Bacon Will Bring Us Together

Silver Creek won't be labeled as a mega church but there are enough adults and kids that call it their church, that it's near impossible to know everyone. We don't have any plans to get everyone to know everyone but we believe it would be phenomenal to get together as many people from Silver Creek as possible. It can't happen every week but maybe at least every once in a while.

So after some brainstorming sessions to consider how we might be able to motivate as many people as we can to come for a special day. We came up with the idea of a Bacon Sunday. Sure a new message series might work, or maybe we have our worship team write it's own song. We could have hired comedians or magicians but when we really thought it over, we knew bacon was the answer. Because, who doesn't love bacon?

All of us together on one day is the goal but if we can use bacon to motivate we will. So plan now to make sure you're at Silver Creek on Nov 13. If you know someone else that considers Silver Creek their church then encourage them to be there that day as well. We will be serving all kinds of bacon and foods with bacon between our regular services. Hope to see you there.

Summer has finally arrived...isn't it AUGUST?!

It is days like today and yesterday that make me thrilled to call the Pacific Northwest my home. In my opinion, the perfect day is 75-80 with a slight breeze and that's what we have, right now! We are blessed to live in a beautiful part of the world. It has been a summer that was slow to arrive, and we have waited, somewhat patiently, for these beautiful days of summer. I hope you are filling each day with an extra dose of Vitamin D and time spent with family and friends.

We just enjoyed our second family camp of the summer. Many of you were a part of a relaxing and fun time at Rasar State Park in Concrete. The rain held off until the last hours of camp, there was sun peaking through the whole time, we ate waffles together and watched movies, we kayaked and jumped on our new floating island at Baker Lake, we played games, cooked and enjoyed each other's company. Thank you, Don Matson, for your work in pulling together those details! It was a hugely successful camp and you were integral in making it happen!

If you weren't at camp, or even if you were, we still have room available at our August camp in Entiat, WA. We have moved the camp off of it's traditional Labor Day weekend and we will be headed over on August 19th-August 22nd. We hope this move will make the timing better for families that are jumping back into school on the heals of Labor Day! We're headed to Slide Waters, in Chelan, on Saturday and we will spend Sunday at Lake Entiat! On Sunday we will be baptizing, those interested, in the Lake. It will be a great time of celebration and we hope you will be there to be a part! If you are interested in being baptized that day, please let us know as soon as possible. We will also have our inflatable island, boat and inner tubes among many other activities available for you and your family on that weekend. Visit our website to register.

Thank you for being a part of our church family and sharing life with those that call Silver Creek Family Church their home. We will be wrapping up our "Family Vacation" sermon series this Sunday at 9:30 and 11am, you won't want to miss out.

Have a great rest of your week and see you Sunday!
Elizabeth

A Report from the Pitch!

Last Friday I was sitting under a blanket and watching the final scrimmages of the day, and of this year, as we finished up an awesome second week of ISA! We had 98 campers 1st week and 43 this 2nd week. There were many new faces from our surrounding communities and we had the chance to connect with campers and parents. In addition we were able to meet some neighbors in the immediate area as well as a pastor across the street that committed to praying for the camp. Neighbors were excited to hear the laughter and fun that ISA brings to the field at Martha Lake Elementary.

Our team worked well together, we produced two slide shows and two videos. The coaches were fantastic and connected with kids and brought them closer to an understanding that there are people, right here in Lynnwood, that care for them. The campers also learned a ton about God and the fact that He wants a relationship with them! The coaches meetings revealed the fact that God has been working through the Bible discussions and kids were engaged and asked great questions. We dealt with sun burns, bloody noses, soaking rain, wins, tears, losses and just general exhaustion.

Kids learned more about a great sport and increased their skills but most importantly, they were impacted by a camp that desperately wants to point them to God and help them to realize God's love and grace. Thank you for your part in getting the word out, hosting coaches, helping with the Thursday Celebrations and praying. It's been another great year!

I am also happy to report that we had 8 new kids join our Gen 78 group as a result of their exposure to ISA. We have a handful of people that we got to meet that are looking for a new church to call home. Our ValPack mailer made its way into homes last week and we are continuing to pray for the opportunity to impact our community and world! Thank you for partnering with us as we follow God's direction for Silver Creek. Thank you for helping to create a welcoming and inviting community where people can come and find relationships with others and God.

Join us this Sunday as we continue our new sermon series titled, "Family Vacation". Last week we learned to fight for our family instead of with our family and were told how the little things are actually the big things.

See you Sunday!
Elizabeth

School's Out for the Summer

Much to my surprise, the last day of school actually arrived, even without the help of the weather. We charged through, what seemed to be, an endless string of field trips, buddy picnics, school projects, deadlines, concerts, graduations, field days, swim parties...you name it, it was happening and our family was involved! The school was set back by a couple of snow days but, on June 24th, the Edmonds School District finished their school year! We were thrilled to be starting summer but there was a part of me that was terrified to have all three boys home, all day, every day but I think I'm adjusting.

The end of the year always brings the chaos and joys of ISA, our International Soccer Academy. We are officially half way through our first week of ISA camp. We have 98 campers, 10 international coaches and 17 assistant coaches and I have to tell you, this has been an incredible camp! God has brought people from all over our community. We have had the chance to talk to many many parents, neighbors and even local pastors about what we are doing and we have told them about our desire to reach into our community to offer the best soccer camp we possibly can and to tell God's story of hope and grace. We see that kids are able to make a difference in our world in big and small ways and it has been awesome to be able to encourage them this week!

We have space still available for our 2nd week of ISA Camp. It will run Tuesday, July 5th through Friday, July 8th. The ages for week two are 11-18 years old. Our international coaches are giving their time and energy and we are excited to see that week's list growing. If you want to know what ISA is all about, stop by! We would love to have you wander around, chat with some great volunteers and see our coaches interacting with campers.

Don't forget we will also have a BBQ available, for your use, on July 4th. Bring your family, neighbors and friends and spread out across our parking lot to light up your fireworks. It looks like the weather will be gorgeous, so stop by!

I am excited about what summer may bring. The possibilities are endless and it's off to a great start!
See you on Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz

Taking Lynnwood By Storm

We are very excited about a new promotion approach that we are experimenting with beginning the first week of July. After lots of research into mass mailing into our community we realized that it was way to costly at this point for us to reach very many people with info about Silver Creek. In the process of looking into this God led Elizabeth and I to something most of us are very familiar with, ValPak, a monthly packet of local coupons that is delivered to homes in the area.

