New Church Planting in Fairbanks, AK

The Anchorage church is planting a new congregation in Fairbanks, Alaska.  For more information, check it out at Disciples Today:

http://www.disciplestoday.org/content/view/1967/42/

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Derek Scholz – an example of patient endurance!

Derek Scholz is an inspiring part of the South Sound singles ministry, and his life is proof that with God’s help, patient endurance will produce fruit in our lives.  Back in 1999, Derek was working as an assistant manager at a Red Apple Market in University Place.  He was working and attending school, but felt little spiritual progress in his life.  One day he was invited to Bible Talk by Alex Whitaker, who was a member of the Tacoma singles ministry.  He never went, feeling like life was a bit too busy and hectic.  He was also invited by other members of the church at various times.

About that time he became friends with Nicole Savage (now Moen!).  Nicole was at a point in her life where she began contemplating a relationship with God, and began attending church with an old high school friend, eventually getting involved in some personal Bible studies.  Of course, she invited Derek to attend church with her one Sunday.  Derek showed up, and was amazed to see it was the same church that Alex and others had previously invited him to!  He began to attend church regularly, and also started to study the Bible, eager to find out if God indeed had plans for his life.  Derek was inspired by what he saw – deep relationships that are committed to caring for one another, principles and people that called him higher, and a purpose that transcended anything he had ever experienced.  He really felt like God was calling him to do so much more with his life.  Derek was baptized into Christ on November 16, 1999!

If you ask Derek about his struggles, he will be the first to tell you that often, when the going got tough, he was quickly tempted to give up.  He started attending Pacific Lutheran University and playing on the baseball team, only to encounter a series of frustrations and disappointments.  He quit both.  When confronted with tough relationships in his life, he usually pulled back and went elsewhere.  Whether it was family issues, financial pressure, or the stress of school and life, Derek felt weak.  All that changed as he became a Christian and began to rely on God’s strength, not his own.

Surrounded by caring relationships, Derek began to confront his fears head on.  He enrolled at the University of Puget Sound, determined to finish his business degree.  With a little pressure from friends, he even tried out for the baseball team and won a spot!  After a lot of hard work and many ups and downs, Derek graduated!  He boldly moved on in life, and is now a very successful sales associate for Esseloir Laboratories, specializing in custom optical lenses.  I recently asked Derek  what God has helped him overcome as he has devoted his life to following him?  He answered, “God has helped me have a spiritual view of money and possessions, has allowed me to be a giver, not a taker in life.  He has graciously helped me build strong relationships, and become more of a leader with the campus students, teens and singles.  He has helped me gain control over my emotions, giving me the strength to overcome long held fears, and to step our and take risks in life.”

Derek has felt what almost all of us have felt many times – when we grow weary or feel pressure, we are tempted to give up.  However, with God’s help and a stubborn commitment to standing firm in God, Derek has grown into a steady, mature disciple of Christ!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9

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Josh Durfee – Achieving Spiritual Dreams

“Achieving a Dream”

Early in the morning at 2:30AM on September 01st, I heard my front door open and the voices of my husband and Josh Durfee, our new campus ministry intern. It is so exciting to know that God has answered a specific prayer.  Our campus ministry has been begging God for a brother and partner in the gospel to help Marcus win as many as possible. I couldn’t wait until we woke up at a decent hour to meet him.  That morning, when the hour was more decent, I was surprised to find that he and Marcus have been already out on different campuses meeting people and running errands for his new home. So far, I’ve learned that Josh Durfee is a young and ambitious 20 year-old who moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Tacoma, Washington in hopes to achieve his dream and passion to work in the Church. I am very inspired and grateful for his sacrifice to move out here.  His example is truly a testament to all about a heart that yearns to serve.

Like any other teenager, high school is a time where most kids experiment with life that involve popularity, drugs, alcohol, and impure relationships. High school is a time to find an identity. Josh found his identity in sports (track, football, and wrestling) and speed on the road. But by the time he finished his junior year of school, he hit rock bottom and realized that he needed to change something in his life. Growing up in the church can be hard at times because there is subtle pressure from parents or mentors to become a disciple of Jesus at an early age, whether intentional or not. Josh also felt a need to please his parents or mentors more than God. Through studying the Bible, he was able to build his own convictions separate from his parents, and also was able to see God as a “Dad.” Josh celebrated his one-year spiritual birthday this last August 3^rd with gratitude that he chose to commit his life to God when he was ready and not because of someone else’s conviction.

