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

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

]]> http://www.southsoundchurchofchrist.org/2010/01/11/derek-scholz-an-example-of-patient-endurance-2/feed/ 0 http://www.southsoundchurchofchrist.org/2009/11/18/josh-durfee-achieving-spiritual-dreams/ http://www.southsoundchurchofchrist.org/2009/11/18/josh-durfee-achieving-spiritual-dreams/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:06:58 +0000 naomi http://www.southsoundchurchofchrist.org/?p=1084

“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!

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.

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!

download Wanted: Dead or Alive movie

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.   

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!

The Fields Family

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!

Kendra & Ciara

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:

They quickly repented & became Seahawk fans!

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!

Serving at MLK Day 2009

“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

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.

Joe & Lorena - a happy day for mom!

Erika Martin shines as a teen!

Erika Martin is known to always have a smile on her face and her joy to be insurmountable. Her bubbly personality lights up any room she enters and is a great friend to many in her high school and church family. I am personally grateful to know her and am so proud to see how she has grown in her maturity and faith as a disciple of Jesus in just a couple years.

Erika is currently a senior at Curtis High School and will graduate with amazing accomplishments. Not only is she an honor roll student in her class, she also has an ability to balance her other extracurricular activities well. She has served as Captain for the school’s cross country and track team for 2 years, and won high standings individually and as a team member in League, District, and State Championship in Cross Country and Track.  She placed 12th in the 2008 Washington State cross county championships, and recently received a medal at the 2008 Junior Olympics.  She is currently being recruited by several Division 1 colleges to run cross country.  However, her biggest accomplishment though was not achieved in school however, but in her personal relationship with God.

It was shortly after the annual Northwest Youth Camp in 2005 when Erika realized that she wasn’t fulfilled by everything that she had already accomplished in life. At such a young age, Erika had the popularity, the high academic grades, and being the “golden child” in her family, but she was inspired by the faith of others at camp and knew she was missing something; a purpose in her relationship with God. While growing up around the church, Erika knew who God was, but hadn’t made decisions to completely devote her life to His word and His purpose in her life. After studying the bible and growing in her character, she was transformed into a new creation in August of 2006 at Titlow Beach Park in Tacoma.

Since her baptism, Erika has strived to be an example of faith and righteousness for her siblings and friends at school. Her heart for others is well-known by her friends by being a great listener, energetic, and giving 100% in any assigned task. This last summer, Erika worked for HOPE worldwide as an AmeriCorps Intern for a little over a month to work in Philadelphia at a summer camp for elementary and pre-teens as well as Camp Miracles where she was trained in a one-on-one mentoring program working with inner-city youth from North  Philladelphia. There, Erika would say with a big smile that she built some of her deepest friendships and was thrilled to have made a difference in those kid’s lives in such a short time. She also came away with stronger convictions to meet the needs of others, especially in discipleship; being open to discipling and being able to disciple others. Anyone would tell you that “she came back as a different person” after Hope Youth Corps because she exuberated security, confidence, and maturity. Erika is an amazing teen in our church. Currently, she is unsure of where she will be attending college, but I’m sure that wherever she is, her efforts and heart in a campus ministry will bring glory to God!

Thanks to volunteers over 4,000 families were served on MLK day-09!

In partnership with the American Red Cross, Over 275 HOPE worldwide volunteers came together to distribute life-saving fire prevention materials and provided a community fair in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy.  Volunteers canvassed throughout South King County region.  Door-hangers were distributed to more than 4,000 homes in the community and hundreds more people opened their doors to learn what they can do to protect their families and homes.  

In the afternoon, volunteers and local families gathered at the Southwest Seattle Boys & Girls Club to celebrate with a community fair sponsored by the Hope worldwide – Washington, American Red Cross Advanced Academics, and the Southwest Seattle Boys and Girls Club.  Mack and Zoe Strong were joined by Seattle Seahawks fullback Leonard Weaver, The Seahawks drum group Blue Thunder, Fox Sports Northwest sports analyst Jen Mueller and the Seagals to entertain and inspire the community. The theme of the day was “Dream Big. Think Safe. Get Prepared.” Members of the community had the opportunity to learn about disaster response, CPR and First Aid techniques, and history about Martin Luther King, Jr at various booths set up throughout the gym. 

HOPE worldwide – Washington would like to thank all those who gave their time and heart to serve the community, and a special thanks to the South Sound and Seattle Church of Christ for providing the majority of volunteers!  MLK Day ‘09 was an amazing success and we can all be sure that the people of South King County were truly impacted by our efforts.

