Where We've Been-Where We're Going!

I think it's time for good ol' old testament remembering. I was always struck by how God always had altars built to remember what he had done for His children. They would stop, worship and erect an altar of stone. I think as a church, we should do the same thing. We need to remember where we've come from, because it gives us a direction of where we are going.

We were recently asked "What has God been up to a Whipple Creek since last year?" At our staff retreat last weekend, we had a time to remember and we jotted those things down in bullet point format. This list is not to impress or say, "look how cool we are!" or even, "hey, look what God is doing in our church." but it's to remember how God has been faithful to us in the past and how we can trust that He will be faithful in the future. I hope you enjoy reading through "the list." Each one of the bullet points represents a story of a changed life (or lives in some cases.) As you read, remember God's faithfulness in your own life, your own ministry and your own church (if Whipple isn't your church.)

Oh yea, for those of you in Vancouver, we kick off our new series this Sunday, "Behind Closed Doors." We asked you what questions you had about the Christian life and we went to the Bible for answers. This Sunday is "End of Days" or Are we living in the end times? I look forward to it!

In His Grip

Brett

At Whipple Creek Church we aim to make it hard to get to hell from Vancouver, Washington. We measure success by changed lives. Here is evidence of changed lives from this past year:

• Our prayer ministry has been developed. We began a weekly prayer meeting, developed a prayer team that is available on Sundays and throughout the week and have gone on prayer walks throughout the neighborhood.
• Our worship ministry has developed. We have gone through a transition in our worship ministry with a new worship pastor coming in and developing new leadership as he and his family our transitioning to the foreign mission field. We now have four worship leaders and a few different teams in rotations. The sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence during our time of worship on Sunday mornings is very evident.
• Our skate church ministry has seen 51 conversions since January. A new skate church pastor is transitioning into leadership. We are developing leaders from among our sponsored skaters. We have taken skaters on trips to California and other skate parks, doing outreach.
• Our youth ministry has gone through transition this year as a new youth pastor has come on board. They are developing a phenomenal leadership and seeing new youth come.
• We have had 35 baptisms.
• We have invested a lot of time and resources in community outreach. We had a Luau and campout and a movie night on our property in the back. We gave over 30 backpacks with school supplies to a local elementary school to be given to children from low-income homes. We served hot dogs to public service employees downtown. We made a float and were in a parade in our local community.
• We launched our first Vacation Bible School in our community where 60 to 80 children came everyday, 70% of which were not children from our church, 7 of which gave their lives to Christ. We had 70 volunteers come out to help.
• We started a coffee house on Sunday nights where local Christian artists perform to create an environment where people in the community can have coffee and connect with others.
• We have hosted Christian hard rock shows where 200 young people who may never darken the doors of a traditional church have come to hear about Jesus.
• We built a recording studio upstairs at our church where we record and produce local Christian bands, helping local musicians.
• We have started many small groups for all ages and walks of life where community happens.
• We have had 3 miracles babies, that from a medical perspective, shouldn’t have been born. We dedicated these babies and many more.
• We remodeled our children’s ministry wing and moved into it.
• William P. Young, author of “The Shack,” came and spoke at our church.
• We launched our young adult ministry where as many as 50 young adults come for fellowship and to grow in their walk with Jesus.
• We established Whipple Creek World Missions. We sent people on our 2nd short-term missions trip to Poland. We have sent out full-time missionaries from within our body to Oregon, Kansas, Mexico and Mozambique and are in the process of sending out a family full-time to Poland.
• A former drug-user who is a professional painter volunteered his time & came and painted our church building .
• One young man who gave his life to Christ at skate church brought his parents to church. His father who was raised Mormon and his mother who was raised Catholic turned Buddhist both received Christ on separate Sunday mornings and now serve at Whipple.
• One family who had been away from the church for 15 years and just lost a child to a motorcycle accident saw our church sign that says, “Real Life, Real Hope,” received healing and has been at church ever since. Their autistic son is a part of our greeting team on Sunday mornings.
• We’ve had the biggest Northwest Passage group we’ve ever had. We look forward to the changed lives that result in this leadership development.

Passing of a Legacy

Many of you know, I went back to be with my family this week as my dad had a massive heart attack on Monday. This morning, he went to be with the Lord. I was able to be with him when he passed also was able to spend the last few days with him. These have been rich and blessed days for me. Thank you for your prayers. I would appreciate your continued prayers for my family as we make funeral arrangements and plans.