Marcus and I met Josh at the International Campus Ministry Conference in Los Angeles, California during the ministry internship fair. At first, Josh was headed to Italy for culinary school, but when he learned that there was a possibility in becoming a ministry intern he decided to pursue that dream. Through a lot of prayer and advice God made it very clear to Josh that Tacoma, WA is the best place to serve in the ministry. Like many of us would, Josh came to Tacoma with many preconceived notions that the ministry would be “easy.” He expected immediate results, but has been learning that it takes time to build relationships that will foster into discipleship.

Josh is currently a student at Pierce Community College in Steilacoom and Puyallup. He will be working in the campus ministry as a part-time intern for the rest of this school year, June 2010. Please take the time to fellowship with him while he is here!

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A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

 

These qualities of character that God values in women–gentle and quiet spirits—do not always come naturally. (1 Peter 3:4)  They certainly don’t come naturally for me.  I aspire to those virtues, yet in a crunch, my nature is more prone to anxiety, rashness, and hysteria.

It seems I must have passed these traits along to my oldest daughter (sorry, Meredith). But she’s a wise and spiritual woman and reaches out for the lessons God has for her in trials, so she’s been able to bless me with things she learns. A few years ago, during an emotionally chaotic period in her life, we were talking on the phone daily. She was grasping for any spiritual anchor to stabilize her and offer her inner peace, direction and hope. She couldn’t sense God’s presence and intervention, and it sent her into a panic. I wanted desperately to be a comfort to her, but it was her own insight that brought comfort to us both. 

She called me one day to say, “Mom, you know how moms always tell their children: ‘If we’re in a crowd and we get separated, just stand still and I will find you?’ I realized that is what God is trying to say to me. I’m frantically spinning around trying to find God’s hand to cling to and it’s my very rushing that is keeping me from Him. I just need to be still and he will find me.”

Easier said than done, and yet it is what God tells us to do. I think we long for God to solve all our problems so we can find peace, but he wants us to be still in the midst of the problem. He doesn’t promise to make it easy for us to be still and quiet, he just tells us to be. Remember how Moses reassured a panicked Israel, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) God was expecting them to calm down even before they knew how he would resolve the problem of the pursuit of Pharoah’s army. He’d given them some evidence of his faithfulness to draw on for this kind of trust—the ten plagues had just rendered their enemy almost impotent. Still, the urgency of the immediate danger loomed large. In similar circumstances, God recommends the same quietness for us.      

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:13)

 David must have understood that he had a role to play in quieting down because he says in Psalm 131:2-3

 

                        But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

                        like a weaned child with its mother,

                        like a weaned child is my soul within me.

                        O, Israel, put your hope in the Lord

                        both now and forevermore.

 

We get a clue here about how to quiet our souls. It has to do with putting our hope in God. His power and his love are ample evidence that he is worthy of such hope. Still, God is fully willing to help in the process, and he doesn’t just sit back waiting for us to pull it together, but it may not be on our time schedule. Consider the combined message of the following passages:

 

                        The Lord your God is with you,

                        He is mighty to save.

                        He will take great delight in you,

                        He will quiet you with his love,

                        He will rejoice over you with singing. (Psalm 37:7)

 

                        Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…. (Zephaniah 2:7)

 

Recently, when I was waiting for word on cancer surgery, my friend Angela Johnson understood my need to be still, and my temptation not to be, and she reached out to encourage me with this poem she had written:

 

                        I stand as still as I can to let the world whirl about me.

                        The leaves outside my window submit to the slightest nudge from the wind,

                        And no harm befalls them.

                        It is as if the leaves know more than I.

                        They understand their place, their purpose.

                        One tiny leaf equals the sum of the whole,

                        And all goes well.

                        Adorned with beauty, grace, a full life—

                        This tiny leaf.

                        And life it gives–

                        This charming leaf.

                        Then I move once again, at will.

 

For myself, I want every life circumstance to be overwhelmed by the love of God and the hope I have in him. I want to be as surrendered to his will as any inert part of his creation. I have a ways to go, but I know what I’m aiming for.

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Raising Our Boys To Be Godly Men

 

Yesterday we were blessed to take part in the parenting workshop in Seattle.  We joined forces with the Seattle church and held classes on raising girls, boys, and helping raise our children with special needs.  Karla and I were able to speak about raising our boys to become godly men – what a task!  Clearly, there are NO experts in this field, just plenty of parents who have gone before us.  