In our conversation with ValPak we have found an amazing partnership that we believe is going to serve us very well. The basic cost alone is reasonable and worth our investment. During Elizabeth's discussion with the company, they offered us a reduced rate as a non-profit. As the talks continued they mentioned that they'd make the deal even better if we happen to be connected to a local food bank. Elizabeth explained that, "it just so happens, that the best food bank in the area operates on our property".

After all the talks and discussions concluded, the end result is that July 6-8, we will be sending flyers to 20,000 homes all within 5 minutes of Silver Creek. The flyers will be highlighting our new message series, "Family Vacation", which gets started July 10th. Join us in praying that people will open the ValPak envelope, flip through the coupons and our flyer will catch their eye. You can help spread the word and invite your neighbors with additional flyers that will be available at the info kiosk this Sunday.

What's crazy is that there are an additional 30,000 homes within 5 minutes, of the church, that we didn't send flyers to because of cost and wanting to see how well our first attempt works. We are hopeful that this will be one more way for us to reach out to our community and let them know about Silver Creek Family Church. July 10th could be a pretty exciting day, I hope you'll plan to be at church.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Brent

Impacting our community one step at a time...

The sun is out (sometimes) and Connect Groups are up and running and boy am I excited to see what is going to happen as people plug into relationship with others in their church community. I hope you have taken the time to research your Connect Group options and take advantage of a place to get involved.

Our Connect Groups are planned and managed by people, just like you, who give of their time and energy to do ministry and bring our community closer. We are connecting people through common interests, passions, books and service opportunities and it is exciting to see God at work through these leaders. Support them with your attendance and interest, you won't regret it.

On June 23rd there is a group of men that will be gathering to BBQ steak. It will be hosted by Tom Radcliffe and held at Silver Creek. There will also be a guest speaker with a background in local law enforcement and he will be talking about the struggles our law enforcement is facing in our community each and every day. It will be great time to connect with other men and enjoy a steak barbecued just the way you like it. Don't miss out on this opportunity! Registration is still open, on line at the following link.

We are also looking forward to our Hands and Feet Connect Group kickoff on June 18th at 9am until 2pm. Their first project will be to work on the landscaping around our Intern House. Our interns work hard for our church and they are making huge impact on many lives at Silver Creek. This Connect Group's desire to bless our interns with their support and hard work is awesome and we are very grateful to Charlie Demming for leading the charge. Visit this link to register for Hands and Feet.

As you can see, things are happening, people are getting involved, lives are and will continue to be changed and you can be a part. Don't miss out on your opportunity to be a blessing to others through relationships and service.

Take care and God bless you this week! See you Sunday!

Elizabeth

Great Surprises

May 31st, one of my favorite summer activities, got started up again. America's Got Talent's, first show of this season aired on NBC. The same judges are back, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel, with host Nick Cannon. I'm not always a big fan of reality television shows but this is fantastic. Always some great singers, funny comedians, silly side show acts and unbelievable feats of daring skill. Even though I know what's coming, what's great about the show are the surprises. The awkward looking individual that has this hidden incredible voice. The lost looking magician that has some tricks you've never seen before. The rock climbers that turn their sport, into art.

Last weekend we had another one of our fantastic Family Camps. Several days away with a group of people from Silver Creek, spending time together, eating great food, playing board games, hanging out at the lake, battling it out on the volleyball court, time by the camp fire and relaxing in front of a movie. Those are all just some of the things we've come to expect from Family Camp. We know that kind of stuff is going to happen. But there are always Great Surprises.

One great surprise was having Lynn Moore walk around camp after having to attend last year's camp using a motorized scooter following what easily could have been a life ending motorcycle accident. Another great surprise was a camp full of dogs. We've never had more dogs at camp and they all behaved perfectly. Another great surprise was that of the 70 people that attended camp with just under a third being first time Family Camp attenders.

Our primary goal with camps is to help people connect and get to know other people that are a part of Silver Creek. I loved hearing one person tell me, "I see a bunch of these people at church each week, say hi to them all the time, but now I actually know there names." Seeing people playing board games, playing card games or sitting by the fire chatting with people they didn't even know before camp is what we hope will happen - but it's a great surprise when it does.

Those of you that were at camp this past weekend, I hope you found your time spent with others from Silver Creek valuable. For anyone that wasn't at camp, our desire is that you plan to be at one of our other two camps. Visit our website to read about our other camps and take the time to register. There are great people at Silver Creek. Take the time, make the effort, and discover a great surprise as you get to know them.

Hope to see you Sunday,

Brent

Picnics, BBQs and Baseball Games

Even if the sun doesn't come out often as we move into summer, these three summer pastimes scream one thing. Slow down, take your time, spend time with other people and enjoy the experience. You've probably figured out that around Silver Creek, we really turn our focus to helping people connect with other people during the summer months. CONNECT is one of our Core Values and we desire for it to be happening and continuing all year round but during certain seasons it just makes more sense and occurs more naturally.

Can I encourage you to take advantage of this season of Connecting. This weekend we will have our first of three summer Family Camps. We have 28 first time Family Campers for this weekend, oh yeah, connections in the making. If you've not yet made plans to be at one of the other two camps, go get your calendar right now, follow this link to see when these camps happen and sign up - that might be a bit stronger than encouraging but I did just go there :)

Along with the camps, we've been talking and writing a ton about our Connect Groups. I want to be clear that these groups are not just for long time attenders of Silver Creek and they're not just for people that have been attending for a couple of weeks. Everyone needs to be a part of at least one group. From time to time you're not going to like the preaching, the worship might be to loud or to soft for your preference, the bread table might be out of the bread you take home each week or your favorite parking spot could be taken. All of these have been reasons that people have left churches in the past. Having good connections with other people has never been a reason someone has left or been dissatisfied with a church but it has allowed people the support to get through things they might not always agree with.

That's clearly not the only reason to develop connections with people at church, if you missed this past Sundays message take a listen. I provided several additional reasons that will also encourage you to make the effort, take the time and understand the benefits you'll experience when getting to know others.

If you're still in town this weekend, our Sunday service will still be as great as it always is. There will only be one service at 11am, so come by if you're around. If you're traveling, drive safe and we will see you in the coming weeks.

Brent

Almost Like We Know What We're Doing

You don't have to spend much time at Silver Creek to know that we aren't afraid to try new things, consider different approaches to ministry or experiment with ideas that might not seem conventional. Understand we don't just guess at options, or make changes because we're bored. There's lots of prayer, reading, studying, thinking, talking and anticipating that goes into pretty much every decision we make or program we implement. Sometimes we get it right, other times it's a miss and other times it works better than we could have imagined.