To see a full slideshow of the MLK event, click here!

The idea of a God who has both the power and the willingness to intervene in life circumstances at our request is irresistibly intriguing.  So much so that for more than two decades scientists have been spending millions of dollars initiating carefully constructed studies on intercessory prayer for the sick, charting their findings, and then debating the outcomes.  The supernatural is uncomfortable, if not incompatible, territory for science. 

Interestingly, all but one of the documented studies found intercessory prayer to be “statistically significant” in favor of prayer as a benefit to the sick.  In other words, the patients who were prayed for-without their knowledge, by the way-had better clinical health results.  For believers, this offers affirmation to our faith.  For skeptics, it provides little encouragement to take God or prayer more seriously as it raises questions for them about why the study results were only statistically significant instead of overwhelmingly convincing-like if everyone prayed for was instantly healed.

Unbelievers do not come from the same context as believers do when considering the nature of God.  As believers we know God to be loving, compassionate, and eager to bless us.  These are the traits Christians depend on when we pray.  At the same time he is fair, wise and above being manipulated.  We do not always judge fairness in the same way that God does; we are not privy to the depths of his wisdom; and we cannot understand why he would not be eager to prove his power by overwhelming the results of a scientific test.  A common dilemma faced by believers is why God might have an alternate plan when our request is for something we deem to be selfless and good.  Thus, one immeasurable factor is the superior judgment of God.  As Martin Luther said, “[...] faith prays in such a manner that it commits everything to the gracious will of God; it lets God determine whether it is conducive to his honor and to our benefit.”  Even Jesus, the night before he died, prayed to avoid the crucifixion adding “yet not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39).”  The will of God said “no” to Jesus’ request.

God always has the option to say no.  In II Corinthians 12:7-10, the apostle Paul recounts his own experience with God’s refusal to grant his request, but he had the advantage of hearing an explanation from God.  After Paul prayed three times for healing, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  It wasn’t Paul’s preference, but he accepted the fact that somehow he was more useful to God with his handicap.

From a human perspective, it is hard to understand why God would not want everyone to be healed.  We often have more faith in the imperative validity of our request than in the One to whom we are making that request.  But the Bible is repeatedly clear that God value in suffering and has his own purposes in it.  James 1:2-4, explains that trials develop maturity and perseverance within the human character.  Romans 5:3-5 also points to the development of patience and hope.  God is often more concerned with changing our character than our circumstances.

As science grapples with the meaning of the results of multiple double-blind studies that prove a correlation between healing and prayer, in the end they are left with only a correlation.  That’s all, just a correlation.

No matter what scientific data may establish, there is no catalyst for statistics and faith.  God cannot be reduced to a probability factor.  He is not the great vending machine in the sky and our prayers are not the coins.  In fact, God says that it is not the manipulation of nature that should convince man of God’s existence, but rather nature itself.  “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse [for not believing] (Romans 1:20).”  He expects us to connect the dots and the dots are not that far apart!  Perhaps this is the reason he feels we already have enough evidence for his existence and is unwilling to cooperate with our little experiments.

Prayer is not the standardized form we fill out and present to some cosmic desk clerk with giant rubber stamps marked “APPROVED” or “REQUEST DENIED.”  Prayer is a conversation with a trusted friend, albeit, an all-powerful, omniscient one.  It is about relationship and dependence and trust and love.

It is by faith alone, then, that we turn to a caring, attentive God who longs to bless us, and has the power to heal us and the wisdom to know what is best.  It is through respect and humility that we embrace our own inadequacy to decide how and when our prayers should be answered.  And it is with hope that we look expectantly for his answers whether they exactly match our requests or not and trust that His decisions are better than our own.

As we begin to reach out to friends and family, we are confronted with many questions: will they be open to studying the scriptures?  Will they be able to confront important issues in their life?  Can I adequately convey God’s love to them?  If so, how long before they decide to make Jesus their Lord and Savior?  The answers: God knows!

During the middle of 2007, myself, Marcus Wallace, and some singles began to study the Bible with a young man named Branden Bensen.  He was introduced to the church by Jeff Henderson, a friend from his high school days.  He began to attend church, get integrated into the singles, and study God’s word.  He was inspired by what he saw and read, but didn’t feel like he was ready to make a decision at the time.