What is the real burden of developing boys into men?  Teaching them to have a deep, godly character.  If we can use prayer, the scriptures, and the wisdom we gain from each other, we can use everyday life situations to equip them to make tough choices in an increasingly tough world.  The class was wonderful – we were able to share some insight and biblical principles, then had a very helpful time of group Q & A.  We have a church full of parents dedicated to developing spiritual families!

We provided a handout for parents to take home.  Rather than a “formula for success,” it is a list that shows a study in contrast – it compares the character of worldly men with the character traits of a Christian man.  To print a copy of it, click here!

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Natalie Dow – Embracing God's Visions!

 

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Our local Singles Ministry in the South Sound Church of Christ is amazing. They are a tight family-knit group with deep relationships, strong convictions, and a passion for the kingdom of God. Each of our members in the Singles Ministry is awesome in their own way, and Natalie Dow is one of the many talented women in this group. Right off the bat, her faith, energy, and spirit of encouragement is radiant and luminous to those around her. She recently celebrated her 3^rd year as a disciple of Jesus on March 19^th. When asked how she would describe her relationship with God, she replied, “There are no words to express it, really. All I know is that God is very patient with me and his willingness to sacrifice His Son and wait for us is amazing and encouraging.”

Growing up, Natalie was an All-American girl. She played Tennis for high school and Washington State University (WSU), participated in school clubs and organizations, and also applied herself in ROTC for a few years at WSU. She also was raised Lutheran, went to a Baptist High School, and graduated from Washington State University. Although she was familiar with religion, she questioned her faith, who God was, and what it meant to have a strong and deep relationship with Him. It wasn’t until Natalie attended a 2-year Nursing Program after graduation that she started to earnestly seek after a relationship with God and to get her questions answered.

When she studied the Bible with the women in the Spokane Christian Church, Natalie said that she remembered feeling like she was living for the first time. Through the studies, she overcame her struggles and learned humility, to trust in God and His plan for her life, and be vulnerable with the women around her. After some time Natalie became comfortable with her surroundings and life in Spokane, but God had other plans for Natalie. After completing her nursing program, she started to look for job positions in Washington. Her passion has always been to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with babies, and the perfect position was open in Tacoma. Moving to Tacoma was a huge turning point for Natalie, but remembering what she learned in Spokane about humility, trust, and vulnerability she was able, with the help of the Singles Ministry in Tacoma, to make a smooth transition to her new home.

It’s been a little over a year and a half now since Natalie moved to Tacoma and in such a short time she has made such an impact and added value to our Singles Ministry and church. She has many dreams and visions that she would like to accomplish as a disciple. She aspires to one day serve as a Kids Kingdom Ministry Coordinator and serve as well in a church planting, hopefully in Pullman to help others like her at WSU. Natalie currently works the night position in the NICU Department at Tacoma General Hospital and volunteers to coordinate the Blood Mobile Drive, with Cascade Regional Services, for our church members.   

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Corrine Moore – Glorifying God as a single mother

Transformations – Corrine Moore

By Naomi Wallace

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

“Servant, grateful, gentle mother, strong and passionate” are common words that describe one of our amazing sisters in the South Sound Church of Christ, Corrine Moore. She is a single mom with a 13-year old son, named Roger. Although the statistics of single parent homes in the United States are disheartening, Corrine doesn’t identify or allow the numbers to label who she is as a single mom. According to Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2005, which was released by the U.S. Census Bureau in August 2007, there are approximately 13.6 million single parents in the United States today. Of the 13.6 million single parents, 84% of them are custodial mothers. Of these mothers, 79% are employed, and 56% of them raise one child. Many of these single parents do not choose to be single, but due to their life circumstances they end up raising their children alone.

When Corrine looks back on her past, she remembers being challenged in her life at an early age; starting with witnessing her mother and father separate and choose which child each should get. She was decided to stay with her mom, and her twin brother with her father. Soon after she graduated high school, she left home and met Roger’s dad. At the time, she believed him to be her knight and shining armor, but after living with him her dream became her nightmare of abuse, loud arguments, and suffering from a low self-esteem and self-worth. It wasn’t until she gave birth to Roger that she sought help from the Lord. And a year later, He answered her prayers in providing a spiritual friendship with Jeanette Kemp who worked with her during the night shift at Tacoma Lutheran Nursing Home.