Just a little over a year ago, we launched a new adventure by starting our internship program. We felt a real call by God to use the ministry experience our pastoral staff possesses, the ministry opportunities our church can provide and a house with lots of rooms on our property to invest in individuals sensing God leading them into ministry. We did our best to develop a program that fit where Silver Creek is headed as a church but it was not something anyone of our pastors has been involved with before.

As a church, we certainly benefit from the time and energy the interns put into their areas of ministry. In that regard, the program is certainly working and we got it right. Watching young adults discover where God is taking them in ministry is what's most exciting. To start with, our intern Breanna has discovered that the area of ministry she thought she'd been called to isn't actually a good fit. That might sound like a failure but it is actually exactly what the internship program is designed to do. Helping people to find their calling and sort out what the next steps will be in developing a lifetime of ministry, was one goal. Our church's investment has saved her tons of money in schooling and starting into a career that would have been frustrating and disappointing. She's still looking at ministry but not in this particular area. That's a win.

We've also seen two of our interns, Ashley and Mandy, take huge leaps in their development of planning, giving spiritual talks to students and furthering their desire to pursue God's call on their lives. Travis, our other intern, has not only grown in his knowledge of ministry within the church but has enrolled in Fuller Seminary and will be taking classes in addition to the internship. In case you're not sure, those would each be considered a win!

Plus, to continue validating this was the right decision we have two new interns that will be joining us over the next month. Mac, has just graduated from Azusa Pacific University and will be heading to Seminary in the fall. The other intern, Chelsea, recently graduated from high school in Scotland and is just beginning to discover what God might have for her. Thinking back on how God brought us to know both of these individuals and what God is doing in their lives, would be two more wins for our intern program.

God is doing lots of amazing things at Silver Creek, the internship program is clearly one of those things. Thanks for supporting this program through your finances, prayer and encouraging words to our interns.

Let's keep dreaming of all that God wants to do,

Brent

It's All About Who You Know

We've all experienced that day just before you go on that big vacation. The vacation that you've been thinking, planning and dreaming about for months, maybe even years. Then, there you are the day before the trip. It's finally here and you're so excited about what the next days or weeks are about to bring. There are so many adventures to be had, stories to live and memories to be made.

As a church we are sitting on one of those days, right before something big happens. Ok, not really a day but a moment in time. We've been doing Connect Groups, (small groups, Sunday School classes, growth groups) for many years and have seen some people find incredible opportunities for strong, life changing and encouraging relationships. These groups have been positive and helpful for a few but we believe that everyone needs to be a part of Connect Groups, not just a handful. Those that get in a group typically find them very helpful but the difficulty has been getting people to join a group.

With that in mind, we are stepping into a new adventure with our Connect Groups. Every two to three months, we will be announcing an entire catalog full of new groups for people to choose from. This means that nobody has to be the "new person" trying to break into an established group that's been meeting since Moses led them across the Red Sea. Plus everyone has the security that the group is only going to meet for a couple of months, so if they happen to not feel comfortable with the group, the escape plan is built into the structure.

We will have groups that fit into one of three categories. Interest - things people like to do (hiking, crafts, golf, eating out). Service - helping others (feeding the homeless, home improvements, clothing drives). Study - reading, talking and learning from the Bible or another book. Groups can meet every week, every other week, monthly or maybe even just once. The days and times, locations and leaders will be so diverse I can't mention all the options. All of this makes it more likely and possible for anybody to join a group.

Out of these groups we believe will come relationships that grow and reach levels of depth and commitment that help individuals walk through anything life might throw at them. Each session of groups will have an ending point as we prepare to launch a new set of groups. The friendships and connections that happen within groups will never be expected to stop, when groups end. Our conviction is that more people than ever will now be provided with the real chance to find connections that can lead to relationships that can see them through the ups and downs of life.

This Sunday, at the Info Kiosk in the lobby, pick up your copy of the Connect Groups Catalog. The catalog lists our 17 new groups. Yep 17 new groups! You can join one or more groups. You can join groups with your spouse or by yourself. Really, truly we simply want to see every person at Silver Creek join at least one group. There's never been a better time to join. If you can't wait until Sunday to see the list of groups, you can check them out on our website, which also includes a link to register for groups.

If you have any questions you can contact me or my wife Julie (she's the brains behind getting this all put together). A special thanks to all of the leaders that have stepped up to make our very first round of groups in this new format an incredible collection of options.

Looking forward to what lies ahead,

Brent

One Inch...

Abandonment. Abuse. Abraham. Adam. Abortion. Addiction. Adultery. Alcohol. Angels. Anger. Apostles. Atonement. Baptism. Bethlehem. Betrayal. Bitterness. Blessing. Born again. Blood. Bread. Character. Choices. Church. Commitment. Compassion. Confession. Contentment. Conversion. Covenant. Creation. Cross. Crowns. David. Death. Demons. Depression. Discipleship. Discipline. Discrimination. Disobedience. Divorce. Doubts. Dreams. Election. Elijah. Encouragement. Enemies. Envy. Eternal life. Eternity. Eve. Evil. Exodus. Faith. Fame. Family. Fasting. Fear. Forgiveness. Friendship. Freedom. Generosity. Glory. God. Gospel. Gossip. Grace. Greed. Guilt. Happiness. Hate. Heart. Heaven. Hell. Holiness. Holy Spirit. Hope. Humility. Hypocrisy. Idolatry. Injustice. Intercession. Isaac. Israel. Jealousy. Jesus. Joy. Judgment. Justice. Justification. Kindness. Kingdom of God. Lazarus. Laziness. Life. Light. Love. Lying. Lord's Supper. Marriage. Martyrs. Materialism. Mercy. Messiah. Miracles. Money. Moses. Murder. Neighbor. Obedience. Offering. Pain. Parables. Parenting. Passover. Paul. Peace. Persecution. Perseverance. Peter. Pharisees. Poor. Power. Prayer. Pride. Priests. Promises. Prophets. Purity. Quiet time. Racism. Rape. Reconciliation. Redemption. Relationships. Repentance. Respect. Responsibility. Resurrection. Revelation. Righteousness. Sacrifices. Sadducees. Salvation. Satan. Second coming. Self. Servant. Sex. Shame. Sin. Slander. Sorrow. Soul. Spirit of God. Stealing. Submission. Suffering. Suicide. Talents. Temptation. Ten Commandments. Time. Tithing. Tongues. Trinity. Trust. Truth. Unbelief. Unity. Virgin birth. War. Water. Wealth. Widows. Will of God. Wisdom. Women. Word of God. Work. Worship.

