews for amazing people, what if all of us watched for and took opportunities to be a little bit of amazing in other peoples lives. When we see an area of need or something we could do to make someone's life a little better, let's do it. If all of us would commit to being amazing for those around us, think how incredible our community would be. Both as a community within Silver Creek and the community in which we live.

Thanks Julie for being so amazing and an example for the rest of us to consider being amazing for each other.

Brent

It's May? Really?!

Well, its been about a month now that I have been resisting the fact that, as much as I would like to pretend its warm, it is still WINTER out there! I know the calendar says its May but rainy and 50 degrees doesn't exactly qualify as shorts, flip flops and tank top weather...that being said, I am a true Seattle-lite and if I waited around for the weatherman to tell me what to wear, I would never get out of my fleece and winter boots. SO, I continue to live in denial, wear capris and short sleeved shirts and freeze!! I am looking forward to sunny 70-75 degree days! I don't need HEAT...just warmth! The school year is wrapping up, kids are still engaged in school and projects but are starting to realize that days are getting longer and sun might be in our near future (ever the optimist).

The beginning of summer is always marked by a few key events. The first major marker is our Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp. Our family has had the privilege of celebrating the past 3 Memorial Days in Entiat. Our kids know the routine. We put away school books, pack the car to capacity and head over to Entiat for some warm weather and an amazing weekend of fun with a church family that we love. We spend days at Lake Entiat, evenings are spent back at camp by the campfire, reconnecting with friends and new acquaintances, enjoying Margo's cooking and taking a break from the daily grind. Kids team up for tent sleepovers, parents stay up to the wee hours of the night playing ridiculous games and acting like kids again. Sunday we get to spend time worshiping together at the lake and baptisms are celebrated. Entiat marks the beginning of summer for our family. We know that we will return to one final month at school but for now...on that weekend...we get to spend time doing nothing but enjoying each other's company and spending time with so many that we love.

I hope that you will consider joining us in Entiat over the Memorial Day Weekend. It is a few hours away, the traffic can be crazy, camping can be an experience in and of itself but ultimately, you will look back with fond memories and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

Looking forward to getting away! Hope you can join us! Sign up at the info kiosk this weekend! Cabins are limited but campsites are still available.

See you Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz
Executive Pastor

God Visited Us

I came to church last Sunday morning with a little fear because I knew the lesson I was about to teach was going to be an important one. Not that every other week isn't important, Brent and I work hard to honor your time when we stand before you. But last week I felt God's presence in my own life in an unusual way. As we spoke of what happened the day of Pentecost with the newly formed church I was aware that God might be do something special in our service. He did.

We were able to pray for people to be healed, for relationships to be restored, for people who had lost the fire of their faith to be renewed, and one young man prayed to receive Christ as his personal savior. It is an understatement to say God visited us, but that's exactly what happened.

Many people shared with me experiences in the past where they were healed. Powerful stories. Sometimes, even most times when we pray for physical healing it doesn't happen. I don't know why that is. John Wimber said once that sometimes when he prays for people they are healed other times they are not. The one thing that is clear is when we don't pray for people to be healed they never are. That is a very good thought. So while we don't have all the answer about healing we do know that God wants us to continue to pray for it. So we will.

The staff is in the midst of an ongoing dialogue about this series on the book of Acts and what God is wanting to say specifically to Silver Creek Family Church. I want to ask you to join us in regularly praying for the outpouring of God's Spirit among us when we are together. The staff meets on Tuesday mornings for a time of prayer for our church and our people. As we pray, we ask you to remember the church in your private times of prayer and devotion. Let's dedicate ourselves to be the people God wants us to be.

I often end my emails or notes with a statement like "Expecting Gods' Best!" or "Great Days Ahead!" I have never believed that more than I do today.
Hope you have a great week and, see you in church.

Great Days Ahead!

Pastor Steve

Now What...

For those of you who don’t know me, you may recognize me as the guy who plays bass or guitar or mandolin on most Sunday mornings. In the past few months, I have begun the process of becoming more involved at Silver Creek, in the capacity of an internship. I will be taking on roles as a need arises, but I am really using this opportunity to sort-of test the waters in a long debate I’ve had with myself and, sometimes, God.

One of the first things I can remember wanting to “be when I grow up,” was a children’s pastor. Primarily, this urge came from a fantastic relationship with my children’s pastor throughout my grade school years. I saw a man who loved what he did and was, without a doubt, striving to fulfill God’s desire for his life. And it was infectious to me.

As I grew, I swayed back and forth between a call to ministry, but what I knew for sure was that I wanted to be in the center of God’s will for me. The big trick was figuring out exactly what that was.

I’ve struggled and wrestled and lost sleep over wondering whether or not God wants me to pursue full-time ministry, and if I was to say that I felt one-hundred percent confident that that was the case, I’d be lying to you. But what I can say with great certainty is that the more I pursue this call, the more I am reassured that, at least right now, I am where I am supposed to be.

I tend to be skeptical about miraculous signs. Not because I don’t believe in them, but because I don’t want to be a sucker, seeing things that aren’t there. But a while ago, I think I saw a proverbial “burning-bush.”

I repair computers, usually in people’s homes, for a living. As a result, I drive. I drive a lot. Sometimes a hundred miles in a day. So, needless to say, I have a lot of time by myself in the car. During the past season of Lent, I gave up listening to the radio for a week, and committed to pray in the car. After being distracted time and again, I resolved to try praying out loud. It was weird at first. And I imagine that people next to me on the interstate thought I was a bit crazy, talking out loud with no one else in the car, but after a while, I got comfortable with it. It was strangely liberating. At one point, on a drive to Tacoma, I was asking God to show me his plan for me. I prayed, “God, if I can’t know your will for my future, then I pray you would show me your will for me in my present. Make my next steps clear.” And then I got greedy and asked God for a sign. A sign as to whether I am supposed to go into ministry. When I got to the customer’s house in Tacoma, I began to work on his computer. In the middle of working on it, he came up to me and asked me, out of the blue, “So are you going to become a minister or what?” True story. If that wasn’t the greedily-requested sign I asked for, then I don’t know what else would qualify.

So here I am, seeking God’s will for me, and for Ashley, on a day to day basis. And, just like we’re talking about on Sunday mornings, asking God “Now What?” at each juncture I come to. I am confident that He will continue to be faithful to reveal and help me discern each step, if nothing else, one moment at a time; and I am confident that one day, I will look back and see His hand guiding me the whole way.


Travis Gingrich