Over the next year, he attended occasionally, and kept in good contact with the church through many relationships in the singles ministry.  In the Spring of 2008, he decided to come back and begin studying the Bible again in earnest.  God  blessed Branden with a Princeton education, a good job, and a supportive family.  Still, he realized all of that meant nothing without a saving relationship with God.  After months of studying and changing, Branden was baptized on October 27 in the icy waters of Puget Sound!

That was one night nobody will forget.  Surrounded by friends and family, Branden pledged his life to God.  It was incredible to hear touching words of gratitude from his father, as well as Branden expressing thanks to God and his friends for showing him patience on his journey to a relationship with God.

As Branden was baptized by his close friends Derek Scholz and Todd Stickler, we were all reminded that God’s plan of evangelism includes our tireless effort in reaching out to people and showing them the scriptures.  We should pray earnestly for them, serve them, and show them unconditional love.  However, we can’t control the timing of people making decisions to turn their life over to God.  I was reminded of this when I asked Branden the question, “why did you decide to become a Christian now and not last year?”  His answer: “I feel like now I was ready to make the decision to make Jesus my Lord.”  I think God knew that!

Bill and Michelle Shockley have been members of the South Sound Church of Christ for nearly eight years.  Like so many young married couples, they began to earnestly pray for God to allow them to bring children into this world and start a family.  Not long into this process, it became clear having children on their own might not be a part of that plan.  After wrestling with many different options, they courageously decided to volunteer to be a “foster-adopt” family.

They lovingly brought a little boy into their family – an energetic young guy named Stone!  Thirteen months after his birth, following a lot of prayer and many legal proceedings, he officially became their son, as they were able to legally adopt him.  Not long after their adoption of Stone, they welcomed a beautiful newborn girl into their home.  Her name was Arrie.  She came from a troubled family that struggled to be unified on just what exactly would be the best long-term solution for her.  Would one of Aries’ relatives step up and adopt her?  As she fought to get her life together, would her birth mother want her back?  As the Shockley family met Aries’ needs in the warmth and security of their own home, they also weren’t sure how her future would play out.

As they prayed and patiently waited, the legal process became witheringly slow and frustrating.  Forced to wait, sometimes long periods with little or no news, the Shockley’s struggled to see how God was working.  It seemed that when news did come, it was discouraging.  After two long years, they felt no closer to resolution than when they started.  Concerned about Arrie and their family on many fronts, they solicited the prayers and encouragement of the disciples in the church.  Friends and family prayed and put the future of Arrie into God’s hands.  It was impossible for us to believe that Arrie would be forced to leave the only family she knew.  Finally, nearly three years after taking her in, the Shockley’s were notified this last week that they were cleared to officially begin the process of adopting Arrie!

The Lord has blessed the Shockley family.  He has worked powerfully to bring an end to a long, tense, bittersweet process.   He has blessed Stone with a little sister for life.  He has enriched so many of us with the joy of watching Arrie grow up into a sweet little girl.  Perhaps most importantly, He has helped all of us grow in our faith, clearly showing us the power of prayer and perseverance.  To Him be the glory!

Money is so often divisive.  Most of us can remember parents or grand-parents soberly abjuring us from discussing money, religion, or politics, in or out of our households.  For disciples, two of these three are still sensitive topics, and none more so than cold, hard cash. Money can bless the church or divide the church.  Since disciples tenaciously strive for the “complete unity” that Jesus prayed for, coming to a consensus about money in the church is a serious and essential step in “contending as one man” for the gospel in Seattle. What can God’s word tell us about such sensitive waters?

Among other things, we know from scripture that the love of money is the “root of all kinds of evil.”  And we know the longing to get rich pierces the seeker with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10). And yet we also know, when we stop to think about it, that money is an abstraction that (usually) represents some tangible thing that is valued and usually something that has been made or produced.  This produce, whether from the land, the craftsman, the factory, or the computer, is something that according to scripture God historically brings as He sees fit—His blessing to His people (Deut 8:6-20).  The blessing of prosperity—and the money that represents it—is always from God, but in our world often replaces God.  Prosperity itself is not a curse, but loving and enthroning it is.

How, then, do we graciously accept God’s prosperity while abhorring financial idolatry?  In particular, how should we view “sacrificial living” as a feature of Christian life—what exactly does it mean?—and how should we view the support of ministers and missionaries in our congregations and abroad?  Times and topics that engender confusion always beg for clarity, and though we long, perhaps, even more for simplicity, often clarity and simplicity are not the same thing.