Easter service is going to be all about the Dash (that time between birth and death.) I've really experience what it means to live in the dash this week and what really counts. I spent time reading the Bible to him and telling him stories of our church and stories of you--the changed lives. He was overjoyed and what is happening in the hearts of Whipple Creek.

We talk everything from baseball to Christ purpose for us and about leaving a legacy. I am so thankful for my dad, the legacy he has left to me. Cherish you moments you have with those you love. Have deep conversations. Tell them you love them (even guys you can tell other guys). Share your heart and what's really important. Drink in "the dash." Our moments here are fleeting.

God has given us such a precious gift we often take for granted. I am renewed and encouraged in my thinking about lingering with people and drinking in deeply the friendships and conversations--my dad has taught me that this week.

I will share with you sometime, what we talked about since we spend several hours together and I knew it was my last moments with him on this earth (we did talk quite extensively about the Yankees!)

Thanks for allowing me to ramble a bit. I will miss him a great deal. Thank you for your prayers. I love you guys.

Living a legacy

Brett

"I'm too Busy!"

When you ask someone how they are doing, the typical response is, “I’m busy.” In today’s crazy times, busyness has become a badge of honor. We have more opportunities and options available to us than at any other point in history. Even when we aren’t busy, we’re busy. We answer our cell phones at restaurants (and sometimes church), check e-mails on the golf course, text message other's when we are with someone, and plug in the latest Disney movie for the five minute trip to the grocery store.

But our busyness is more devastating to our time than we realize. We spend so much time being busy that we ultimately miss the greatness of time. The bottom line is that our busyness is killing our intimacy with God. But God offers us a remedy.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

The greatest way to manage our time is to first spend time with the author of time. When was the last time you were still before God? I mean no cell phone, no e-mail, not texting, no iPod, no television or radio. When was the last time you just listened to God without competing with the distractions of everyday life?

If you are serious about getting your priorities in line with your commitments, if you are serious about making the most of your time, then be still before God. Be strategic. Set a place and time where you can talk with God and focus on his will for your life. Set aside a time each day where you can focus solely on God’s business, and not your own busyness.

I look forward to being with you as we talk about being still.

In His Grip


Brett

TheGap

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight.
Proverbs 3:21

Life is a circus. We juggle this activity and that activity; we walk the tight rope of day-to-day life trying to balance everything that comes our way; and we stretch and mold our schedules to accommodate even the tiniest of obligations. We don’t want to miss out on anything, so we try to do everything. And this circus-type life leaves us over-scheduled, over-committed and overdone.

The truth is that what we say is important and where we spend our time often don’t line up. In short, we say one thing and do another. We say it’s important to spend time alone with God, but we get to the end of each day and wonder where that time was supposed to fit in. We say that church is a priority, but when playoff season comes we wouldn’t dare miss the big game. We claim that our spouse is the most important person in the world, but at the end of the week we look back and see that we didn’t spend one waking hour alone with them.

There’s a gap that exists between our priorities and our commitments—many times without us even realizing it. And it’s a gap that desperately needs closed. Look at everything that comes across your calendar and ask yourself, “Does this activity or obligation line up with what I hold important? Does this sync up with my priorities set forth in God’s word?” If it does, then do it. If not, then don’t. Don’t just say yes to something because you have a few hours to kill. Instead, close the gap by saying yes only to the best.

Sunday we'll continue to explore how to bridge the gap so we can have the best.

One

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19

Numbers are very important throughout the Bible—from the five smooth stones that David found in the creek to Jesus feeding the five thousand. But what exactly is the relationship between numbers and God? Is there some biblical code that He has constructed that we're supposed to crack?

Of course not. But God has developed a very important equation that is essential in the building of his kingdom. And it all starts with the number one.

God works through people like you and me to reach others and bring them into his family—one person at a time. He doesn't have to, though. God could easily snap his fingers and have a church filled with thousands of people appear, but that is not how He works. He wants us to share the good news with others and recruit disciples to follow Him—one by one.

So remember, you are a major factor in God's equation. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to save the whole world all at once. It's all about reaching one life at a time. So go out and find that one. Share with them God's love. And show them that God is still counting—one life at a time.

This Sunday, I'm going to share as clearly as I can the message Jesus came to show. It will not only be a great opportunity for yourself to hear how much God loves you but an opportunity for you to invite someone to hear how much God loves them, "4ever."

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we journey together discovering how much God loves us.

Brett