So…

The above are roughly one hundred and ninety important subjects and/or people addressed directly in the Bible. It is nowhere near a comprehensive list of the important subjects and people in Scripture. On the contrary this is simply a very small portion of what the Bible has to offer. The purpose of this list is to reveal a gigantic elephant in the corner of the room: It is critical that we as a church recognize how we need to plan for the children and students that we come in contact with. We need to be intentional about what we want them to remember, understand and apply from the countless truths and principles flowing richly from these respective subjects? Better still, how do we propose to enable and encourage the next generation to live with passionate abandonment for the only One worthy of their lives?

May I suggest that it is a question worthy of your contemplation? Take a closer look at the listed subjects. Step back. What if Silver Creek sends a generation of children, of students, into a world without at least experiencing and understanding grace? What if in our striving to reach so many we neglect to help the next generation really understand and experience Jesus?

We live in a postmodern, post-Christian world. We are leading a generation that is generally rich in experience, yet relationally and Biblically bankrupt. We see the results of this "truth void" every day. Poor choices. Destructive friendships. Basic, fundamental truths that we assume are anchored in the hearts of the next generation, yet glaringly absent when their presence is most warranted.

Let me be brutally honest: As a church we realize that it is incomprehensible for us to effectively teach the next generation every single relevant and important subject addressed in the Scriptures. It is simply a logistical impossibility. We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.

While the most recent Karate Kid movie starring Jaden Smith has become a family favorite in our home, I am reminded of a lesson Mr. Miyagi gave young Daniel LaRusso in the original Karate Kid. When showing Daniel how to throw a punch, he says, "Secret to punch, make power of whole body fit inside one inch." He directed him to focus all of his power behind the punch to one inch on his hand. That is the secret to the vast expanse of truth we have to invest in students.

This responsibility might seem daunting but the good news is we have God leading the way! We need to follow His lead, lean on His understanding and He will take us through the steps we need to influence the lives of kids and students at Silver Creek. We do a dynamic ministry for Children and Students because it is critical that we do our part in reaching the next generation. If you had kids or want to partner with us in reaching young lives, we have a place for you. Our church will train you, invest in you and coach you so that you can be effective in returning the favor and reaching the lives of kids.

We have an incredible group of volunteers that invest time and energy into the kids and Silver Creek. We are currently, however, looking for another handful of coaches to work with our Preschoolers or 1st-4th graders. We ask for 1-2 services a month and you have the opportunity to potentially impact eternity in the life of a student. Will you help?

Thanks for your consideration!
Elizabeth

All Star Team

Growing up playing sports I had the opportunity to play on lots of teams. Basketball teams for my school, local Boys and Girls club teams, travel teams and teams that were formed at the park. There were also soccer teams, baseball teams, football teams and that one crazy time I joined the choir. The choir was certainly a team and a very generous group because my singing ability was less than helpful.

After being on all these teams, I have a great idea of what strong teams look like and how they function. I've also been a part of some teams that had selfish members and those unwilling to listen to coaches. Those teams won some games, from time to time but never became as good as they could have been. They never reached their full potential, actually they never came close to their potential.

The last two weeks at Silver Creek, have been some of the most amazing examples of team I've seen. Remarkable numbers of people stepped into roles and took on new challenges. Other people gave time, energy and resources at incredible levels. Leaders did their jobs, made decisions and moved things forward. When it was all said and done, the results of FUSiON, the Egg Hunt and our Easter Sunday far exceeded our potential. This team has the added benefit of God's strength, power and purpose but the team had to be willing to work together and we did.

Two weeks ago, during FUSiON and the Egg Hunt, we had 837 people attend and be a part of our family production. Plus there were people that never made it inside because they were so busy keeping everything going outside in order to keep the Egg Hunt running smoothly. Then Easter Sunday, 387 people came to Silver Creek, many of those enjoying a fantastic breakfast. Understand we aren't a church that's all about numbers and attendance. Other than every single number represents a person and we are all about people because that's what God's all about.

Those of you that made yourselves a part of the incredible team, that made the past two Sundays possible and helped to exceed our potential, understand that your contribution has changed eternity for many individuals. That definitely qualifies us as an All Star Team. Enjoy the win!

Brent

Silver Creek's Board

At Silver Creek Family Church we have a board of people that meets monthly and is in place to help in making sound financial decisions, creating checks and balances for the staff, asking tough questions in regards to direction and helping to encourage forward movement in the overall development of the church. We currently have nine board members. Two of them were added in the past two month. We want to keep you in the loop on those that serve in this capacity and we encourage you to get to know them, ask them questions and let them know that you appreciate their efforts in helping to keep Silver Creek on track. I have provided a brief synopsis of our board members and included a picture, for your reference.

Don Matson, Board Secretary

Don (and Cindy) moved to their present home in Mukilteo and started attending Lynnwood, years ago. Initially, he was recruited to work with Jr. High, which was dominated by a group of boys and eventually included the Hudson boys. Don had three sons and was in charge of the Wednesday night kids program and a group of energetic kids. Don now works with Gen78 (and loves their energy and enthusiasm), organizes Men's basketball, helps with setup/tear down, and the facilities. His favorite Disney ride is Indiana Jones, because the first time they rode it as a family Peter was about 6 and he was convinced that Jacob (his older brother) was driving and was going to get them killed!

Carter Boad, Treasurer

Carter andhis family have been attending Silver Creek for about 15 years and he has been on the Board for about half that time. He feels honored to be a part of this volunteer group. He serves as treasurer but mostly enjoys his role working with the little kids Sunday mornings in the Farm or Jungle rooms. His favorite Disneyland ride is Thunder Mountain Railroad, especially during the fireworks show because there is no line!

Chad Triplett, Board Member

Chad came to Silver Creek Family Church as a board member from Seattle Family Church. Chad joined the church in an effort to find a place for his family on the weeks that he and his two kids weren’t committed to soccer. After visiting, the family decided it needed to be

their new church home. Chad and his entire family has been actively involved in many areas of the church including Base Camp, Gen 78, Setup and Teardown and the Board. His favorite Disneyland ride is Space Mountain especially when riding with the Volz’s and coming up with kooky photo ops!!

Liz Kennard, Board Member
Liz joined the board two months ago. She serves with Gen78 students and she loves connecting with that age group. Liz joined the board out of a desire to serve in an ongoing and meaningful way. She feels like the Lord is challenging her to be involved in ways according to His will and not hers. Liz loves the Silver Creek family and its desire to be constantly and relevantly reaching out to our community and existing body of believers. Her favorite ride at Disneyland, when she last visited in 1982, was Dumbo.

Adam Blackmer, Board Member
Adam has been a board member for about 4 years. He currently serves with the Summit 56 team and the Facilities Team. He serves on the church board because God placed him there. The thing he loves the most about SCFC is that its people are genuine as they strive toward being like Christ. Treasure Island was Adam's favorite ride at Disneyland. (He says was because it's only been about 23 years since he was there!)

