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

Breakfast

I've now been a father for 11 and a half years ago. In that time God has blessed Julie and I with two more kids who are 9 and 7 years old. During those early days of parenting, it seemed that lots of people had lots of advice. Much of the advice was helpful, there was plenty that didn't make sense and I tried to forget it and then I got some of the best advice I've ever received.

The senior pastor at the first church I worked at was a tremendous man and incredible father. I told me how each year on his kids birthday's, he'd let them pick the location and then take them our for breakfast. His kids were in late elementary and jr high at the time. He'd tell me about the deep talks, setting of new goals for the upcoming year and the high level of gratitude his kids would have after the annual ritual.

My youngest two kids have both celebrated their birthdays in the last month. I gave them the privilege of choosing where we'd eat for breakfast and I made big plans to start talking about establishing goals for them to think about. When they both selected McDonald's for our dinning location, I should have known the level of conversation would follow the same level of quality.

Let me hereby warn those who are considering challenging 7 and 9 year olds to establish goals for their next year of life, proceed with caution. If you're not careful you may either pull out most of your hair or discover one of kids has a goal of eating cookies at every meal this next year. Once I realized my efforts were not going to produce any monumental goals set for either kid. I settled down and enjoyed my breakfast burrito.

My kids weren't worried about the year ahead of them or how to make themselves better. They both just wanted to enjoy breakfast, hang out with their dad and anticipate their special day. Living in the moment and getting the most out of it was their plan. As I've reflected on those times with my kids, I've settled on a new personal goal for this year. Do my best to enjoy each moment, cherish those I'm spending time with and be excited for the day that God has allowed me to live.

Hope the rest of your week is fantastic and look forward to seeing you this weekend,

Pastor Brent

Easter: What a Day!

What can I say! I am speechless! Our Easter FUSiON and Egg Hunts were a prime example of our incredible community at work. Silver Creek Family Church showed up in force on Easter and we made a difference in our community! I am thrilled to report that we had 970 people on campus on Sunday and most of them made it into one of our services. Both FUSiONs were standing room only and the kids area, up front, was packed with all kinds of brand new faces! We had hoped to create a way for people to be drawn to our church, enjoy some fun activities with their family, be exposed to what and who we are at Silver Creek Family, find hope by connecting with a real and amazing GOD and leave with a positive impression and a desire to return.

I believe we accomplished every goal that we set before us! GOD blessed us with more giveaways then we could have ever dreamed of, He brought out the sun to make our jobs just a little easier, he laid on the hearts of 120 of our people the need to reach those that don't know God and countless families said that they were looking for a new church and they had decided that Silver Creek would be their new home. God brought in so many from surrounding neighborhoods that are looking to find God and just didn't really know where to start. Please be praying that many of them will return and we will have the privilege of telling them more and showing them God's authentic love.

We do realize the level of sacrifice that was offered on Easter Sunday. Our people gave so much of their time and energy and many left feeling exhausted. I am so grateful for a church that will stand behind leadership decisions and jump on board. We are truly blessed by so many amazing people! I hope that you too can celebrate in this HUGE successful day!

Our future is bright and I am thrilled to be a part of what God is doing!
Elizabeth Volz
Executive Pastor

DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK

It's my turn to write the Pastor"s Blog. I couldn't improve on a story a friend of mine sent me this week so I decided to share it with you.

"DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK"


There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States .


Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time"

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday.. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship..

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr.... Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr.. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room..

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

Great Days Ahead!

Steve

Gunman Attends Connect Group

This past Monday evening during the Connect Group that meets at my house, I noticed a police car slowly moving up and down our street. Eventually he stopped in front of my house and began to look in the windows of one the cars owned by an individual that attends our group. My neighbors had apparently seen a man sitting at the end of our road, holding what looked to be a shot gun and possibly loading it.

My neighbors had recently had to fire a landscaper that was doing a poor job of building a retaining wall. The landscaper and his friend had made threats towards our neighbors, including pointing their hand at them imitating shooting a gun at them. When the man, that appeared to be loading the gun, was sitting at the end of our street, the neighbors were all on heightened alert. They took pictures of the man, his car and called the police in an effort to protect everyone on our street.

If this gunman was not stopped quickly, many innocent people on our street could be injured.

The car of the gunman that was in the picture, was the car parked in front of my house. The man in the picture was also sitting in my house, actively participating in our group.

Turns out the "gunman" was just the purchaser of a new set of shocks for his truck. He'd arrived early for group and decided to park at the end of the street, to look over his new purchase. Now with the police in my front yard, we stepped outside and managed to convince the police that our group wasn't planning any crazy takeovers of the neighborhood and we weren't harboring assassins.

Our group had a great laugh and really enjoyed the photos my neighbor delivered as he tried to explain he wasn't overly paranoid. Take a look I think you'll also find them pretty funny.
Some people might tend to think that Connect Groups are boring. Let this be a lesson to everyone: Connect groups are interesting times of getting to know each other better and living life with great people.
Check out Silver Creeks Connect Groups and consider joining one soon.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Posted by Pastor Brent

A dad's thoughts

A little over a year ago I was deep into plans for the first wedding at our house. I thought I was prepared to "give" a daughter away and see her start her new life. Well, I sort of was but it was different than I had imagined. You spend your life as a parent doing your best to prepare your children to be ready for life and be productive. From the nursery through pre-school, grade school, High School and College you expect the best and do what is expected to keep them clothed, fed and healthy. Everything "they" do impacts everything that you do. There is no way to be disconnected from them. Obviously the role changes. You move from care giver to teacher to cheerleader to ATM machine. It is all to be expected.

At the conclusion of the first wedding I felt I could hold my head high and feel good about doing my job. I must say I was glad when it was all over. I told daughter # 2 I needed at least a year to regroup before I would be ready for wedding # 2. I had planned on buying a flat screen TV when I got word of wedding #1 so I put it off until the following Christmas. As Christmas came last year I thought I was in the clear so I bought my new 52" flat screen. What a great purchase. I am somewhat technically challenged so I asked my Son-in-law, Travis and Emily's boy friend Jeremy to come over and help me set it up. The old TV was a 20" 15 year old unit that I thought was actually pretty good. Oh my! When the power came on I had no idea what I had been missing. I watched the thing for almost two weeks before I found out I wasn't even watching the HD chanels. After the laughter at my expense died down from my new extended family I was able to settle in to a serious HD TV watcher.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, two reasons. First, wedding #2 is now on the planning board for June 19th. Ruthie and I are excited for Emily and Jeremy. Secondly, I wanted to go public with my thankfulness to Jeremy for waiting until I had the new TV in place before he asked me for Emily's hand. I think my complaining to Travis about him getting a flat screen TV for a wedding gift and me not getting mine paid off. Seriously, not withstanding that neither Travis or Jeremy are hunters or come with motorcycles, Ruthie and I couldn't be happier for our girls and more proud of their choices in men. So if you have June 19th open you might come by the wedding and drop a love offering in the envelope marked "Father of the Bride". It will be a great day!

Great Days Ahead!

Posted by Steve Strickler