It may be tempting, for instance, to use the Spartan example of Jesus—no possessions that we are aware of—to rid ourselves of any monetary questions:  let’s just rid ourselves of everything but the Birkenstocks on our feet in an effort to “be like him.”  The simplicity and assumed purity of such a philosophy is quite attractive but begs an avalanche of serious questions:  if minimalist living is a holy mandate, why did the first century church even have wealthy members?  Or middle class members for that matter? And why does God prosper any of us at all if He only wants minimalist living? Just to tempt us? How might we live differently if we were only supporting ourselves instead of a spouse and children?  What does it mean to responsibly provide for children (another Bible mandate)? In a modern economy, how do we labor and save, then, in order to someday retire and not be burden to our children or to society as we age (Gal 6:5)?  What if Jesus had planned on living for 60 years not 33? Was Jesus prosperous before as a carpenter—and we assume He was a very good carpenter?  As a full-time minister, did Jesus live on more than John the Baptist—he of the leather belt, desert quarters and locust diet?  Does it matter?

Can we frame a solid theological teaching on how much money we should make, or how much we should sacrifice based on Jesus’ three year ministry?  In Seattle, we don’t think so. Godly peoples have been wrestling with these and other questions of money since the first century and this struggle ought to be respected. It seems unlikely that we will be able to hang our hats on one or two scriptures to solve all of our money conflicts.  Instead, we will need humility and a persevering suspension of judgment to reach a unity about money that brings joy to the church (Romans 14:1).  Each of us must do his or her own wrestling and form opinions of maturity about our finances and our sacrifices.  As we do this, we must strive to humbly hesitate making an emotional or theological commitment to what may simply be our opinion—what works for us.  At the same time, we need a limited base of shared financial convictions in order to thwart Satan’s divisive strategies and allow our community to build with zeal and confidence.

With these caveats guiding, we in the Seattle church want to humbly but confidently affirm these few godly principles for basic guidance in our financial work together:

1.  We believe in Stewardship, not Greed, nor Asceticism. The material world was made by God and all prosperity is from God (Deut 8, 1 Tim 6:17).  This means, first, that we are to worship the Creator and not the creation. We appreciate the providence but love the Provider.  We put our hope in God, not in the wealth that he bestows according to his purposes.  Materialism is idolatry.

Second, this means we must not despise His providence.  If we despise the bacon we bring home by His grace, we might as well despise all careers and all jobs, all enterprise; we might as well despise all natural providence as well—His lakes, mountains, oceans, birds, fish, and animals, the seasons, the sun and moon.  Asceticism—trying to guarantee holiness by rejecting the material world—is Gnostic and another form of idolatry, for we put our hope in God, not in our relative level of economic austerity.

We are left, then, with the commission of Stewardship.  What we have, God brings—it should neither be worshipped nor despised.  Because it is all a gift from Him, though, we should use our money—no matter how much or how little—knowing all of it belongs to Him in the first place, and ask Him for wisdom in using, investing, or spending it.

2.  We believe in amply supporting full-time ministers as we can and where we can. Paul wrote that God actually commands us to financially support those who preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).  He also wrote (though this is an observation, not a command) that the Philippians provided him with generous support—that he was amply supplied and had also known times of “plenty” as a missionary (Phil 4:12, 18). The point here is not that ministers must be generously supplied, but rather that they ought to be financially supported, and that ample (i.e. abundant, generous) support is neither unusual nor unspiritual.

In Seattle, acknowledging that our ministers live in a 21st century, not a first century economy, our board and salary committee have created a salary model that amply provides for the ministry staff.  We have distributed this model in the past and you can view it again by clicking here.  Again, eschewing the doctrine that insists our goal is to be as Spartan as Jesus was for three years, our board has striven to find a rational place to financially “plant the goalposts,” in the absence of a strict and clear Bible command.  They did this by tying ministers’ compensation to that of other comparable public servants—teachers, firemen, policemen, and the like.  As in the case of these public servants, our salary model generally calls for a series of small yearly raises to acknowledge longevity, expertise, and the financial demands that raising families brings.  Unlike the public servant models, our model has no medical benefits package—like many small companies these days, the church is no longer in the business of administrating health coverage.  Staff members are on their own to individually or collectively find their own health insurance.  Consequently, the board has raised the salaries a bit higher than, for example, those of teachers so that the overall salary-plus-benefits package is similar.

Certainly the goal is not to make our ministry staff wealthy (although it’s possible some may become wealthier due to blessed investments or family inheritance—it’s not our business to judge.  Those so blessed will prayerfully in turn give generously!) but at the same time, we hope to set them free from financial concern and pay them in a way that speaks of both high respect and high expectations.