Steve Hudson, Board Member
Steve was serving on the Lynnwood Nazarene board when the two churches formed Silver Creek Community. He works in the production room and set-up/tear down teams. One of the joys in being on the board is to see the passion of our pastoral team to reach the neighborhood for Christ. His favorite ride at Disneyland is anything that goes fast, spins and goes upside down.

Gerry Anne Coronacion, Board Member
Gerry Anne serves in Children's Ministry and has been on the board for two months. She loves a lot of things about SCFC, one that stands out is the genuine love and care everyone has for each other. Silver Creek has amazing leaders in Brent and Elizabeth to lead the Church in carrying out God's mission and vision for the church. She is grateful for the opportunity given to her to serve her brothers/sisters in Christ and the community she is in. Gerry Anne loves Space Mountain!

Rick Ratliff, Board Member
Rick has been a board member for about 10 years. Besides being a board member, Rick is a greeter, serves on the finance committee and also helps with money counting on Sunday morning. He serves on the church board to support the church staff as they lead the church forward. Rick enjoys the Sunday morning worship music and has never been to Disneyland.

Michael Volz, Board Member
Michael started on the board as Treasurer for Seattle Family Church in 2005 and then became the Treasurer for Silver Creek, after the merge. Thanks to Carter, he was able to move on from that position and focus on other volunteer activities at SCFC. He is very involved in our monthly FUSiON productions as a Singer and member of the Tech Team, he volunteers in Base Camp working with 1-4 graders, and he helps out with Tech during Sunday morning services. His favorite Disneyland ride is California Screamin’ even though it is actually in California Adventure.

Just Get In

This past week my family was able to get away for vacation in California. Our flight home was out of LAX in Los Angeles. We drove up from Anaheim to LA and arrived a little over an hour before we needed to be at the airport. Someone had told us about a Manhattan Beach that was just 10 minutes or so from the airport. Realizing it might be our last shot at a nice sunny beach for awhile, we drove over to check it out.

Our three kids were dressed for the flight home, not a day near the ocean. We had them roll up their pant legs to their knees, and encouraged them to only go about ankle deep. On of our kids (who I'll attempt to protect, by withholding their name) would soon not only have the bottoms of their pants wet, but would actually be diving under a couple of the waves. There was a change of clothes in the suit case and a place to rinse off in the public restrooms, so it all worked out.

Over the past couple of days since I've been home, I've laughed about this moment but more than anything I've wondered why I just watched. I'm trying to figure out at what moment in life did I decide that I'd pass on opportunities to "just get in", enjoy the ocean, love the opportunity and take advantage of great situations. Sure I'd have gotten a bit cold, and there's the hassle of changing clothes, and it would have made it a crazy scramble to get to the airport. Now I sit in Starbucks, the rain is coming down, I'm back to work, the responsibilities of life and church swirl in my head and I can't help but wonder why I didn't "just get in". The ocean was right there, the beach was so nice, it would have worked out.

Certainly as adults there's wise planning needed, sound decisions to be worked through and time lines to manage. That's too bad because I'm pretty sure life is supposed to include more moments where we "just get in". Take opportunities that are in front of us. Those opportunities might not be the ocean, but it could be spending more time with a friend, eating dessert, trying a new volunteer opportunity at church or in our community, learning a new skill or going to bed early when you get a chance. You don't need it but you have my permission to "just get in" the next time you're standing in front of the ocean.

Brent

It's On

We are now less than two weeks away from what we are praying will be an incredible day at Silver Creek. It's the time where we are putting all of the finishing touches on all the plans, ideas and projects that will make that day, tremendous. There have been lots of people from Silver Creek that have already invested lots of time and energy into this day. Our singers have been rehearsing on Sunday afternoons. The actors have been memorizing their lines and thinking through their blocking. Prizes have been gathered. 6000 plastic eggs are waiting to be stuffed with prize tickets and chocolate eggs. The cotton candy and popcorn have been purchased. Our Easter Bunny costume will be heading to local schools to hand out fliers. It's On.

Many of you have already taken the step to sign up to help in some way, to provide us the man power to pull it all together. There are still several areas you could jump in and be a part of this event that we'll be talking about for months. You won't want to miss it. You can help put the eggs out for the hunts. Greet many of our guests as they enter into the building. Monitor an inflatable, helping to keep kids safe as they enjoy the event. Help people find parking spots as they enter our lot, making their first moments on campus positive. You can email Lori Sauter (rlsauter@gmail.com) to find exact times and volunteer positions that are available.

There is also going to be a plastic egg stuffing party and facility prep projects worked on Saturday morning at 9am. Contact Tina Adams (mkmom3@comcast.net) for details about helping with the eggs and David Grisham (dgrisham42@gmail.com) for details on the work projects. These are two great additional opportunities to jump on board and be a part.

More than anything, please keep everything about these days included in your prayers. We trust that God is helping us become more prepared to receive the guests He sends our way. Yep, It's On.

Brent

It's time to grow young

My youngest son had his 8th birthday earlier this month. His friends gave him all kinds of great gifts and as his parents we thought we'd give him something he could hurt himself with. We bought him a Ripstik. It's basically a fancy skate board, that has just two wheels but are both on swiveling casters. The board pivots in the middle and rather than pushing with one foot to move forward. The rider swivels their hips causing the board to pivot, swiveling the casters, propelling the rider and board forward. It's really pretty amazing and is looks very smooth. Do a quick YouTube search and you can see you one in action.

I'm sure you're similar to me and pretty much too busy most of the time, to slow down enough to have some simple fun. Then yesterday, I found myself with about 20 minutes of time before I had to run off to my next "thing" and there sitting in front of me was a Ripstik not currently being used. Every thought that makes sense passed through my mind but I didn't listen to any of them.

I spent the next 20 minutes, out in our driveway, swiveling my hips, trying to master the Ripstik. For the most part, not to brag, I did pretty well. I managed to figure out how to start, which was not an easy task. Jump off when I started rolling faster than I could control. And the one time I fell off and landed on my back, I didn't hurt myself (luckily) and from what I could tell, none of my neighbors were looking out their windows at that moment.

Probably not my wisest choice of the day. Nothing all that great was accomplished through my attempts. There was not one life or person in need that benefited from my little "return to Junior High" experiment. To be honest, it was my favorite 20 minutes of the day. For 20 minutes I wasn't worried that this weeks message would make sense Sunday morning. The dishes that needed to be washed weren't calling my name. The television wasn't sucking life from my brain. Bills that wanted to be paid sat on the counter and I didn't care. For 20 minutes, I was young again, it was incredible.

