Our Weekend Trip to the Vancouver Church

Last weekend, Darin and I had the privilege of spending an entire weekend with Brian and Sara Felushko and the Vancouver Church. Brian and Sara were gracious hosts and great examples of service – they served tirelessly all weekend. Friday night was time to unwind and then meet Brian and Sara for a great dinner and time of fellowship.

On Saturday, we had an all day devotional and workshop, 9am to 4pm, with the Worship team. Darin preached an inspiring lesson entitled, “The Heart of Worship.” We had a great time of Q and A afterwards, followed by lunch and Part II of the workshop. The worship team in Vancouver is full of servants, eager to use their talents for God.

On Sunday morning, we met with the entire Vancouver Church, Darin preached a great lesson and then we enjoyed a time of rich fellowship with the disciples following the service. We even saw some Seattle disciples who were in town visiting for the weekend. We ended the weekend over lunch, discussing the weekend, with the Felushkos, Andy (who leads the Worship Team in Vancouver) and his wife, Cathy.

We feel even more bonded to the church in Vancouver. Our hearts were truly refreshed after our weekend in Canada.

Fun and Fellowship in Pt. Townsend

Last weekend the Bible Talk Leaders from the South Sound held a Leaders retreat in sunny Pt. Townsend. In keeping with our congregational theme "Shine," the weather was amazing, the lessons were inspiring, and the fellowship was invigorating.

We started our weekend with lesson entitled "Shine on the Lost." We talked of the need to rethink and recommit ourselves to the evangelism of our individual mission fields. We followed it with a great talk about renewing our evangelistic efforts. After a lunch break, Marcus Wallace, Greg Miller and Walt Channell taught a lesson entitled "Shine on the Fellowship." The topic was the ever-present need to recommit ourselves to humility, openness and transparency. We ended the first day with a group feast at a local Chinese restaurant, where the food was plenty, the fellowship was energizing, and our waiter was out of control. Once he got to telling jokes, there was unfortunately no reeling him in!

We ended our weekend together by worshipping as a group on Sunday morning. The lesson was entitled "Shine on ME," where I spoke of a foundational principle of all spiritual leaders: being committed to personal transformation and renewal. Following more fellowship and lunch, we all headed home, filled up by an inspiring weekend in a wonderful little town with a close group of friends...counting the days until next year!

Daren Overstreet

Take a Break

By Scott Green

If you’re feeling stressed, you may need this warning I got this from the internet:

“There is a dangerous virus being passed around electronically, orally, and by hand. This virus is called Weary-Overload-Recreational-Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss, or anyone else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.

If you should come into contact with WORK, put your jacket on and take two good friends to the nearest grocery store. Purchase the antidote known as Work-Isolating-Neutralizer-Extract (WINE) or Bothersome-Employer-Elimination-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

You should forward this to five friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.”

(OK, this is not a literal recommendation, but everyone, ease off the gas: “each day has enough trouble of its own” right?)

Hugs,

Scott

Jake Smith is Baptized on the Eastside! by Ron Brumley

Tuesday evening, just after our men's midweek session, fifty or so of us gathered at Enatai beach on Lake Washington and shared in the baptism of Jake Smith, our next door neighbor. When we moved into our new condo unit, Jake was immediately open to our friendship and we quickly "adopted" him as our son. Our own kids, all of whom have met Jake over the course of the last three years, refer to him as their "brother from another mother".

It has been a thrill to help Jake come to know God, to make Jesus the Lord of his life and to talk him through many doubts, fears, and misunderstandings. Several of the guys were involved in his actual Bible studies and have become some of his closest friends. Jake is an amazing young man. As many shared on Tuesday evening, he is a man of integrity, energy, enthusiasm, love for people and a great friend to many. And now, can be added, a man who loves God, Jesus and his word!