In a modern economy, all salaries are ultimately decided by market decisions of value—supply and demand.  In the private sector, the results are often dramatic—NFL players are rare and so receive rare compensation (that is, assuming fans still want to see games).  But the public sector, collectively, is also market-determined—how many tax dollars do we really want to allocate for road-repairmen, meter maids, teachers, principles, or chief inspectors?  In the long run, the market lands where it probably should, for both private and public roles. We therefore compare our salaries to those of teachers with some confidence.

3.  We reject envy as both a sin and a distortion. Are ministers/teachers/ firemen middle class?  Upper-middle?  Lower class?  Does it matter? Who judges? Some members may be tempted to envy the level of compensation of ministers.  Others may be tempted to pity that level of compensation.  Some ministers may feel that being compensated like a public servant is an incredible blessing; others may feel it is more of a cheerful sacrifice, depending on a host of factors such as upbringing, education, work ethic, ambition, and experience working in the world’s private or public sectors.  The point is that all of it is subjective—there simply is no clear right or wrong compensation.  In the Seattle church, we have landed near the level of teachers and other public servants, and we commend our staff as one of spirituality and excellence.  We want to financially support them in a way that is encouraging and inspiring; we expect, in return, the very best from them.  We want each of them to feel not like a charity case but rather as a workman who truly (as much as any sinner, that is) “deserves his wages” (1 Tim 5:18).

4.  We each commit as faithful members of the Seattle church to giving a faithful financial sacrifice to the Lord. We do not accept the idea that one can be a faithful member of God’s church yet withhold a financial sacrifice—an obvious contradiction.  If we lack faith in the affairs of the congregation enough to withhold our sacrifice, then clearly we are worshipping in the wrong place. In this congregation, faith in the work and sacrificing for the work go together.

The Bible teaches spiritual men and women to sacrifice as part of their worship.  Such sacrifices are as old as Cain and Abel.  The patriarchs offered sacrifices, first fruits and even tithes to God and to His priests (Gen 8:20, 12:7, 13:18, 14:20, 15:10). Abraham foreshadowed God’s own sacrificial heart in Genesis 22:9 when he prepared to sacrifice Isaac.  The Israelites were commanded to make many agrarian and animal offerings to God (Leviticus) and various tithes to support the spiritual work of the Levites.  We worship a God who sacrifices and who commends us to do likewise.

It requires distorted, inverted proof-texting to assert that we are not required today to sacrifice. It’s obvious that first century disciples supported full time ministers and missionaries (1 Cor 9:14).  It’s obvious they saved and collected special contributions for special needs (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Cor 8-9).  But most of all, it’s obvious that God’s people have always lived a lifestyle of tithes, offerings, and sacrifices, even as He prospered them.  Trying to take this out of the Bible culture is like trying to take the miracles out of Jesus’ profile—it just runs too thick to excise.

But are we sacrificial?  The Bible teaches that our whole lives are to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), but who judges that? By what standard do we judge whether or not we are being sacrificial?  Where do we land on this?

By definition, sacrifice hurts.  It is not convenient.  It means giving up something.  While we do not have a proof-text command in the New Testament to tithe (10%) we are commanded to be sacrificial.  We stand for every member deciding before their God what that means.  No doubt what we decide to give sends a message to Him.  We acknowledge that sacrifice is always relative and that the need around us is always endless.  With this in mind, we commit to giving and sacrificing in such as way that we each can feel personally inspired.  We pray that our offerings, in turn, can also inspire our God.

5. We disavow the practice of scrutinizing what ought to be private, personal, spiritual financial matters. Whether in giving (our weekly and missions offerings), compensating (ministry staff salaries) or spending (will you buy a Toyota or a Volvo?), we follow the implications of Matthew 6:2-4—that these matters are between the individual and God.  None of us is fit to judge, let alone knowledgeable enough to judge these choices.  Out of respect, and to protect ourselves from a misguided and controlling culture of judgment, we do not demand to know what members give, how they spend their finances, or what their personal salaries are—ministry staff included.  Curiosity about personal details is, in reality, a kind of “unhealthy interest in controversy” and must be resisted for the sake of one’s own faith and pure-heartedness (1 Timothy 6:4).  In the SCC, we just don’t “go there.”

May God bless us with peace and faith about our finances that both overcomes and inspires the world!

With much love and respect,

The ministers, deacons, and BTLs of the Seattle church of Christ

and South South Sound Church of Christ.