There's no part of me, that wants to go back to being 8 years old. But for that short time, it was exactly where I needed to be. I'm not sure how you can grow young from time to time but if you can figure it out, don't miss the opportunity. Maybe not the most spiritual advice you'll every get from me, I still think you should give it a try.

Brent

Here Come the Cookies!

At Silver Creek Family Church we believe that kids are our future. That's true in our church, in our community and ultimately in our world. Silver Creek's kids are BUSY, they are involved in sports, plays, productions, boys and girl scouts, bands, choirs...the list goes on and on! It is great to see kids taking advantage of opportunities to use their gifts, fine tune their skills and learn about respect and community.

A few weeks ago Brent and I were talking about our students and kids. We know that they are busy and many times have short time lines for fundraising. As a church family we want the opportunity to invest in the kids that we know and love. We also know that it is very difficult to turn down kids when approached about supporting any number of different causes. We want you to know that we have decided to create a system to help out our little fundraisers as well as to simplify and relieve the pressures that can potentially be caused by being approached for help.

Starting this Sunday, we will have a table available in the gym. It will be setup near the room divider, in the middle of the gym, with a brightly colored table cover on it. If your student or child has a fundraiser that they would like to advertise, they are welcome to be at this table, all we need from you is a heads up. In order to accommodate your kids and their needs, we will have this table available on a first come first serve basis and will be available to kids with parental supervision. Signs can be setup and supplies can be stored under the table. We think it would be best to limit the space at the table to three groups so please email either Elizabeth or Brent and let us know if you need a spot and we will put you on the list for that coming Sunday.

If you have any questions on this new system, please don't hesitate to ask! We think it will be a great way to support and organize these needs! Thanks for supporting Silver Creek's students and kids! We think they are great and they are a light in our community!

Elizabeth & Brent

LENT: Opportunities for Reflection

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotion as I have been shaken and astonished by the overwhelming realization of all that is happening in Japan. The chaos of life is often beyond what we can comprehend and I am amazed as I see people coping and managing to face each day by leaning on God for His strength and guidance. He will not leave us or forsake us.

I was at Women's Retreat last weekend so Thursday, I finally had the opportunity to listen to Brent's sermon from Sunday. If you were gone and didn't get a chance to hear him speak, in person, I would highly recommend you visit our webpage to listen to his intro to "Ashes to Fire". This sermon series will challenge you and encourage you to spend more intentional time with God. His message was real, relevant and necessary. God wants us to be in relationship with Him and He desires to journey with us as he conforms us into being the person he desires us to be. This week Brent talked about the fact that we are merely dust, without God, and in order for us to fully engage the journey that God has for us we need to ask for forgiveness and allow Him to purify all parts of who we are. If we will allow God to burn away those sinful areas of our lives then we will be able to realize all that God has for us and become His instruments of fire.

Our Reflection services were a success this week. We will continue to open up the Worship Center every Monday and Friday from 7-8:30PM and during this time you will be led through a half an hour of prayer and contemplation. Each week will be tied to Sunday's sermon and we believe if you will commit this half hour to praying and focusing on God that you will start to understand His heart better and apply his Word to your life in a fresh and new way. Please don't let these opportunities pass you by, we know that you will find them to be rewarding and worth your time.

Enjoy your weekend and see you Sunday!

Elizabeth

Giving Up For More

Those of you that watch the news probably saw pictures or videos from the festivities that happened in New Orleans this past Tuesday. It was the annual Mardi Gras celebration of Fat Tuesday. Most people realize that Fat Tuesday has a connection with the ancient church practice known as Lent. Any of you from a good Catholic background either participated in Lent or had friends and family that did. If you grew up in a Protestant church or had no connection to church, Lent was likely more confusing and odd than it was spiritual.

At Silver Creek we tend to lean toward and strive to be innovative, relevant and energetic. Those aren't words that are typically used to describe Lent. So, when Silver Creek sets out each spring to tie into Lent in some fashion, it might be a bit of a surprise or confusing. In this blog, I won't take time to describe all that Lent has been over the centuries or even completely explain Silver Creek’s view of Lent. Here's a real brief description and reason for why we embrace this ancient practice. Lent provides a period of several weeks to deeply reflect on what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross means for us, typically connected with setting something aside in our lives for a time to motivate, encourage and remind us to reflect. At Silver Creek we focus more on what we're gaining through Lent, than what we are giving up.

Let me tell you briefly what we are offering this year to benefit you and help you gain something spiritually during Lent. Each week during our Sunday services, there will be a Reflection Guide that you can take home. The Reflection Guide will focus on the main theme of that Sunday's message, giving you scripture to read, thoughts to reflect on, and prayers to consider. Each week will have a new guide but each guide will be used for the entire week. In direct connection to the guide, the church will be open for Reflection Services during the week. Each service will contain times of audio and video guided prayer, scripture & reflection. It will essentially be the same content as the Reflection Guide but with the addition of community, communion, and interactive elements in a quiet, contemplative setting. The 25 minute Reflection Service will repeat itself six times during the week, three on each Monday and Friday evenings, starting on the hour and half hour from 7-8:30pm. Child care will not be provided so please plan accordingly to ensure that we are able to maintain a place for a reverent environment.

I know this might be a new experience and practice for many of us. If you've been sensing any desire to gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and/or what He wants to mean and be in your life, plan now to participate in these Reflective Services. They begin next week and will run through the 8th of April.

Looking forward to what God will do these next weeks,

Brent

Changing Our World

This past year we, as a church, have spent a lot of time thinking and dreaming about our passions. We have had to be strategic about what we do as an organization in order to make the most impact possible. We firmly believe that if people are functioning within their passions they will be productive, impactful and thrive. God gifts us with unique desires and abilities and it is our job to sort out and be open to how He intends for us to use those gifts.

We had two winter camps two weeks ago and at those camps our speaker, Paul Charles, was able to plant some seeds to encourage kids to Change Their World. They were encouraged to find ways to change their world at home, in their relationships with their parents and friends, in their communities and schools and in the global world. They were introduced to the idea of Charity: Water, an organization that is reaching thousands of communities each year and providing the means to clean water for drinking and sanitation. Our kids have come home looking for ways to impact and change their world. We know that at this time we are called to collaborate with Charity: Water. We know that we can and are making impact towards building wells for people that don't have clean drinking water. We support our kids and students in finding creative ways to help this organization and we are excited to see what God is going to accomplish through our people, in this coming year.

That being said, we also realize that Charity: Water is a ministry opportunity at Silver Creek and it is something that we are passionate about but it is not the church. As the church, we are also called to be passionate about our local community, to work with our Food Bank to impact Lynnwood and to provide ministries that will change the ways that people think about the church and God.