Corrine immediately soaked up the church fellowship, sermons, answered prayers, high accountability, and the multiculturalism among the members. She was baptized on August 2^nd, 1998. Ever since then, she has constantly served the church and those around her because of her gratitude towards God for “saving” her life. She is most certainly thankful that God’s family became her own family since there was a familial absence from her relatives. A few names she mentioned that she is fond of were: the Shockley’s, Markieta Marks, Lisa Rucks, and the women who studied with her; Jeanette Kemp and Debra Jones.  With their friendship and accountability, she believes is a better mom, friend, and sister in Christ because of them.

Markieta Marks, one of her dearest friends, says this of Corrine’s life and faith: “When I first met Corrine, she didn’t have the desire to dream.  She is a dreamer now.  The things I admire about Corrine is her commitment to God and receiving input from people in all walks of life about her life and raising her son.  She never gives the excuse of people not understanding, but values their knowledge.  Whatever she accomplishes, an answered prayer or even encouraging news, she gives all the credit to God, not desiring any of the credit, and shares it with anyone willing to listen.  Her life is an open book, a quality that carries her closely with her relationship with God and her friends.  Through her ups and downs, she stays committed to her faith and encouraging others.  She has been an incredible example to her teen son, who has turned out to be a child that many would love to have as their own!”

Although being a single mom is challenging, Corrine is very positive about her experience. God’s generosity has led her to believe with all her heart that she has been provided for and taken care of throughout the years. Since the day he was born, she has prayed that Roger would have the best life possible and not to be a statistic of a fatherless child or be limited of a natural family structure. She hopes that one day Roger will also choose to love God and to build a deep and personal relationship with Him.

Corrine is an amazing mom and sister in Christ. Her son, Roger will says it best, “My mom is very supportive. When I tell her anything, like what I want to do in my life, she has always supported me and doesn’t tell me what I can and can’t do. She is also fun! We cook together, and she always helps me when I cook something and shows me the right way to do things. I hope that my mom gets a great job and succeeds in her career; the massage field.” You are right, Roger. You do have a fantastic mom!

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The Fields Family – Growing Through the Years – February 2009

 

When Karla and I entered the full-time ministry in 1996, we moved to Tacoma to assume leadership of the church.  I had prayer list a mile long!  I had a “wish list,” and among other things, asked God to send us people who would be an instant blessing for the ministry, and who would be a crucial part of building a strong foundation in Tacoma that would last for years.  After only one month, my phone rang.  Chris and Annie Fields called to let us know they were being stationed in Bremerton, and were eager to meet us and start the next phase of their life in the South Sound church.  Shortly after they arrived, we had them over for dinner.  Immediately after meeting them, we fell in love with them, their young family, and with their strong convictions!

 

Chris and Annie have been married for 18 years.  They have two beautiful daughters: Kendra (12) is now in 7th grade, and Ciara (8) is in 3rd grade.  Chris recently retired from the Navy, where he spent 23 years in active duty.  He holds an MA degree in Organizational Leadership, and currently works as a Human Resources Specialist for the Navy Human Resource Center Northwest.  Annie holds a BA in Workforce Education and Development, and currently works as Assistant Day Care Director at Peace Lutheran School (she especially loves the job because her kids attend school there!).  Their family and faith shine brightly in the South Sound Church of Christ, where they have raised their kids, served in nearly every capacity, and built strong relationships that will surely last a lifetime.

     Chris and Annie became Christians in November, 1990.  Recently, I asked them what made the biggest impact on them as they considered becoming a Christian:

Chris:  “It really was the openness and honesty of Christian relationships.  I had never seen such a depth in people committed to sharing about their lives.”

Annie:  “Obviously, it was God’s grace and mercy – I realized that with God I was never abandoned, although I always felt like it outside of really knowing Him.  Also, it was amazing that people were willing to invest in me in spite of who I was!  Lastly, I was so inspired by witnessing people who committed to daily living for God.”

     One especially inspiring example of the Fields’ faith is their ability to move around often, yet continue to grow spiritually and maintain a healthy perspective about relationships.  They have been a part of ministries in San Diego, Memphis, Fresno, and now in Bremerton.  Each church and situation has been different.  However, what remains the same is their commitment to God, even in spite of challenges, or the ever-present temptation to “compare” ministries or leaders.  I asked them to share their convictions about this:

 

 

Chris:  “The important thing to devotion to mature relationships in the church.  As we get close, we help each other grow, and are bonded together through experiences such as raising our children.  In my opinion, depth of friendships means everything.  Even in tough times, the people I have seen stay faithful and grow have various strong relationships.  Those who do not invest in the relationships in the church seem to struggle, and sadly, some have left.”