I am confident that God has wonderful plans in store for Jake, "plans to prosper him and not to harm him, plans to give him hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

God Makes It Grow! by At Ford

A few weeks ago, we had an exciting event happen in our lives. We started the neigbourhood Bible Talk that Darin and I had dreamed of for a while. When we moved to the North Sector two years ago, we prayed for God to move us into a neighbourhood where our neighbours would become disciples. Darin quickly became know as the “mayor of the neighbourhood” - being the first person to meet and greet every new move-in.

A few months after we moved into our home, Darin suggested that we have neighbourhood potlucks every other month. Amazingly, our neigbours wanted to have potlucks every month – one of them even suggested every week! After a year of monthly potlucks - a different neighbour hosted each time - Darin and I were even more eager to see how God was going to use our potlucks. A few months ago, during one of our dinners, one of our neighbours asked Darin if he would start a neighbourhood bible study. Darin declined!! Of course not – we were excited but we did not want to get our hopes up too much in case this was just being said for the moment. The next morning, she emailed Darin and said she was very serious and had been talking to other neighbours who wanted to join as well. We had our first neigbourhood bible study last month and will be having our second one next week.

I am reminded of the scripture in I Corinthians 3:6 – “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” It is incredible when we do our part and watch God make it grow.

Random pictures of my kids - I had to include them!

We're in the News!

By Jay Kelly

"Church Restoration Continues" is the headline this week in the Queen Anne News. The article is by Russ Zabel who wrote about us when we first purchased the building.

"The congregation and leaders of the Seattle Church of Christ have big restoration plans for the former Christian Scientist church they moved into last year. They've also launched an effort to hold a live and silent auction at the end of May to raised money for the work."
Read Entire Article

The Saddest Thing...

(Read Ron's San Diego update below, then come back to this post)

I don’t follow horse racing but because I’m addicted to both trivia and rareness, I usually watch the 3 minutes of the Kentucky Derby each year, wondering if a horse might win the elusive “Triple Crown,” something that hasn’t happened since 1978 (back when I was in high school, Jimmy Carter was President, and the telegraph was invented). Today “Big Brown” won the derby (as predicted); finishing second was a fly filly named Eight Belles.

A few seconds after the race was over, Eight Belles collapsed on the track. Right at that moment, I had to answer the front door and left the TV. When I returned I learned that Eight Belles had broken both her front ankles and had to be euthanized right then and there on the track. I got a little teary for a horse I didn’t know and an industry I don’t care about, remarking out loud, “that’s the saddest thing I can think of…”

Why is that? Why should it even affect me? I’m thinking back to John 11 when Jesus learns that Lazarus has died and sees the torment of his sisters. The Bible says that Jesus was deeply moved and wept. Of course, Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, so why did he cry?

It must be because death has a sting, even for God (1 Corinthians 15:55-56). Death is always tragic, always painful, even when we see resurrection on the other side. It’s painful to God, and when we’re in touch (even with horses we do not know), it’s painful to see. I suppose the innocence of animals is a large part of today's pain as well.

On tomorrow’s Lord’s Day, as we commune together remembering Jesus’ death and sacrifice, may we be deeply moved at the tomb that is now empty. May we feel the sting of death enough to appreciate salvation from its jaws.

Just back from San Diego...

Dispatch From Ron Brumley:

Linda and I had the good fortune to travel to San Diego last weekend, to visit with our daughter, Gretchen, and her family. Besides all the wonderful grandkid stuff, a highlight for us was the opportunity to worship with the Pomerado Region of the San Diego Church of Christ. In 1965 Linda and I, along with our first two babies, Greg and Meredith, began to worship with what was then called the Poway Church of Christ. Now, 43 years later there are four regions of the church that is spread out over the San Diego metropolitan area.

We were very encouraged to see how our old church family remains to be faithful and obedient to God and how it has grown over the years. As in most other places throughout our brotherhood, the San Diego church has patiently implemented changes that better meet the needs of its members. We are also encouraged to realize the close relationship they feel with the Seattle church.

There is a special joy in my heart, feeling as I do, as a "father" to the church there. As John said in 2 John 4, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us".

The San Diego Church of Christ is a great example to all of us , through many trials over the years, of love, faith, service and perseverance. Thank you, San Diego Church of Christ!