On April 17th, we have a unique opportunity to impact Lynnwood and our surrounding areas. Plans are well under way in bringing together a team to create a huge INVITE day at Silver Creek. We will be having three HUGE egg hunts and three FUSiON Family Productions. We turned people away last year because we didn't have the room to accommodate them in our two shows, so this year we are doing three. We believe that with effective advertising and incentive to step foot on our property that we will have the opportunity to not only entertain and engage our community but tell them about GOD by using our Family Production to speak into the lives of both children and adults. We want to be Jesus' hands and feet and allow people to see that Christians are real people with real passions. We want them to see that we aren't acting like Christians but we are living as Christians. We're doing life together, caring about those outside our walls, learning to possess Jesus' characteristic and knowing that we are doing exactly what Jesus has called us to do in our world.

Brent and I were discussing how Jesus drew crowds when he was in the peak of his ministry. Time and time again he performed miracles as a way of supporting and drawing a crowd. He fed thousands of people from the basket of a young boy containing two fish and five loaves of bread. He healed the sick and blind and he reached out to the outcasts in the community and showed that He loved them equally and cared for them. He invited children to take his time when religious leaders felt they deserved it. Jesus thought of people in a brand new and unique way. He challenged his followers to do the same and He was bold about how He got the attention of those he came in contact with.

We are called to live as He did and not be afraid to use any and all resources at our finger tips to reach those in our community and world. This April we hope that you will team with us at accomplishing that very thing. Leaving all perceptions of what a church should or shouldn't do and boldly reach into our community, loving on those that cross our paths and being true representatives of Jesus by following his example. We need your help to do this. Please prayerfully consider where you can serve and help with our April 17th Egg Hunt.

You are the church and we need you!

Pastor Elizabeth

Connectuary's Last Days

Recently during a discussion, someone mentioned to me that a building was constructed in the 80's. I responded, if that is the case the building wasn't really all that old, forgetting it's already 2011. Then I did the math. At best the building is at least 22 years old, or maybe even 31. Time always seems to go so fast. Days go by quickly, weeks fly by, each month seems almost over about the time it starts. Even when the month is 59 days long.

Connectuary is Silver Creeks revision to the traditional calendar. Combining January and February, challenging each of us to look for more ways to Connect with each other, during these first 59 days of the year. There are some great stories of people getting away on short vacations together, groups gathering for dinner, many conversations of coffee and board game nights (my personal favorite).

As we move into March and April we will begin to adjust our focus to reaching out, into our community and inviting people to discover what we've found to be true about Jesus and the help that Silver Creek can be in developing a life based on Jesus. The events we host will be huge, last years Egg Hunt/FUSiON saw over 900 people on campus. The spiritual implications will be enourmous as we celebrate Easter. There will be much effort and energy given by most of us to successfully invite our community.

All of the this effort and energy will leave little time for us to get together just to connect and spend time with one another. It's important that we use these last days of CONNECTUARY to make that happen. Even though I may sound like a furniture sales announcer, these are the final days, don't delay, make it happen today, deals like these won't last forever. Ok, maybe a bit dramatic and the deals thing was a little to much. But really, take advantage of these last days of February and spend some time with others from Silver Creek.

Enjoy the rest of your week and hope to see you Sunday,

Brent

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

It's not Christmas but for many of kids and students this weekend the winter wonderland they dream of will be a reality. About 40 campers and 20 adults are headed to Leavenworth for our two winter retreats, Escape and BreakAway. You might be staying here where the ground is clear but you can play a huge role in making the weekend a success. Here are some important ways you can be praying for the retreats.

• It's a winter retreat and there will be snow. That's great news for everything except the driving. Pray that God will keep our drivers alert and all the vehicles safe as they travel.
• Paul Charles, our ISA head coach and summer Intern is traveling back from Philadelphia to be our speaker. He will be challenging both camps with practical ways that they can be Changing Our World. Pray that God will speak to the hearts of all that attend.
• There will be lots of inner tubing and games in the snow. Pray for fun and safety as campers enjoy all that camp has to offer.
• Pray that all adults going will get plenty of sleep. Oh, who are we kidding, just pray that the adults going can function with little to no sleep.
• These camps are a part of our January and February focus on CONNECTUARY. We design camps to develop and strengthen relationships that will carry over to daily living, helping each of us become stronger in our lives with Christ. Please pray the Connections will take place.
  

We appreciate all your prayers and will praying for a fantastic Sunday morning at Silver Creek.

Pastor Brent and Pastor Elizabeth

Oh Baby!

Child dedication is a statement and a commitment made by the parents. A commitment to raise their child in a way that will instill godly principals and character in the child’s life. Parents that choose to have their child dedicated are saying "God we want to be the best parents we can be." "God we want You to make us and mold us into the parents our child needs us to be." Their commitment is to not only bring honor to Christ in the way that they live but that they will demonstrate what it means to live daily for Christ.

To the Church, the parents are saying, "we are going to do our best but we desire your help." "Please model for our child what it means to people of integrity, grace and mercy. Please volunteer to help in Children’s ministry, so that our child is equipped to become an adult that loves and serves God." As a church it's important we tell the parents with our actions that we will support them as they raise their child.

Child dedication is a special moment where the church and parents stand together, unity in their desire to bring up the child to love Jesus. Silver Creek cares about all individuals at every stage of life. At the same time we see the huge importance to begin training and teaching kids at a young age, how much Jesus loves them and desires to have a relationship with them.

Thanks for partnering with Silver Creek to help this happen for children.

Journey Together

We are continuing to talk about our church mission, our core values and some characteristics that we desire to be true at Silver Creek Family Church. We had a leadership retreat last year and over those days we talked about who we are as a church, what impact we see that we have on our surrounding community and what we feel God is calling us specifically to do as a church in the short term and long term.

We talked about the fact that it is critical that we are light in our community and that we are intentional about living out ministry in an engaging and authentic way. We discussed how our surrounding neighbors would respond if Silver Creek Family Church ceased to exist. What is the impact that we have and how are we being good stewards of all of the resources that God has provided.

Last week we talked about your stories and we have received a few and we still want to hear more. We want to know how the people, that are a part of this church family, have impacted your lives. We want to hear about ways that you have been challenged in living out our core values and how your perspectives of church or community may have been changed. We want to hear why you call Silver Creek your home. Click here and take a moment to tell us your story.

We discussed how our Core Values are a critical in helping us to understand the mission of the church. We described a natural process that individuals and the church encounter as they take these core principals and apply them to their lives. INVITE was the first step, people need to know they are welcome and wanted. They need to see that we have something they are looking for and many times that is realized when they come in contact with each of you. They see that you have something they might be looking for, they see that you are different from much of the world and they want to understand the hope that you have and where it comes from.