Annie:  “I’ve learned that in a transitional ministry like the military, you have to be personally and wholeheartedly devoted to your relationship with God.    Faces and friendships change, but God doesn’t.  Also, those who invest in strong relationships with other brothers and sisters, getting advice and input about all phases of life, will be successful and faithful.  Lastly, for those that move around a lot, it is extra important to be immediately active in the ministry you are a part of.  Otherwise, it’s easy to get critical, and you won’t grow like you should.”  Annie had some wise words for the future of our church, saying “The young Timothy’s in the faith really inspire me.  When I look at young people as a whole in our church it gives me great faith to know that we are building a great foundation for generations to come.  Also, I know some of these young people will walk with and lead our children.”

     Talking with the Fields is impressive.  Their family revolves around the church, and it shows.  They serve people, the open up their home to the ministry and the lost around them, and they maintain a strong desire to build up their church in any way they can.  They have obviously remained committed to growing deeper through the years, and with each move they’ve made.  My prayer for them now is that they stay put for years to come!

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Imagine If….2009 Goals and Visions

 

“Imagine If….!”

2009 South Sound Church of Christ Goals

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

Dear Members of the South Sound Church of Christ,

     As we head into 2009, we look back on last year to gain insight about lessons learned, and to gain vision for the future direction of our church.  God has blessed our spiritual family in so many ways!  We have our faith, which is of greater worth than gold, we have a special purpose in brining the hope of our savior to a lost world, and we share family with a body of believers that has been set up by God himself.  He placed us in our church family in order to allow us to be inspired and called higher by each others’ faith, to be equipped for our crucial work in this world, and to provide a heavenly context around which we can build our lives while on earth, our temporary home! 

     I have entitled our goals and prayer focus “Imagine If….!”  So often, especially as our years pass in the church, we are increasingly tempted to define our faith by what we can see with our eyes, touch with our hands, even set spiritual goals and visions that we can realistically imagine happening!  All of us can find ourselves living daily with such a faith.  However, this idea is foreign to God.  Jesus found the predictable faith of the Pharisees dull, while being moved to action by the simple, anything-can-happen expectations of average followers!  God expects us to expect great things.  He expects his church to tap into HIS power, and as it inspires us to dream big, he expects us to cast a vision in the church that reaches far beyond anything we can see – or imagine. 

     In Ephesians 3, Paul reminds the believers about the power of God.  He created his church to be a collection of different but united individuals, all dreaming about the many ways their lives could bring him glory on earth.  As they relied on his power, quite literally, anything was possible.  With that in mind, let us use the following goals and visions to begin changing the culture of our fellowship.

MISSIONS

1.  Win as many as possible to Christ!  Every disciple is committed to seeking and saving the lost.

2.  Deepen the sense of mission in our Bible Talk Groups.  Everyone committed to being in a Bible study with a non-believer.

3.  Growth in our campus ministry.  Pray fervently for God to bless our efforts at PLU and UPS, and all the area community colleges.

4.  Explosion of growth in our preteen and teen ministries!

MATURITY

1.  Deepen our relationships in the church, by renewing our commitment to the one-another passages in the Bible.

2.  Renew our faith in the congregation by focusing on transforming and changing.  We will be highlighting stories of transformation, people personally bringing glory to God with their lives and families.

3.  Greater reliance on God.  This, of course, will always be a prayer focus of our church!

4.  Strong finish to our building campaign!  We have one year left in our three-year capital campaign.  We will sacrifice our way to the end!

     In addition to these goals, I would like to ask every disciple to imagine a an impossible feat.  What would amaze you in 2009?  What seems our of your reach and power?  Write it down, commit it to God, and fervently pray for it through the year.  Let’s call on our amazing God to do immeasurably more than anything we can ask or imagine in 2009!  To God be the glory!

Daren

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The Best Day of Joe’s Life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the high school student, Joseph Sarabia, yesterday’s President’s Day wasn’t only a great day because he got a day out of school, but more importantly because he was baptized into Christ.  Joe is a junior at Olympic High School in Bremerton and is a young man of great character.  With more than 50 people in attendance at his baptism, Joe and his parents (disciples Lorena and Ernie Sarabia) thanked God and all the disciples of the South Sound Church esp. those in the Kitsap Ministry whose love and support allowed such a great miracle to take in their family.  People shed tears of joy and told Joe how much they respected his decision to become a disciple of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

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