The second step is WORSHIP. Many might see worship as something you do during the music portion of our Sunday mornings but what we are talking about is living a life of worship. This entails allowing God into every area of our lives. It is acknowledging our need for God and his desire to be in relationship with us. It is choosing to honor God in all that we say and do. We do consider our Sunday morning experience an act of corporate worship. It is an opportunity to come together as a family, honor God, thank him for his unconditional love and experience time together with people that are walking along side of us on this journey.

Worship is also lived out in our daily lives. It is evident in the way we interact with a co-worker that is ungracious; it is seen in the ways we choose to interact with our kids on a daily basis, it is seen in the ways that we treat those that are in need. When we reach out to one of God’s children and love them in a real and tangible way, we are worshipping God, we are honoring Him and his desires for our life and we are loving his people. Worship doesn’t just happen on a Sunday morning, it happens in every moment and every decision of every day.

The third core value in the process is CONNECT. We feel that once a person is invited to Silver Creek Family and then is challenged to incorporate WORSHIP into their lives then they will be looking for connections to people. This step is critical to the ongoing development, accountability and growth of every believer. We are meant to be in community with one another and we are meant to have deep relationship with each other. Connect is accomplished through many avenues. We connect people through playing together. When healthy relationships develop, people feel less alone, are more likely to make wise decisions for their lives and new perspectives are realized. We start to see God’s characteristics lived out in those around us and we desire those to be true in our own lives.

We also offer a number of different CONNECT groups. There are all male, all female and couples groups that meet weekly. We feel that these are critically important to developing firm relationships within the greater community. It is a time to check in on each other mid week and encourage each other towards pursuing God’s best for our lives. Some groups are more in depth Bible Studies and some are more casual accountability groups. All are needed and critical to the growth of the church.

We are currently looking for more people willing to start up a group. This consists of providing a steady location and being open to adding new individuals as the need arises. If you think you would be interested in serving in this way, please send Brent or Elizabeth an email and we would be happy to talk to you about getting a connect group started.

If you can’t tell, you should know that we are excited about these Core Values. We don’t just put them on our website, talk about them in sermons and then let them drop. They are at the very core of who we are and what we are called to be. We have two more core values to cover in the weeks ahead but we challenge you to be thinking about WORSHIP and CONNECT this week. God has much he want to accomplish through you and we are praying that you are open to what those opportunities are going to be!

Where we are heading

We’ve been taking a little time out during our services to look at who we are as a church and where we are going. We looked at our history, we looked at the mission Jesus called not only this church to but the world wide church, which we are certainly a part of. We really want you to hear the story of Silver Creek, which each of you are clearly a part of. Your stories are what make our collective story possible. Our request was that you send us your stories. We still want to hear what God has been doing in your life and where Silver Creek might be a part of that. Even if you think we know it, please take a moment and send us a quick email. Your stories are essential, we will beg but we’re hoping you don’t make us.

This morning we want to begin to narrow our focus a bit around the mission that we talked about last week. The mission being to help people transform their lives to become more and more like Jesus. The Bible describes this as becoming a disciple. Becoming a learner of all that Jesus is and does and then allowing choices and actions to be transformed into the image of Jesus.

The Bible is packed full of descriptions, examples and directions for what a disciple looks like. We believe that Jesus narrowed it down into five key ideas, or major areas that guide us both as individuals and as a church. These five areas give us the clearest understanding for how we are to measure, gauge and guide all that we do as a church. We’ve labeled or identified these five ideas as our core values. Our look at the core values will be brief in these short talks. You can get a more in depth description by listening to our recent sermon series WHY, which you can find on our web site.

Here’s what is beautiful about our core values. We didn’t create them. We didn’t dream them up. They are laid out for us in scripture. What’s very convenient is that the core values give direction to transformed disciples of Jesus, and at the same time they give us direction, focus and guidance as a church. That means that what we are trying to accomplish as a church, is what also needs to be accomplished in our individual lives. There’s no awkward tension or battle to fight, there is no conflict surrounding something that is great for an individuals because it is also great for the church as a whole. We want the five core values to be lived out and evident in the lives of people at Silver Creek and in Silver Creek.

Our five core values are Invite, Worship, Connect, Serve and Train.

From our perspective and planning there is a natural progression or process that might occur in individuals as the core values impact their lives. We are going to walk you through that process as we explain these Core Values over the next couple of weeks. It all begins with Invite. An individual receives an invitation to begin a relationship with Jesus that will transform every part of their life. The invitation that an individual receives is most often from someone else that has already started to walk through life with Jesus. It’s not the job or responsibility of those that do the inviting to make a person receive or accept the invitation but rather to simply invite people to what we discovered to be true in our lives.

As a church we want to provide multiple avenues and opportunities for you to invite people you know to events and programs that will directly Invite people to know Jesus or help break down barriers that might prevent someone from receiving the invitation. When we bring in Taproot Theater, our students go to Wild Waves or we put on a Trunk or Treat combined with a Chili cook-off. Our goal is to create a non-threatening environment for you to invite people where they can discover that church isn’t a dangerous place, it’s not a boring place, it’s not a place that requires them to change, just in order to be here. We want to be about transforming the way people view church and this is a good place for them to be. We want to create a culture that will allow people to be open to what the church might have to say about life.

That in times of need or when people are spiritually questioning, they will consider Silver Creek a safe place to find answers. We also provide invite events that are exciting, fun and engaging where Jesus will be clearly presented. The best two examples of that are KidFest and our Easter Egg Hunt both are combined with FUSiON creating incredible mornings with lots of ways and reasons to invite people to attend. At FUSiON a life virtue, that was lived out and demonstrated by Jesus, is presented in multiple ways. There aren’t events or activities that we create or provide where someone new isn’t welcome. People can step into Silver Creek in really any thing we do.

We do however want to be strategic and intentional with events, activities and programs that we provide. We want to create the best chance for positive responses when you bring a friend to an Invite Event. If every time we announce an event, we say, “Don’t forget to invite a friend”, it becomes background noise and you’ll miss it and tune us out. However, because we will only encourage you to invite friends, neighbors and family when we’ve intentionally designed an Invite Event, you can know that when we offer an Invite opportunity that “it’s go time”. This is it. This is where we step up, find some courage and invite that person that we’ve been praying for.

As individuals we each should be looking for opportunities and ways to invite people to discover what we’ve found to be true in Jesus. As a church we want to be providing ways to help that process and creating natural entry and starting points for the people you invite.